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[Monique]

Thanks for the great idea for a thread, Skit! 


Anyone ever try the 'square foot' gardening method? I just put in my first bed. It's amazing what will fit in a 4'x4' space. I have radishes, carrots, beets, and scallions (16 each), lettuce and spinach, pole beans and 32 peas (four kinds) in there. And two squares are empty! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Did I mention that I love springtime?? lol

[ShorTea]

Wow, what an amazing variety in such a small space, I never would have imagined a full garden in the space you are talking about.

[Monique]

If it works like the book says, I'll have enough produce to share with everyone! 

[Skittelroo]

Interesting idea for "four square gardening".   I should check that out more.

Nowadays, I do mostly flower gardens with a few tomato plants.  Beans would be a good addition.

Really glad for the new thread topic!!

[BigRedDog]

Thanks for the great idea for a thread, Skit! 


Anyone ever try the 'square foot' gardening method? I just put in my first bed. It's amazing what will fit in a 4'x4' space. I have radishes, carrots, beets, and scallions (16 each), lettuce and spinach, pole beans and 32 peas (four kinds) in there. And two squares are empty! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Did I mention that I love springtime?? lol

I remember seeing similar 'gardens' on the roofs of apartment buildings in Europe 40 years ago...  seems this guy has taken that 'concept' and repackaged it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Lu-7FIj_g&feature=player_embedded#!

Lots more videos on the topic:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=square+foot+gardening&oq=square+foot+gardening&aq=f&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_l=youtube-reduced.3..0l4.18473.33536.0.34152.29.29.4.14.14.0.120.1124.3j8.11.0.

[ducksoup]

I mostly do flowers.  I have dozens of roses, day lilies, and plant seasonal ones too.  For eating stuff I usually mix in a couple of eggplants in among my flowering plants.  I have a small garden for veggies and usually do a couple of kinds of peppers there.  I used to grow a mater plant but it was taking too much room.  One thing I learned is that if you plant marigolds around your mater plants they will repel mater worms, and it works.  I still have marigolds with my veggies, even if I don’t have maters.


Roses are my biggie.  I struggle with them.  I have good soil, but they were looking scraggly even with good fertilization watering and care.  Turned out grubs were my problem.  Getting that in control, but they are taking time to recover.

I have day lilies all around my roses, and it is nice.  I get lots of color with nice flowers and pretty much no extra care.  Some can be cut and kept inside for a very long time fresh.

I do some herbs.  Those I have in long planter boxes.  I learned that some are best contained, like lemon balm.  Made the mistake of growing that in garden and it is like a monster weed spreading everywhere.  Mint of any kind will do the same. 

I have stevia, which tastes like sugar, and spearmint, which together are great in tea.  I often chew a leaf of both just because.

I have chives, basil, chamomile, stevia, spearmint, and parsley in my planters.  Catnip didn’t work, the cats ate it to the ground.

I have a dark purple lilac that is gorgeous, and honeysuckle, orange and white.  Rose of Sharon is nice too, low maintenance.


My neighbor does the 4x4 thing, but frankly he way overdid it, tried to do watermelons, cucumbers, and mush melons in a 4x4.  Well, his is a 3x5, but...

[Skittelroo]

From duck soup:  "I do some herbs.  Those I have in long planter boxes.  I learned that some are best contained, like lemon balm.  Made the mistake of growing that in garden and it is like a monster weed spreading everywhere.  Mint of any kind will do the same.   "

I had both lemon balm and mint.   Took me weeks to completely clear it (and occasionally see a new sprout).   Spurge will do the same, but I love it---low and bushy, yellow tops right now, turns rusty in fall.   MUST keep confined or it will fill fields.  Morning glories are very difficult to remove permanently.

We have pink peonies, tangerine-colored poppies, various hostas, gigantic Rose of Sharon's in a row (I keep cutting them back and they seem to get taller every year  ), and several other perennials.   Usually fill in with marigolds wherever extra color is needed.   

Happy digging!

[Monique]

I love marigolds. They're just so cheery! I bought some plants last year at Parran's and they went crazy in my pots. I saved a lot of seeds, and they've self sown in their pots, too. I'm planning to put marigolds in all of my raised beds, and of course let the volunteers do their thing as well.

I also love morning glory vines. I know they're weedy, but they're also very beautiful and provide cover to ugly fences. I'm going to plant many of them along our chain link fence and add moonflowers and maybe some honeysuckle, too.

I did some zinnias last year, but I was disappointed with them. I liked how different each flower was, but they seemed sickly. Maybe I did something wrong. This year I'm going to focus on sunflowers because they're spectacular and they produce their seeds which are a really healthy snack for kids. And birds. I'm sure I'll put in some petunias and maybe some geraniums. I enjoy old fashioned flowers.

Herbs will be pretty new for me this year, too. I've read that basil is a good companion for tomatoes, and there's nothing better than a lovely caprese salad for a summertime lunch. Definitely going to try stevia and peppermint to add to iced tea!

[ducksoup]

I think I got stevia from Parran's last year.

OMG the weeds....   They are going crazy.  I can't win! 

[Monique]

Just finished marking off and tying the square feet in one of my big beds. OMG, I have 28 squares to fill, and there's another just like it! I was going to tie that one, too, but it started to really rain--and of course now that I came inside, it's sunny! I'm hoping the twine grid will discourage my kitty from using the beds as her litterbox. Yuck.

I'll be glad when I finally get all my plants in the ground. I have starts all over the place, inside, outside, even next door! lol

[naomi43]

I went out Parrans in Ida last week, got lots of flowers. Excellent price for flats 8.99!
My patio is very full now. Yesterday there store was open on m50, stopped by they have
great hanging baskets going back to get those

[marilyn.monroe]

Lovely topic! I am enjoying getting back to gardening too! Got violets everywhere, they are so pretty like a carpet.

[Monique]

My garden is finally starting to take shape. Got my purple hull peas and baby limas planted yesterday, along with sweet corn, patty pan squash, and speckled pole beans together. I've never done the 'three sisters' method before, so that'll be fun to see how it turns out.

Today I'm planting edamame (soybeans) and getting my tomato, pepper, and cucumber starts in the ground. The Kentucky beans and sugar peas I planted a few weeks ago are really taking off now.

I saw an enormous groundhog casually saunter through my yard a few days ago... sure hope he doesn't decide to eat all my tender little green things!

[Skittelroo]

from Monique:  I saw an enormous groundhog casually saunter through my yard a few days ago... sure hope he doesn't decide to eat all my tender little green things!"

I have to contend with the rabbits eating my small plants.   Got everything planted now.   Did Big-Boy tomatoes, beans, and hot peppers yesterday.    What fun it was to get down and dirty!! 

[Billy]

One thing I learned is that if you plant marigolds around your mater plants they will repel mater worms, and it works.

Thanks for this Duck. I do small tomatoes (Cherries, Sweet 100, and Jellybeans) in buckets. I have tremendous results, that is until last year when they were destroyed by horn tail tomato worms. Funny thing was my larger plants went untouched in my garden, the difference marigolds. I didn't connect the two until reading your post. I was just out in the rain shower adding a single marigold to each bucket hopefully this does the trick.