Mid-Atlantic New Host Intro & Info

Hi Everyone!

I'm your Mid-Atlantic Regional Host, Kim Roman, and I'm located just South of Baltimore, Maryland (Hardiness Zone 7a).

Mel's original Square Foot Gardening book was the inspiration to begin my own tiny garden when we lived in military housing in the 1980s and space was at a premium. I was in the US Air Force from 1977-1982 then followed my husband from Italy to Nebraska to Maryland until he "retired" from the AF in 1996. As a civilian, he took two tours to Germany (the first with our teenaged sons whom I home schooled - the second with just our beagles as the boys had grown up).

Gardening was a great way for the boys and I to take our minds off of "things" when he was away during the First Gulf War, Panama and Iraq or when he was in Korea for a year without us (If I didn't start drinking and beating the children that year - they were 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 year old - I knew I never would).

As good as the original method was, the All New Square Foot Gardening method is even more brilliant! But I admit that initially I was resistant to change. So, if you have doubts about changing your current gardening method, I understand.

I started the SFG Home Study Teacher's Course but decided to go to the Teacher Symposium offered in Eden, Utah in September 2010. It was a thrill to meet Mel Bartholomew and learn from him.

Since getting my teacher certification I have started my own SFG business, introduced SFG on a local morning TV news program, done (or am working on) a few community SFG projects, taught at the Baltimore SFG Teacher Symposium, and will be speaking at the 2012 Maryland Home & Garden Show. I thoroughly believe in the SFG Foundation's goal of ending world hunger and take every opportunity to share the good news of Square Foot Gardening.

If you are new to Square Foot Gardening, please don't be intimidated or overwhelmed. Remember that we ALL started out as SFG "newbies" - unsure of ourselves and with a million questions running through our heads.

How can the Mid-Atlantic Regional Forum be successful? Only with YOUR participation!

ROLL CALL: First I would like everyone who is in the Mid-Atlantic Region as defined in the Announcement: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York (NOT upstate), Pennsylvania, Washington DC and far east Ohio to either reply to this post or PM me to let me know who you are. The Forum doesn't have the capability of giving me this information, so I need your help.

Next I would like to know what regional issues YOU feel are important and should be featured/covered on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Forum.

Then post links/information about events happening in your area. For instance, the 2012 MARYLAND HOME & GARDEN SHOW will be held in Timonium (just north of Baltimore) for two weekends in March: Sat. & Sun., March 3 & 4 and Fri., Sat. & Sun., March 9, 10 & 11. Let's face it . . . Buffalo to DC is about an 8 hour drive and Baltimore to Philly is only about 2 . . . it might encourage some to make a nice road trip or weekend out of it.

Together, we can make the Mid-Atlantic Regional Forum a vital and vibrant place.

THANK YOU!

Kim

I hope to try SFG this Spring. North of Baltimore.

Hi & welcome to the Forum smk15.

If you're available, I'll be giving a free 45-minute SFG seminar at the Maryland Home & Garden Show on Saturday, March 3rd at 2 PM and again on Sunday, March 11th at 12 PM. It's at the Timonium Fair Grounds. If you make it, please come & introduce yourself.

BTW have you had the chance to read the All New Square Foot Gardening book yet?

Kim

I purchased the book at last year's Philadelphia Flower Show, after hearing Mel speak. What a character! Thanks for your seminar info. I had already looked it up from your Intro Info. Maybe I'll be able to go.

Mel is larger than life! I SOOOO agree that he's a "character".

I am located in Northeast PA. I am not only new to this area but this will be my first veggie garden in a long time. I am really excited to have Mel's book to help me be successful. Would love to hear from fellow gardeners in NEPA.

Hello from Virginia. I've been SFGing for a couple of years now, but I'm going to redo my garden this year with Mel's new book. Looking forward to your posts!

Diane

exdiago wrote: Hello from Virginia. I've been SFGing for a couple of years now, but I'm going to redo my garden this year with Mel's new book. Looking forward to your posts!

Diane

Hi Diane:

YOU know you're in the Mid-Atlantic Region and I know you're in the Mid-Atlantic Region, but this Forum goes by The National Gardening Association which, crazy as it seems, says you're in the Upper South.

Feel free to peek in on our area, but also check in at the Upper South.

