Repurposing

In my attempt to establish a sustainable food supply, I've fenced off an orchard, but it needed to be more than just a few trees with some space to grow.  I know fields are not to have two different grains sown, and a vineyard has some specifics, so in my attempt to be obedient to Scripture, I considered what I could plant around the trees.  It then dawned on me that the Garden of Eden contained all sorts of edibles, including trees, so . . . the orchard has four fruit trees, a strawberry patch, some raspberry bushes, and perennial herbs.

Some herbs can be quite aggressive in their existence.  Planning has been of utmost importance in that I want to establish something sustainable that won't be a continual challenge to maintain.  I've seen some tractor tires repurposed and painted to become sandboxes and that gave me an idea.  When getting new tires on the buggy, there was a $2.00 disposal fee per tire.  I decided to bring them home instead.  I think I've actually united the concepts of raised beds, square foot gardening, and repurposing in this one move.  

I simple arranged them on the ground in the orchard, and have since added more.  A newspaper on the ground, with flake of straw in the center of the tire serves as amazing weed control.  Fill the tire with top soil or potting soil, I prefer to use topsoil and add my own fertilizer, as I have plenty available on site.  I then plant one type of herb, vegetable, or fruit in the tire and maintain as I would any garden plant.  These handy repurposed containers are watered readily when it rains, there is no weeding, and the aggressive intrusive herbs like spearmint are contained.  The great news . . . they are free at tire shops!