GROW YOUR GARDEN "UP" AS NATURE INTENDED

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These days I grow the tall legume vines on line suspended from horizontal poles supported by 12- to 15-feet-tall tepee Aframes (see page 24). Years ago I let vines climb up cotton fishnet scavenged in rolled-up snarls from the beach after winter storms. During the late winter, I'd unsnarl it and cut it free of kelp, fish line, broken lobster traps, and starfish—sitting with feet up in front of the woodstove. Old-time cotton-cord fishing nets were moderately supple when soaking wet but became board-stiff when dry and could support pea and bean vines about as well as a chain-link fence.

I found that old pea and bean vines dried quickly in the fall, could be ignited with a match, and would burn off rapidly, destroying mold spores, disease organisms, and bug eggs. But the tight-wound, hard-cord fishnet wouldn't even singe if it was still rain-damp. I'd roll the fire-cleaned net for reuse, and if it wasn't too old when I found it, it lasted for years before rotting away naturally. But we live in a plastic age ...and cotton has been replaced by much cheaper, longer-living nylon, styrenes, and other monofilaments. Exposed to vine-clearing flame, "monos" will slump or melt and make a noxious smoke.

And, burned or not, it takes years of exposure to sunlight for the plastic to degrade. Buried in garden or landfill, it can last forever. Plus, the fishnet is so fine it cuts my fingers and gets dry seawater salt in the cuts, and I dislike handling it. I doubt that pea or bean vines much like it either. I know for sure that the fish don't. So I make my own vertical supports from hard cotton cord from the hardware store. It is looped between parallel poles (bamboo fishing poles are best for the top horizontals; bottom poles are scrap lumber). Top poles are supported by 12- to 15- feet-high tepees and A-frames made of saplings or scrap lumber, and bottom poles weighted with rocks or staked to the ground (see illustration). Lines are spaced an easy-harvesting six or seven inches apart, and the line is secured with a double half hitch—passed in back of itself twice each time around the poles.

Hard cotton twine lasts for several years, so if it looks strong in the fall, I burn the dry old vines and wind the line up on the poles in the fall and store it inside for use next year. (If it's rolled up with a lot of old vine still on, it snags so badly I find it nigh impossible to unroll next spring.)

Gardening (Almost) Naturally

You won't want to start the garden completely wild by scattering seeds and started seedlings at random and letting them compete to the death with one another and with even more vigorous weeds for sun, water, and root space. Rather, plant and nurture the way plants are arranged in nature once the initial culling is over—maximum number of strongest plants in the available space. Then, enrich soil and help all suitable varieties to get some altitude.

By adding compost and natural conditioners early, you will increase water retention as you enrich your garden soil to the dark and crumbly tilth of a natural forest loam. Growth of desirables will be vigorous enough to provide all the good eating you could hope for as well as make shade to reduce water loss and kill or stunt most weeds. One or two hoeings will keep weeds down till the crops are up.

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