This year I’ve decided to battle the economy melt down by building my own ‘Square Foot Garden’ to grow some veges. I reckon I easily spend $20 a week trying to eating vege’s so I figured it was worth a shot!

The Square Foot Garden was conceptualised by garden extraordinaire, Mel Bartholomew. It is the concept of growing more in less space… and making gardens in a box shape 4 foot x 4 foot.

So here’s a picture of my first garden.

In this small space I can (apparently!) grow: (from back left – right what will be planted in each square)
1 tomato vines
1 tomato vine
6 snow pea vines
8 green bean plants

1 capsicum (bell pepper)
4 basil
4 Romaine lettuce
16 onions

4 romaine lettuce
1 eggplant
16 carrots
4 spinach leaves plants

1 capsicum (bell pepper)
1 broccoli
1 broccoli
flowers (tbd)

A big thing encouraged in this book is how much you can grow in a little space and not use all your seeds up! It encourages ‘vertical gardening’. Training climbing or viney plants to grow UP! Anything from squash, cucumbers, melons and even pumpkins (squash)! So they say you can’t really have an opinion about something unless you give it a shot… so below is a picture of my second bed to grow some climbers.

In this – allowing a 2 feet square per climber – I am going to attempt to grow the following…

1 summer squash (zucchini)
1 winter squash (butternut pumpkin)
1 cucumber
1 cantaloupe (rock melon)

Tennesse’s last chance of frost is about gone… and there already are a few seedlings poking their heads out of the soil. Watch this space and I’ll let you know how it goes. Although I was brought up on a farm, I’ve never had a vege garden before… so if I can do it… so can you! Check out Mel’s website and order the book. $20 well spent!

Love to hear if you’ve ever experimented with square foot gardening or had a vege garden? Any tips would be highly appreciated!

Happy gardening!