Our garden is growing
Our new square foot garden box is a birthday box from a home depot birthday gift card. THANKS!
We also recycled a couple long 2’x8’ boards that were on the side of the house from a long ago failed raised bed. The boards are probably about eight years old, but still strong. As the kids remind me… recycle, reuse, reduce.
I’ve been wanting to add wheels to the bottom of my boxes for a while. One purpose for the wheels to be able to rotate the box if some of the plants don’t seem to be getting enough sun. Another reason is to lift the box off of the ground so I can tell if I’m over-watering (when water runs out the bottom). Another reason for the wheels is that when I was a kid, my parents were often moving and changing their garden, an unending urge I’ve inherited. In addition to our existing 12” bricks, the wheels make moving and changing the garden relatively easy.
The wheels are attached to the bottom of a couple 2’x4’s to help distribute the weight, as I doubt that wheels attached to the plywood last long. The 2’x4’s and the wheels are also inset a bit to both distribute the weight better and to attempt to keep little feet from getting ran over. When I have decided on a semi-permanent place for the box, I’ll lift and rest the box on bricks to try and keep the wheels from getting warped or flattened.
Of course we put Mel’s Mix in the box, 1/3 vermiculite (we already had), 1/3 compost (which I can’t find and haven’t made my own, so I used gardner’s bloom that was left over from last year), and 1/3 peat moss (purchased from Star Nursery). I had a few plants in containers with potting soil, but the potting soil was so heavy and rocky that I decided to pull them out, except for the artichoke which we transplanted into the same container but with the new Mel’s Mix. I also used the slow release granulated Miracle Grow (since I don’t have compost yet).
A photo of the finished box is above with a few plants (zucchini, cucumber, honey dew melon, anaheim chili pepper, onions (moved from a container), basil and dill (moved from a container). I decided to keep the vertical structure consistent with the other boxes and picked up a couple of ten foot 1/2” pvc pipes which were bent into shape. I still need to hang the nylon netting and will probably make a flagpole later. Five squares still need to be planted.
I’ve moved ahead with the flagpole idea… but more for the enjoyment of the kids than for the use of the garden. Above is a picture of Quinan pulling the flagpole roper through the pulley. Hopefully we’ll have flags up soon. Kenn’s pea has already started growing up the guidelines and is over 5’ tall.
I wasn’t sure what to do with the old potting soil we’re not using, but after thinking about it for a while, we decided to put the soil next to the house in the triangle areas not covered by the bricks and plant ground cover, as well as a few marigolds, rosemary and cilantro. The backyard is really starting to take shape, and looks much better, now I just need to work on the part you can see from inside the house.
Jen’s (left), and Kenn’s (right) gardens, are doing great!
Jen’s box has produced a bountiful harvest of peas, lettuce, spinach and cilantro. Soon we’ll probably have carrots, and maybe strawberries. The spaghetti squash, peppers and pole bean will be taking off soon. The watermelon seems to be struggling, but I think that with the warming temperatures coming and Miracle Grow I believe it will soon take off as well.
As I mentioned above, Kenn’s box has peas over five feet tall. The asparagus is healthy and in it’s second season (we’ll harvest it next year). We’ve been eating lettuce and spinach out of her box as well. The Tomato’s have adjusted well and we’ll soon have another crop of peas and carrots from her box.
We are blessed to have been introduced to square foot gardening last year. Beyond discovering the joys of eating food we have grown ourselves, are the other joys and blessings of gardening: family unity, appreciation of work, self-sufficiency, instruction, pleasure, health, reduced expenses and love.
04/06/2008 | hugh |
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