SQUARE FOOT GARDEN 

I had a lot of success last year with my square foot gardens. To conserve even more space, we have decided to build this year’s garden a bit larger than the recommended 4 x 4. It will stand in back of the two square foot gardens already in place. Yesterday, it warmed up a bit, and we headed out to pick up two bales of vermiculite, two bales of peat moss, and bags of compost, mushroom soil and aged horse manure. We also added some of my own compost to the mix. I can’t wait to water it, let it settle for a day or two, and begin to plant.

Here’s a link to the blog of Mel Bartholomew, the creator of the Square Foot Garden Method: Link to Mel Bartholomew’s Blog

I’ve had a few of my very late planted Autumn crops over-winter. Below is a picture of the parsley I was able to use all winter.

I’ve heard that if parsley goes to seed or develops a stalk the taste will become bitter. I’m going to leave these four plants I grew from seed in their square, and if, and until, they grow bitter tasting, they have a home in my square foot garden.

A few brussel sprout and broccoli plants also lived through our winter. I’ll give these hardy individuals a chance to bear fruit too. Here’s a link to my Square Foot Garden of 2012: Square Foot Gardens 2012