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Some of our gardeners create amazing things. Here is a sample of some incredible gardens that are possible with this system! Click on the buttons on the left to take a look at some of the possibilites that Square Foot Gardening gives you!
Get inspired by other's success and ideas!
No, it doesn't have to be big or perfect. In fact, your experience and pictures will help many others get over their fear of failure and they will start a SFG.
Registered users can create their own "Showcase Of Gardens" inside their profile! Simply register, login and edit your profile to share your SFG with the rest of the world!
In the albums on the next pages, grab the edge of the paper with your mouse and drag it like you would a normal book page to get to the next one.
Showcase of Gardens
Holland
Grab or click the edge of the paper, and with the mouse button pressed, drag the page over. Give it a try!
Location Info: Den Andel,Holland
Town or City: Den Andel
Near Which Large City: Groningen
County: Holland
State : Groningen
Gardener: Jelle
Overall Size: Four SFG around 3x5
Number of Boxes: 7 (including 1 tablebox of 60 x 120 cm)
Box Material and Depth:
Box Material: Garbage wood
Depth: 22 CM
Type of soil mix: Mel's mix
Aisle Width & Materials: 80 cm, grass
Vertical Frames: 6 from electrical conduit and wired garden fence, 1 bamboo piramid for pole-beans)
Grid Material: plastic strips
Types of Plants: Vegetables, herbs and flowers
Specialty Features: We have one tabletop garden for Granddad, who is in a wheelchair.
Contact Info for Visits: Jellemede_live.nl
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Visiting Restrictions: only by advanced e-mail
Web Site: www.MakkelijkeMoestuin.nl
Interesting facts about your garden:
How did you get started: My mother told me about it
Advice for those starting SFG: Read Mel's book! (or my go to my website www.MakkelijkeMoestuin.com if you are dutch.)
Best thing about SFG: It's great!
Worst thing about SFG: That I have to think way to long to figure out a bad thing about SFG.
Den Andel, Holland
Click on edge
New Zealand
Grab the edge of the paper, and with the mouse button pressed, drag the page over. Give it a try!
Location Info: Near Palmerston North in the North Island of NZ.
Gardener: Jim and Rita
Garden Size:
Grid Material: One garden uses fiberglass electric fence rods.The second uses stretched curtain wire fastened with screws and the wire is "woven" over and under each other, and I think works better than the electric fence rods.
Aisle Width & Materials:
Vertical Frames:
Types of Plants:
Specialty Features:
Contact Info for Visits: E-Mail: jimnrita_paradise.net.nz
Visiting Restrictions: Visitors are fine, but should make initial contact by email.Wheel chair access is not a problem as the land is level.
Web Site:
How did you get started:
SFG NZ 2Advice for those starting SFG:
Best thing about SFG:
Worst thing about SFG:
Feilding, North Island, NZ
Location Info: New Plymoth, Provance of Taranaki New Plymouth 1 NZ
Gardener: Annette
Overall Size: At present 41 squarefeet
Number of Boxes: 2- 4x4 ,1- 3x4 , 1 -2x3
Grid Material: netting wire and plastic netting
Aisle Width & Materials: 3 feet with some bricks around and grass
Vertical Frames: wood and metal
New Plymouth NZ 2Types of Plants: Garlic,strawberries,potaoes(2 different ones) climbing beans ,butter beans (yellow bush bean ) bush green beans , Beetroot, peas,carrots (finger size and small round )lettuces-many differant colors-raddishes,dwarf swiss chard, spring onions ,red onions,tomatoes(3 differant ones) cellery, cabbages, smallcorn,corgettes, rock melon, some new turnips with three differant sorts in the packet and a small fruits sfg with pepino,black raspberrie and an other mixed berry
Contact Info for Visits: annettehbl4u_yahoo.co.nzThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Visiting Restrictions: weekends only -no pets.
