Garden Medley

Square foot gardening is a way to make the most of your garden’s space. Rather than planting in straight rows, you garden in built up squares of soil that allow you to easily reach all four sides of the square and maximizes the space in your garden.

Start out by building or buying squares that are 4 feet by 4 feet in size. You will be planting in these containers with each plant (or groups of smaller plants) having a 1 foot by 1 foot area. Leave three feet between each container to make access easier.

The advantage to square foot gardening is that you can reach everything. You do not have to step on any plants, drag a hose across them, etc. Since you build these above ground you will have fewer weeds to deal with. The one disadvantage is that they may need more water. (more…)

Square foot gardening was popularized by Mel Bartholemew. The idea is that you can garden more efficiently than the traditional methods allow.

A standard square foot garden layout starts as a 4×4 foot square. Depending on your space you can make several of these, with a 3 foot wide path between each square bed. The paths allow you to care for the garden without compacting it by walking on it, so the soil remains relatively loose.

Most people create boxes to hold the soil above the level of the rest of the ground. This is not an absolute necessity, but it is very common. (more…)