Garden Area - October 2008
This was our first look at our property which we ended up purchasing in 2009.
This was the only land we that had any potential for a decent sized garden. It was dull, dreary and depressing. Also poorly drained, with thick humus over a clay subsoil.
That shed in the right background went to the dump. The three trees in the background were cut down. The biggest had a new life as bridge timbers.


First two squares
We cut down all the garbage trees: 100' tall sweet gums. We left a tall oak which can be seen below. The trees that are remaining are off my property. The sun follows the path over the house and the shed. The first two squares were made of Trex bought on sale.


And then four squares
Found some white cedar left over from another project. Underneath the tarps are two different loads of bulk compost. These were mixed with bagged compost from other sources.


Fence half done
Fence is made of locust posts and cedar rails. The rails were a discontinued item at Lowe's. When I went back for more, they had thrown them in the trash. The two wheeled wheelbarrow was one of our more enlightened purchases. This photo taken at 4PM or later.


May 31 2011
The fence has been erected. Squares fill almost half the enclosed space. I wll be adding three more squares in 2011. Space between the squares will be covered with playground mulch. The umbrella and chairs were a favorite meditative spot. The SFG system works and we are much encouraged. Maybe enthused is a better word.


8:00 AM looking West.
The sun gets much better as the day progresses. View from the shed roof.
The grassy area on the right will be completely filled with new squares in 2012.


Front gate installed, mulch laid down between the squares.
Professionally made, amateur installed


Found some cheap cedar and made more squares.
Put in 3 squares made of cheap cedar bought from a fence company. These were a pain to put together and I never liked them. They will be replaced in 2012. Total cost of each square about $6 plus hardware. My new cedar squares use different hardware, different wood, and can be constructed in just a few minutes.


Cukes, peas and squash 6 25 2011
Everything was delicious. Discovered pattypan squash for the first time.


Squares being built for the 2012 season.
I now use Strong Ties hardware to tie these boards together. Screws are Phillips round head 6 x 1.


The Winter Garden
Back to dull & dreary. But getting ready for 2012 are a whole bunch of new squares. I had to replace some of these with smaller 3' x 4' squares so that I would have room to walk between the squares.
New squares, not yet built, will be placed outside the fence for potatoes, corn, rhubarb and asparagus.
My cheap white painted squares will also be replaced in the new season with the better looking white cedar. The old squares will get recycled as decorative shutters.
The azaleas along the fence line were bought cheap and died early. I may have to propagate my own.
The crumpled plastic sheet in the back ground covers our garlic, winter lettuce & spinach. Next year we will garden year round, or as close to it as weather and seed permits.

tomperrin wrote:The first organic potatoes I ever ate were from a few spuds we grew from seed in a Northern Adirondack garden a few years ago. This was a summer camp which we could not visit on a regular basis so the garden was not tended. But until last summer, that little garden produced the best spuds I've ever eaten. Last year, we grew again, 400 miles further south, and they were outstanding again.

I attribute the difference between home grown and commercial to be the lack of herbicides to kill off the tops at season end, to say nothing of fertilizers and insecticides. And then there is the anti-sprouting spray for the supermaket spuds.

FamilyGardening wrote:your first pic with all those wonderful leaves on the ground i thought to my self what a gold mine you have there

wncsohn wrote:
We're going to start slow (first year "really" doing SFG) with eight 4x4 beds.

Kelejan wrote:

wncsohn wrote:
We're going to start slow (first year "really" doing SFG) with eight 4x4 beds.

I have to laugh as I guess it is all relative. I started with one bed then added two the next year. I might add another this coming year.

tomperrin wrote:

I'm going to "stagger" the beds.

I spent an hour or so yesterday trying to figure out where to place my new squares. So now I gotta re-think. The only really good idea I had was to place the smaller squares next to the fence as a 4'x4' wouldn't be accessible from all sides. Good thing you posted this before I made dirt and filled the squares.



Tom