How did you get started: was looking internet for organic gardening information and the SFG site link came up
Advice for those starting SFG: just go for it and follow the SFG system as much as you can afford
Best thing about SFG: it is so easy . I have only pulled 6 weeds since I started 5 months ago
Worst thing about SFG: The start up cost may deterr some people but my neighbour used the peet and a good compost from our local rubbish collector and is having great results but more weeds than mine. Waiting for all the plants to grow big enough to eat ,which I am starting to now
New Plymoth, NZ
Philipines
Location Info: Quezon City, Philippines Quezon City 1
Gardener: MARIA TERESA TEE
Garden Size: 14 feet wide by 20 feet long (including 2-foot paths around and in-between boxes) 6 boxes
Grid Material:
Aisle Width & Materials: 2 feet, blue grass
Vertical Frames: none yet, but I plan to put up 8 1X4 boxes with vertical frames
Types of Plants: lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, eggplant, bush beans, pepper, turnips, carrots, onions, garlic
Specialty Features: I use nylon nets called wind and rain breaker over my boxes to ward off pests and to break the force of the monsoon rains and storms.
Contact Info for Visits: Please email me at eatee_skyinet.net
Visiting Restrictions: By advanced email
How did you get started: I read the first edition of the SFG book a few years back and finally got started this year with a lot of help from Karen
Advice for those starting SFG: Plan your garden site well. Cut trees that would shade your vegetable garden. Commit to taking care of your garden. Follow SFG closely--Mel's mix, boxes, grids, etc.
Best thing about SFG: SFG really takes the hard work out of gardening and ensures success even for the newest and most ignorant gardener. And I like the SFG people a lot. They are so helpful and generous. Thanks!
Worst thing about SFG:(left BLANK!)
Quezon City, Philippines
Etc...
This spectacular garden could be on the cover of any gardening magazine. Notice how much an arbor adds to the beauty of the garden.
This 2' x 2' box will add beautiful color to any deck or porch. Easily movable.
Stepped up gardens at the Royal Botanical Garden in Bermuda. Notice the nice bark ground cover for easy, clean, dry walking around each box.
Here's a 3' x 3'-plywood bottom with a fancy decorative molding finish at the top.
Here is a classic, well designed SFG all fenced in. You could have something like this in your yard.
Even little old ladies can reach in 2 ft. to their SFG. An added feature is a table top garden for easy sit-down or stand-up gardening.
Two-4' x 10' areas will give 80 different crops. So easy to take care of, yet so much to harvest.
Here's a really big garden all contained in one 10' x 10' box with a 2' wide-plank walkway through the center.
This design shows extra support in each corner for additional strength.
A terrace garden planted with a spring crop. Right next to the kitchen door.
Notice how easy it is to add a SFG to just about any location or situation. This is all pure rock.
Notice how nice and informal the staggered layout looks. Anything works with SFG.
Here is a stepped up corner layout made from 2 x 12 lumber, with a vinyl box in the background.
This garden has many wonderful features, including the flower filled poles and the pyramid trellises.
Look how creative you can get with your SFG's.
This is a demonstration garden showing all the different materials you can use for the box sides.
These are our "domino" boxes, easily moved and rearranged when they have plywood bottoms
How neat and organized. Kids just love a SFG. Notice the strawberry pyramid on the back right.
England
Location Info: Dereham, England. Near Norwich
Gardener: Franz Sidney
Overall Size: average British size, probably around 80 square metres
Number of Boxes: 9
Box Material and Depth: Wood,
30 centimeters
Type of soil mix: (compost, peat moss, vermiculite)
Aisle Width & Materials: wood
Vertical Frames: None Yet
Grid Material: Wood
Types of Plants: Type of plants: radish, potatotes, zucchini, sweet corn, alfalfa, onions, spring onions, tomatoes, carrots, echinacea, nasturtium, ivy
Contact Info for Visits: E-mail: franzsidney_sidneys.org
Visiting Restrictions: no big dogs, no Sundays, appointment needed
Web Site: N/A
How did you get started: I found it through www.providentliving.com when I looked at the gardening links. I noticed that there were translations in many languages so I decided
to provide the Italian translation for the entire site. Then I ordered the new book and DVD and got started. I thought that no seeds would ever grow and my plants would all die as usual, but 80% survived well and we are now eating our own produce.
Advice for those starting SFG: read the book before starting. Then work out a budget, as the boxes + Mel's mix will cost some money. Protect the seeded area from birds and all the rest will take care of itself.
Best thing about SFG: we love the
quick results, healthy plants, and basically almost no weeding! But
the best thing is the lack of digging!!!
Worst thing about SFG: unfortunately peat moss here in the UK is non environmentally friendly, because it takes hundreds of years to be replaced. So people will have to come out with a suitable alternative.
