Progress in the Garden

Sugar Snap Peas

Our progress this year has seemed very slow.  I think the fact my teaching job, our school, and the Department of Education of NYC has been in flux has added to the situation.  Then there was the "death" of my car.  I have spent an extra 2 hours traveling each day in May and June.  That plus the need to borrow my wife or daughter's car to even get to the plots has been difficult.  Of course, there have been the regular garden varmints as well.

At the congregational garden, we did have a harvest of Sugar Snap Peas.  These were distributed on a Saturday morning.  We also had some greens, but not enough to distribute, so a large mixed salad of mixed greens with radishes was prepared  for the Oneg/fellowship time.  Those areas were replanted with beans (in place of the peas) and a variety of root vegetables (beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips and root parsley in place of the greens).  The tomatoes are a little slow, but the tomatillos are blooming.

Beets and Perpetual Spinach

The varmints have been at it.  There was a stinky skunk family.   While they were smelly, they did not eat vegetables.  They have been dealt with.

Gnawed on Cabbage

Pod Peas in the Secret Garden

Then there is the woodchuck family.  They have dug under a garden gate and help themselves to various greens and root crops.  They seem to like cabbage a lot.  They have made a burrow by the building  and seem quite settled in.  A couple a weeks ago when we were at Laurie's cousin's Bar Mitzvah, it was reported that the children were chasing the critters away from the beans they have planted.  (Note those seeds were donated by my brother and some plants have survived.)  I think I have stopped the woodchucks tunneling into the garden and we will be investing in substances that they do not like, but does not hurt them.

Squash at the Secret Garden

Besides my own, there are two other gardens.  I have not been to the potato garden for some time, but the owner reported that the peas are up and growing.  The other garden we might refer to as the Secret Garden.  It is surrounded by trees, bushes and vines, but was used in the past as a garden.  Every time I have gone, it has been extremely moist.  So the tomatoes in the Secret Garden are growing very slowly.  Some of the squash that I planted came up, but most of it may have rotten from the extreme moisture in the ground.  The wetness encourages weed growth.  However, the broccoli is doing very well and promises to have a good harvest.

Broccoli at the Secret Garden

Things are rather slow now, but we look for a harvest in good time.  The same is true in the spiritual life.  
Galatians 6:9 says,  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  With the garden and with our life in Messiah, we must sow, weed and care for it, so that we reap a good harvest in good time.

Don't Grow Weary

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Galatians 6:9

Farming and gardening is hard work and it takes patience.  We have several fields that we are working in and we are starting to see a harvest.  At the congregation, we have harvested some radishes, arugula and thyme.  We hope to be harvesting spinach and lettuce very soon. Last Sunday we planted a variety of tomatoes and peppers, tomatillas, onions.  It's a good thing to share fancy seeds with the congregation.  (See below.)

Purple Potato

Even so, weeds can get ahead of us.  It takes constant vigilance and perseverance to keep the weeds from taking over.  We have had a slight incursion of cabbage loving varmints at the congregation.  I think that's due to some viewing without shutting the gate.  I was warned about deer at the new site and apparently they made a bed out of the garden there one night.  The property owner stuck some tomato cages near the broccoli to discourage them.  Now,  that I returned, he's beginning to learn what broccoli really looks like.  We have shell peas, head lettuce, and broccoli planted there.  The last weekend of May he and I planted tomatoes (Paragon and I think Rutgers) as well as Amaranth there.  As for the Amaranth, either we will have a nice display of Love Lies a Bleeding or we will also have some Amaranth grain in October.

The last Sunday in May, we planted at our last year's potato site.  We did not like the results of our yellow and russet potatoes, so instead we planted red (like last year) and purple potatoes.  We transplanted some muskmelons.  We also planted edible pod peas, amaranth, rue (to discourage the deer) and cucumbers.

