A Few Square Feet

A few square feet in WNC changed my life…32 square feet to be exact

Two 4 ft x 4ft boxes using the Square Foot Gardening method changed the way I gardened, and gave me a new lease on a hobby that has kept me perplexed through the years.

Here is what I discovered:

• I can grow the same amount of food in about 1/5th the amount of space (and I was already using some space saving methods)
• Even the initial costs of building raised beds with peat moss, vermiculite and compost were not as expensive as the purchase, maintenance and upkeep of a tiller and all of the other tools needed for standard gardening…the ongoing management of the Square Foot Garden is minimal (the tools I usually need are a trowel, a pair of scissors, and a 5 gallon bucket).
• Because I am now only watering plants in the squares, I am using much less water (and am working toward saving enough rainwater to cover all of my watering for the year)
• I am using 5% of the seeds that I used to use in a season (and I am learning to save seeds and keep store bought seeds for a longer period which saves money and time)
• I am, however, experiencing a little withdrawal from traditional gardening–this new method takes so much less time, there is so little weeding and thinning and no heavy digging–some days all I do is admire what’s going on in the boxes.