This, our largest garden, has a total of 9 square foot sections, and can produce a surprising quantity of veg in a season

With a square foot garden, you can manage a small area for maximum productivity. The square foot garden is a raised bed that is divided into areas of one square foot. You plant a single type of vegetable or flower into each section. The concept was started about 25 years ago in the USA by Mel Bartholomew.

The raised bed is filled with a good quality compost and then planted with a range of different crops, one in each section. As soon as each crop is harvested, it is replaced by another. Productivity is high – 16 onions can be grown in just one square, for example. Our larger square foot gardens have two or three deeper sections for veg, such as carrots, that need additional soil depth. Taller plants are usually grown at the back so they do not shade the smaller crops. The sections are easily reached from the side, so the soil is never compacted.

The garden can be sited pretty much anywhere, even on a patio, balcony or concrete floor, but ideally with a good southerly exposure.

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