1st year SFG and NEVER going back!

BEWARE: LOTS OF PICTURES!!!!
Just wanted to share my SFG with the forum. My sister and I like to can, but trying to garden in clay soil is no fun at all, so I decided to try this method. Between the tiller breaking, the deer eating all the good stuff and the isles getting overrun with weeds, I was "over it" by mid-July last year.
I decided to make a varmint proof enclosure that was a space you would want to hang out in as well.
Let me know what you think!

High Hopes in March... then the rains come... Fast forward to the end of May

A sad, uneven beginning, lots of fill and crooked posts due to an unnaturally wet spring!

Boxes (built by me) ready to go along with my grids.
Decided to use cedar mulch, hoping to help deter insects, and it is pretty!

Mel's Mix, or as I now refer to it, Tina and Lisa(my sister)'s Mix!
Our compost is a by-product of the four horses and one donkey that lives with me
Will replace it with leaf compost when we pull the plants, gotta follow the formula!!

Last minute change to the configuration to make room for squash and zucchini (used a concrete tube from lowes divided into 9" tall x 1 ft diameter. Trellis frames are up.

Door will go here.

A MOSTLY square, finished enclosure with door. Now Grow!!!

Bed 1: 4 sq's mortgage lifter tomatoes, 2 sq's onions, 4 sq's beets, 2 sq's gypsy peppers
cylinders: grey zucchini and a yellow squash

Boxes 2 and 3: 4 sq's tomatoes, 8 sq's banana peppers, 4 sq's green peppers, 4 sq's cucumbers, 2 sq's beets.

Assorted Herbs and flowers grace box 4.

Box 1 15 days in.

Box 2 15 days in.

Box 3 15 days in.

Box 4 15 days in.

Grey Zucchini

yellow squash

A nice place to visit while tending the garden.

a light to keep the plants company at night. A home-made edition.

Just in 3 weeks, we have managed to convince several people how easy and beautiful it is to garden this way, and we are newbies!! What's not to love?

What's not to love? You got me there. It looks gorgeous. And, so much work involved! I would hate to see your prices on your materials list. Talk about committment. I love it!! Complete with sitting area.

Welcome aboard. Thanks for posting pictures. Hope to see you get involved with us more as the seasons progress. Things really do look great!

The whole time I was building, I kept thinking how much less I would have had in it if I would have just left it alone as a regular garden, but I enjoy going out there so much I try not to think about it. I just keep telling myself... start up costs only.... it is done now, and it will be low maintenance from here on out. Thank goodness for an understanding husband. I would say I have around $800 in it (but I burned the receipts:rofl:)
Thank you for your kind words and your warm welcome to the forums.

Wow. $800 is lower than I would have guessed. Either way, it's done now like you said. And, you are absolutely right about it being lower maintanence from here on out. All the hard stuff is done. It's mostly enjoyment now.

Enjoy the Enjoyment!

"first year and never going back": My exact words last year. I love it!

You did an amazing job and it all looks so nice. Glad you joined us.

Wow!!! Looks fabulous!!!! Excellent job --I really love the table and chairs to enjoy your garden.

Welcome to the forum.
That's a beautifully designed garden. Love the sitting area.
Enjoy.

I not going back either! Already planning for more boxes.

How did you make your light? Inquiring minds want to know!

Tina, just loved your pictures. Wonderful to watch the stuff grow and grow isnt it?

People like you give me inspiration. I am planning for a sitting area in my yard, eventually, one day. Perhaps I will manage something next year.

It is quite an investment in cash and hard work, but I know that next year you will really appreciate all the work you have put in.

Kelejan

Your garden looks fabulous can't wait to see updates

The light is made with a wide mouth pint jar, marbles and the top off of an inexpensive solar light. Place the solar light upside down in the jar, fill the jar with marbles, place the lid on the jar and twist on the ring. When you turn the jar upside down the solar panel is at the top to catch the day's sunlight. Tina (my sister) has these on her outside steps and they are gorgeous. It's an inexpensive way to add color and light to your yard and garden.

