From the Pacific NorthWet & 1st year with SFG

Hello, All -

My name is Sonja, and I'm addicted to gardening.

Last September, I moved to a house on 1.25 acres that - although rundown, neglected and/or overgrown - already has dwarf fruit trees, and established raspberry beds, kiwi vine, and vegetable garden, among other things. This is my first place I've had room to garden, so I'm putting my years of gardening study into practice. I'm trying SFG because although I love to garden, I want it to be as easy & simple as possible. Maybe next year get some chickens, and/or pygmy goats.

To be honest, my long held dream is to homestead, but I thought I'd cut my teeth on some SFG's first. I've got one 4x12 bed, two 2x2 potato towers, and a coldframe. Looking at my modest garden "plan" (modest meaning a relatively few types of plants, but an actual large number of varieties; and my garden plan consisting of planting & harvesting dates with no indication how much room I'll actually need for all the plants I want to grow), I'm going to need to double my current SFG's, maybe more.

Sigh, I keep telling myself to be patient & enjoy my garden everyday & let everything take care of itself.

I'm looking forward to this year - whatever it brings - and to getting to know everyone here.

Wishing everyone a fruitful year,
Sonja

Hey hi! We mini-homesteaded in Robe Valley above Granite Falls (east of Everett-Lake Stevens) for almost 25 years. We did boys, bunnies, pigs, chickens-ducks-geese, two dogs, a big ol' row garden, a berry garden that gave us all the raspberries, blueberries and marionberries the neighborhood could use, and my all time favorite, a big knot garden that held my strawberries, kitchen and medicinal herbs as well as a collection of tea. My guys brought home venison and fish. We went on outings for wild medicines, mushrooms and occasionally fiddleheads (I was usually too late for the nice tight ones) Sometimes I miss it but most of the time I just like to remember that we did that life for a season of our lives. It is a fantastic way to live and I hope you get to soak it all in!

Deborah....wondering how close to the Fort you are?

Wow, Deborah, it sounds like you were very busy.. Just the life I'm envisioning. Right now I'm 11 miles south of PT at the end of a long, windy road off of Hwy 20.

Sounds like you know the Fort. Did you used to live around here?

Never lived there but have camped and day tripped lots. My parents love to have Thanksgiving in their trailer at the fort.

Sonja

How nice to have you join us. I have family in E Bremerton and Sequim, so I am familiar with the area where you live.
We are happe you chose SFG, as we find it easy to handle. Did you get a chance to read the ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING book. It really is full of great information.

Greenwink wrote:I thought I'd cut my teeth on some SFG's first. I've got one 4x12 bed, two 2x2 potato towers, and a coldframe. Looking at my modest garden "plan" (modest meaning a relatively few types of plants, but an actual large number of varieties; and my garden plan consisting of planting & harvesting dates with no indication how much room I'll actually need for all the plants I want to grow), I'm going to need to double my current SFG's, maybe more.

It is so easy to end up with more plants than you have squares, I did this myself. Were you able to locate any of the garden planning programs on-line? They can give you a better idean of how many squares you actually need. Here are a couple, some require annual subscriptions after a 30 to 45 day free trial. There are many others out there, I am sure.


Gardener's Supply

PlanGarden

GroVeg

Again, welcome and enjoy yourself.

Although I don't go there much, the Fort Worden area is very beautiful. But, heck, most of PT is gorgeous. I've never seen so many gardens in one town before!

As for the new SFG book, I've borrowed it from the library, and am absorbing it now. Between the new SFG book, and a couple of other books on easy gardening, I just stake out my new gardening area, put down cardboard to smother grass & weeds, and build my SFG on top of that. Easy as pie - in theory.

As for the garden planning software, I'd already perused the forums here & am currently using Gardener's Supply Kitchen Garden planner. I just need to get measurements from my new garden area so I can plan it out, etc.

I think planning the garden is 60% of the fun of gardening. Ah, the possibilities. Thank God it's still early in the season, so I still have time to get things ready.

Now, where's that tape measure? Durn it! It just started raining.

Greenwink wrote:It just started raining

It is the Pacific NorthWet after all.