Edible Pod Peas

The bad news in gardening is at my house.  My neighbors love chipmunks and it seems that they must call them by name and feed them on their front yard.   They are munching on almost everything I put in my raised beds in the front yard.  I put the good stuff that my brother sent me there.  So these chipmunks have munched on the Tomatoberries and mini yellow tomatoes he sent me.  My experimental artichokes are all but gone.  They have made short work of the brussel sprouts, eggplants and other things.  They have even found their way to the back yard garden and enjoyed (so far) every tomato plant and pepper that I have planted there, except one.  Woe is me,   but  I will persevere and replant with some cayenne pepper powder and netting.  Also, the good news is that they do not seem to like potatoes, lettuce or spinach.

Our spiritual life is very like persevering in planting.  We must begin by having the Word of God take root in our lives.  We continue by diligently (with the Spirit of the Lord"s help)  rooting out the weeds of sin in our lives.  We must resist the incursions of the enemy of our souls.  While that may not include hot pepper, it does include constructing conscious limits to our activities.  That is barriers that keep spiritual chipmunks (and worse) from the gardens of our lives.  In many ways this is a constant struggle, just as a garden can be.   Like a garden, there will be good fruit if we do not grow weary.

PS:  There are more pictures, but they are going in upside down.

Beginning anew 2013

We are beginning a new season at Gan  Am Messiah.  There are some very good things.  Some things to consider and some things that might cause us trouble.

We have begun and there are 3 gardens and a 3x3 raised bed involved in our efforts.  The 3x3 raised bed is at my home and is planted with both Red and Keuka Gold Potatoes.  There are also some Guardian Onion Plants (more on that later).  We have started planting at the Shul.  So far we have planted spinach, arugula, swiss chard, perpetual spinach, beets, edible pod peas, onion sets and some onion plants and mixed leaf lettuce.  We have set out head lettuce, cabbage and broccoli plants.  We hope to put in vegetables that require warmer weather within the next two weeks.  Oh, by the way we have red lettuce, thyme and dill that came up from last year - the Lord must have planted them.

New row of arugula

The owners of a very moist garden have given us the opportunity to plant.  We planted pod peas and onion sets.  We set out broccoli and head lettuce.  There are some dangers in that plot.  The deer like to bed in it in the winter.  Also, one side is surrounded by poison ivy.  So far I haven't caught the poison ivy.

Planting Onions

The last garden has not been started yet.  We hope to arrive there between 1 and 2 on Sunday.   I have started melon and some flowers.  In addition I plan to plant peas, potatoes, and cucumbers.   By the way, these will be purple and red potatoes and the advertising promises a good harvest.

There is at least one more good thing.  My brother has donated a small quanity of semi-unique seeds.  I have started the tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cabbage and onions.  I intend to plant some of the other seeds into the gardens.  I regret that I did not get the celery started.

Now let me tell you the cautions.   Some people have contributed their land.  Some have contributed money.  One has contributed unique skills.  These people have made their contributions, but if you have not I am asking for money to go toward seeds and fertilizer etc...  If there is one person in your family, I think $10.00 is fair.  If you have a large family, I think a larger sum is needed, perhaps $50.  We will try to divide crops according to contributions and family size.  So that you know,  I have spent about $140 on seeds, potatoes and onion sets.  I have started plants for the project.  We also need to buy fertilizer and perhaps some bags for dividing.  I believe that we will all receive more than $50 worth of vegetables this year.  In fact,  I am hoping that we can each preserve some.

Planting Head Lettuce

We will all need to do something to help with the work.  Some have helped already.  Some of you will help this weekend.  There will be any ongoing need for weeding,  watering,re-planting, picking and packaging.  There will also be a need to keep some kind of record to insure a fair distribution of produce.  I have an experienced person who is willing to divide, but can no longer make a commitment to pick produce.  We may need produce picked at least twice weekly and distributed twice weekly.  (Note that beans and peas when they come in require two pickings a week.)

I have laid this before you and I acknowledge that it is a lot of work.  I will be doing much of it, but I cannot do it alone.  We will attempt to give approximately 10% of our produce to the congregation (especially the oneg) and those in need.   The act of gardening may also help prepare us in some small way for the future.

