The Giving Garden was established in 2021 with the combined goals of a.) providing a working example of Square Foot Gardening for educational purposes and b.) growing food to be donated to local food shelves.

In 2022, the Master Gardeners were awarded a SHP Grant (Supportive Housing Program) to enhance and improve these gardens.  SHP provided funding to new raised beds, trellises, soil, mulch, plants, and signage.    The three 8’ x 4’ beds were purchased, assembled, then filled with a growing medium comprised of 50% soil and 50% compost.   Trellises were added to aid in vertical growth.

Area Food Shelves

All food harvested from the Giving Garden is donated to the Jordan Area Food Shelf.  In 2022, over 150 pounds of produce was harvested from this space.

What is Square Foot Gardening?

The Giving Gardens are planted using a Square Food Garden method.  Square Foot Gardening was developed by Mel Bartholomew, a retired engineer.  Mel wanted to make the most efficient use of gardening resources, including time, space, water, seeds, and soil.  Typically planted in raised beds, Square Foot Gardens offer many advantages over traditional row beds without compromising high yields.

Benefits

• Can yield as much food as a traditional row garden
• No need for a large space – grow food on patio, balcony, or smaller plot
• A wide variety of plants can be grown
• Little weeding.  Plants are densely planted leaving less open space for weeds
• Less work and strain on the body
• Ideal for new gardeners and those with limited space
• Minimal management, so saves time
• Make efficient use of seeds because there’s no plant thinning
• Requires less water than traditional beds.

A Square Foot Garden is divided into 1-foot squares and each square is assigned a particular plant type.  There may be a single plant in a square, as in the case of zucchini, or multiple plants in a square, as with radishes.   The idea is to plant densely and specifically, so that there is no wasted space and no need to thin plants.

It is important to mention that Square Foot Gardens can be any size and can be organized in a manner that best suits the grower.  The concepts of how to utilize small spaces translate to all sizes, shapes, and types of gardens – even container gardens.

Below is an example of the diversity and numbers of plants that can go into a single bed.

Resources

• Carver Scott Master Gardeners Square Foot Gardening Seminar video
• https://squarefootgardening.org/
• https://squarefootgardening.com/