Kim

sfg4uKim wrote:

exdiago wrote: Hello from Virginia. I've been SFGing for a couple of years now, but I'm going to redo my garden this year with Mel's new book. Looking forward to your posts!

Diane

Hi Diane:

YOU know you're in the Mid-Atlantic Region and I know you're in the Mid-Atlantic Region, but this Forum goes by The National Gardening Association which, crazy as it seems, says you're in the Upper South.

Feel free to peek in on our area, but also check in at the Upper South.

Kim

Thanks Kim. I'll mossy on along to my correct forum Diane

Kudos Kim I know you will do a great job!

I had a good time at the Home & Garden Show.

Hello, I'm brandy new and jumping in. I'm on the Jersey Shore and I just read the New square foot gardening book and it's like a whole new world opened up and I can't wait to get started. Getting my husband ready to make a home depot run with me. Since I'm still in the planning stage let me ask you what you've found to be the hardiest and easiest veggies to start out with. I've been growing tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers in round containers .. also raspberries but wondering what you might suggest for a newbie in our climate for my boxes. Thanks so much!!

Irish3 wrote:Hello, I'm brandy new and jumping in. I'm on the Jersey Shore and I just read the New square foot gardening book and it's like a whole new world opened up and I can't wait to get started. Getting my husband ready to make a home depot run with me. Since I'm still in the planning stage let me ask you what you've found to be the hardiest and easiest veggies to start out with. I've been growing tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers in round containers .. also raspberries but wondering what you might suggest for a newbie in our climate for my boxes. Thanks so much!!

YAY! Welcome! You might also want to repost this to the general welcome page so that you'll get more help.

I found this PDF that might help you choose which varieties are best for your area:

Varieties for NJ Home Vegetable Gardeners

Irish3 wrote:Hello, I'm brandy new and jumping in. I'm on the Jersey Shore.... let me ask you what you've found to be the hardiest and easiest veggies to start out with.

Hello Irish! Welcome to SFG from Springfield Township in Burlington County. We are in Zone 6b along the NJ Turnpike. Being on the shore you might be a little bit warmer than us inland types.
Last year was my first SFG, and my first really successful garden ever. Mel's book taught me in a few short pages what I had been doing wrong for decades. The result was that I had only one real disappointment, and that was our strawberries. I did not snip the runners, and so had little fruit. That will be corrected this year. I also forgot where I planted what, and intersowed carrots with lettuce. In the end we harvested both, but it would have been much better if I had marked where I sowed what.

My most spectacular taste results were in Yukon Gold potatoes.

But to answer your question specifically, nothing was hard, everything was easy. If the seed packet says ok for your zone, the seed will very most likely work for you where you are. We had zero bug problems until October.

Our garden was so great that this year we have more than doubled it. I have 10 new squares ready to be topped off with Mel's Mix. But I would suggest that you start with one to four squares just to learn the system, and then build on that the following year.

There is a grower very near the Columbus Farmers Market http://columbusfarmersmarket.com/ that sells a wide variety of wonderful starter vegetables (tomatoes, squash, peppers etc, etc) and flowers at extraordinarily inexpensive prices. He does not advertise (and no website), but does put out a price list of what he is selling each year, and will accept telephone reservations. [I suggest sending a SAE to Wishing Star Farm, 30 Columbus-Jobstown Rd, Mansfield, NJ] I had wonderful results with all his plants last year and will use him exclusively this year for any nursery stock I buy. If you visit him, you can stop by me and visit our garden. PM me for the address.

It's great to hear from anyone doing SFG in NJ!

Tom

Thanks for the welcome!! Kim, I will check out the link you posted, thanks for taking the time to send it over. I think half the fun is the planning.

Tom, thanks for the link to your connection! I'll check that out as well and if I can get my husband to drive us over that way I will definitely let you know.

You guys are the best!

Hi, Kim (and all the Middle Atlantic folks) -

I'm in eastern Pennsylvania, in zone 7a as of the new zone map (was 6b).

I've been reading the book and am ready to give the SFG system a try. Now pondering where to find the soil mix materials.

Favorite things to grow: tomatoes, lettuce, eggplants, peppers.

Best regards,
Erika

Hi Erika and welcome to the Forum!

