I should have mad gardening skills. My Grandpa M and my Grandma H were/are famous for their beautiful gardens. And with the last name of Gardner....well? We should be good! I will also say that the best watermelon I ever had was from my dad's garden 20 years ago. He sent it with me for my freshman year at college and we all agreed it was the best. So, I come from a lineage of great gardeners. I'm hoping to someday match them in skill!
I did have a lot of success with tomatoes in Utah, and some herbs in Louisiana, but this is the first year we have tried to put in a full garden and hope to be successful. We bought a book and got started. First, Dee built our boxes for us: 4 x 4, 6 inches deep. We placed the boxes on weed fabric and started making our "Mel's mix": Equal parts peat moss, compost, and vermiculite. Here are Dee, Sis, and Lou mixing the dirt a week or so ago:
After the dirt was in the boxes, Dee built grids to go on top. Mel says it's not a square foot garden without the square foot grids! The PVC pipe is bent to make a frame. All three gardens have that done now and it is covered in plastic to create a greenhouse effect, which hopefully will get our plants growing and protect them from any future frosts. Hopefully it will also keep Daisy out until she learns this is a no-pet zone. In the summer, we can cover them with cheescloth if we start to have problems with insects. (I couldn't get the pics in the right order here, but the one where they are covered is obviously our "final" pic)
Yesterday we planted - you can plant 16 carrot plants, onions, radishes, etc. per square foot. Beets and spinach are 9 per square foot, Beans and peas, 8 per square foot. Potatoes, corn, etc
After the dirt was in the boxes, Dee built grids to go on top. Mel says it's not a square foot garden without the square foot grids! The PVC pipe is bent to make a frame. All three gardens have that done now and it is covered in plastic to create a greenhouse effect, which hopefully will get our plants growing and protect them from any future frosts. Hopefully it will also keep Daisy out until she learns this is a no-pet zone. In the summer, we can cover them with cheescloth if we start to have problems with insects. (I couldn't get the pics in the right order here, but the one where they are covered is obviously our "final" pic)
Yesterday we planted - you can plant 16 carrot plants, onions, radishes, etc. per square foot. Beets and spinach are 9 per square foot, Beans and peas, 8 per square foot. Potatoes, corn, etcare 4 per square foot. Broccoli, cauliflower are 1 per square foot. And melons/gourds are 1 per 2 square feet. Our tomatoes will be in hanging baskets (the topsy/turvy thing) and won't be in the actual garden. They take up too much space that way.
There are a few things not planted yet, but for the most part we are ready to watch things grow!
Sis had a great time gardening (don't tell her there is cow poop in that dirt on her face!)
There are a few things not planted yet, but for the most part we are ready to watch things grow!
Sis had a great time gardening (don't tell her there is cow poop in that dirt on her face!)
4 comments:
You are well on your way to living up to your genes and name! Your square foot gardens look wonderful.
This looks amazing. I can't wait to hear how it works.
I LOVE the glasses on the tip of your nose!!
What a great looking garden. I can't wait to hear more about it as the season goes on.
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