A HOW TO on SQUARE FOOT Gardening.

SAVE money...SAVE water...SAVE energy.

Hi, I know I was going to catch up with you all this weekend...but our Mamas and Chicks Show is coming up(April 29th) and I am settling questions to 60 vendors all day long...so it's taking MUCH of my desired time to blog,create and visit your Worlds...

ANYWAY...I am now here and am going to tell you about the Square Ft Gardening seminar which I went to last week.
It was GREAT...we learnt that you basically can grow a garden in 20% of the space of a regular Veggie garden.
That means you need 20% of the water! and 20% of the energy! AND it will yield 3 harvests!!!


Square ft Garden example from HERE





I took notes(very messy ones)...but the seminar was only one hour in length...and I think a lot was crammed in...which is why the lady giving the seminar handed us a sheet of paper at the end with ALL the info on which she'd just discussed...

SO...The 10 basics of Square ft Gardening are :

1. LAYOUT - Arrange your garden in squares, not rows (as shown above). Lay it out 4' by 4' areas.
2. BOXES - Build boxes to hold new soil mix above ground - only 6" deep.(lay weed barrier under boxes)
3. AISLES - Space boxes 3' apart to form walking aisles.
4. SOIL - Fill boxes with special mix : 1/3compost(made from many different ingredients),1/3 peat moss,1/3 coarse vermiculite. No need to use existing soil.
5. GRID - Make a square ft grid for the top of each box to organise the garden for planting.
6. CARE - Never walk on the growing soil. Tend your garden from the aisles. Few, if any, weeds sprout and are easily pulled with fingers. Soil stays loose and friable. Easy to protect from weather.
7. SELECT - Plant different flowers,vegetables, or herb crop in each square ft,using spacing of 1,4,9,16(show's in diagram below). Crop rotation happens naturally.
8. PLANT - Conserve seeds. Plant only what you will use during each season. NO waste.
9. WATER - Idealy water by hand from a bucket of Sun -warmed water (hose or drip system ok)
10. HARVEST - When you finish harvesting a square ft,add compost to replenish nutrients and re-plant with a new and different crop.



Spacing Chart from HERE

LOCATION

You must try and pick a spot where your garden will get at least between

6 and 9 hours of Sun a day...

Stay clear of trees and shrubs as roots and shade may interfere.

Have your Garden close to you house for convienience.

Your Existing soil is NOT important as you won't be usiing it.

And it mustn't be in an area which will puddle after rain-fall.







The MIX.

SOIL - Fill boxes with special mix :

1/3compost(made from many different ingredients),

1/3 peat moss,

1/3 coarse vermiculite. No need to use existing soil.

I've been reading that people think there's NOT enough compost and too much Peat...which means that the water and moisture levels are low and the soil feels dry...so you could up the proportions of compost. I guess it really depends on WHERE in the World you live.

Grid made from wood slats.



SEEDING

What is stressed that when planting your seeds you put a pinch of seeds in the hole you make and when they start shooting you just snip the top of all but one in that group.

Flowers do really well amongst the squares of vegetables...and what could be better than fresh flowers in your house.

Refer to the spacing chart above for how many of which vegetables should be growing in each square depending on their size.

Look at the yield you can get. Phot from HERE

All in all, I think this is the way I may be going...we don't have an area too large where we can have veggies which will get the rays of the Sun all day...and I would LOVE to give our girls a couple of grid squares which they choose what they would like to gtow...and take care of.

I am hoping to add this mix to baskets for the front of the house and grow lavender and herbs.

These grid boxes don't have to be just the regular 4x4ft beds...you can stack them...make them 2x6...or an L shape...

The Deck could have individual 1x1 ft containers..

Have you ever dabbled in Mel Bartholomew's Square Ft Gardening?

Here's a little Video by Mel himself!

and this one:

BUT there are also many websites to check in to like THIS ONE.

I hope you've understood my babble...

I'm looking forward to getting started.

NOW we have Spring happening here in Canada...we can get on with planting.

HAPPY DAYS...

How does YOUR Garden Grow?

earthy HUGS

Char.x

***CANADA DAY SALE - B.O.G.O FREE***

many of you know I am going to the UK for 3 1/2 weeks to be with my Mama whilst she has her DOUBLE hip operation...
That means I'm closing shop this SATURDAY the 3rd JULY for those weeks whilst away...I`ll still be blogging and Facebooking...so...not to fret...I'm still around.

BUT...and there is a BUT,
DON'T miss out on the 2 DAY CANADA DAY SALE...where you can buy one print, and get one FREE!!!

I will still be taking custom orders for original one of a kind Watercolours whilst over there...but I am not transporting prints.

!!!HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!

OH...and HAPPY shopping!!!

HUGS
Char.x

**Happy Thanksgiving Canada**

we celebrated "Thanksgiving" here in Canada this weekend...I wasn't going to do the whole dinner thing...as I've only roasted Turkey a couple of times since being over here in Canada.

but...when my husband requests it...as he loves it...how could I refuse!

I made my own stuffing, but cooked it separately....I didn't take pictures of the meal...as Roasts pretty much look all the same.

I did however take a few shots of these gorgeous peaches, which I also submitted as my theme for this week's "Lens Us Together"...it's my turn and I chose "In Season".

Little Miss J was there to help at every stage of the journey of the peaches & the peach pie...


they're SO divine at the moment...and look at that amazing colour!

with Miss J helping ... we didn't completely cover the pie filling and had to add extra crust on all the holes etc...so the top is not the prettiest. Little miss A saw the bird and I think this helped the fact of having to "try" the pie...she's not so great with texture...and I think the peach are not dry enough for

her...she doesn't like slimy. and then again, with a little chocolate ice-cream...anything goes!

personally...pie goes ONLY with French Vanilla.

What do you like your pie with?

Char,On

P.S. want the recipe? go HERE

Children's murals...have I shown you these?

Jordi had to be in every shot....I finished both of these murals for my girls as a 2nd Birthday gift...Jordan's was the last I did, which was last Summer...I have been concentrating more on World wide sales and marketing...my murals are usually word of mouth, which at the moment suits me just fine.

This was just when I finished, now she has curtains like in Ashley's room(the one with the Panda bear)

Apple trees to feed the animals in her room...of course:-)

Her 2 favourite horses...Hammi and CB(Christian Bendix-named after my Grandfather from Denmark)

No moving over to Ashley's room...cuddly animals and beautiful flowers...she adores her room..

The colourful song bird...as she calls him. Bright in colour and sitting high and proud.

This is her favourite wall in her room...Gigi Giraffe and the Polly Panda Bear, hugging it's cub.

And last but not least, Molly Monkey...with such kind eyes, watching over her when she sleeps.

Well, it's still a work in progress...I'm excited I have 2 projects to work on this Summer...2 children's murals(fairies and meadows)...last night I started my research into the animals which have been requested...the Blue Heron was a must because it reminded the client of where she spent her Summers up at the cottage...I'll be making pencil sketches of all the flowers and animals first before painting on the wall...it helps with composition, perspective and size comparisons between animals and plants.

I'll keep posting the progress of both future murals...

Have a wonderful day...all is quiet here which is a GREAT thing.

Char,Ontario.