Creative Square Foot Garden

Everyone is trying to find ways to save money. Our family is no exception. We need to save not because we borrowed more money than we can afford to repay, but because most of the things we purchase have increased in price. Gas, clothes, insurance, and food are all costing much more. I have been looking for little ways to save money.

I have been planing to change half of my vegetable garden from traditional rows to square foot gardening. A square foot garden uses raised beds to grow vegetables. This uses less water, is easier to weed, and is more productive than traditional rows. I have been preaching this type of gardening for a couple of years without actually doing it myself. Sister#2 put in a square foot garden last spring and I am embarrassed to say she out produced me in a 4 x 8 foot plot. I have a 15 x 30 foot garden. Oh the shame. Anyway, I decided to start the square foot garden this fall.

I have been looking for free wood or rock or something to create my raised beds. This search has gone on for about two weeks. Yesterday, I looked up and saw our wood pile. Hmmm....those might make a fine border. So I lined them up, put news paper in the bottom and filled them up with compost and soil.

TaDa

Ignore the weeds. I will get to them later.

Now that is not a very good picture, but can you see the foot prints. Might be a wolf or a coyote.

Nope, here is the culprit. Last night the neighbor called to let us know Abby was roaming the streets. She must have taken a stroll through the garden before she went on her walk. Notice the nice big bone on the ground in front of her. That thing really hurts when she drops it on your feet.

My Earliest Post Ever

I am up at midnight and will be up until 3:00 am. We have rain water half way up the front yard and it is at J's granny's front door. Somebody needs to come over here and build an arc or at least bring a row boat that can hold one chunky woman, three boys, two cats, two rabbits, and a german shepherd. Maybe we could go to Canada or Oklahoma? Meme is on high ground, but I am afraid that chrishanda might have a problem with that.

Winter Pictures Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Abby, Internet Police Dog, getting ready to bully the neighbors Boxer.

Baby tomatoes off the dryer and in the sewing window. Move them to the green house in 5 to 10 days.

I know, I know there are a million pictures of daffodils on garden blogs right now, but what else is this pretty right now. This is the best I can do for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Still have plenty of cabbage

Abby Internet Police Dog

I wasn't going to post, I really wasn't. I am a night person. I generally get the monkeys to bed and play on the internet until at least 11:30 or maybe 1:00 am. I may have some wine or beer until I get sleepy. Well I am trying to change my evil ways and go to bed early say 10:30, after the news. I will not waste any more of my time watching entertainment news shows. How many famous people trashing their lives can I watch after all?

So I make a cup of herbal tea and get ready to wind this party down (not much of a party without beer). Hopefully, I will get up early like a good little gardener. I get myself into my pj's and look for Abby. Oops, I left her outside. Part of my stay up late ritual is bringing in the dog for her dinner, then search for gardening blogs until it is late late late.

Tonight was the night I changed and she was having none of it. I tried to feed her and just leave the bedroom door open so she could come in at her leisure. Nope, she paced up and down the hall. So I got up. She ran into my office and spun in circle beating me with her baseball bat sized tail until I sat down on my ball (yes, I sit on a stability ball). Then she got up about every thirty seconds to poke me with her nose to make sure I was going to stay on the ball and do my job (play on the computer). Her job, apparently, is to make sure I do this every night. Now she is happy and laying down in the living room, her usual habit.

This is a German Shepherd and she is taking her job way too seriously. I can't have her in the house and walk from room to room without her trying to walk in front of me to make sure something does not get me. This causes tripping (still not graceful) and hollering "ABBY LAY DOWN," or "ABBY KENNEL." She also drops a huge chew bone on my feet about three times a week. It hurts. I am safer with this dog than ever before, except for the bruises.