Square Foot Gardening

Lately, when I go to the store to buy groceries, I have been coming out shell-shocked at my grocery receipt, sure that the clerk must have overcharged me and forgot to discount my sale items. However, to my chagrin I find that it is indeed the correct total. As the economy began to sour, and my checking account looking anorexic, I started to find ways to cut unnecessary expenses and supplement where I could. A couple of years ago, my husband and I decided that a good way to expand our tightening grocery budget was to grow a garden. We were enthusiastic at the thought of fresh veggies and fruit gracing our table. Our enthusiasm waned slightly as we hauled several wheelbarrows of rocks out of the side yard, and rented a tiller to prepare the ground. After a long hot day, and sore muscles we finished the yard. We planted some tomatoes, and corn in hopes of enjoying a good bounty. However, after a couple of weeks, the weeds came, and our little fantasy became a harsh reality, when those wicked weeds began to take over our little garden. With four kids, jobs, and other activities it seemed there was no time to weed and take care of the garden. When we did have the time, the kids whined (we did as well) about having to spend our Saturday mornings weeding. Needless to say the garden was a bust, and I decided that I would stick to picking veggies in the grocery aisle. However, one day, I stumbled upon a book by Mel Bartholomew entitled Square Foot Gardening.

I was immediately intrigued by the front cover. It features the author standing in front of a 4X4 wooden box full of lush veggies and flowers. Inside the front, he writes about how anyone using his system, would be guaranteed a healthy, easy garden. I was sold on the word easy. I decided to buy the book. It ended up being the best $15.00 I have ever spent. I went home and read the book and I felt my old enthusiasm swell like the sweet watermelon I would soon taste. I decided to try it. After my last escapade, my husband wasn’t convinced that it was going to work, so I bribed my 12 year old son to help me build the boxes. It was surprisingly easier than I imagined. I first needed to build the outside frames or boxes from wood. This was a paralyzing fear for me, because I have no wood working skills whatsoever. I barely knew what a skill saw was, much less use one. I had terrifying visions running through my mind, of my family wheeling me into the emergency room after slicing my hand off with the skill saw. It’s understandable to say, I was giddy when I found out that my local home store would cut the 2X4 frames there at the store. Mel suggests using 4’X4’ frames, but we built ours to be 4’X6’ to fit our yard. My son and I built two boxes in one Saturday morning. Anyone with any carpenter knowledge could probably finish them in an hour. After finishing the frames, we laid down landscaping fabric. Mel explains that if you do this, it will prevent the vicious weed attack that we had experienced earlier. We then combined equal third’s of compost, vermiculite, and peat moss. We filled the beds, and then added a grid made of fur strips, that were 12”X12” squares over the top of the beds. Once the beds were finished we were ready to plant. We have had our beds now for three years, and because we live in Tempe, AZ, have been able to plant all year long.

I have been so happy with the two, I eventually added two more. We have grown peppers, tomatoes, beans, squash, cantaloupe, watermelon, flowers, and many other yummy fruits and vegetables. The only complaint I had was in the beginning with the initial cost of building and completing the garden. To do this is rather expensive, but I can honestly say it has well been worth the money and it has recouped ten fold.
I was so elated with my fruitful result; I went back to the store and bought 10 more books as gifts for family and friends. I wanted to share this system because I knew it would help them too. After seeing my success, several of them have taken advantage of this method of gardening. In fact, because of this method of gardening, horticulture has become a passion for me. I not only love the results of a bounteous harvest and beautiful flowers, I have found that it has been therapeutic for me. It also has given me the opportunity to teach my children, and neighborhood children about various subjects. For instance, my boys have been coming in with different varieties of bugs they have discovered, and they have had so much fun finding out what kind of bug it is and whether it is good for our garden or bad. I have enjoyed observing the new findings of my junior entomologists.

I also know what my children are eating from my garden is healthy, and is completely organic and safe. As a matter of fact I laughed a little when I have been picking lettuce, spinach, and tomatoes from my garden and still enjoying them last June, when they were pulled by the FDA for salmonella contamination. In fact just yesterday, I watched a news report that said that the FDA believes that jalapenos were actually the reason for the last health scare, not tomatoes. I have no worries; because I grow both of those veggies, and know exactly what goes in the soil, therefore I know exactly what comes out.

Square foot gardens are also great, because they can be built anywhere, and maintained by just about anyone. My friend, Robyn (a single mom with 4 kids) built 2’X8’ beds along the narrow side of her house, and has grown an amazing amount of things. Now she too is an avid gardener, and has expressed her appreciation for the fresh strawberries and lettuce she has pulled from her garden. Interestingly enough as a side note, the side of her house, used to be a place to store extra junk, and now it has become a peaceful, relaxing space. Another friend, Eileen built hers right on her back patio! She has very little space, and even less ground, but was able to incorporate this idea to work for her. I could go on and on about many others that have been successful with this, but you get the idea.


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