A Mother's Day Message from Mel!

MEL'S MOM!

Click on the above link to hear a message from Mel and see a picture of his mom.

People have doubts about growing healthy plants in just 6" of Mel's Mix. Here you can see a table top bed made from 1' x 4' lumber.

Thanks for sharing Mel's message.

Because of Mel's wonderful SFG method, I was inspired to make my mother two - 2'x4' Tabletop SFG's. I went out last night to avoid Tropical Storm Anna and set them up in her yard. Unfortunately it started raining so I could not get a picture of Mom with her gift, but I can report that she was very pleased and even stood out on the porch "supervising" their installation and standing guard for attack frogs.



I hope to get some better pictures soon. My sister will install a grid which I forgot to do, but I did start her off with 1 zucchini plant

VERY awesome!

Am I right in guessing that Mels obsession with growing useable quantities of crops in 6" of soil has to do with working with disabled veterans in early 90s?  That first he made the table tops and found he needed to refine the soil mix for them?  Or maybe to create a garden his mother could still work.


ralitaco, those are lovely beds.  What a wonderful gift.  

Who else here has done something similar for their parents?

I tryed with my dad, but he loved to shovel and swing his mattock and could.  So I would then cover his dug over space with black plastic and lay down small logs to make in ground beds.  Dad was mostly blind and weeding was beyond him.   He wanted to grow peas, broccoli and cabbage and tomatoes and zuccini. 

Last year for my mother in law we took these big half whiskey barrel knock off planters and filled them with a mix.  They are on her patio, no way for grass to invade.  She grew flowers and salad stuff in them.

Mel's Mother's Day Message is special and inspires all ages and all abilities to grow!
LINK HERE

I finally got some pictures of my mom with her 2x4 beds.
My sister, who originally turned me onto the SFG method, dusted off her copy of the book, put on a grid and put some plants in (all under Mom's watchful eye)

The blank canvas and THE ANSFG BOOK:

The grid is down and some plants are in:



Mom with her SFG, WOOHOO!!:
That grin made all the hard work and late hours worth it!

Mom inspecting the Zucchini plant I put in on Mother's day eve:
I think the height is great for her too.

According to my sister, Mom got a bit planting happy and she had my sister build her some shelves where the pots, trashcan and water bottle are in the last picture. Then she had her put more plants in pots...I have a feeling that I will be making some more for future gifts.

Thanks to everyone for your help, especially my daughter Rachel who helped me deliver and assemble the beds and MM. Also Mr Bartholomew for coming up with such a wonderful, system and putting it in a book.

She looks so happy! You're a good son.

I would love to see a picture of their progress
and another smile on your mom's face,
ralitaco.

Kelejan wrote:I would love to see a picture of their progress
and another smile on your mom's face,
ralitaco.

Here are some pictures of her TT's and pots.
Pepper, Tomato, Bush Beans, Radishes/Cucumbers and of course Marigolds



Pepper, Tomato, Eggplant and Zucchini.


For the record, Upon her close inspection and in her Staten Island NY accent, she declared that "My zucchini has 11 flowers and oh, oh, oh...I have 2 baby zucchini's"

Part of what we are calling her "arboretum"




Not only is my mother enjoying her TT's, they have re-ignited her love of planting...or should I more accurately say, her love of getting my sister to plant for her. As the younger brother, I determined this was the perfect mother's day gift...It made my mom happy AND is driving my older sister nuts. I didn't get pictures of the deck outside her front door, the bed outside of her side door nor her topsy turvy hanging planter

(I tried to get Mom in the picture, but she was too busy making Smore's...sort of...)

A happy mom and bugged older sister is a perfect combo.