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FULL TEXT Part 1
FULL TEXT Part 2
Q: I want to use SFG as my EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT.
A: Great Idea, There are many options to choose from!
Q: Any Tips For Desert Gardening?
A: Harsh Conditions Need Protection.
Q: Will your TV series ever be back?
A: Depends on the will of the people.
Q: I'm getting excited about starting next spring.
A: Don't wait till next spring - START NOW !
Q: Can I grow indoors in the winter ?
A: It's very hard but can be done if ... (Click on FULL TEXT Part 1)
Q: Is there any Easy way to make the Wire Cat Cage?
A: Wear thick gloves and a long sleeve jacket.
Q: What's the best book for making money?
A: CA$H FROM SFG (reprinted 2000).
Q: My cat likes my SFG.
A: Now you know why !
Part 2
Q: Is your TV show on the air ?
A: No it's sitting on the shelf.
Q: SFG should be in every homeless shelter.
A: You are right - - -
Teach a person to garden - Don't keep giving them food.
Q: I'm a beginner - can I plant roses and big perennial flowers?
A: WHOA!, TEXAS - Go back to start . . .
Q: Everyone's getting excited and involved with SFG here at the VA hospital
A: This shows there's not 1 person in this world that couldn't SFG.
Q: Guess what sold my California house ?
A: Don't tell me -- your SFG.
Q: Can we buy wholesale and how much?
A: If you qualify and it depends . . .
Q: I will need a slide show for Master Gardening training.
A: We have plenty to share with you.
Q: Do you "Have camera, will travel?"
A: Been there, done that - - -
Now you take the picture, we put it on website.
Q: What kind of plants can I grow in my Bermuda SFG ?
A: Just about any plant will grow in Bermuda !
Q: My single row garden was FILLED with WEEDS?
A: No weeds in a SFG!
Q: What is the overall goal of your web site?
A: We have 4 goals, 1st is to make SFG a household name.
Q: Not a Question, just a comment: your humor makes me laugh.
A: Thank You, I can see you have a good sense of humor.
Q: Is your TV show still on the air?
A: No, it's sitting on a shelf waiting for an ambitious person to come along.
Q: How did the SFG India project get started ?
A: I left a SFG book in Nepal - it was given to a Jesuit priest in India who said "We could do that."
Q: Which is best the book or video?
A: Do you like to read a book or go see the movie?
Q: Where can I find past newsletters and new issues?
A: On our website, it's all here, new and old.
Q: Is the original book up to date?
A: SFG hasn't changed much, all improvements are on the website.
BACK
LOOKING FOR AN EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT
Q: Hello Mel, My name is Matthew and I am a 16 year old junior at Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, PA. I am also a life scout and was looking for an Eagle Project .
SFG COULD BE THE ANSWER
Today I was browsing the Internet and I came upon Square Foot Gardening. When I began reading I became very interested in the topic. I realized how many possibilities of Eagle Projects there were for square foot gardening and I decided I want to build Square Foot Gardens for my project.
SFG OFFERS SO MANY POSSIBILITIES
Now that I have decided on Square Foot Gardens I have some questions for you so I can present this project to my Scoutmaster for his approval and the approval of the district council.
SFG ARE IDEAL FOR MANY PLACES
I would like to put these gardens in places where they would be most educational and useful, ideally my elementary school and a local senior center or nursing home. I was thinking both places could use a few. I would like to build 3x3 boxes for ease of movement. I would put the boxes on legs with wheels so they could be moved in/out doors and in/out of sunlight. Also the legs would be an appropriate height for sitting, (wheel /chairs) or standing for little kids.
DO THEY NEED DRAINAGE ?
The only problem I realized would be drainage. If there was an over watering problem where would the water go. And even if there wasn't shouldn't there still be some drainage on the underside of the box. Also, since I live in the north I was wondering if there would be any problem with vegetables growing indoors during the winter. Thanks a lot Mel, this project is just what I was looking for.
Matt
SFG IS IDEAL FOR MANY SCOUT PROJECTS
A: Dear Matt: We were all so excited when we got your letter because Eagle projects are dear to our hearts and we want to encourage more use of SFG in the scouting movement. I've recently read the Boy Scout gardening merit badge booklet and it was so outdated it was probably written back when I was a boy scout (and that was a LONG time ago) It still tells how to use various poisons such as nicotine for killing the bugs. I've always been hoping someday, someone in the scouting movement, after doing a SFG project, would say, "Let's rewrite the merit badge booklet for SFG."
SFG GIVES A VARIETY OF USES AND LOCATIONS
As you have already thought, there are so many uses and places for SFG. It is very easy to think about who could be helped - starting from the youngest and going up to the oldest then, listing all of the locations where you would find that age group and then deciding what type of a program would benefit them the most. Some, of course, would be educational, others would be recreational and some might even be self-sufficiency.
STUDY ALL THE WEBSITE
If you haven't already, please read the "Mel's Column" about Eagle Scout Projects and search through the website for all the different subjects that would pertain to your situation. I remember an article from a scout in Florida who built and placed Square Foot Gardens in a nursing home, built up high with long legs, just like you are thinking of doing. The legs have to be very strong and it takes a little bit of thinking to plan out and then construct the raised boxes so they will be stable.
