Square Foot Gardening

Well I have been just so busy! Starting Seeds, building beds, hauling manure, building trellises and buying plants.
I know it sounds like I'm complaining but the kids and I are having a blast.


In one of the many books I borrow from the library I discovered Square Foot Gardening.  So the kids and I thought we would give it a shot.

We first bought cinder blocks 12 for each bed $15.00 per bed ($1.25 each)
I bought some planting soil about $5.00 per bed
We went to a horse farm and got a truck load of horse manure FREE

Trinitys dirty hands from stirring the top soil and compost together

We filled each of our beds with manure and topped it off (4 inches) with the top soil mixture.  When I say we I mean Alex and I...Trinity was making sure the dirt was stirred REALLY well.

Trinity's break, telling me how hard she is working.  I believe her don't you?

Once the beds were full Alex drove rebar into the north side corners of the bed.
Rebar 1/2 X 24 $1.52 each. $3.04 per bed.

We then laid out the grid each space is 1 foot square...Almost.
For the grid I used an old blind.  The blind was just under four feet wide and already had holes in it PERFECT! Alex used the wooden food sticks from the kitchen to hold down the grid.

This was a great math lesson for Alex

But wait we are not finished yet.  We built a trellis out of  PVC
9 five foot lengths of PVC $1.64  each - 3 per bed $4.92
6 PVC elbow $.34 each - 2 per bed $.68
2 trellis netting 4.97 each - $3.31 per bed

The netting wanted to slide up the PVC so we cut metal coat hangers and my hard working boy hammered them into the ground.
Our total cost per bed $37.35
We have already planted leaf lettuce, peas and sweet peas in our beds.  We decided to inter plant flower vines with our veg vines just because we think it looks pretty.

The next project for the beds is to make a frame that we can cover with plastic (to protect from freeze) and cheese cloth (to protect from egg laying insects)

Starting Seeds

 We started several seedling in trays. To get an early start this year on our garden. January 22, 2012

We have a full tray of Leeks (American Flag) Ferry-Morse $1.25
In the other tray: Organic Cilantro - Burpee $1.88
                          Mint (Spearmint) Burpee $1.00
                          Organic Parsley (Single Italian Plain-Leaf) Burpee $1.88
                          Catnip - Burpee $1.57
These seeds and the trays were purchased at Low's

The trays came two to a pack offering 72 cells for $7.99 The soil pellets have no netting around them so the roots wont get bound up (Like that) The cell tray fits down into another tray to catch all the water and it also has a clear lid to keep in moisture.  We used food spears to make holes to put the seeds in.

Composting

My kids saw this bowl full of veg and thought it was so pretty...they gasped when they heard it was going to the compost pile.  Who knew? Compost can be so lovely...OK to a gardener a big steamy heap its a work of art...seeing the brown dirt when you turn it can bring tears to ones eyes.

 This is my Compost pot...it sits in the pantry till its full and then gets taken down to the pile.  Don't let anyone make you think you have to buy an expensive compost pot with filters.  This is a container that was sitting around and I put a plate over it.  It doesn't smell, the only way compost smells rotten is if you put something you shouldn't in it.

 Here is the beginning of my lovely heap now.  I need to get to the Hardware store and get a fork so I can turn it...No not a dinner fork a pitch fork...silly readers.

Now I just need to find a manure supply and I will be in gardening heaven.

Seed Catalogs and Cheap Thrills

My New Bedspread

Oh I just get all goose pimply when the seed catalogs start coming in. I am trying not to over do it but its so hard to hold myself back.

I also made it by the library and picked up a few books to keep me up at night

Wagon Garden Camping

I wanted to share how well our wagon garden is doing...Yes, it came with me camping...I have to have something to fuss over.

Composting While Camping

I thought I would share my dirt with you.  Yes I have to have plants while camping and that means I have to have some compost. I brought a bucket full of the compost I had at my home since I have been here I have been adding to it...Coffee grounds, veg that have gone through the food processor.  The food processors turns the veg into mush and it cooks faster.  I also trotted down to the cow pasture and found some manure near the fence line...Trinity went with me and thought I was just crazy!

But the End results of pampering my pots is glorious!  Even Trinity Says So.

Trash Picking

Remember when I was complaining about all the junk that was left around the campground from past campers...well...the kids and I went trash picking and we found this swing.

The frame was rusty at the joints and the paint had faded. The swing had lost most of its paint and the rest was flaking off. The chains were rusting out and needed replacing.

But under all this we saw potential. So we dragged it out of a heap of stuff (ruined my shirt) and started giving it some TLC.

We set the parts up on a ladder rack that was left behind...hummmm...with a tarp and some hay bails I see this ladder rack turning into a fort...OK getting of child labor subject. The kids and I got to work scraping and sanding.

Voila we have us a recycle swing. The bails of straw were found as well...good garden of peas! they were heavy. Not sure how long they will last...but they were free.

All the pots, signs, flags and what-knots where from my house. A friend brought me a Mum as a Trailer Trash (house) warming gift. I nabbed another one at the Walmart. I still need to fill the hanging baskets, it may not be my gardens at home but its something I can putter with and get some of natures beauty near me.

I guess we will do some more trash pickin'.I have been eyeing a stove left at another sight.