I used to have a garden that was over an acre in size, plus a few small gardens to the side. It took all day to water the gardens and the fun was disappearing. The garden was turning into a chore.
photo credit: SDCDeaCerte

Then I heard about Square Foot Gardening. It’s a form of gardening where you lay out your garden and plant in square or rectangular shapes.

Its purpose is to use less space and less water. It’s great for the city gardener and you can even have a garden in containers on a patio or beside a garage if space is limited.

What really attracted me to the Square Foot Gardening method was the use of combination planting and successive planting, the basis of organic gardening which I totally believe in. I think that plants, vegetable and fruits should be as chemical free as possible.

This method works for the beginning gardener, suburban gardener and the gardener with a large garden. By organizing the garden more efficiently you can cut down on watering and weeding, a very time consuming chore.

The garden also looks very pretty laid out in almost a formal pattern with walkways in between the small garden plots.

I gave this plan a try about 10 years ago. I was impressed. My watering time was cut to 10 or 15 minutes a day and weeding could be done in minutes. I also liked that I could target one area of the garden and  get that watered, weeded, and harvested and not feel the pressure to do the entire garden. The fun was back!

Where to start

It’s best to start your Square Foot Garden planning in the winter or spring. You need to decide how much space you want to use and how much food or flowers you want to grow.

Usually the garden areas are laid out in four by four plots or four by eight plots. I myself make my plots three foot wide. Its easier for me to reach the center plants. I use a six foot or eight foot length. I also must admit I tend to lay the plots out in a triangular form. It seems my gardens always get a little artsy!

Garden rows are not in single plantings like in older gardens. They are grouped in one foot squares and depending on the size of the plant will determine how many plants go in one square. For example one tomato (grown vertically) would go in one square because its a bigger plant. Four bean plants would go in one square because they are smaller

When planning for the garden you will also use combination planting for more crops in a smaller area, You will also learn more about soils and how to make sure its fertile and drains well. If you are planting crops closer and using the plot again during the season you will need to.

The next important decisions are how to lay your garden out, how much you will grow and to improve your soil. Using an intensive gardening method your soil must be rich in nutrients and that is actually easier than you might think.

Stay tuned for part two: Square foot Gardening: Improving the soil.

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A greenhouse is a wonderful tool for the gardener. It’s a place to start plants early and extend the plants life later in the season.

I use mine to start seedlings and cuttings. Yes, they can be started in your house but you spend more time setting up the right lighting. With a greenhouse you use Mother Natures lighting and may want to add additional lighting one in a while.

Another great use for the greenhouse is just to rest, have fun and experiment!

Greenhouses do not have to be expensive or even big. They can be temporary and just used in the spring or bad weather.

My first greenhouse was a combination of old windows I hinged together in the spring to set my transplants out in during the day. I covered the top with plastic. It was very primative, but it worked.

Later that fall I made a cold frame out of old windows and grew greens until Christmas. I live in a cool zone 5 climate so this definately extended my season. The next spring I put together a small hotbed frame by adding rabbit fertilizer under the soil to make heat and lining the frame with milk jugs filled with water. I use clear milk jugs because the sun will warm the water up during the day and give off the heat during the night. It’s enough to add more warmth to the hotbed. I also covered the hotbed with a blanket at night.

I was able to start most of my seedling using this hotbed.

My cheapest and easiest to make greenhouse was created out of an old swingset. I covered the set with heavy plastic and secured it at the bottom. The one end I made a wood cover for. (this was a good place for seedlings and cuttings that needed less light.) The other end I removed the center support  bar that made it secure and placed another support bar along the bottom on the ground. This end had two pieces of plastic that overlapped. The inner layer had a board stapled onto the bottom to hold it in place. The outer plastic I used clothes pin to hold it shut.

During the day when temperatures would go up I would take the back flap of plastic and move it back to tie it up. The outer flap I set out about a foot so that the structure could cool down but not get too much wind that would damage small plants.

I used this very cheap temporary greenhouse all season. The cost was about $15 for the plastic cover.

My second bigger greenhouse was made out of PVC pipe. I put metal stakes into the ground and bent PVC pipe from one row of stakes to the other to make a semi circular shape. To make it secure I put wood boards on the bottom and bolted thin metal half way up the side. On the top of the structure I had a thin metal pipe that ran the length of the top. This was wired into place. When It was up and secure I covered it with heavy plastic. This worked very well and I used it for a few years, but it was more work to put up! I probably had $75 in this temporary greenhouse.

I now have a nicer greenhouse, two actually. Using temporary greenhouses gave me a taste of what having a greehouse would be like and saved me money when I really didn’t have the money to spend.

I still throw together plastic temporary greenhouses if I have too many plants, I am digging up and moving plants or we have a cold summer.

Greenhouse can be small or large. They can stand by theirselves or be a lean to style attached to a house or other building. But my all time favorite is a pit greenhouse. I love the look and its versitility.

In the next several days I will post several different greenhouse styles.

I have always like Terrariums. They are easy to take care of and always have a unique artsy look. They were very popular in the 1970’s and 80’s but died down. Just recently they have gained popularity again, probably because they are easy to take care of.

Plants are usually picked in a variety of color and textures. There is always added ceramic or rock pieces to add more interest.

Terrariums also make great projects for children to put together and watch grow. 

I just read a great article called “Garden in a Bowl” that was was published in the Bismarck Tribune November 24, 2007 and written by Nzong Xiong.

Besides talking about Terrariums, history of the terrarium is discussed. I had no idea they had been used as long as they have. They were originally referred to as Wardian Cases, named after a London surgeon who had a interest in plants. They became very popular, particularly in the upper social classes.

Before this glass cases were used to transport plants.  Egyptians were know to use glass container for such a purpose. 

If you would like to read the entire article, which also has a list for terrarium plants and suggestion on how to assemble one follow this link: 

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/11/24/news/local/143280.txt

Terrariums make great gifts. They are easy to take care of and reasonable to assemble. You can also get very creative with the container you chose.