Happy Spring from Redford, MI

Hello everyone,

I'm Tess from Redford (Detroit) Michigan, sitting here with the wonderful sun blazing thru my window, waiting for all that snow to melt so I can get out in the Garden!

I'm going into my 2nd yr with sf'ing, and hope to be even more bountiful ~ last year I thought I did well in spite of it being awfully wet! Have just designed a new 6'x6' box for my hubby to build for me for a new herb/flower garden ~ it will be perfect to cover an ugly section of yard in full sun where a lovely large maple was removed several yrs ago. We'll make it several feet deep so we can level it well and make for less bending ~ I'll put stepping stones diagonally corner to corner to make it all accessible. This will be a great augment to my current 15'x16' sf garden ~ now I'll be able to just do veggies in there.

So, here it comes, the question I'm sure you all are sick of ~ why's it so hard to find that darned vermiculite??? I'm on the hunt again, needing a fair amount of it for the new box. I did see some posts on here ~ will be checking them all out. Thanks for the info!

Well, back to my indoor seed-starting operation ~ I'm going to ATTEMPT to do everything this year from seed. Wish me luck!

~ from Tess' garden
Redford, MI ~ zone 6

Awesome Tess!

When I made my herb-flower-medicinal-tea garden, instead of making squares I made interlocking half circles and put my stepping stones along the edges of the circles. I thought it looked pretty. My husband thought it looked like the pattern on a basket ball (which he liked so much that he made a matching patio). To do this you put a stake in the center of an edge (at 3'). Attach a 3' string, follow the string to the other side (like a math compass) making your line with lime or chalk powder. Do this for every side. Mark off more areas by staking the center (found by running string from the corners....the center of the X marks the spot) and making an inner circle that overlaps your half circles. You can get as complicated or as simple as you want. Some years I tried to define my edges with plants. some years I used recycled bricks and defined only the inner areas with plantings. It was the most fun I've had for a while in spring. I have moved away from that garden.....I might have to try it again this year.

Deborah ...getting dirty in Everett, Washington

Hi Tess!

Welcome to the SFG forum!
All our snow is gone here, and it's a beautiful sunny day today but our forecast calls for more snow next week!

Keep us updated on your gardens, and take pictures!

Welcome to the best garden forum going! Much luck to you as you expand your gardens. You didn't mention whether or not you have read the All New Square Foot Gardening book by Mel Bartholomew. I'm sure you must have.

If not it is a highly recommended book. It will make you want to tear down the house next door and put boxes there too .

Keep us posted on your progress and let us know if you have any questions.

WOW , could this be a more active forum? Holy cow!

Thanks for the welcomes you'all, and the garden design info Debs. Giving me more to think about with the new bed! I will take pics as I go along, and yes, I do have Mel's latest book ~ it is very inspiring isn't it!

~ from Tess' garden
Redford, MI ~ zone 6