GARDENS ON WHEELS
I'm not sure if the wheels will work in some of the situations. We have found that it is usually easier just to have two people pick up the box and move it to its new location. However, we do have one man who has built a 3'x 6' box on top of a hospital gurney and he wheels that around from floor to floor, even from room to room at a VA hospital in Salt Lake City.
OTHER SCOUTING INTERESTS
Ironically your letter came into our in box right after another letter from a scout leader and I'm going to include a copy of that with this letter, so you can show that to your leader indicating a wide interest in SFG within the scouting program. I would encourage you also to think about education and how this information will help those that you serve throughout their entire lives. It could have a major impact on them and I applaud you for you foresight and interests. Please keep in touch and let us know if there is anything we can do for you in the way of suggestions or advice or letters to your leaders.
BOX DRAINAGE
Now, on to your question about drainage. The answer is yes, the boxes need drainage and you will find in several of the FAQ's directions for drilling a 1/4" drainage hole in the bottom of each box, one per square foot and one extra one in each corner. This, of course, means that the boxes will drip and that sometimes causes a problem indoors with the maintenance staff. If so, then we merely tilt the box ever so slightly to one corner and put a container on the ground to catch those drips.
ALMOST ANY SIZE WILL WORK
Your choice of size is good - a 3'x 3' is easy to move and in some situations you can have a rectangular box like a 2'x4', depending on the location or the table it will go on. The main thing that should be adhered to is filling the box with the Mel's Mix formula and placing a very visible, prominent grid on every box. INDOORS/OUTDOORS Another thing to consider is the width of the doors if you want to take this box in and out. It is rather difficult to grow indoors in the winter time unless you have strong overhead lighting. We also find that most people's interest wane slightly in the colder weather and they would much rather work in their garden in the spring, summer and early fall. However, that's not to say you can't think of a project that would work in the fall and winter. Good luck with your project and we will be sending you anything else that pertains to scouting and gardening that comes in.
Yours truly, Mel B.
Dear Mel,
Thanks for your response, your information will really help. I'm still in need of a good picture of a SFG to show my scoutmaster, and give me a better idea. If you would happen to have a picture of a SFG made for wheel chairs (on legs) that would be wonderful.
NEED A SPECIAL TOUCH FOR MY PROJECT
Also I am trying to think of another aspect to add to my project besides the building of the SFG and the implementation of them. If you have any sort of educational idea or a good finishing touch to the project I would really appreciate it.
Thanks, Matt
IT'S ALL ON THE WEBSITE AND IN THE BOOK
Dear Matt, Thanks for your letter and here are a few ideas. First, to find a picture of a wheelchair garden go to the book under the chapter"Special Gardens" and also on the website in the photo album.
NEW IDEAS
In order to add that special touch to your project reread Mel's Column on Eagle Scout Projects. You might also consider that your project is not just for wheelchair patients. A table or desktop garden can be for anyone, including those that can no longer kneel down, but would like to garden standing up or even sitting down.
THINK OF THOSE WHO CAN'T GET AROUND
In addition, you might consider building and donating tabletop gardens to house-bound people. Like those that are served from Meals-on-Wheels. Hope that gives you several ideas and please let us know how you progress with your project.
I DID SFG IN LONG ISLAND
Q: Hello Mel. I enjoyed your TV shows in the '80's. I grew a HUGE garden on Long Island after your inspiration. I canned and froze vegetables and even sold a few zucchini to the local health food store.
FROM NEW YORK to NEVADA
But now I live in the Mojave desert, about an hour north of Las Vegas. Do you have any tips for desert gardening ? I have a drip system all over my property that I was thinking of using for vegetables to keep them well watered. I have very sandy soil, LOTS of hot sun, and high winds occasionally too. I think it is one of the harshest climates on the planet !!
Thank you, Katherine
HARSH GROWING CONDITIONS
A: Dear Katherine: It's quite a change from Long Island, isn't it ? Thank you for your nice compliments about the TV show and your previous experiences with SFG. There are several things that will help in desert gardening that will help counter those harsh conditions which include wind, low humidity, lack of rain, hot sun and cool nights. You mentioned using drip irrigation and several people have told me they've tried setting up their vegetable garden with such a system, but they found that it was difficult to place in a square foot garden. I guess the designers of such systems all had single-row gardens when it was first designed. It would probably work fairly well for the larger spacing like 1 or 4 per square foot. But would get a little more difficult for 9 or 16 per square foot.
HEAVY MULCH AND MEL'S MIX
First of all, if you are using Mel's Mix in beds above your existing ground, it doesn't matter if your existing soil is sandy or not.That is one of the big advantages of the new improvements to SFG.
FORGET ALL ABOUT TRYING TO IMPROVE YOUR EXISTING SOIL
If you are still trying to improve your existing soil, then I would suggest that you reread the "Latest Improvements to SFG" on our website, both the short and long version. Once your plants are up and growing, I would suggest you lay down a thick layer of mulch material like chopped up hay, leaves or dried grass clippings. You could use something like black plastic and then just cover it with those same materials so you don't have to look at the plastic in the garden.
RECYCLING MULCH MATERIAL
Since the mulch materials are all natural materials you can recycle them at the end of the year by following the 3 R's - in other words, save them to be reused next year, turn them into your existing soil for the winter, or add them to your compost pile.
WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY
The combination of these two will dry out your soil quicker than a hair dryer. The mulch will protect your soil surface from these two elements, but sometimes that's not enough, so you might consider putting up a wind screen . We have been using the floating cover type of cloth material sold at all garden centers. Place a strong stake, either wood, a steel fence post, or a steel electrical conduit in each corner of your 4x4's. Then, merely wrap the cloth material around the outside using the stakes for support. It is sort of like the wind screens that are used on tennis courts. This should keep the strong wind off of not only the mulch and soil surface, but helps the plants immensely. Remember we treat plants just like people and think how welcome it is to get out of the wind.
SUN SHADE
Many of the plants will grow through the whole summer if they have a little bit of protection from the hot noonday sun. So, take two 10-foot long, 1/2" or 3/4" PVC pipes and bend them from inside corner to corner forming two hoops over your 4'x4' box, tie them together at the top center, and then attach some sort of shade cloth. (Also available at any garden center.) You'll be able to adjust the shade and sun in that garden depending on the season and angle of sunlight.
COOL WEATHER PROTECTION
Once you build either type of frame described above you can then continue gardening well into the colder weather by changing the covers on these frames to something that will let in the sunlight, but keep out the cold. Clear plastic works well, but the box has to be vented well or the sun will cook everything inside. On really cold nights, you simply throw an old blanket over the framework to protect from an early frost.
ONLY WITH SFG
I'm sure you can see that all the above ideas can only be done if you have a Square Foot Garden. All the many advantages of SFG over single-row gardens keep coming back to one major point - a SFG takes only 20% of the space of an old-fashioned single-row inefficient garden. So, it is easy to protect, as well as take care of.
SFG WORKS WORLD WIDE
Hope that gives you some ideas on dealing with your climate and environment. These same ideas work anywhere in the world with any type of climate and are particularly adaptable to your desert gardening. Good luck with your garden, send us some pictures as most people have no idea how difficult it is to grow in your climate.
Yours truly, Mel B
I MISS YOUR TV SHOW
Q: Hi Mel, my name is Mike and I live in Portland, Oregon. Whatever happened to your television series ? I used to watch the show all the time. I miss it. Do you have any plans on bringing it back ?
THE TV SHOW WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE
A: Dear Mike: Thank you, for your letter and I always love to hear from a TV fan. It was a good time and an exciting period of my life. After all, how many engineers get to be on National Television every week with their own gardening show ? It was a lot of work but I look back on that time with very fond memories.
WHAT DIRECTION TO GO IN ?
Here is what I wrote to another fan, who asked when the TV show would be back on the air; but before you click here to read it, Mike, would you be willing to do the same thing and make a few phone calls and give me your thoughts on our making a CD or DVD of more classic videos ? Have you seen our set of three classic videos as described on our product page ?
LET ME HEAR FROM YOU OUT THERE
Thanks again for your great letter. I'll look forward to hearing from you. Good luck with your garden this year. Tell all your friends and neighbors about Square Foot Gardening and invite them to visit our website which is continually being updated with new ideas and information.
Best wishes, Mel B.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TEACHING NEXT SPRING
Q: Dear Mel, Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I'm getting excited about reading your book and using this system next year in my garden at home and here in the new community garden. I am a Community Support Worker for the First Nation here and am introducing gardening to the community. Naturally I want this to be a positive experience for everyone and am envisioning this to be the start of healthy living for many families.
DON'T WAIT 'TILL SPRING - START NOW
A: Dear Lynn, Thanks for the information and your book will be in the mail tomorrow. One thing I want to encourage you to do right now is to study the website, especially the latest improvements and start at least one SFG this fall. This will give you the practice of building the box, placing it, finding the ingredients and making the Mel's Mix, adding a grid, and planting seeds and transplants.
THE BOOK TELLS IT ALL
The book will tell you what to plant for a fall crop, but the main reason I want you to get started now is that it will answer many of your questions, and then you will have the whole winter to study the book. Come spring, you will be an experienced SFG gardener and ready to teach others.
OUR WEB SITE HAS HELP FOR TEACHING SFG
We are excited about your teaching at the community garden, and want to give you all of the help and encouragement you will need. Check out the teaching section on our "What's New" Page for lots of tips and teaching aids. Also you can download and print out our free Garden Tips on the "What is SFG" page for a free handout for all your students. Thanks again for your book order and good luck with your new project.
WINTER GARDENING UNDER LIGHTS
Q: Hi Mel, my name is Bernard and I live in Toronto, Canada. I have been following your square-foot method for over fifteen years, ever since a good friend gave me a copy of your book as a gift. I am very grateful, and I do my best to grow everything organically.
Now, my wife wants to set up lights in the basement for winter gardening. We plan to try easy things to start - lettuce, beets, etc. I have grown lettuce successfully indoors before.
KNOW ANY GOOD BOOKS ?
In your section on indoor gardening you suggest reading a good book on indoor vegetable culture. Our search for such a book always seems to end up with books and articles on hydroponics. Can you recommend a book or two that deal with the subject of growing vegetables in good organic soil mix indoors under lights? Thank you.
HAS ANYONE TRIED INDOOR WINTER GROWING ?
