My Garden Photo

Yesterday I measured off my garden and began filling it today with plants. Upon completion I will send photos of the garden with growth in it. The dimensions are 3.5ft X 7ft. Just right for my small patio home yard.

Hi heaterguy! I love empty box pics too - thanks for sharing!

It looks like it was a kit - do you mind sharing more information about it? Where from, what it's made from, did you combine more than one to get that size, etc?

+1 very pretty! Love to know more about it...nice job setting it up!

Well, I was prepared to make my own which would have been about $30.00. I was walking through Sam's Club when I noticed this kit made of composite lumber (pvc/wood particulate) for $39.00. I took it home and in 10 minutes I had it assembled.

The only downside is that it measures 3.5 X 7 foot leaving an inside measurement of 41 inch square per side. As you can see by my grid the outside grids are not 12" square.

I filled it with a topsoil mixture of soil and compost that I got from a local supplier and vermiculite. By the end of the week I will have it totally filled with plants and will supply another photo.

gwennifer wrote:Hi heaterguy! I love empty box pics too - thanks for sharing!

It looks like it was a kit - do you mind sharing more information about it? Where from, what it's made from, did you combine more than one to get that size, etc?

Is that one kit or 2 put together?

That model is one kit. They do have 3.5ft sq. kits as well.

lisaphoto wrote:Is that one kit or 2 put together?

Be forewarned that by using a blend of soil, one compost, and vermiculite instead of Mel's Mix, you may be disappointed in your productivity. As boffer is want to say: "Mel's Mix is the most important, productive, essential, necessary, critical, major subject and is the backbone of the entire book and the Square Foot Gardening method! That's the picture. Get it? It's the reason all the other improvements are possible...Sorry to be so adamant, but this is really what makes SFG so different and successful. We have never had a failure of SFG except when someone decided to skimp on the ingredients...."

heaterguy wrote:Well, I was prepared to make my own which would have been about $30.00. I was walking through Sam's Club when I noticed this kit made of composite lumber (pvc/wood particulate) for $39.00. I took it home and in 10 minutes I had it assembled.

The only downside is that it measures 3.5 X 7 foot leaving an inside measurement of 41 inch square per side. As you can see by my grid the outside grids are not 12" square.

I filled it with a topsoil mixture of soil and compost that I got from a local supplier and vermiculite. By the end of the week I will have it totally filled with plants and will supply another photo.

gwennifer wrote:Hi heaterguy! I love empty box pics too - thanks for sharing!

It looks like it was a kit - do you mind sharing more information about it? Where from, what it's made from, did you combine more than one to get that size, etc?

Nice post heater guy,

That manmade material can last well over 25 years apparently.

Now the basic fill material you have used .... .

Do you have the book " All New Square Foot Gardening " 2006 edition by Mel Bartholomew ?

It is ISBN code 9 781591 862024 , for my money as a gardener of over 45 years experience the book is worth its weight in gold for without it you'll be lost trying to do Mel's squarefoot gardening system , as you'll not have the full amount of the correct knowledge needed for it.

In it Mel lays out what he has discovered & proved time & time again that work for his squarefoot gaardening from many years of sucessfully trialing things .



It is a formula he calls Mel's Mix he states in that book exactly what Airdoc put , " . they have never known a failure because of people using the formula to make the filling .. but they have known of stacks who failed by not using it. He then explains a few things about the various fillings .

I too would totaly suggest & reccommend that you dig out the current contents , spread it over your grass then get the ingredients for Mel's mix and put that in your bed for a great years SFG'ing

We'll see what results I get with this mixture for this year. I have the book on order.

plantoid wrote:

heaterguy wrote:Well, I was prepared to make my own which would have been about $30.00. I was walking through Sam's Club when I noticed this kit made of composite lumber (pvc/wood particulate) for $39.00. I took it home and in 10 minutes I had it assembled.

The only downside is that it measures 3.5 X 7 foot leaving an inside measurement of 41 inch square per side. As you can see by my grid the outside grids are not 12" square.

I filled it with a topsoil mixture of soil and compost that I got from a local supplier and vermiculite. By the end of the week I will have it totally filled with plants and will supply another photo.

gwennifer wrote:Hi heaterguy! I love empty box pics too - thanks for sharing!

It looks like it was a kit - do you mind sharing more information about it? Where from, what it's made from, did you combine more than one to get that size, etc?

Nice post heater guy,

That manmade material can last well over 25 years apparently.

Now the basic fill material you have used .... .

Do you have the book " All New Square Foot Gardening " 2006 edition by Mel Bartholomew ?

It is ISBN code 9 781591 862024 , for my money as a gardener of over 45 years experience the book is worth its weight in gold for without it you'll be lost trying to do Mel's squarefoot gardening system , as you'll not have the full amount of the correct knowledge needed for it.

In it Mel lays out what he has discovered & proved time & time again that work for his squarefoot gaardening from many years of sucessfully trialing things .



It is a formula he calls Mel's Mix he states in that book exactly what Airdoc put , " . they have never known a failure because of people using the formula to make the filling .. but they have known of stacks who failed by not using it. He then explains a few things about the various fillings .

I too would totaly suggest & reccommend that you dig out the current contents , spread it over your grass then get the ingredients for Mel's mix and put that in your bed for a great years SFG'ing

I understand and appreciate your comments. All my material was purchase before I knew about Mel. The material was recommended by a local Agricultural Scientist (PH.d. Texas A&M) who was instrumental in me getting into raised bed gardening.

1airdoc wrote:Be forewarned that by using a blend of soil, one compost, and vermiculite instead of Mel's Mix, you may be disappointed in your productivity. As boffer is want to say: "Mel's Mix is the most important, productive, essential, necessary, critical, major subject and is the backbone of the entire book and the Square Foot Gardening method! That's the picture. Get it? It's the reason all the other improvements are possible...Sorry to be so adamant, but this is really what makes SFG so different and successful. We have never had a failure of SFG except when someone decided to skimp on the ingredients...."

heaterguy, we look foreward to the results you get with your new bed. Of course we love, support, and recommend our Mel's Mix here, after all we are the Official Square Foot Gardening Forum. Maybe after you get your book, and funds permitting you also try a bed with Mel's Mix. You could do a side by side comparison and share your results with us. Happy gardening and COME ON SPRING!!

Thank you and perhaps we will. Spring has arrived in Houston! IMHO!

nKedrOoStEr wrote:heaterguy, we look foreward to the results you get with your new bed. Of course we love, support, and recommend our Mel's Mix here, after all we are the Official Square Foot Gardening Forum. Maybe after you get your book, and funds permitting you also try a bed with Mel's Mix. You could do a side by side comparison and share your results with us. Happy gardening and COME ON SPRING!!

Spring has arrived in Houston! IMHO!

I'm a tad jealous

I bought two of the same kits. What do you plan on planting in the half squares?

personally I would consider carrots or onions in those half squares.

heaterguy.....I, too, started mine before the Mel's Mix knowledge. You can always top off your beds with 3-6" of MM later on when your beds need some rejuvenation.

Good luck and happy SFGing.

That's what I was thinking, anything that grows low and you plant multiple per square

Herbs, onions, garlic maybe asparagus if they will grow in the Houston heat.

lisaphoto wrote:I bought two of the same kits. What do you plan on planting in the half squares?

More than likely that is the way I will proceed.

quiltbea wrote:heaterguy.....I, too, started mine before the Mel's Mix knowledge. You can always top off your beds with 3-6" of MM later on when your beds need some rejuvenation.

Good luck and happy SFGing.

It looks good can't wait to see more.