Growing Gardens...

This year I have been gettin' dirty in the garden. Not only have I been busy learning how to grow my own vegetable garden, I have been interning for Growing Gardens!!! a local non-profit that works to create sustainable organic gardens in peoples' backyards and in public school spaces. In my internship, I have been working with Faubion Elementary School in the Northeast part of town, co-teaching the Garden Club. What a blast it is gardening & learning with kids. I also help Growing Garden's Youth Grow department make youth activities and reference materials.

So recently, I developed a fun interactive activity to play with kids that discusses the square foot method of gardening. (The pictures above are the sample vegetables that I made for the activity!)
Square foot gardening is basically dividing a garden bed into square feet, like the 3x3' sheet of fabric I sectioned off above (it is one of the pieces of the activity too!). Then planting a specific veggie/plant in that square foot. The square foot gardening method helps a new gardener think about spacing. For example, you would only plant 1 tomato plant in one square foot or you could plant 9 beets in one square foot.

In my garden, this method is helping me think about rotational gardening, as it allows me to clear and replant a block without disturbing other areas of my garden. This is my very first year of square foot gardening, and so far, I am having lots of fun!! Already I have planted carrots, beets, radishes, collards, swiss chard... ooOOOo my mouth is watering.