A: Hi Bernard, Thanks for your great letter, you have me stumped though, cause I have never tried indoors under lights, all winter, and I guess I would just play it by ear and do what seems best for the plants. I would start with the same Mel's mix and water the same as required. Keep the lights as close without getting too hot, etc.
START WITH EASY LOW LIGHT PLANTS
I guess that's why I said in the book to find a good book, but I never tried so I don't know any to tell you about. Wish I could but when you said you would start with simple things to grow, I knew you would do alright. Most people ask how can they grow tomatoes and peppers all winter, and also squash, which they like a lot. But you seem to know the low light veggies and will do all right. Don't forget chives and some other cool weather herbs -- just stay away from the hot summer-type vegetables, as well as those that take a long time to mature.
Chicken Wire Cat Cage
Q: By the way, I made a chicken wire frame (to keep my cat out of my garden)......it took forever...and I really got scratched up......but it really did the trick....plus it will keep the deer out too.
I didn't have a stable gun....so it was suggested to use those long plastic ties...that I got in the plumbing or electric dept. That is how I attached the wire on the sides on the wood frame. I needed more that 4 ft of wire to go across the 4x4 because I made it bubble up about 1 1/2 ft to give the plants room to grow. So I used garbage can ties to attach the top 4x4 wire and the 4x1 1/2 sides and ends together.
Next I am going to make a frame that is 3x4 and 2x4....for those squares that will need the added protection longer. Now I will try and plant some lettuce...because I know the deer won't be able to get at it...or the rabbits!!! Any tricks to keep from getting all scratched up from the wire?
Thanks, Becky
Chicken Wire Scratches
A: Dear Becky, thanks for your very descriptive letter, I can almost feel my arms receiving the same scratches. Those scratches of course come from wherever the chicken wire has been cut, and I sometimes find it easier to buy a whole 4 ft. wide roll of wire so the two sides have no sharp edges, just the cut ends. By the way I hope you bought the 1 inch opening wire rather than the 2 inch opening wire. Although the 2 in. is cheaper, it doesn't have the strength especially if you are protecting against deer. Of course a staple gun is much easier to use then the twistums, and you may want to beg, borrow, or rent a gun if you are going to make many more covers. Going back to the roll of wire, if it is 4 ft wide then you merely attach one end to one side of your 1 in. by 2 in. wood frame, go straight up as tall as you want, then straight over to the other side and down to the bottom. To bend the wire, it is easy to do it on the top of an old straight edge
table. To attach it to your 1 x 2 inch wood frame and to keep the sharp edges from being exposed you can temporarily staple, screw, or tie the end to your 1 x 2 frame and then cover that with another piece of either 1 x 2, or better yet use a piece of wood lath which can be screwed or nailed right on top sandwiching the wire between the two pieces of wood.
WONDERFUL WOOD LATH
I hope you can understand all of those directions, I wish I had a photo or drawing nd then we wouldn't have to use so many words. By the way the wood lath available at all lumber stores comes in 4 ft. lengths and is about 1 inch wide by 3/8 inch thick. It is wonderful material for the garden and they cost only about 20 or 30 cents a piece. They can be used for grids, stakes for holding up temporary protection like shade cloth, cut up for plant labels, or for covering that scratchy chicken wire.
ADDED PROTECTION
I am sure you wore a good heavy pair of gloves and a long sleeved shirt when working with the chicken wire, it even helps to put on an old jacket with thick sleeves.
SINGLE ROW MISERY
Hi Mel, my name is Rachelle and I live in Texas. I think your method is just so simple it is ingenious. I discovered it quite by accident while researching how to plant my first ever garden. Unfortunately, I didn't discover you or any details to your method until I'd driven myself to anxiety, fell in love with a 20 x 20' space of wild grass, ignored my significant others wisdom of "a helluva lot of work", put up a 5 ft perimeter fence, rented a tiller twice, spread herbicide, planned and re planned my planting layout, made my walk space a total of 6", washed the soil away from the roots of my cucumbers repeatedly, lost the majority of my pepper plants to thrips, still remain puzzled on how to plant any seed 1/8" deep, and 3 months later I'm still pulling up 2 feet tall Johnson grass, and didn't even plant everything I'd started out to. On the plus side ... I've got 4 tomato plants doing wonderfully, if not a bit wildly, okra that's making it's way up,
cucumbers doing well, 7 foot tall sunflowers forming heads, two batches of lemon and sweet basil, and more crookneck than I know what to do with.
CAN I MAKE MONEY WITH SFG ?
Q: Since money is an issue, and I've already got one person willing to buy my produce, what is the difference in the 3 published titles below, and is one all-inclusive of money making with details of the method?
* Square Foot Gardening, 1981
* CA$H from Square Foot Gardening, June 2000
* You Can Grow Money in Your Garden: The Square Foot Gardening Book, January 1990
SWITCH TO SFG
Dear Rachelle: Wow! You have been through quite the gardening experience already. Single row gardening will do that. Square Foot Gardening can eliminate most of the problems you have already experienced and much of the work.
The Square Foot Gardening Book gives explicit detail of how to garden using this method and tells you everything you need to know.
