OUT WITH THE OLD, Starting over

I have begun the breakdown and rebuilding repositioning of my two 3x3 frames.  The back story on this garden adventure is that I began with container gardening.  I soon added this double 3x3 "big box" store bought frame.  I learned a lot of lessons. One my placement was all wrong, critters loved my veggies, and weeds were rampant.  Somehow I stumbled across the square foot gardening method.   So let the work begin.   I will be moving my garden to the fence line to keep the rain that flows off the roof from digging a trench thru my garden (as seen in the first picture).  I will put down weed cloth, then put down my frame on top of the ground.  No digging or tilling....Yay!   Next I will be mixing my own mix according to the SFG handbook.

Getting My Sqare Foot Garden Instructor Certification

I had the first session of my SFG (square foot gardening) certification class.  It was fun and I learned the history of SFG and the benefits of this gardening method.  It was a live web class.  There were attendees from Bangkok, the UK, Amsterdam, and many from around the United State.  There are only about 500+ certified SFG instructors worldwide so this is exciting.  I can not wait until next week and I cannot wait to get out and start practicing what I learn.

A few thing I want to share about SFG:

- SFG is a simple efficient method of gardening in a small space.
- SFG uses 80% less space than traditional long row gardening.
- Major benefits are:
     - Cost reduced 50%
     - Space reduced 80%
     - Water is reduced 90%
     - Seeds reduced by 98%
     - Work is reduce to a minimum
- Things that are eliminated by using SFG method:
     - Tilling
     - Digging
     - Fertilizing
     - Weeding

The benefits make SFG gardening easy and appealing!

Dreams of a "fruitful" garden

Yes, once again I am dreaming of a "fruitful" garden.  Currently we have just gone thru 2 polar vortex freezes.  Tomorrow is ground hog day and we will see if 6 more weeks of winter is in our future.  
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I am starting a square foot gardening certification course next week and this should get me prepared to have a successful and bountiful garden this year.  

Working the green thumb.

Today I went outside to take advantage of the beautiful weather.  I took my little kitchen recycled garden and transplanted a few of the plants.   Last week my husband and son put netting around my raised bed garden because something ate all the leaves off of my broccoli and peas.  This did not make me very happy.

This is the transplanted re-grown garlic. Doing well.

This is my transplanted kale, celery, lemon grass, and carrot in
a container that had chives from last year.

My tomato plant under the net.

This is where I started my seed for squash, zucchini, green beans,
sweet peas, snow peas. herbs, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

This is a potato growing bag.  I planted a russet and
red potatoes.

2013 Giving it another try

After my great garden of 2011 was ravaged by birds, squirrels or other critters I chose only to plant a few containers on my porch in 2012.   So this year I have a plan.  I will build a net over my raised beds and containers.  I am also planning on changing the irrigation system.  All this with the help of my husband.

These raised beds need some work and soon.  I have been saving egg shells and coffee grounds to mix into the dirt.  I will need to bring in some additional dirt and mix it all up.

I have started in indoor mini re-grow garden in recycled glass.  Many of you vegetable "scraps" can be regrown.  I have green onions, lemon grass, avocado, garlic, celery, and a carrot.   I will be moving the celery and garlic to dirt once they grow a little more.  I am also going to try regrowing a few sprouted potatoes.

Another year another try at gardening

This year 2012 I am going to try to chronicle my gardening experiences. I am using a few containers and two square yard ground beds.

I have planted a 4 tomatoes, 4 banana peppers, and one basil in 3 self watering containers on my patio. I already had a parsley plant and pardon pepper that survived on last year. Yesterday I turned the soil and weeded my two ground beds and pruned and removed the jungle of roses and weeds from my garden area side yard.

I am reading an ebook on square foot gardening to make the most of my two square yard plots. Pictures and details to come.....


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