Clever Homemaking

Photo by Keith Lewis

We are behind in our garden plans this year because we have decided to try something new (to us) this year.  We are going to build a raised “square foot garden”.

Square foot gardening is a concept developed by Mel Bartholomew.  Instead of gardening in rows, you use square foot plots to maximize your planting area and the growth of your plants.  The beds are raised off your normal ground soil allowing you to create your desired soil mix.

Mel recommends creating your beds no wider than 4′ so you have easy access to all areas of your raised bed.  We have decided to start off with one 4′x4′ raised bed.  I will post instructions and pictures soon!

If you’ve ever considered square foot gardening or if this sounds like something you’d like to try, I’d love for you to take this journey with me.  These are the books I will be using as a guide to get started:

Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work

This is Mel’s original book.  A lot of the material has been completely updated in his new book, but this book contains valuable information regarding the plants that grow well in square foot gardens as well as the necessary husbandry.

All New Square Foot Gardening

This is Mel’s completely updated guide on square foot gardening.

It contains 10 new features as well as simple, easy-to-follow instructions using lots of photos and illustrations.

We will be utilizing both books in our garden.

I also plan to implement a new feature here at Clever Homemaking that will allow you to share updates and posts pertaining to your garden.  At the end of each of my gardening posts (beginning with this one!), I will open up Mister Linky so you can leave a link to your latest gardening related posts.

I can’t wait to hear what’s growing!!