New City, Fresh Start

I'm in an urban environment now and don't have the access to farmland like the last garden. I've built some raised beds in preparation for next year's season. Don't be surprised if I jump start and *attempt* to grow some things in the winter. Here's the beds without soil.


My mom and a few gardening friends recommended the Square Foot Gardening method by Mel Bartholomew. He came up with the original method in the 70's and has since revised his ways. I bought his most recent book (All New Square Foot Gardening). The idea is that you base everything on high quality soil and proper placement. His big push is for raised beds broken down in to square feet. I'll chime in more about the process as time goes on. Next step is to fill the beds with Mel's mix, which is 1/3 multi-source compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 vermiculite by volume.