So many choices, and so Little Time--more gardening options

   Welcome back, dear readers!

image courtesy

   I am glad to see so many returning each day for this long and lazy series on gardening basics. I hope that for those of you who are joining us for the first time, you have checked out the beginning of our series on All About the Dirt and the first 3 types of gardening, because one is crucial to you understanding the rest of the series, and the second is important for learning about the option you have to work with.

   And you wouldn't want to limit your choices now, would you?

   We covered three basic gardening options yesterday, and today we are going to cover the final three that I find relevant to this series, in that they are the most talked about and considered options in the myriad that exist in gardening world. Everyone has their own preference, but I am going about this series as if you perhaps are just starting out, or looking for an easier way to garden.

   Today  the first option we are going to cover is "Lasagna or No-Till" gardening. As I said before in my first post, we chose to do a combination of this type of gardening and Square foot gardening in our raised beds because we did not want to have a lot of tilling, and turning, and removing soil or putting soil back in every year. Here is a fantastic video on YouTube about no-till gardening:

I love michigansnowpony's videos--she is really helpful for any level! Check out her other stuff!

   Do you see how easy this type of gardening can be? I heard about this years ago but did not fully understand it until I saw this video and began to grasp the concept. The only thing I plan on adding to my beds that I have not previously done yet is earthworms. I have found quite a few that have joined the party from the "wild", but want to make sure I have those heavy hitters well spread out throughout my beds so I know both the soil and the plants will benefit from them. More on that later on in the series.

   Now let's talk about Keyhole gardening, which is a relatively new concept, but absolutely fascinates me because I can completely understand how it works. We have plans for our keyhole garden drawn up for the front yard, but will most likely be putting it off until next Spring after we can get the two dying trees in front of the house taken down with a friend's help later this summer. Or, if there is enough time with the other gardens in full production, we will put it up late this fall. Here is the amazing idea, and I have included another link below for those of you who want to know more.

   I think one of the best things about this is it doesn't require a lot of space AND you can use whatever you have on hand to create it. We pass by large rock piles every day on the edge of the fields, and know we could have enough rocks to create one of these just by asking...and just the simplicity of it is so appealing to me. Cant you see one of these overflowing with herbs, and strawberries? Think of the amount you can grow in a small space, and all you have to do to feed it is throw compostable stuff in the middle, then water it. Seriously, sounds like my kind of gardening. The lazy kind. :)

   Finally, our last one for today is a type of raised bed gardening called "Mound Gardening". It is simple, it is effective, and there are actually quite a few working organic farms that are using this method. Here is the video that describes the process.

   This is like a combination of a lot of other types of gardening we have covered. Can you see how this ancient form of gardening has spawned off some of the others over time?
   One of the beauties of raised beds, whether built from wood, or just heaped up from earth, is that they drain more quickly, they warm up more quickly, and require less weeding. I am hardening off all of my little plants to put them into the ground almost a full month ahead of time, all because the soil in my raised beds is warm and inviting, ready to help them sink their roots down and start producing goodies for my family in a couple months. I can hardly wait for that first cherry tomato to ripen so I can pop it in my mouth, or the first batch of lovely basil for pesto. Mmmmmmmmm.

    So of all of these types we have covered, which one interests you the most? Which one are you planning on trying? In most areas of the US it is time to plant and get those seeds into the ground, or will be in the next couple of weeks. I would really like to hear from you, and please, if you have any questions, let me know, and I will do my best to answer you. Tomorrow we are going to cover what the ten easiest plants are to grow, as well as a part of the time being devoted to those of you who want to container garden, but arent sure where to start. I hope you will come back and join us! :)

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather