This is the first year that I've done a vegetable garden, and I'm super excited by how its progressing. I did lots of research when it was still cold and snowy here. I considered a traditional garden, container gardening, and then finally landed on doing a square foot garden.
Once I read about the simplicity of square foot gardening I knew it was what I wanted to try. It was designed by a retired engineer, so maybe that was why I could easily relate with everything. This book explains everything that you need to do step by step All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space
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Basically you divide your garden in square foot sections and then in each section you can grow a different fruit or vegetable. I found this cool tool online where you can virtually design your garden. This was my virtual design.
On the first row: Tomatoes, Snap Peas, Cucumbers, Tomatoes
On the second row: Stir Fry Peppers, Basil, Green Peppers, Bush Beans
On the third row: Cilantro, Green Peppers, Carrots, Spinach
On the fourth row: Oregano, Strawberries, Radishes, and Cilantro
You put everything in a raised box that gives you 6 inches of a soil mixture that contains 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 compost. It was kind of difficult for me to find the vermiculite, but everything else was easy to get at the local home improvement store. They will even cut the wood for you for free.
I grew everything except for the herbs from seed. It is amazing to see these big bushy plants and know that you started it all with a seed. We have already started picking and using lots of items from the garden. Today for a lunch salad Jim picked spinach, radishes, chives, oregano, basil, and cilantro. I'm kind of excited to see what his finished salad looks like.
Our radishes are HUGE (1 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches tall). We are planning to pick them all soon and put in seeds for another batch which will be ready in another 30 days. I have a new radish recipe that I'm hoping to try soon.
They have to be the easiest thing to grow. If you want to feel like a master gardener, plant some and you are sure to succeed.
I'm anxiously waiting for my strawberries to start growing. They are ever bearing so they should give me strawberries all summer long once they start. They did have a tragic beginning. I think that a rabbit got them.
The solution was the fence that you see added around the edge of the garden, and everything has been safe ever since. My nieces saw the garden yesterday and asked if we had any deer. I hadn't thought about that, but hopefully the garden will be safe. Although I think it may be kind of cool to see a deer in my backyard, since we live in a subdivision.
We built the trellis with this netting Dalen Gardeneer 5-Foot x 30-Foot Trellis Netting TP-30C
and electrical conduit. They cut the conduit at the store for me, so I just had to screw it together when I got home. So easy, and now I love seeing the snap peas growing up it.
The first thing I do after I get home from work is let G dog out and then check on the garden. It is amazing to see how much it changes in one day. I can't wait to eat all the other tasty treats that will come out of it this summer.
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