Salad in a Barrel

I'm prolonging summer by enjoying spinach from our backyard during this fall season. Dreaming of fresh spinach for our salads and sandwiches this fall, I planted the seeds in a plastic barrel back in August or September.  They didn't pop their little green heads up until a couple of weeks ago though.  So, being the impatient gardener that I am, I had already moved on to Plan B.

I bought this book at Lowes and poured over it, cover-to-cover.  Being re-inspired, I enlisted the help of my guys and built my own Square Foot garden. 

Here's our step-by-step process:

Step 1:  Build frame and clear square of ground from grass and weeds.






Picture of Step 2 should be here but Blogger is being cantankerous and won't let me load that picture. So, just pretend you see a picture of the grass-cleared square covered first with newspapers and then plastic ground cover. Place frame on plastic.

Step 3: Fill with mixture of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost. (Clear instructions are in the book.)

Step 4: Mark off the squares and plant the seeds. I planted spinach, carrots, and radishes.




Step 5: Water when needed and try to be patient while your garden grows. 




I have lots of ideas swimming through my head about how I can have my whole summer garden in little 4' x 4' plots right at my back door next year.  If you're interested in starting your own Square Foot garden you might want to check out this showcase of gardens for inspiration.

Okay, I've got to get out of the garden now and back to my sewing machine.  I'm feeling creative today!

This post is linked to:  Show and Tell Friday

                                  Frugal Friday

                                  Made by You Monday

                                  Outdoor Wednesday

                                  Whatever You Want Wednesday