 Please pray for this as a ministry remembering:  Psalm 67:5-7

                            Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
       Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
                            God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Holidays, Holy Days, and Preparation

We had a work day at Beth Am Messiah in preparation for Sukkot, a.k.a the Feast of Tabernacles.  While we were building a sukkah or booth (tabernacle), I put this young man to work cultivating the cabbages.  It seems the Holy Days have slowed down my blogging, so why not include them in the blog.

There are many things about the Feast of Tabernacles that have nothing to do with gardening.  Sukkot is a reminder that while the children of Israel travelled in the wilderness on their way to the promised land, they dwelt in tent like temporary shelters.  Today's sukkah is supposed to be an impermanent temporary dwelling through whose roof you can see the stars.  In the proper climates, people actually live in them during the 8 day holiday.  Even though there are those who brave the elements in our climate for a part of Sukkot, a home sukkah is used more for dining than anything else.  Our congregational service will be used for services from September 30 at 7:30 to a Congregational (Shemini Atzert/ending service) Harvest Potluck dinner on October 8 at 5:00 PM.



Tomatoes 9-16-12

Brocolli 9-16-12

That's where the garden comes in.  My hope was that we would have so much produce, that we could supply the entire meal or at least most of it from the garden.  Well hope is eternal and there's always next year.  However, we most certainly will have somethings made with cabbage, some things made with tomatoes and/peppers.  We will certainly have a small portion of red potato salad.  God willing we will also have some second crop radishes and lettuce. 


Root Parsely 9-16-12



Late Lettuce 9-11-12

You see the another side of Sukkot is one of its other names.  It is called "The Feast of In-gathering."  The in-gathering is of the harvest.  This biblical feast is upon what the pilgrims patterned Thanksgiving.  In Israel, this is the time of the latter rains, which fall in Autumn.  These point to the in gathering of souls to the Messiah in the end of time through the drenching of the rain of the Ruah/ Spirit of God.

So I invite you to ingather your own harvest and if you are in the area join us for Sukkot.  (But please let us know your coming so we can set another place.)

Puddleglumtoo





Dead Vine - Live Potatoes

Russet Potatoes 9-13-12

Red Potatoes 9-13-12

Potato Plant

I am back to my day job as a teacher and this blog as well as the garden has gotten a bit behind.  Last night with the four helpers we harvested potatoes.  As you can see (below) the vines had died back.  Actually about half the vines died off and we left the ones that were still green for later.  We had planted 3 types of potatoes:  a red, a yellow and Russets.  I had thought that these were the Russets.  If they were, then our Russets did not do so well.  In fact, we may have harvested less than we planted.  On the other hand, the red potatoes did much better - compare the bags.  We planted a total of about 12 and a half pounds of potatoes.  Last night we harvested about half of them.  It was about 11 pounds.  That's nothing to boast about, but since the reds did so well, perhaps we'll concentrate on them next year.



Helper 9-13-12

You know its kind of ironic that you dig up good potatoes from a dead vine.  I can show you a series of pictures of any of our plants, but I never did take the first picture.  The first picture would show the preparation of the seed for burial.  It sounds gruesome,but with potatoes it is even worse.  One guy was instructed to cut the potatoes up, leaving at least one eye in each piece.  This seems awful, but unless it is buried, there will be no plant.  Yeshiva compared our lives to the seed that is buried in the ground.  There is a cost to the seed.

Helpers 9-13-13

There is a cost involved in anything we do.  In gardening we recognize the cost of the seeds, the fertilizer, the stakes for tomatoes and the like, but in fact those are the small costs.  There are larger costs still.  A person can give up a lot of land. That limits the ability to use that land for anything else.  You cannot play Ultimate Frisbee over cucumbers.  Even this is not the largest cost.  Time is another issue, but as they say quality is always better than quantity .  Simply looking at the garden plot is not enough.  ,there are weeds to be pulled.  The garden may need watering.  You must care for a garden at all times.  Perhaps as the weather cools the tomatoes will have to be covered as protection from the frost.

Yeshua said in John 12: ²⁴ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.  There is cost, but think of the gain. 
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Sharing spinach/chard with black eyed peas at the oneg
Sharing cherry tomatoe salad at the oneg
Peppers, Cucumbers 

*An oneg is a light fellowship meal after a worship service

Cycle of Life

There is a certain cycle of life in a garden.  Quite frankly, most people in these parts, Northeastern USA, tend to let their gardens go in about July.  Because our growing season is about from mid-May to mid-October most don't think that it is worth the effort to put anything more in.

lettuce 8-31-12

Although that has been my attitude in the past, it is not my attitude now.  We had early peas.  After they died off, we put in yellow summer and zucchini squash.  We are just getting the yellow squash now.  As the beets and carrots were pulled we added more plantings of beets.  When we pulled our first group of onions, we added radishes and lettuce.  If everything had worked out well, we would have had second plantings of cabbage and broccoli as well.  However,  we are still awaiting the heading of the broccoli and the complete recovery of both.

Harvested tomatoes and beans
8-31-12

Potato and cucumbers 8-31-12

Some people have been a little anxious about the potatoes.  Some well meaning people thought that we were planting them too late.  Now some of those same people already harvested their potatoes last month.  Well we haven't pulled any yet.  They have to die off at the tops before we dig out the tubers.  We are planning to have a digging "party" when the tops die off.  Just remember, the long they grow, the more and larger tubers will be produced.



Summer Squash
8-31-12

Ecclesiastes 3 says that there is a time for every purpose under heaven.  This blog is going out late because I was caught up in preparing for a Torah service.  Our lives get crowded and sometimes we have to let some things go.  The same is true in both life and a garden.  Currently we are (mostly) in the harvest time around the garden.  Yet, we have still been planting.  When we reach out to others about the Lord, we need to constantly plant seeds of love, grace, and the good news of Yeshua (Jesus).  The growing season is short.  So is life.  Let us be sure that we both sow and reap all that we are able, while we can.
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 Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Beans (for most), Basil, Dill

Sharing the Produce of our Lives

Bean Blossoms

We have a problem.  We have produce, but not enough of particular kinds for everyone.  Let me explain what has happened.  The weather has been a bit drier, so the cucumbers and butternut squash have suffered.  Some of their leaves are turning yellow.  We have not sufficiently watered them.  Also, while I had placed something to discourage the deer in that garden, something seems to be enjoying the tips of the cucumber plants.  I have not been enjoying the effect.

One of the few cucumbers

We are blessed to have beans.  The problem with many vegetables is that if you do not pick them early, they get tough or even go to seed.  When a plant goes to seed, from its point of view, it has done its job.  In other words, seeds of the children of the plant.  So  when I picked the first of the beans, I noticed enough (I judge) for 2 units.   Now we all know that a few veggies can be added to stir fry, but what how do we divide the first cucumbers and beans?  So I have made an executive decision.  We will rotate who gets the beans and cucumbers or items in small quantities.  We also will continue giving herbs and vegetables to Beth Am Messiah  and others.

Summer Squash at Beth Am Messiah

Yellow Squash soon to be ready

Produce from Gan Am Messiah will be shared in the best way I know how. Like the quantities and the manner in which plants produce, each of us does things in different ways. We all have different personalities, gifts and talents. Those of us who have been directly receiving vegetables have put money, time and expertise into the garden.  One family even allows us to use their back yard for potatoes, cucumbers and butternut squash.  Spiritually we are to use these within our congregations to build both the congregation and each other up.. 

Using her gift to picking tomatoes

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (Corinthians 12:7-11 (NIV)).

As we share our produce, I hope we will continue to grow in sharing life together in the Messiah Yeshua - Jesus.

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Glacier and Cherry Tomatoes, Perpetual Spinach and Chard, Onions, Basil and  ?