A: The CA$H from Square Foot Gardening book gives the basics of Square Foot Gardening and then goes into detail on all aspects of how to make money from your garden. Check out our catalog page for a full detailed description.
Both of these books, as well as the website, would be helpful to you if you want to grow a great garden and sell your produce.
STICK WITH CA$H
The third book you mentioned is no longer available so what I would suggest is to get the first book out of the library to review because the CASH From SFG is definitely the book for you. It tells you everything you need to get started with SFG but even better it tells you in detail how to start a small business using SFG, where to sell, how to charge, how much to plant and all the other details most books don't have. It also tells in detail how to plant for a continuous harvest for a continuous INCOME.
THAT WAS NO DEER
My name is Becky. I was planting in my square foot garden yesterday. I thought that the unusually holes dug in some of the squares were strange...but I had seen deer in the garden a few times last fall...and thought they had been having lunch...until I was planting away...and my cat goes over to one of the squares...and uses it as a litter box!!!
DO I HAVE TO START ALL OVER ?
Q: Now what do I do? How do I know which squares he has used over the year? Do I have to remove all the dirt and start over again? I would have to do it myself. Or has the rain and snow washed the dirt clean? What a mess, huh? How do I keep the cat out of the garden for good? Thank you. Becky from Minnesota. .
CAGE YOUR GARDEN
A: Dear Becky: Thank you for your letter. Cats do just love the wonderful Mel's Mix in our Square Foot Gardens, but there are some things you can do to prevent this problem.
The answer to your question is on the website (Mel's Column) in the article on cats and dogs. There is a drawing there that shows the type of cage that you can build. So it's a matter of building a little wooden frame using 1x2 lumber and it would fit right over your 4x4 box. You would then get 1" chicken wire, which usually comes in a 4 ft. wide roll and just build a square cage, bending the sides, tacking it to the wooden 1x2 frame on all four sides, if you can picture that. You want to make it about 12" tall or taller, depending on what you're planting there. Lift the whole thing off when you're ready to work and when you leave the garden you just put the cage back on top. As the plants get bigger and cover the soil, there shouldn't be a problem.
TAKE OUT THE LUMPS
And, no, you probably don't have to replace all the dirt. As you plant each square, do remove any "lumps" you come across left by the cat. The sun is a great sanitizer so that combined with the water that goes into the soil will take care of the problem and so your dirt should be just fine.
HERE'S THE CAT'S MEOW
You might want to have a long talk with your cat, you know how much they listen to reason, as it will be hard for him to understand why YOU are digging in his nice outdoor litter box.
Yours truly, Mel
P.S.: Of course you could build a SFG just for him.
..
TV SHOW
Hi Mel, my name is Mindy and I live in New Jersey I think your book is wonderful ! It's definitely the best book on gardening I've ever read - I just wish I'd found it years ago.
Q: Do you still have a show on TV ? If so, how can I find it ? Thanks. Mindy
HISTORY OF THE TV SHOW
A: Dear Mindy: Thank you, for your wonderful comments. They give me a warm glow. Here is what I wrote to another fan, who asked when the TV show would be back on the air:
WOW! You really are a TV fan. I thank you so much for all your comments. It really makes me feel good. It makes all those years of hard work feel very worthwhile. Here is the situation: The Foundation owns all of the tapes and all of the shows. We have 75 in stock. We've gone back occasionally to PBS and they said they don't want reruns - that it is beneath their dignity. They want only brand-new shows. We once made an approach to the Home and Garden Network, but they didn't seem interested in a how-to show. They wanted the latest thing, which is to redo a whole yard in an afternoon to surprise the owner when they come home from a movie, or something like that. You said you have the video series called "The Classics" and they, of course were taken from the TV shows, but you bring up a very interesting question and that is "why not put all 75 shows out in a similar format", or, as you've suggested, just have the shows available. With DVD today, that would seem a lot easier. They wouldn't be arranged by subjects as the classic series is, but, as you remember, the TV shows were a magazine format. In fact, we were the first how-to garden show to use the magazine format where each segment was different like the "tool of the week", the "plant of the week" and then the "main subject of the week", a "cooking segment" and "letters", etc.
BACK ON THE AIR ?
I have to say, that I, as the producer and host, was as excited and thrilled to do the show as you, the viewer, were as you've expressed in your letter. So, you've got me thinking again. One thing that might be worthwhile - people like you could write the networks asking for the Square Foot Gardening Show. When we put it on the Discovery Network and the Learning Channel, the shows were reformatted from the original PBS shows so that there would be room to fit commercials in. So, that's a possibility. Most of the TV networks don't want reruns, believe it or not. That is hard to understand because when you watch television today 80% is nothing but reruns on the cable network. I'd really like to explore this direction a little more with you. Would you give it some more thought and get back to me on what you, as a viewer, would like to see and how can we pass that on to the networks. Or, would there be enough market, do you think, with just past and future fans that would want to buy either videos or DVD's of the shows themselves? Or, lastly, should they be reformatted into expanding the classic series? What do you think?
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Mindy, would you be willing to do the same thing and make a few phone calls and give me your thoughts on our making a CD or DVD of more classic videos. Have you seen our classic video series as described on our product page?
Thanks again for your great letter. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
DOES THE PUBLIC KNOW ?
