Square Foot Gardening

I started a garden, again, in the backyard. Every year we try, and every year we fail. Hey, it's Colorado, things just don't grow here. But now I supposedly found a fool proof, fail proof gardening method. This is my last ditch effort. It all makes sense, especially for our poor Colorado soil quality. The premise of "Square Foot Gardening" is that you don't use ANY of your own soil, and that you don't waste any space.

First Speedbump built me some nice boxes, four feet by four feet, six inches deep. I filled them with a soil mixture: 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 compost and 1/3 peat moss.

Then I marked off every 12 inches (it didn't really work out that way, see I screwed up already, I am arithmatically challenged) with string and made a grid.

Then I used pvc pipe to make a structure to hold up clear plastic, since it regularly snows in spring.

Then I started planting, but only cold weather crops. I planted lettuce, you can get four per square, broccoli, one per square, and spinach, nine per square. I also put in some pansies at four per square just because they are cute.

Next I'll be planting turnips, sugar snap peas, carrots and beets from seed directly into the garden. Around May 15th I'll be planting tomatoes, cilantro, and peppers.