Square Foot Gardening

Macy and I went to a Northwood's gardening seminar several months ago and one of the speakers was the CEO of Square Foot Gardening, a not for profit group.  Founded by Mel Bartholomew, and still the guru, it is a different approach to gardening.  30 years ago he got interested in gardening and evolved the Square Foot Gardening approach.  He had a show on PBS, then both the Discovery  and Learning Channels.  Basic principals are small plots that can be easily tended, idealy 4x4 foot, but any size works.  No rows, but 1 foot grids for planting.  So tomatoes and peppers are one per grid, lettuce 4 per grid, radishes 16 per grid...you get the drift.  Other basic rule is Mel's mix...one third peat moss, one third vermiculite, and one third blended compost.  When you rotate a crop add a trowel of compost.

We're giving it a go.  Our challenge is a short growing season, soil that is 1/2 sand, 1/4 rock, and 1/4 roots, and we're in the woods...shade!  We do have abundant water though.

We'll keep you posted.

Here's Mel's book, second addition.  Over 30 years he's evolved the approach.  Basic principal for now...you can grow anything in 6 inches of the right soil

According to Mel if you don't have the grid it ain't square foot gardening...we're all in.

Staining the beds to match the house....seems like a good idea.

Working on Mel's mix.  Blended compost in Mel's definition is at least 9 different composts.  Sorry Mel, we'll have to settle for 3 or 4.  The problem with a cult is it's so confining.

We'll place the beds somewhere in this area, grass is just coming in...no doubt the best places for the beds will be where the grass comes in best.

Visit to Washington

We spent 4 days in Washington visiting Renee, Scott, Caya, and Cooper.  The weather was cooperative and a good time was had by all.

Doug had told us about the Newseum.  It's a great museum.  This is a shot from the museum balcony looking down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Macy made a quilt for Lucas.

Weather was great, we were able to enjoy the outdoors.

Scott got the garden started, just one lonely lemon though

We went to the Bull Run battle field for our Civil War fix

The dogs got to solve a puzzle, here Scott is setting it up.

Under the cups are dog treats, they have to move them into the right slots to get the treat.  It didn't take long.

As usual, we ate well

Sunday before we left it did rain, so we played a board game.  Renee had the German version of this game so there was a clear home court advantage.



It was tough to leave







Landscaper Is Done

The landscaper is done working their magic, and we are very pleased.  Now we need to get the grass growing and start phase 2...which is us taking it all a step further.  Such things as bird feeder sites, plantings, the asparagus patch, martini glass resting spots, raised beds, paths, and some open space for the rain gauge.  Here's some preliminary shots.

Landscaping Progress

Our landscaping work is already over half done.  Really pleased with the work so far, it really changes the whole appearance of the house.  While the landscape team uses several tractors and other mechanical devices, it still comes down to "grunt" work, shoveling, wheelbarrows, and moving very large rocks.  Several rocks have gotten away and rolled down the hill; permanent, new barriers for croquet.  Here's some progress shots...more to follow.

Hambone

All I asked for was a smile.  Beckett and a hard boiled Easter egg.

Landscaping "Before"

When we moved in late last October it was too late to begin the landscaping we needed to do.  With our sandy soil and all the rain we had last summer and fall, we had a lot of erosion and badly in need of retaining walls.  The load limits placed on the secondary roads here during the spring thaw have been lifted, 6 weeks earlier than last year, and our landscape project is scheduled to begin tomorrow.  Here's the "before" shots.  We'll keep you posted.

Friday they delivered the raw materials.



Lakes Are Open!

The lakes up here on average lose their ice around April 20.  Several years ago they opened up the first week in April, the earliest we could recall.  This year they opened up this past week.  Last Saturday there were still ice fisherman on the lake; by Thursday the lakes were ice free.

Once the lake opened up the ducks were everywhere, Common and Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, and Mallards.  We were tempted to put the outboard on the fishing boat and take a cruise but then we remembered it was March...really don't want to have to chip ice out of the inside of a boat.