I have a green thumb (well, at least when it comes to outdoor
gardening, I can kill a houseplant faster than anyone I know). But this
year, I have been limited by the inability to dig into the ground.
Military housing will let us grow flowers, but not food. I know I want
to grow food for ourselves. Gardening is a wonderful activity to share
with my dirt-lovin' kids. It is an important tool to teach. You know,
the whole "Show them to fish" scenario. I started thinking about how I
could build a garden, from the bottom up, without digging. It was on one
trip to our local home improvement store that it hit me--wooden palates
would be perfect!
Our local store has palates in the back. I asked
an associate, and she said that they recycle them BUT if I ever saw some
back there, that I was welcome to help myself. So, I stalked the store.
Not really...the next time we went, there was a huge stack. So, we
grabbed two. I also bought one roll of landscape fabric. I had a staple
gun already, so I didn't need anything else but soil. I got 4 bags of
Miracle Grow garden soil, and I got some plants. I am in the deep south
(military life--enables me to learn how the weather systems work in all
parts of our great nation), so I was able to get all kinds of plants in
early March. I started with some tomato, broccoli, peas, and swiss
chard. I got seeds for lettuces, herbs, and green beans. And I got some
marigold plants, because they are helpful to keep ants away &
attract butterflies instead. We loaded up the minivan & headed home.
Once home, I took the palate and flipped it over. I unrolled the
fabric (with the help of my 2 year old assistant) and measured enough to
cover the bottom & wrap up each of the 2 end sides. I stapled it in
5 or 6 places on each end, until I felt it was secure. Then, I took it
outside. I found a spot that got sunlight most of the day, but you need
to place it specifically for the plants you choose (partial sun, full
sun, etc). I emptied a bag of soil (1 cubic ft.) into the palate &
spread it evenly. Then, I unpacked the plants and placed them where I
wanted them to live (making sure to pay attention to how much space the
plants needed) & then dug them into place. Some needed a little
extra dirt to pack them in tight, so I opened bag #2 & filled in as
necessary. I also did a quick web search to find beneficial companion
plants for my selected veggies, and placed them together in the layout. A
quick watering from the hose, and it was done.
From start to
finish,each palate garden cost around $5 plus the cost of plants. I have
created 3 so far, with a couple of palates waiting in the wings if I
can convince my husband to lose a little more yard space. Gardening is
good for my soul & that is a feeling I want to pass on to my kids,
no matter the capacity.