Dereham, UK
Location Info: Havant, Near Portsmouth in the south of England
Gardener: Jo
Overall Size: 20ft x 15 feet
Number of Boxes: 3
Box Material and Depth: made from old scaffold boards - painted the outside
Type of soil mix: vermiculite, peat and lots of different bags of compost
Aisle Width & Materials: paving stone width
bamboo canes and metal trellis
Grid Material: plastic electrical tubing
Types of Plants: salads, radishes, courgette (zuchini), mangetout (sugarsnap), pakchoi, cabbage, brocolli, tomatoes, beetroot, peppers, cucumber, carrots, spring onions, french beans, sweetcorn (baby),
Specialty Features: Patio garden - the patio wasnt really being used.
Contact Info for Visits: jws_70_hotmail.co.uk
Web Site: n/a
How did you get started: Read about it on the web and then ordered the book
Advice for those starting SFG: Go
for it!!
Best thing about SFG: The amount of plants you can grow in such a small area - its fantastic!!
Worst thing about SFG: The Tomatoes havent done so well this year - but we have had an exceptional year - humid and wet. appear.
Havant, England
Barbados
Location Info: Bridgetown Barbados, West Indies
Garden Size: Overall Size: 80sf
Number of Boxes: 5 (maybe to increase to 6 or 7) Box Material: and Depth: Deal also known as Knotty Pine, 12" Deep
Grid Material: Twine secured by copper brads.
Aisle Width & Materials: 24", Grass
Vertical Frames: Bamboo Staked Tomatoes (24), Bamboo Staked Sweet Peppers(10), Chicken Wire Lattice Cucumbers (6). The cucumbers are soon to have an added mesh grid as well.
Types of Plants: Vegetables (Tomatoes, Bok Choy, Lettuces, Beets, Hot and Sweet Peppers, Fennel, Garlic and Cucumbers), Herbs (Celery Leaf, (4) Varieties of Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Cilantro, Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, Rosemary, Peppermint, Shadow Bennie or Culantro, and Chamomile)
Specialty Features:Emphasis on herbs and herbal teas.
Contact Info for Visits: Contact me via my blog: GoGrow:Barbados ( www.greenbb.wordpress.com )
Visiting Restrictions: None, contact me 1st!
Web Site: www.greenbb.wordpress.com
How did you get started: When I decided that I wanted to some gardening here in Barbados my husband helped me to select an area of our yard that was getting sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon, the Barbadian sun in the afternoon can be unforgiving! Initially we had planned on hiring a landscaping contractor to remove the existing troublesome crabgrass that we have in our side yard, lay out the beds and bring in some additional soil to augment what we already had. As soon as we started poking around below the level of the crab grass we realized that the soil was not going to be suitable, my husband suggested building raised beds over the crab grass and bringing in completely new soil mix. In the planning stages I believe that I was doing some research in to raised beds on the internet and I ran across SFG. Mel's main points regarding the benefits of SFG, such as reduced water consumption, reduced pestilence, and increased yield in smaller spaces fit my expectations for gardening to a 'T.' I am totally new to gardening in the Tropics and I must say that after (2) months everything that SFG says it delivers.
Advice for those starting SFG: Follow your dreams for your garden, experiment and follow the simple points of SFG and you will be successful at it. Don't be afraid to improvise on the concepts, ie. bed sizes-- once you follow your instincts based on the SFG concepts you cannot go wrong.
Best thing about SFG: My (5) beds are so easy to water, and so far I have only seen (1) slug, which I captured and threw a great distance. That says a lot, as I have (1) 3'-0" X 6'-0" bed dedicated entirely to lettuce. Conserving water is a major issue, see my blog for an article on the system that I use for watering, no hoses!:
Worst thing about SFG: It's funny but if I were planting according to traditional spacing methods I would have quite a little farm going. Sometimes you think bigger is better, however the other day I read an article written by a woman regarding tomato spacing, she indicated that she plants (3) tomato plants to every (10)sf. I have (24) tomato plants in (18)sf. I have (19) Basil Plants of (4) varieties in (8)sf. My garden looks small but it packs a powerful punch!
Bridgetown, Barbados
Location Info: Den Andel , Holland
Contact Info for Visits: Jellemede_live.nlThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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