Mel's Column: The Perfect Garden

The Official Site of Square Foot Gardening and Mel Bartholomew, Originator and Author

The Perfect Garden

What is a perfect garden?

Well, let’s describe what we would like it to be:

Attractive – so you’re proud of it
Productive – so it’s all worthwhile
Easy to understand – in case you’re a beginner
Takes little time – so it fits in with your busy way of life
Easy to take care of – make gardening enjoyable, not a chore
Inexpensive – so everyone can afford it
Natural – so you don’t harm the environment
Quick – results come early with little effort
Simple – even kids can understand it
Adaptable – even elderly or anyone challenged can do it
Space efficient – everyone has room for a garden
Easy to protect – no losses to critters or weather
Efficient – grow twice as much in half the space
Convenient – locate close to the house
No tools – only a trowel, pencil and scissors needed
No weeds – Mel’s Mix has no weed seeds
No work – after its built, no more hard work
No sweat – if you want to sweat, go mow the lawn

, THAT’S SQUARE FOOT GARDENING!

Those features all describe every attribute of Square Foot Gardening. If you can condense traditional gardening into one-fifth or 20% of the space, eliminate all the expense and heavy tools, eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and other poisons, be able to raise the garden up to wheelchair height, teach children as young as four-years-old, adopt it to seniors who can no longer bend, kneel or do heavy lifting, produce a “just enough” rather than “too much all at once” harvest, teach in just a few hours, explain in any language, save 80% of your water use, not harm the environment in any way, so inexpensive that now anyone can afford to garden, utilize only 5% of the seeds normally used and provide almost year-round gardening with extra protection...

If you can do all that, then I’d say you have a perfect system.

Try it and see if you don’t agree.

Start small, (only a 4-foot x 4-foot to start with) make absolutely sure you start with Mel’s Mix in your 6-inch deep frame, lay down a very visible grid (recycled Venetian blinds or wood lath or molding strips) and start planting using the book as a guide for what, when and where. It works all over the country and all over the world.

One of the best features of Square Foot Gardening is you can start a new garden during any month of the year.

Winter: time to plan where, how big, how many boxes to start with, build boxes in the garage, get grids all cut, drilled, painted and assembled;

Spring: time of course to install, mix soil and plant;

Summer: time to convert just a corner of your old fashioned single row garden with just one or two 4’ x 4’ frames. Practice by planting a second summer crop (see page 97) and add more later.

Fall: great weather to start a new Square Foot Garden (see page 95 for what and when to plant).

Most people don’t realize how abundant the fall crop can be. You can always add a new Square Foot Garden at any month near the back door for a special herb or salad garden.

The main thing is to get started. I’ve had more people tell me over the years that they regret procrastinating. “Oh, if I had only started a Square Foot Garden when I first read your book or saw you on TV, I could have been enjoying my garden all these years.” So, don’t be like them – get started now – today. NO EXCUSES PLEASE.