2020 Gardens
Pat shows off his Corn in a Cage to keep the bugs off. We see ears developing and look forward to 16 plus ears from this 4'x4' Sweetie, so delicious!
July 25: Lynette shares a beautiful Mexican Sunflower on her deck by the lake.
|
July 25: Enjoying yellow pear tomato, cucumbers, lettuce, Kale, celery with more to come! Ducky hesitates to jump into the warmed water!
July 12: Greg is waiting for his green tomatoes to turn red!
|
Things grow fast when the heat kicks up. These pictures were taken June 15th and July 9th, just three weeks apart, in Greenfield, MN.
Picture-Book Garden, 2019
|
|
– Lori, Hanover, Minn.
I started my first Square Foot Garden in 2007, developing one boxed area. Then, a couple of years later, I added another boxed area the same size. But in 2017, I found it was too overwhelming for me with my busy schedule and brought it back down to one area. Last year I installed automated sprinklers which has saved me so much time watering this year. Now I have more time to pull the few weeds that come and harvest my produce.
This year I added a bunny fence to the garden because my neighbors think they are cute and are feeding them. It actually makes my garden look more attractive I think.
I currently have 3 boxes of 4x4's, 1 box of 8x16, 3 boxes of 2x8's, and 2 raised boxes of 4x3's. I also have a raised herb box in the front of my house so when I am cooking, I can run out and chop some herbs. Surrounding each box, I have put down wood chips in order to keep the grass from going into my boxes. I have put flowering plants on the outside of my garden to add to the attractiveness.
I started my first Square Foot Garden in 2007, developing one boxed area. Then, a couple of years later, I added another boxed area the same size. But in 2017, I found it was too overwhelming for me with my busy schedule and brought it back down to one area. Last year I installed automated sprinklers which has saved me so much time watering this year. Now I have more time to pull the few weeds that come and harvest my produce.
This year I added a bunny fence to the garden because my neighbors think they are cute and are feeding them. It actually makes my garden look more attractive I think.
I currently have 3 boxes of 4x4's, 1 box of 8x16, 3 boxes of 2x8's, and 2 raised boxes of 4x3's. I also have a raised herb box in the front of my house so when I am cooking, I can run out and chop some herbs. Surrounding each box, I have put down wood chips in order to keep the grass from going into my boxes. I have put flowering plants on the outside of my garden to add to the attractiveness.
I have one more side to do with flowering plants. I had three apple trees, but lost one this last winter and I am not sure a second will survive. I lost two cherry trees and two plum trees this last winter. I have a pear tree, lost one a couple years back now. I also have two crab apple trees from which we canned apples whole last year - delicious.
I am currently not composting, seems like I don't have the green thumb to make that work. Last fall I did get chicken manure from my brother to apply, which seems to have helped my garden greatly this spring. I add earthworm droppings, blood meal, bone meal, azomite, and gypsum each year.
I am currently not composting, seems like I don't have the green thumb to make that work. Last fall I did get chicken manure from my brother to apply, which seems to have helped my garden greatly this spring. I add earthworm droppings, blood meal, bone meal, azomite, and gypsum each year.
Growing from the inside out
During the 2018-2019 winter season, we experimented with a 7’x12’ heated greenhouse growing greens inside the larger 24’x36’ structure. From this we enjoyed salads of Queensland Lettuce, Pok Choy, kale, Swiss Chard, and celery with added herbs of thyme, rosemary, basil and parsley. Most grew throughout the winter months. To our surprise, all tasted extra sweet – especially the small red tomato.
The structure was built with a 12’x16' floor of 1-inch Styrofoam with a tarp over the top. 7’x32”x42” = 336 gallon heating water tank 105 KBTU/40 degree = 1 gallon of propane. All controlled with four thermostats to heat and cool.
The structure was built with a 12’x16' floor of 1-inch Styrofoam with a tarp over the top. 7’x32”x42” = 336 gallon heating water tank 105 KBTU/40 degree = 1 gallon of propane. All controlled with four thermostats to heat and cool.
Local gardeners share wealth of ideas
Wondering how to create optimal soil for your garden?
GARDENING WORLD WIDE, Maple Lake, Minn., has sourced local suppliers for the following to complete the soil mix for which we use 50% soil mix, 25% peat moss and 25% vermiculite when mixing the soil for two 4’ x 4’ gardens. This is a variation from the Square Foot Gardening recipe and approved by Mel Bartholomew when he visited Maple Lake in 2013.
Ingredients:
5 cubic feet (cf) of leaf/manure compost
1 cf leaf compost
2 cf peat soil compost
1 cf goat manure compost
Alternate these ingredients as you lay out the soil mix and top off with the peat moss and vermiculite.
Directions for mixing:
Lay out a large tarp on which to spread and mix, building a small mountain from 3 feet in on either side of the 20 foot wide tarp, varying the ingredients, adding the peat moss and then the vermiculite, then roll from one end of the tarp to the other end. Use buckets to transport the mix to your garden boxes.
GWW has now completed mixing 92 units of soil mix for 4’ x 4’ SFG gardens; that is 46 rolls as the quantity mixed is for two gardens each time.
Ingredients:
5 cubic feet (cf) of leaf/manure compost
1 cf leaf compost
2 cf peat soil compost
1 cf goat manure compost
Alternate these ingredients as you lay out the soil mix and top off with the peat moss and vermiculite.
Directions for mixing:
Lay out a large tarp on which to spread and mix, building a small mountain from 3 feet in on either side of the 20 foot wide tarp, varying the ingredients, adding the peat moss and then the vermiculite, then roll from one end of the tarp to the other end. Use buckets to transport the mix to your garden boxes.
GWW has now completed mixing 92 units of soil mix for 4’ x 4’ SFG gardens; that is 46 rolls as the quantity mixed is for two gardens each time.
SFG founder Mel Bartholomew visits Minnesota
Mel Bartholomew, founder, originator, author of Square Foot Gardening visited Minnesota from July 15-18, 2013. During his visit, Mel presented briefly at the Monticello Middle School gardens to a crowd of over 80 people and the next evening at the Lahr residence greenhouse in Maple Lake, where 30 people aptly listened for over an hour. Also, while here, Mel visited 15 gardens, critiqued each and offered advice, which in turn helps him do a better job of getting the word out on SFG gardens.
