For several years I had, what I thought was a great garden out back even though there were plenty of weeds by the beginning of July and sprawling squash, tomato, and cucumber vines along with the surviving lettuce, and carrots. My wife then spoiled it all by telling me about one of our neighbors who was producing enormous amounts of produce and food.  I couldn't really imagine somebody having a better garden than I had.

That fall , this neighbor gave the entire neighborhood quite a few large banana squash. When I asked my wife how she grew so much, she told me she had a gardening method that produces a very large harvest from a very small garden.  She added her tomato plants not only came earlier than anyone else's, but they were now 7 feet tall ! " Are you telling me she has a better garden than mine ?” I incredulously asked my wife. She responded that my neighbor's garden out produced mine by almost ten-fold.

THE COMPETITION BEGINS

With that comment , the competition began.  My neighbor never knew she had become a contestant in the battle of the gardens.  I told my wife that I was going to prove I could do anything – and even more - in my garden that this neighbor could do in hers, without ever seeing what her garden looked like.

THE CONTEST CONTINUES

The next spring , as the gardening season started, I was determined to win. But, my neighbor beat me again. The following year I vowed to fight harder and smarter, so I began quizzing this neighbor at church about her garden planning.  I certainly didn't expect her to tell me in February that she had already started her tomato plants inside. " You start your own tomato plants ?” “I sure do.” “ Well, isn't it a little early ?” “Nope."

A couple of weeks later I quizzed her some more.  "I started my lettuce.” “ You what ?” “I started my lettuce.” “ What do you mean – it's still February! ” “In another couple of weeks I will start putting things out in my garden.”  “ What ? There's no way it's going to live - we still have a month, maybe two, maybe three, of freezing weather .” “Oh no, it doesn't matter - it still grows. I have a way of protecting it.  That's why I am able to start harvesting salad greens by April.” “ You've got to be kidding me .” “Nope."

TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME

So, I frantically went home and tried to figure out a way to make up for lost time.  I just couldn't lose to her for the third year in a row.  I planted like a mad dog as soon as I could.  I borrowed a roto-tiller from my father in-law. Of course I had to borrow a truck to pick it up and then again to return it Soon I had that soil all ready to go - well, almost ready to go.  It was still a little early and so I ended up with a muddy mess, but, a few weeks later, it had finally dried out.

I then asked my neighbor how she was doing.   She mentioned she already had things growing in her garden.  I asked, " What are you going to do when it freezes ?”  She replied, “I protect my produce.  You should come over and see it." I should have gone, but I didn't. When my garden did dry, I hurriedly planted all my crops.  I would plant things until I ran out of rows, or until I ran out of seeds, whichever came first.

Soon April arrived and my neighbor began harvesting from her garden. Was I ever mad!  I had just barely gotten my garden planted and here she was harvesting lettuce, peas, and radishes. Several weeks passed and I saw my neighbor again.   She told me she was planting her second harvest.  My mouth fell open, " Huh-already ? ” “Yep."

GROWING WEEDS AND FRUSTRATION

By mid summer my garden was growing and looking good. The next time I saw my neighbor, she asked me how much time I spent weeding.  I told her, “ More than I like - I have to pull weeds in the garden every day before I can actually enjoy my garden .”  Then I asked about her weeding. She replied, “I really don't have any.”  “ How's that ? Don't have any what ? ”  “Weeds. I just don't have any."

One of Jim's 4'x4' today. Notice the lush spring growth.

I remember coming home and getting angry at my wife - who had nothing to do with any of this.  Do you know what really made me mad?  My wife came back with, " See, I told you before to see what she does.  You don't have a chance against her ."  That was it !  I was going to finish out the year with a killer crop and show her that she had nothing on me.  However, a couple of weeks later, I gave up on my garden that was now nothing but weeds, weeds and more weeds along with a few surviving tomatoes and lettuce plants.

THE DISCOVERY

My neighbor then delivered another bunch of squash.  With that, I just had to ask her how she did all of this.  She invited me over to look at her garden and this time I went.  She showed me what I thought was a large grow box with neatly arranged squares in it.  She then told me about this thing called " square foot gardening ."  There were giant tomato plants, alongside flowers and everything else you can imagine. By the time I left her home, I knew I needed to try this new way of gardening.

Yum Yum look at all those strawberry plants. Notice the good-looking vinyl box and grid. So easy to protect from the birds in Jim's new SFG.

COMPETITION REVEALED

I then asked my neighbor if she knew of my little competition that had been going on for the past 3 years.  She didn't and just laughed. "What's the first thing you do to get your garden ready ?" she asked me.  " I roto-till it .” “Why would you do that ?” “ I don't know - it's the way I have always done it .”

A view of Jim's new 4'x12' SFG beds. Notice the vertical frame ready
for summer tomatoes.

BOTH WINNERS IN THE END

It became obvious that this new way of gardening was the way to go.  Less work, less water, less weeding, no thinning, no roto-tilling, and huge harvests!  I tried Square Foot Gardening the next year and it was the greatest garden I ever had.  In fact, I had so much fun, I built another box. Thanks, Mel, for coming up with such an ingenious way to garden.  I can't imagine gardening any other way. Regards,  Jim/UTAH