Small Space Gardening

Lesson 4: Applying the Square Foot Gardening Principles in to Other Garden Styles

Specialty Gardens

Indoor Gardening. Do you enjoy gardening indoors during the winter? It is possible to use a garden table similar to that described in the last section in your basement. Simply hang two 2-tube 48” shop lights over the bench to provide adequate light for growing some garden greens indoors. Of course, you could also grow houseplants. I have this type of garden available in my basement. It was built by recycling an old sandbox. We raised the bed using a child’s height workbench for one end and a sawhorse on the other end. Because the garden is in my cement-floor basement, I am able to use a hose to water and just let excess water run down the nearby floor drain.

If you should want this garden in your living quarters, be sure to provide waterproof flooring or install a plastic container with a drain that sits inside your wooden garden bench. Otherwise, watering will be difficult.

Alpine/Rock Gardening. Alpine plants often require specialized soil mixtures for maximum growth. Using cement blocks or small raised beds divided into square foot sections, makes it easy to provide the necessary soil. I was ready to give up rock gardening until I learned about this method. I can honestly say that square foot garden techniques keep me gardening because it is so easy to weed and take care of a single 1-foot square garden plot even when I am having bad days due to physical problems. Gardening itself then is allowed to have its positive effect on my mental attitude. Seeing my tiny plants in full bloom is my reward for being able to keep these gardens weed free since alpine plants don’t compete well with our common garden weeds.

If you have considered rock gardening but felt it would be too difficult, try creating tiny landscapes in 1-foot square hypertufa troughs or cement blocks. Use small, hand-size rocks for your “mountains” and select plants that only grow 3 or 4 inches tall, You’ll be amazed at how satisfying this can be.

Deck or Patio Gardening. A portable square foot garden can be built on your patio or deck. You could use it for a “kitchen garden”, “herb garden”, or even to showcase your succulent collection for the summer. I do see one limitation if your deck is treated wood: you may need to provide some sort of bottom to your garden so the plants have no direct contact with the treated wood. Of course, this is a serious concern only if you grow edible plants.

Vacation Gardens. Do you have a cottage where you spend the summer weekends? You could install a square foot garden next to your cottage door. Provide some type of screen covering over the entire garden to protect it from animals during the week. If you choose your crops carefully, you will only need to water on the weekends and can have the benefit of fresh from the garden vegetables at your weekend home.

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