Q: Hi Mel, I recently learned about Square Foot Gardening. Now I'm so excited about it I'm telling everyone who shows any interest in gardening. It took me 20 telephone calls to find one nursery in Albuquerque that knew anything about it; they have your book.
WATER SHORTAGE
In Albuquerque, which is in the desert, water is precious so I try to catch rainwater for gardening purposes.
TEACH THE HOMELESS
The Square Foot Gardening method should be taught to all homeless shelters across the United States and the world. It can only help them. Thank you for sharing this system. Best wishes, Leon from Arizona
INDUSTRY SLOW TO ADOPT SFG - WHY ?
A: Dear Leon: What a great letter you sent. I'm glad you persisted with all those phone calls. Just think if you had tried to make all those trips in person. Despite our continued suggestion that people let their fingers do the walking, I still get letters from people saying, "I went from place to place to place and finally found it or still couldn't find it", but you did the smart thing. I'm not overly surprised that the nurseries aren't knowledgeable about Square Foot Gardening. Nurseries are part or the entire gardening industry and none of them are very pleased with SFG because the gardener needs to buy so few things and once most everything is bought they don't have to re-buy it year after year after year. If you contact the bookstores - they are the ones that sell the book - I think you will find a more receptive audience there as far as a knowledge of SFG and the book.
I've had a similar situation with county agricultural agents who teach single row gardening, although many of coming around to simpler, easier gardening. I used to wonder if we've sold a million books (the most any garden book has ever sold in the history of gardening), how come everyone in the garden industry isn't teaching and talking about SFG and I think it goes back to the reason I gave in the first paragraph. Beginners understand it immediately, but experts can't still accept it. Thank you for your persistence and effort. This will encourage many others to do the same thing.
DON'T PLANT AN EXTRA ROW - THAT'S STUPID
As for your last paragraph, I could not agree with you more. I have worked with many of the soup kitchen and homeless shelters in many parts of the country and it is the same old story - help someone out by giving them everything rather than by letting them do something themselves to become more self-sufficient. The garden writers of America today have a huge program encouraging all the gardeners to "plant an extra row." Can you imagine that? They are still teaching single row gardening and they want existing gardeners to plant extra and then give it to the food kitchens. I say, "Baloney. Let them teach the homeless and the recipients of the food kitchens to grow their own." All these places usually have plenty of space. They could build Square Foot Gardens in their parking lots and let all the people that need help learn how to grow their own. Let them learn how to become self-sufficient. Let them plant extra and sell to the public so they can start earning money and let them pull themselves up by the boot straps. Well, you've got me off on my soapbox, but I love your ideas.
WATER CONSERVATION
You're also very correct in the use of water. We are still wasting so much water in this country and sensible watering techniques used by Square Foot Gardening would certainly put a huge dent in that water deficit we are finding ourselves in. So, thank you very much for all your thoughts, ideas and letter and please stay in touch. I like your thinking and keep telling everyone about SFG.
Can I Start At The End?
Q: Hi Mel, I'm a beginner - can I plant roses and big perennial flowers? Can flowers that have that much growth be transplanted into a square foot system? Can I do the same with roses? This my first time using this system.
Learn The Basics First
A: Dear Houston 203: You didn't tell us your name and we are guessing you must be from Texas. The answer to your question is "Yes" to all the above, but first learn the system and gain some experience becoming a Square Foot Gardener. Have you read the book yet? Have you seen the videos yet? Have you studied, in detail, the web site? Do you fully understand the system?
TRY THE SIMPLE THINGS FIRST
Next, build a few boxes, make your Mel's Mix, put a grid on it and start planting some of the simple, easy things to grow. Make sure you follow the system by planting each square with something different. THEN, WHEN YOU BECOME EXPERIENCED and gain confidence in the system, think about doing some of the more difficult things like dividing and transplanting perennial flowers into your Square Foot Garden. We have done roses, but only the miniature varieties and they flourished very nicely. You could do large size roses although they would require more than one square foot per rose. Depending on their size, they might require a 2'x2' area for each rose bush. "m In summary, study and learn the system first and practice with the easy, simple crops and then go onto the more difficult.
Mel B.
Look At All The People Doing SFG
Q: Dear Mel, Page for page and word for word. It is the first self-help type book that I've ever read past Page 10. Here at our VA Hospital we now have four visually impaired people using SFG, our Recreational Therapists are teaching it but calling it tabletop gardening. I gave the free download to a patient in an electric wheelchair and will follow up with him in a few weeks. Leon from Arizona
It's Amazing How Many People SFG Can Benefit
A: Dear Leon: Thanks for the nice quote and also the update on your advancement and uses of SFG. I don't mind them calling it tabletop gardening, but maybe we can slip in the initials "SFG" before "tabletop gardening". The main thing is, are they using a grid and separating the individual square feet and planting according to our spacing? Then it all makes sense and we are most happy just to have people gardening.
How can we get more VA hospitals to use SFG ? Keep up the good work and keep me informed as to your progress.
Realtors Take Note
Q: Hi Mel, My name is Michelle, and I live in Bryan, Texas, but I used to live in El Cajon, California. I noticed you had my review of your book that I posted on Amazon now posted on your web site. Cool !
