Square Foot Gardening

Lately, when I go to the store to buy groceries, I have 

been coming out shell-shocked at my grocery receipt, sure 

that the clerk must have overcharged me and forgot to 

discount my sale items. However, to my chagrin I find that 

it is indeed the correct total. As the economy began to sour, 

and my checking account looking anorexic, I started to find 

ways to cut unnecessary expenses and supplement where I could. 

A couple of years ago, my husband and I decided that a good 

way to expand our tightening grocery budget was to grow a 

garden. We were enthusiastic at the thought of fresh veggies 

and fruit gracing our table. Our enthusiasm waned slightly as

we hauled several wheelbarrows of rocks out of the side yard, 

and rented a tiller to prepare the ground. After a long hot 

day, and sore muscles we finished the yard. We planted some 

tomatoes, and corn in hopes of enjoying a good bounty. 

However, after a couple of weeks, the weeds came, and our 

little fantasy became a harsh reality, when those wicked 

weeds began to take over our little garden. With four kids, 

jobs, and other activities it seemed there was no time to 

weed and take care of the garden. When we did have the time, 

the kids whined (we did as well) about having to spend our 

Saturday mornings weeding. Needless to say the garden was a 

bust, and I decided that I would stick to picking veggies in 

the grocery aisle. However, one day, I stumbled upon a book 

by Mel Bartholomew entitled Square Foot Gardening. 

I was immediately intrigued by the front cover. It features 

the author standing in front of a 4X4 wooden box full of lush

veggies and flowers. Inside the front, he writes about how 

anyone using his system, would be guaranteed a healthy, easy 

garden. I was sold on the word easy.  I decided to buy the 

book. It ended up being the best $15.00 I have ever spent. 

I went home and read the book and I felt my old enthusiasm 

swell like the sweet watermelon I would soon taste. I 

decided to try it. After my last escapade, my husband wasn't 

convinced that it was going to work, so I bribed my 12 

year old son to help me build the boxes. It was 

surprisingly easier than I imagined. I first needed to build 

the outside frames or boxes from wood. This was a paralyzing 

fear for me, because I have no wood working skills whatsoever. 

I barely knew what a skill saw was, much less use one. 

I had terrifying visions running through my mind, of my 

family wheeling me into the emergency room after slicing 

my hand off with the skill saw. It's understandable to say, 

I was giddy when I found out that my local home store would 

cut the 2X4 frames there at the store. Mel suggests using 

4'X4' frames, but we built ours to be 4'X6' to fit our yard. 

My son and I built two boxes in one Saturday morning. Anyone 

with any carpenter knowledge could probably finish them in an

hour. After finishing the frames, we laid down landscaping 

fabric. Mel explains that if you do this, it will prevent the 

vicious weed attack that we had experienced earlier. We then 

combined equal third's of compost, vermiculite, and peat moss. 

We filled the beds, and then added a grid made of fur strips, 

that were 12"X12" squares over the top of the beds. Once the 

beds were finished we were ready to plant. We have had our 

beds now for three years, and because we live in Tempe, AZ, 

have been able to plant all year long. 

I have been so happy with the two, I eventually added two 

more. We have grown peppers, tomatoes, beans, squash, 

cantaloupe, watermelon, flowers, and many other yummy fruits 

and vegetables. The only complaint I had was in the beginning

with the initial cost of building and completing the garden. 

To do this is rather expensive, but I can honestly say it has 

well been worth the money and it has recouped ten fold.

I was so elated with my fruitful result; I went back to 

the store and bought 10 more books as gifts for family and 

friends. I wanted to share this system because I knew it 

would help them too.  After seeing my success, several of 

them have taken advantage of this method of gardening. 

In fact, because of this method of gardening, horticulture 

has become a passion for me. I not only love the results of a 

bounteous harvest and beautiful flowers, I have found that it 

has been therapeutic for me. It also has given me the 

opportunity to teach my children, and neighborhood children 

about various subjects. For instance, my boys have been 

coming in with different varieties of bugs they have 

discovered, and they have had so much fun finding out what 

kind of bug it is and whether it is good for our garden or 

bad. I have enjoyed observing the new findings of my junior 

entomologists. 

I also know what my children are eating from my garden is 

healthy, and is completely organic and safe. As a matter of 

fact I laughed a little when I have been picking lettuce, 

spinach, and tomatoes from my garden and still enjoying them 

last June, when they were pulled by the FDA for salmonella 

contamination. In fact just yesterday, I watched a news 

report that said that the FDA believes that jalapenos were 

actually the reason for the last health scare, not tomatoes. 

I have no worries; because I grow both of those veggies, and 

know exactly what goes in the soil, therefore I know exactly 

what comes out. 

Square foot gardens are also great, because they can be 

built anywhere, and maintained by just about anyone. My 

friend, Robyn (a single mom with 4 kids) built 2'X8' beds 

along the narrow side of her house, and has grown an amazing 

amount of things. Now she too is an avid gardener, and has 

expressed her appreciation for the fresh strawberries and 

lettuce she has pulled from her garden. Interestingly enough 

as a side note, the side of her house, used to be a place to 

store extra junk, and now it has become a peaceful, relaxing 

space. Another friend, Eileen built hers right on her back 

patio! She has very little space, and even less ground, 

but was able to incorporate this idea to work for her. 

I could go on and on about many others that have been 

successful with this, but you get the idea.

One last thing I want to mention is that while 

Mel Bartholomew does sale his books and other things, 

he primarily does it for educational reasons and donates 

the majority of money makes to help third world countries 

use his system to prevent starvation.. If you would like more

detailed steps on building a square foot garden, a detailed, 

instructional page is included on his website. This is 

completely free. His website is:

www.squarefootgardening.com. 

With the economy getting tougher and tougher, as well as 

questionable horticultural practices, it is hard for me to 

understand why anyone would not want to try this.