Kelejan wrote: Tina, just loved your pictures. Wonderful to watch the stuff grow and grow isnt it?

People like you give me inspiration. I am planning for a sitting area in my yard, eventually, one day. Perhaps I will manage something next year.

It is quite an investment in cash and hard work, but I know that next year you will really appreciate all the work you have put in.

Kelejan

Thanks so much. I bought the table and chairs at Walmart on season closeout for only $48, so comfortable and inexpensive too!

Oh I really like what you did. Hope to have a awesome garden as such myself soon.

I'm happy for you.

Very smart set up and I know you are going to spend many happy times sitting out there. I really like that unique light, it's a clever idea. Well done.

riverrat87 wrote:The light is made with a wide mouth pint jar, marbles and the top off of an inexpensive solar light. Place the solar light upside down in the jar, fill the jar with marbles, place the lid on the jar and twist on the ring. When you turn the jar upside down the solar panel is at the top to catch the day's sunlight. Tina (my sister) has these on her outside steps and they are gorgeous. It's an inexpensive way to add color and light to your yard and garden.

I am definitely making myself some of these! Love your garden! I am a newb this year as well. My setup is nothing like yours but the improvement to my yard is such a contrast to what it was that I am never going back either!!!!!

GG

"1st year SFG and NEVER going back!" I second that emotion!!!

Beautiful garden! So glad you joined us! Please post often and keep us informed how things are progressing. Folks on here are great at helping out with problems, questions and insecurities, so don't hesitate to ask for help! Hope to see you around the forum!

$800 for peace, tranquility, fresh food AND no weeding? Cheaper than therapy!

Beautiful job! We put in a fence this year too so I know how much work that is.

Tina

What a marvelous job you have done. A nice garden, protected from the deer (if they weren't so cute I would hate them. They took more than their share of my garden last year) and a lovely little area to sit and relax.

Please keep us updated on your progress and continue to share those pictures.

Again, Welcome!

I know this is an old thread but.....WOW is THAT ever nice!!!

I gotta get started on the nifty light idea!!!! Did you get those at Wallyworld, too?

Beautiful! (I must admit to a tinge of envy.) I would love to know how it turned out. One worry I had for you in looking at your pic's was: after your 'reconfiguration', you didn't have the wide aisles recommended, with 3 boxes in a row. Was that any kind of issue in your reality? (I sometimes find it hard to reach across 4 squares, and my haphazard fencing adds to the difficulty, at times) Too bad I crunched my camera-enhanced cellphone in the car door, or I could post some pictures.

Tina,

You've given me several ideas for my new SQFT area. Down here in Lower Alabama, the mosquitoes and "No-See-ums" eat you alive on some nights. The idea for cedar mulch is not only attractive but functional.

I like the sitting area idea as well. I live in a subdivision, but have quite a large back yard. I'm putting boxes inside and outside the privacy-fenced area.

I used to live in eastern Ohio. Where are you? — Marietta?

The $800 investment: Did you purchase everything for the $800? That seems so reasonable. Was that for everything but your boxes/MM?

"Cincinnati"

Tina, the original poster of this thread, hasn't logged into the forum since July. Hopefully, she is lurking and will respond.

I have kind of went into hibernation working on winter projects... Last season the garden was started way too late(mid June), BUT I did end up with 8 ft tall tomato plant monsters. I am going to change my configuration around a bit for this next season. Some plants were drowned out by the tomatoes, and am researching (trying to at least, I am going to post some questions in the forum in a little bit) some varieties of vegetables that will work best for canning in my area. I want to do some strawberries for jam and a few other things. I plan to double my space to 16 x 32 to allow more room for the larger plants. I am definitely keeping the seating area! Even when not gardening, the garden was a perfect space to take a minute to relax. Just before Christmas, I went out and cleared the old vegetation and got the boxes in good shape for spring. I am pleasantly surprised at the level of interest I am maintaining in the garden. It looks a lot less like an unpleasant chore, and more of an exciting project.

I appreciate everyone's interest and support! SFG is an incredibly supportive community that I am glad to be a part of.

I will post again to answer any questions I missed. Sorry for going AWOL!