10 Reasons You Need a Fall Garden

Last week I posted on "Preparing for Our Fall Garden."  Today, the rain has kept us inside, but hopefully, later this week we can get the soil tilled up and our seeds planted.  We will be growing kale, spinach, bibb lettuce, salad bowl lettuce, and broccoli. 

Whether you lack a green thumb or have a full-fledged garden, here are 10 reasons why you need a fall garden:

1. Lots of planting choices.  You may think that the only crops that grow in the fall are greens but that's not entirely true.  Besides kale, mustard and collard greens, spinach, lettuce, and Swiss chard, you can also plant broccoli, carrots, radishes, sugar snap peas, turnips, Brussels sprouts, leeks, cabbage, snow peas, and cauliflower. There are plenty of options depending on what your family likes to eat.


2. It's inexpensive. Essentially the only costs involved in planting a fall garden are the seeds or transplants, compost or humus, and fertilizer (if you choose to use it).  A packet of seeds costs less than $2 and contains more than enough seeds for one season.  I bought a 4-pack of broccoli transplants this week for $1.50; that will more than feed our family of 4.  When your produce begins to come in, then you will save money at the grocery store.

3. Cool-weather vegetables are especially hardy.  Most fall crops, particularly kale and other dark leafy greens, can withstand cold temperatures, even snow, and continue producing from fall to spring.  I even had kale coming up voluntarily this summer!  That stuff won't die!  Another cost-effective reason to plant a fall garden.


 4. Organic produce for pennies! I try to buy organic whenever I can, especially lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens that tend to be sprayed heavily with pesticides.  With a fall garden filled with my choice of leafy greens, I can control the amount of chemicals, if any, that come in contact with my plants.  That not only provides me with peace of mind, but also saves me tons of money on organics at the store, which, we all know, are ridiculously expensive.


5. Healthy food for cheap. Did you know that the veggies you plant in a fall garden are especially good for your health?  Broccoli is a known nutritional powerhouse: rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, D, & K, plus it's high in fiber; dark leafy greens are also high in fiber and have been shown to remove from the body free radicals that cause cancer; and carrot, too, are fiber-rich and specifically linked to fighting colon cancer. 



6. Make it a family affair.  Get the kids involved and the whole family can enjoy the fruits of labor when the produce is ready to harvest.  Not only are children more likely to eat what they've helped grow, but there are so many educational opportunities involved in gardening. 



7. Get some exercise.  Planting a garden is a great way to burn calories and lose weight.  From tilling up the soil to planting seeds and transplants to weeding, watering, and harvesting, there is always something to do that will get your heart pumping.  Plus, there are obvious rewards for your hard work: fresh, home-grown produce.



8. But not too much work.  Compared to a spring/summer garden, in my opinion, the fall garden is much less maintenance.  Weeds aren't as plentiful during the cooler weather, and you don't have to worry about watering everything so often.  Also, the cooler weather crops are just easier to grow. 



9. It's so easy!  Literally, dig up some ground or put some soil into a pot, sow a few seeds, water, and wait for the magic to begin again and again and again.  Honestly, after planting my seeds, the only work I ever do in my fall garden is a little light weeding and harvesting.  Sometimes the greens will become bitter from being in the soil too long, and then I just pull them and throw them into the compost.  Just remember that you want to make sure you are continually harvesting lettuce, spinach, and kale.  Think: fresh salads every day!  That's it!  It's too easy.



10. You're eating local.  Everyone is interested in eating locally grown foods, but what's more local than the food grown in your own garden?  This is "going green" at its best.


Do you plan to have a fall garden?  What will you be planting?
 

For comments or questions, contact me at: growinginhisglory@gmail.com

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Growing in Love for Our Husbands: Being His Crown

For the past three weeks, we have been looking at different ways the Bible teaches us as wives to behave towards our husbands.  Thus far in our series “Growing in Love for Our Husbands” we have discussed:

•  Submitting to his authority

• Captivating him with our desire

• Respecting him

 This week we will look at being a wife of noble character and what that means for us today.    

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,

But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.”

Proverbs 12:4

To be a crown to our husbands is to make them feel like kings.  How do we do this? 

By our purity, faithfulness, respect, submission to authority, and our willingness to captivate him with our desire. We are a credit to our husbands when we act with integrity and keep our husbands’ reputations above reproach. 

But if we bring shame to our husbands by our disrespect, laziness, willful behavior, and sharp tongue, then we make their lives so unbearable that they cannot escape the pain.  Our husbands’ reputations are so blemished by such atrocious behavior that we become like a disease in their bones!  We are like the "quarrelsome wife" of Proverbs 27:15-16 who Solomon compares to a "continual dripping on a rainy day." That is, we are a constant irritation and annoyance to our husbands. 

To better understand what it means to be an “excellent wife,” we must look at the paragon of Godly feminine virtue: “the Proverbs 31 woman.”  {See Proverbs 31:10-31}

“A wife of noble character” unlike any other, “the Proverbs 31 woman” brings her husband “good, not harm, all the days of her life.”  The qualities she possesses are an inspiration to all women, something to aspire to, but never to imitate. We could never be her, but we can certainly learn from her example. 

 The “Proverbs 31 woman” is…

• Trustworthy (“Her husband has full confidence in her...”)
• Industrious (“She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family.”)
• Enterprising (“She considers a field and buys it; out her earnings she plants a vineyard.”)
• Hardworking (“She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”)
• Skilled (“In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.”)
• Benevolent (“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”)
• A homemaker (“She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.”)
• Resourceful (“She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.”)
• Fun-loving (“she can laugh at the days to come.”)
• A wise teacher (“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”)
• A manager of household affairs (“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”)
• Blessed by her children & husband (“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also…”)   
• Worthy of praise (“her husband…praises her”)

 From where does this excellent woman derive her most coveted status? 

From her fear of the Lord (“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”).  Her reverence and respect for God compel her to be the very best she can for her husband, her children, her servants, and her community.  Everything she does is to the glory of God.

It’s interesting to me that “the Proverbs 31 woman” is not once described as beautiful.  She seems to have everything going for her: a doting husband, loving children, a respectful staff, and an admiring community.  But what we are not told is whether or not she was physically attractive.  Because of the high value society places on beauty today, we may expect that she is easy on the eyes, but Solomon's omission suggests that the quality of physical attraction is not as important as spiritual attractivness.  What is important, though, is her inner beauty, a beauty that transcends Spanx, Botox, and manicured hands--a beauty to which we as wives are to aspire. 

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”  {Emphasis mine}

1 Peter 3:3-4

What makes us beautiful as women is not our physical appearance but our inner spirits. Having a submissive, respectful, and gentle spirit is far more attractive to a good husband than flawless skin, fashionable clothes, and a toned body. Outward beauty will fade with time but a gentle and quiet spirit is a beauty that will never diminish. THAT is a beautiful woman—maybe not by Hollywood’s standards, but by God’s. THAT is the beauty that enraptures your husband and makes him proud to have you as his wife.

Are you your husband’s crown or his disease?  Or are you somewhere in between?  Why don’t you talk to your husband and ask him in which areas you can improve to be a more "excellent wife"?  If we ever hope to grow in love for our spouses, we must be willing to work at it.  In what areas do you need to work?

Join us again next week for a discussion of ways to talk to our husbands about their expectations of and desires for us as well as what they clearly find annoying.  God's richest blessings on you and your families...

For comments or questions, contact me at: growinginhisglory@gmail.com

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