Meet the Metherals, Masters of Recycled Container Gardening

                                                                 by Jenny Humphrey    

Rick and Brenda Metheral live on an
acreage bordering on the north end of Moyie Lake south of Cranbrook. They opened their gates to the public on Cranbrook's Open Garden Day this last Sunday.

I remember hearing about their first freezer gardening project many years ago, well before it became fashionable.  Rick had hurt his back and thought this method of growing might be easier on him.  With a good supply of old freezers back home, an experiment turned into a freezer/fridge farm full of vegetables.  This is not surprising as the Metherals hail from Saskatchewan and have salt of the earth farming roots.

Rick chats with visitors

Nowadays the roots they grow, thrive in insulated containers that are waist high, easy to manage and exceedingly productive.  Having a stockpile of well-rotted manure from his cattle days on the acreage, it was easy to feed these container grown crops.

After the electrical workings and freon are removed from the freezers and fridges, Rick punches holes in the bottom of the white goods, fills them with one third gravel, one third manure and one third soil mix.  They are then ready to plant.  With old windows at the ready, it is easy to create cold frames for early and late season protection.

Rex, the most lovable of dogs, welcomes visitors to the well concealed garden.  A Good Luck horse shoe is attached to the gate.

An old recycled bus seat ready for resting

Discarded carpet has been laid between the freezer rows enabling easy walking and access.  An old bus seat sits in an arbour of Virginia Creeper providing the ideal spot to rest and cool off when hot and weary.



The whole garden is surrounded by either shrubs or fencing which protects from wind, weather and the local deer who would consider this garden a high class salad bar which requires no stooping.

Rick and Brenda are also recycling masters, preferring to reuse than throw it out.  Not only have they reused freezers and fridges collected from a wide area but an old washing machine has become a great compost bin with a lid to be closed for convenience.

Brenda opens the compost bin

The trees and shrubs which surround the garden also conceal what many might consider less desirable optics.  Interestingly,  those gardening the Eric McKinnon Park Community Garden in Cranbrook, have painted blackboard paint on the side of one of their newly recycled freezers.  In a more publicly visible area, creativity could provide many options for improving appearance of a freezer garden.

It was exciting to see this treasure of a garden on the Cranbrook Garden Tour.  This is how it can be done – local food security, recycling at its best, ease on the more mature gardeners and fun.

Thanks for being  leaders Rick and Brenda and thank you both for opening your gates for us all to see!

More recycled family treasures