I have been pretty sad here because I believed I could not enjoy gardening. We are so high up in elevation (4000 feet); so hot in the summer and cold in the winter; and so dry that I thought it would be impossible. I am pleased to announce that I am dead wrong.
Recently I have been noticing maturing patches of corn along the highway and in some Navajo family's back yards. This got me wondering, so I looked it up on the "interwebs." These gardeners use a method called waffle gardening. This planting system is AT LEAST 1000 years old. They dig up square patches about 1 foot x 1 foot, build up surrounding walls of dirt mixed with clay, and then sow companion plants.
Companion planting is amazing. The plants all help each other stave off pests and the unremitting summer sun. The Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni use a corn stalk, several bean vines, and a squash plant in their waffle patches. The corn acts as a pole for the beans to climb and shade for the new tender beans and squash. The squash acts as shade for the water in the waffle hole. Also, the beans emit some kind of chemical that keeps most pests away. They have also recently started growing sunflowers with English peas and cucumbers in the same way.
If we are here next year, I plan on starting a patch like that. If we move to another desert community I may try it there. How beautiful and how simple! These gardens are also wonderful for saving water and holding rain water. Also recommended was burying a clay pot, filling it with water, and letting it leak water out to the companion plants slowly.
As a slap on the wrist to myself, I learned about this in one of my history classes, but I did not connect my life with the old ways. I do now. Zoiks!
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