GARDEN SELLS THE HOUSE
Anyway, sold the house and moved when the small company I worked for was bought and destroyed by a larger company. I thought you would find it interesting that the lady who bought my house told me, "I love your garden! I want you to know that I bought the house for your garden!"
SFG PAYS OFF
Considering the price of real estate in Southern California, that's one awfully expensive little veggie patch! I'm moving out of my apartment and into a house in Somerville, Texas next week. Yes, of course it will have a square foot garden !
Michelle
Proves the Value of SFG
A: That's a great story, Michelle. I think we will have to quote you for a second time on our web site. In my lectures I like to tell the story of typical single row gardens where someone works year after year trying to improve the existing soil and it takes an average of about seven years and then guess what happens - THEY MOVE.
A SFG CHANGES EVERYTHING
And, of course, the person that buys the house doesn't want a garden and they consider paving over that area so they can put the trailer or the boat there. Your story is just the opposite and certainly proves the value of a Square Foot Garden. Thanks so much for sharing that with us and good luck in your new home.
Best wishes, Mel
Please Send Wholesale Price List
Q: Hi Mel, Would you please remind me of the wholesale prices of books and quantity needed to get that price.
Thanks, Kathy
P.S.: "To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down" - Theodore Roosevelt
Bargain Basement Prices For All - Volume Discount
A: Dear Kathy: On retail orders we give a consumer discount for volume: From 5-9 of each item, 10% off; 10-19 of each item, 15% off; and over 20 of each item, 20% off. Although our discount schedule states those discounts for each item, we would be willing to grant the discount on a combined order. In other words, if you got a total of 20 of four different items, we would still grant you the 20% off.
STORE DISCOUNT
For qualified wholesale orders to a qualified retail outlet, where there would be repeat orders throughout the year, we give a 40%, 45% and 50% discount on those same numbers. To qualify for the wholesale discount, you need a retail or mail order outlet with a sales tax certificate and a business license for that name and location. So let us know which of those prices you qualify for and we look forward to processing an order from you.
PS Love your quote by Teddy Roosevelt. It sounds to me like he was talking about Square Foot Gardening, don't you think?
Slides for Teaching Master Gardeners
Q: Hi Mel, my name is Jeff from Orem, Utah. I've been doing Square Foot Gardening for years, teaching neighbors and kids about your methods. I am a Master Gardener with the Utah County USU Extension Service. I've been putting together a slide show of Square Foot Gardening. I needed pictures from Thanksgiving Point, but last week, I looked and the whole Square Foot Gardening center is gone. In fact, all of the experimental garden displays have been replaced with commercial endeavors. I'm really disappointed in Thanksgiving Point. It used to be such a beautiful idea. What happened?
Jeff
We have Extra Slides for Everyone Teaching
A: Dear Jeff: Sorry you were disappointed when you made that trip to Thanksgiving Point. We were equally as disappointed in leaving. What happened was about two years ago they completely changed their management and after firing the garden manager of the other experimental gardens, they decided to build a huge entertainment barn there that has dinners and plays and takes in a lot of money.
LEAVING THANKSGIVING POINT
Apparently our free display garden wasn't bringing in much income for them, although they sold a ton of our books and garden kits in their gift shop and they packed in the audience for all our lectures every spring. But, be that as it may that's all water over the dam. After much discussion, they were going to give us a small area somewhere in the other gardens and I finally decided enough was enough and so we left and I went on sabbatical.
GARDENS OF EDEN
When I returned to Utah, I found this wonderful place up in the mountains called "Eden" and we are going to build a new display garden here this summer, so I hope you'll take the opportunity to come up and visit us. Perhaps you can even bring your family up for a week's vacation and help out in the garden. We would love to have your expertise here as we design and build our display gardens.
SLIDE SHOW
As for the slide show, I have some extra slides that I would be very happy to send you if you'll give me your snail mail address. These won't necessarily all be at Thanksgiving Point, but they will be Square Foot Gardens through the last 20 years. In fact, we are just putting together all my old slides and trying to decide what to do with them and how to make the best use of them. Someone suggested that we pick out a nice arrangement and put them on a CD to sell on our website, thinking many people would like to see a lot more pictures of Square Foot Gardening through the last 30 years. We could even show slides of the various worldwide projects that we've been involved in, as well as gardens all over the country. What do you think of the idea?
MASTER GARDENER TRAINING IN SFG
In exchange for the slides, I would like to ask you a favor. Since you have been trained as a Master Gardener, did you receive any hours or training in SFG and where did you take your Master Gardener training? While we were at Thanksgiving Point we used to teach a Master Gardener Class every year and we have an outline of materials that could be passed on so that other Master Gardener Courses could use them. We are always looking for someone that is trained and proficient in Square Foot Gardening that could offer this service to the Master Gardener program. Would you be willing to make a few inquiries around to other county offices just to see if SFG is being taught these days in the Master Gardener Course and then let me know that information and see if perhaps some of what we have might be passed on? Or, if you could coordinate some sort of training to make sure that SFG is being taught all over the state. How would you like a part-time job teaching and coordinating?
Thanks for your letter and we hope that we can see you this summer at our new garden site up here in Eden. Looking forward to hearing from you. Hope that answers your question. Good luck with your garden this year. Tell all your friends and neighbors about Square Foot Gardening and invite them to visit our website.
