Square Foot Gardening is easy, affordable and fun for kids too!

Using the square foot gardening method in a raised bed garden, everyone can be a gardener!

It's true - even if you live in an inner city apartment building on the top floor! Mel Bartholomew's "Square Foot Gardening" book gives you a detailed, step-by-step method for creating your own raised bed gardens that will produce an abundance of fresh vegetables in your own back yard. The best part is that it will require very little effort on your part, once you get your raised bed garden planted.

Growing your own food is more popular than ever, and even if you have limited space available for a garden, you can create an area large enough to grow a few of your favorite vegetables and herbs. A raised garden bed can also be the perfect solution for first-time, or experienced gardeners who have physical or mobility limitations.

Plants need air and well drained soil in order to thrive; raised beds provide both. The soil does not compact as easily in the elevated bed, and as a result, is easier to aerate.

Raised beds can be filled with rich garden soil, so it doesn't matter what the make-up of your natural soil is, and you can modify the level of acidity to fit the needs of your produce. You can choose the location of your raised garden, whether you're looking for a shaded or full sun garden area.

According to EarthEasy.com, raised beds can also extend the growing season, as the soil warms earlier in the spring. You can also build a cloche over the bed to keep moisture and heat in, and pests out. Harvest produced from raised beds is typically 1.4-2 times greater than a traditional garden, due to optimum growing conditions.

Building a square foot garden

If you're looking for an easy way to grow fresh vegetables in your backyard, but don't want to mess with tilling and digging and weeding, square foot gardening is the answer!

You can either build your own frames for the raised bed garden, or you can purchase a raised bed garden kit.

You will be amazed at how much produce can be grown in a single 4'x4' squared foot garden.  One single bed produces 4 heads of broccoli, 8 heads of cabbage, 1 eggplant, 4 pepper plants, and 12 onions. Since the vegetables are harvested at different times during the summer, the small space is used to its maximum potential. 

Garden can be handicap accessible

There are raised bed garden options for individuals who have physical disabilities also. Even if bending and kneeling has become too painful or impossible to do, you can still enjoy the benefits of growing your own vegetables and flowers. There are a variety of beds that come in all sizes and heights, for those individual who are more comfortable sitting or standing while performing gardening tasks.