I hope you will also post in the Welcome Mat area so that everyone else can also say HI.

I'm glad you found the Mid-Atlantic Forum. We encourage people to post events and thoughts that are specific to our area.

Look for the Vermiculite Database on the Home page. It's broken down by state.

Even though it is not specifically listed, I assume that northern Virginia is included in the Mid-Atlantic. I am just starting my first SFGs (3 4x4's). I know I am late to the party this spring (summer now, I guess!), but my 8 y.o. son has expressed an interest in growing some corn and pumpkins, so here we go. If it's something other than video games, I am happy to comply! Plus I have wanted to find the time to do some SFG gardening for several years now, so this is a good excuse to start. I used to do a bit of gardening when I was younger, but it's been a long time since I have had the time. I am hoping SFG will turn out to be everything it promises, i.e., doesn't take every hour that God gives to grow a few nice veggies and flowers.

Still looking for the right vermiculite. I think they have what I need at Merrifield Garden Center in Fairfax, acc. to the person I talked to on the phone there. I will find out tomorrow when I go there. I have already been to one place that said they have coarse vermiculite. Not! Also need different composts. Already have Leafgro (I guess that's from leaves? It doesn't say, other than the name.) and some Scotts manure compost (doesn't say what kind...). I have my own horse manure compost in a static pile that's been brewing since February. I may use that too. I'm hoping I will find more varieties at Merrifield (the person on the phone was not helpful re: the compost questions). Do I really, truly need to find 5 different composts??? I am really trying to follow all the directions, but I may lose patience on this point...

Welcome to the forum.
The 5 composts are the heart and soul of your garden and could mean either success or failure:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t7451-mel-s-mix-how-strong-is-your-backbone

Hi Kim!

I am so sorry but I never welcomed you as our Host - so

.... I guess it's because I have been on here for over 2 yrs and since I am over 55 I am a bit slower and forgetful....lol.

I did see you awhile back on one of the news channels talking about Sq. Ft. Gardening and I was so impressed...

Wegmans has Quoddy Blend seafood compost. Oh and Welcome. I used to live in Fairfax and my Daughter is in Purcelleville. There is a SFG teacher in Purcellville.
Linna Ferguson-(purcellville) - vafoodscaper@gmail.com
and one in Sterling
Donna Evans - (Sterling) - misspepperdine@yahoo.com

Merrifield Gardens was a disappointment, but Black Kow, Black Hen and Black Kow brand composts are available in your area.
Here is a link to the vermiculite database. Merrifield is listed but also check into Souther States.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkxGrCEb40U2dExrM09fbk9zWnE4cC1Gb2oyamVOMVE&hl=en#gid=0

Kay

Welcome. Erika.

You really must use your own jorse manure in your mix. I would love to have a source of horse manure myself.

I would say best of luck in your endeavours, but you really won't need it if you follow the instructions in the ANSFG book. The real adversary is Mother Nature. Try to start your own compost heap; you will have lots of help here in answer to any questions you have and you will learn many things here if you read the forums regularly.

Hello All,
I live on Long Island in New York. Born and raised.
I'm new SFG. I am most familiar with container gardening.
I have two small beds that I try to manipulate . I do have yard big enough however to be a little more ambitious.
I found this site through my latest obsession, "Pinterest.com".
I'm looking forward to working this fall to prepare for spring.
Somehow in the spring I find myself to busy to get started and then angry at myself when I don't have anything growing.
With all that being said, I think I'll try to the book everyone is raving about and give it whirl.
I too am a "KIM".

Welcome kimberleeflowers from Long Island - Woohoo -
I was born and raised there and took off back in the late 70's. Lived on the south shore in the West Islip area. Been in central Ohio ever since. Do get the book you will not be disappointed. It is friendly, informative, fun reading and hard to put down. Chock full of good stuff and 2 years later I still refer to it.
Once Again,

Erin: Welcome to SFG. I see you are reading the book. DO NOT skimp on the compost. Mel has done his homework with the compost. You have 3 good ones already. Make sure any compost you buy in bags you check with the company as too how much peat moss is mixed into the bag. Some companies have 72% peat mixed into a bags that states it's compost. This could through off your mix.
As the book states, compost is the key ingredient for a successful garden.
Mike