I've wanted a garden for years. When I was a kid, I tried to grow pumpkins and watermelons just by sticking some seeds in a bare patch of dirt in the corner of our back yard in Las Vegas. The seeds actually sprouted and I think a baseball ball-sized watermelon even grew on a pathetic little vine, but under my negligent care it split open and a bunch of ants ate it hollow. I've since learned that there can be an endless number of factors that predict the success of a garden, so for a long time I've been too intimidated to try.
But recently I've learned from several gardeners, ranging in expertise from beginner to seasoned professional, about the square foot gardening method and I thought it warranted further exploration. I checked the book out from the library and have been nothing but amazed and impressed by this method. It's the most intuitive, effective, and economical system imaginable. You don't have to rototill, fertilize, or correct the pH of your soil. You don't have to spend hours thinning crops or pulling weeds and you don't have to buy expensive tools. In fact, after the first year, you don't have to buy anything except new seeds! And you don't overplant, so you don't have to leave anonymous bags of squash on your neighbors' porches to get rid of your over-abundant harvest.
If you're into gardening or want to get into gardening and could possibly trust a recommendation from a person who has no garden, check it out! The book is called All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. Now is the time to get started. I'm going to try it and I think I might actually be able to do it. Here's hoping!
2 comments:
I love that book! And all the seeds we planted this year in our seed tray are 2 and 3 years old and working GREAT (so if they die from here on out, whoops - it'll all be on me!). I would never have known that was ok without that book!
whoops, that comment above was me, sorry!
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