This isn't some major project, and I have to say, everyone should be doing it on some scale. Square foot gardening is a fantastic, space saving, economical (eventually) way to grow a lot of food. This method of gardening could feed under privileged people with no actual "dirt" to dig, as you can put a frame on cement and grown whatever crop you desire. Yes, yes it's true. All one needs is 6 inches of "Mel's Mix" (a recipe for a very well balanced soil mix) and a frame to hold the soil in. One 4X4X4X4 bed can grow 16 square feet of crops. That's 16 different crops if you desire. I realize there are a lot of skeptics out there, and I was one of them, but after seeing the results on year one, I am blown away by it. I think if I were to have followed the EXACT proportions in the soil mix, I would have had even better results and I'm talking about a garden that doesn't get a full day of sun. If I get a full 6 hours on all the crops, I'd be surprised. (I will be rectifying a bit of this light issue VERY soon....watch for a post about chain saws and tree trimmers)
I'm a bit aggravated that I paid $20 for cedar, and another $7 for corner braces, the rest of the materials I had on hand, but for $27 I have this (which is not a full sized 16sq. ft. bed, but a 9sq. ft. bed):
Here is the sum total of my work, finished by 9am, after feeding Sophia and getting her to finish homework, as well. The initial investment from my starting my first square foot garden last year, included a bundle of wood lathe, which I made this 9 square foot grid with.
A person would think "eh, what the hell am I going to do with an entire bundle of wood lathe, I'll skip it, who needs to have all that around just to construct reusable grids for my garden.....well, here's ONE example of the many uses that you can come up with around the house:
BAD ASS handles for BAD ASS balloon tennis rackets. Provides hours of fun for family and friends of all ages. I guarantee it!
Here's why I'm aggravated at the cost of my new melon and squash bed:
This bed is nice looking, right? It's a 16sq. ft bed, and it's wood, and has nice decorative touches to it. I LIKE it. Guess how much? Just go to the site and see for yourself! I'd do it in a heart beat. You could get three of them for the cost of what I paid for ONE of my stupid plastic beds. This is a winner deal in my opinion.
If this post has sparked an interest in square foot gardening, please visit this fantastic site: Square Foot Gardening
If you want to get started on one right away, don't hesitate, buy the book (it will become your gardening bible): The Book
There will be many, many more posts on gardening, square foot gardening, my disasters and successes. With gardening will come discourse on composting too. Square foot gardening uses compost for each and every square, ideally each time you harvest and remove a "crop" from a square, you add a scoop of compost. Now, in my second year, I have a good deal of compost cooking away in my composter, and feel that I've greatly reduced my impact on the environment. I won't get preachy about it, because I'm far from a "good" environmentalist, but I DO think that every little bit helps. I feel deep joy and gratitude for my little plot of land, my little back yard, shaded by trees. I can show my daughter how to grow food, to be a bit more self sustaining, and teach her how the life cycle works. It makes my job as stay at home mom (the new lingo for house wife) all that much more rewarding.
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