In the garden:
- Cucumber and tomatoes on the trellis.
- Cayenne peppers to the left.
- A marigold peeping from behind the peppers.
- Oregano outside the square on the far left.
- There are a few radishes in there, too.
- I used pine straw because at the time I couldn't find any other type of mulch.
I think Mel did an excellent job in repackaging a concept that’s been around awhile. He made it easy for the common gardener to grasp the concept, implement a single garden square and experience success, and expand as time, money and effort allowed. Still, at its core it’s really just intensive planting, which a lot of gardening models emulate. I bought three or four of Mel's books and gave them away to friends and family.
This past spring, I put in a second 4x4 square, and then allowed them both to go to pot because I was out of town and not available to upkeep them. Neither Nancy nor Sam is much into weeding. The vegetables have gone to seed, grassy weeds have moved in, and the few tenacious okra plants still point huge pods up in the air.
I’m going to raze the whole thing to the ground, toss the lumber, and lay sod. It’s only 32 square feet. That way, the yard looks smooth and uniform and prospective buyers can dream of their own gardens.