Doing Tours and Planting Fruits and Nuts
Q: Hi Mel, my name is Jeremiah and I live in Washington State. I think your book and method are simply the best! I would like to know if you ever go do tours to see people's garden's after they have used your method. Also, how do I grow fruit and nut trees with square foot gardening?
Jeremiah
Done All That - No More
A: Dear Jeremiah, Thanks for your letter and yes, we used to do tours to see people's gardens when I had the TV show. We traveled all over the country and we visited many individual gardens filming shows on the spot. We also collected photographs of different people's gardens, spoke to them live by phone on the air and instead of actually being at their garden, we interviewed them on the phone while we showed the photographs on the TV show. That way we could show many different pictures of different stages of growth of their garden while we discussed it with them over the phone.
Since the TV show is not on the air right now, we are not doing that and we are concentrating on our website and supplying all the new information and new ideas of Square Foot Gardening to everyone out there so they may use it both in their garden and to also spread the word around their neighborhood and perhaps even consider doing some humanitarian projects - either at home or abroad.
So, start taking some pictures and send them in. Instead of a TV phone interview, we will soon be posting pictures on our website and I hope your garden is included.
As far as fruit and nut trees, we usually keep them away from a Square Foot Garden. I have incorporated dwarf fruit trees in an SFG layout, but I prefer to keep all kinds of trees, bushes and shrubs, including things like blackberries, blueberries, etc. away from the Square Foot Garden.
Hope that answers your questions. Good luck with your garden this year. Tell all your friends and neighbors about Square Foot Gardening and invite them to visit our website.
Plants for Small S. F. Gardens in Bermuda
Q: Hi Mel, My name is Yvonne, and I live on the island of Bermuda. I was really intrigue with your website. My question is what kind of plants could I use in a small garden? I love to see greenery with splashes of color, with really no trouble. It is very sunny here and my garden will get a lot of sun light for about 6 hours. Can you help?
Thanks, Yvonne
SFG in Bermuda
A: Dear Yvonne: You live in an absolutely perfect place for gardening. I have been to Bermuda many times and have started several projects there. Im happy to tell you that SFG works just great there because of the lack of good growing soil over most of the island. As I drove around Bermuda, I noticed very few areas suitable for farming and they were mostly in the low areas where the good soil accumulated. But, since Square Foot Gardening means raised beds above the existing coral rock, it is very easy to start an SFG.
As for which plants grow best there, I cant think of any that dont grow well in Bermuda. My suggestion is to go downtown to that wonderful nursery right at the head of the harbor and the intersection of the main roads and see what they have for sale. They also have all the ingredients you need for making Mels Mix. While you are there, look up the owner and say hello for me.
We started a garden project at several of the schools, including the public as well as the private Montessori schools. Im sure they still have those projects going.
Thank you for your letter. Good luck with your garden this year. Tell all your friends and neighbors about Square Foot Gardening and invite them to visit our website.
Starting a Venezuelan SFG
Q: I just finished reading your first book and I am in love with gardening! I have always liked it but it always seemed too overwhelming. Now with your method I can't wait to start. I am also a Kindergarten teacher and I tried starting up a garden these last two years. Our first garden was a flop (we did row gardening), it filled up with weeds and the kids got absolutely bored. I was pregnant so bending down was a huge chore so we all lost interest. This year's garden was much better although I live in an extremely HOT HOT HOT climate (eastern Venezuela). We planted pumpkin seeds (they just flowered but nothing else and the leaves are dying and lots of ants attack the plant), radishes (we harvested those and they were a hit because they were fast), marigolds, Kentucky pole beans that never climbed the teepee poles we set up) and of course tomatoes. They keep flowering but that's where it ends. The end of the school year is coming up so I will try this project again next year but this time using your method. I will also make a garden for my family.
I will be going to Canada this summer and I want to buy seeds. What do you suggest I can grow here in such a hot climate? The average weather is 100 F (all year round!); it is either rainy season (coming up) or dry season. We have no winter, fall, spring. If I get those cages and use sun protectors can I grow lettuce? Which variety do you suggest? What else can I grow??? Also I don't know where to find vermiculite, peat moss. . . what do you suggest???
The amount of watering you suggest in your book, do I increase this since it is so dry and hot? On a funny note, my biggest enemy here for the leaf plants are the iguanas! They love pumpkin/melon plants. Anyway, I hope to hear from you soon and will keep you posted on how things are here in Anaco, Venezuela!
SFG in Venezuela
A: Dear Alejandra: Thank you for your letter and I have to chuckle over your past endeavors because it is typical of trying to start a garden in a very challenging area. Challenging either because of the soil or the weather conditions. The beauty of Square Foot Gardening is you eliminate all the challenges of poor soil and you can compensate a great deal for difficult weather conditions. If you try to grow in the rainy season, you end up with just a water-logged garden unless you can protect it from the heavy rains and that is possible with Square Foot Gardening. If youve read the " Mels Column " on India, youll see that they now garden straight through the monsoon rain season for six months when they used to sit in their huts being miserable from the constant rain. But, now with hoops over their square foot beds and plastic covers, they get enough light, but dont get saturated with all the water. You might try the same thing but on a much smaller scale, of course.
