Every year I promise myself not to have too many gardens and every year I push that promise. There is no doubt I am garden addicted. This year I have three gardens and I know there will be containers scattered about the yard. But over all this is not a bad number of gardens, for me.
photo credit: 【╠╣♥ŃEҰ】

My largest garden is 25 foot by 30 foot and is set up to be as easy of a garden to maintain as possible. This is my Lasagna Garden/Straw bale garden combination. I have combined the two garden techniques to simplify my gardens and improve the soil in this older garden bed.

This area is also fenced, which in my backyard has become a necessity in the last few years with rabbits and groundhogs.

To start my garden I have put down cardboard over the entire garden area that I picked up free at a local store. I chose cardboard over newspaper to make sure I had all the sod covered well enough to stop its growth.

My next step was to pick up old sawdust and leaves. The sawdust came from a local bat mill and the leaves were picked up on a weekend cleaning the township offered. I layered the leaves down first in a 8 inch layered and then added the older sawdust in a 6 inch layer. I topped the layers off with sheep manure and watered lightly.

Later today I will top the mixture off with fresh grass clippings and straw.

My next step will be to plan the straw bale garden areas. I plan on making 3 square bale garden areas for the gourds and melons. I will also have a moss covered flower tier from straw bales to make the garden area fun and my last straw bales garden will actually be for vegetables and herbs.

After I have decided where to place the straw bales, I will begin to treat them for planting. Also at that time I will decide where I want my other lasagna garden area in my fenced garden area and slay out the plans for them. I will raise this area with more composting materials to create my lasagna garden growing areas in a raised bed fashion.

More plans and photos will follow for my lasagna garden/straw bale garden as the garden takes shape.

My other gardens include the small space $20 dollar recession garden and my perennial gardening bed for new perennial flowers and herbs.

If you are using the straw bale gardening method or lasagna gardening method let me know how your garden is doing.

Technorati Tags: 20 dollar recession garden plan, creative gardening, lasagna garden, lasagna garden/straw bale garden method, recession garden, small space garden, Straw Bale Garden, straw bale gardening

Hay Bale Square Garden Technique

In my garden adventures with hay bale ad straw bale gardening I have tried several different gardening techniques. While I like growing melons and gourds in the bales both are heavy feeder so I created a hay bale/ straw bale square garden technique to use with these crops.
photo credit: JBColorado

Use four bales, hay or straw. Each bale type has its strong points. Lay the bales out to form a square with an open section on the inside. In the inside you will want to make and place a trellis or stakes to hold up melons or gourds. Growing these crops vertically will take a lot less space. There will be a lot of weight on this trellis so it has to be well made. My trellis is 10 foot tall, made of metal and welded together.

Once the trellis or stakes are in place fill in the square with fertilizer. Top with straw or grass clipping and water well. This is your onsite fertilizer pit for these heavy feeding plants. I have found that by using this method my crops grow twice as fast and larger than ever before. And with melons I put two plastic milk jugs into the pit, upside down with the bottoms cut off and the cap off. This is my watering funnel to make sure they get enough water.
photo credit: gui.tavares

Now it’s time to prepare the bales for planting. This link will give you the bale preparation method.

Plant three plants in each bale. I plant them near the back and plant flower in the front for color and to add interest to the garden.

The only point I must stress is to make sure you have the trellis or your vertical stakes very secure! It makes a mess when they fall, and yes, this is experience talking.

You can let the melons or gourds lie on the ground and make a unique looking garden but it takes more space and insects will be harder to control. If you decide to let the produce sprawl on the ground, mulch the ground to keep the weeds down, add a few flowers and some garden art and it will make an interesting garden.

Hay bale gardening or Straw bale gardening has many positive aspects. Its worth giving it a try, particularly if you have poor soil or trouble getting a garden tilled.

Technorati Tags: creative gardening, hay bale gardening, raised bed gardening, Straw Bale Garden

Straw bale gardening will add ease and creative organic gardening techniques to your gardening and backyard.
photo credit: Yogi

I have been a gardener since the age of twelve. When I was a photographer and moved from city to city as fast as I could pack a suitcase I had to give it up.

After I returned to my hometown I started to play in the dirt again and experiment. To me gardening is an experiment and fun. The day it stops being fun is the day I sell my hoe and spade.

One year about six years ago I injured my back and could hardly walk. Actually my sheep pulled my back out. It’s a long story and to this day, I don’t like sheep. At least not in my yard!

Injuring my back led me to re-think gardening and to try and make it less work and easier on the back. I use containers a lot and raised beds are a must. Besides being easier on the back they help keep pests out of the garden. I have also set up most raised beds to be instant hoop greenhouses.

When my back was the worst I started doing hillside gardens and I even planted some of my crops in straw bales. Straw bale gardens are actually fun and have a unique look. The only thing with a straw bale garden is that it is best to use transplants. I have started the plants from seeds but my normal success rate is off so I cheat and go for the transplants!

Straw Bale Garden

To make a straw bale garden buy a few straw bales. How many you pick up will depend on how big you want your garden to be. A bale is usually about 2 foot by 3 or 4 foot in size.

Straw bales are better than hay bales, Hay has more weed seeds and why bring weeds into your yard?

Straw Bale Garden Design

Lay your straw bales out where you want your garden flat side down. You can lay them out in a line or get creative and make a design. I laid my garden out in a mini maze with enough room to get the mower between the bales. I also had a bench in the center so I had a fun place to sit.

The next step takes a few days. During this time you can be hardening off your transplants.

What you need to do is wet the straw bales down thoroughly several times a day for a couple of days. I also make a compost tea mix and let that soak in the top of the bales. This gives the bales a good deep soaking of water, which it will hold for a long time and the fertilizer soaks in and add nutrients to the bale that the plants will get.

Planting your Straw Bale Garden

Decide what plants you are going to plant so that you know how much space you want between plants. Next remove some of the straw where you want the plants. I usually take out 6 inches across and 8 inches deep. Fill the hole with good composting soil or a mix or garden soil and potting soil Water well and let sit for a few hours. Put more soil in if the soil level goes down.

I wait till its cloudy or close to 5 or 6p.m. in the afternoon when the sun isn’t so hot. Your transplants will appreciate being transplanted when the sun isn’t beating down on them.

Plant your transplants and water. After this garden is planted treat it like a normal garden. Water the plants when they need it and if it’s a very dry summer water the bales for a deep watering.

I have planted tomatoes, potatoes, squash, greens, peppers, gourds and flowers in the bales. I didn’t try tall plants like sunflowers. I also staked tomatoes and peppers just like I do in a regular garden.

When the season is over, harvest your crops. One thing I did do later in the fall was cover the sides of the bales with black plastic. This kept the bales warmer and my crops going a little longer.

After the season is done take the bales and add them to you compost pile. If you don’t have one this is the perfect time to start! You have great semi composted material to start one with.

Technorati Tags: creative organic garden, gardening, raised beds, Straw Bale Garden