Comments on: The Design Question: Me, My Garden and my Graph Paper http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/ Finding the keys to the future…and trying not to lose them in the mess. Thu, 24 May 2012 04:38:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Corrinne Belony http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-51550 Corrinne Belony Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:21:26 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-51550 Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information.

]]> By: Kvepalai vyrams http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-34094 Kvepalai vyrams Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:57:01 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-34094 There are some interesting points in time in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as well There are some interesting points in time in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as well

]]> By: Von Nydam http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-31153 Von Nydam Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:28:35 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-31153 Have you deemed including some differing opinions on the article? I think it'll definitely improve viewers' geting a grasp on. Have you deemed including some differing opinions on the article? I think it’ll definitely improve viewers’ geting a grasp on.

]]> By: Chad http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-22715 Chad Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:44:33 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-22715 Sharon, this spring I took all of the information from the seed packets which I bought, and put it into a spreadsheet so I could sort it out by times and use that to make a process for seedling germinations, planting order, etc. I was about to pull out the paint program and start drawing the garden beds out on a "snap-to" grid as I did last year, when I realized I already had something to give me a fixed grid. Also, it was easier to change text and border dimensions with it. I simply clicked down at the bottom to start a new spreadsheet within the same document, set all of the columns and rows to have the same size (30x30 pixels), and used Excell as my garden designer too! I used "Fill Color" to draw paths (brown) and beds (green) as well as other fixed obstacles (toolshed, satellite dish, cliff edge). Each cell represents a foot. This may not be as mother-earthy looking as a lovingly hand-drawn map, but i've moved things around countless times and this map is still completely smudge-free. I keep buying seed packets on impulse, and I can re-do the map in moments when I need to. See this screen print: http://yfrog.com/2pgardenbedsg I know my choices of locations look funny, but it's because the left end is shallow and sandy, while the right end is deeper and high in clay. I also wanted to make an attempt to place taller plants north of shorter ones. I'll be hanging some old wire fencing along the south side of the house, to provide a trellis for beans and peas to climb on. Hopefully, it will give some shade too. I have some other shallow areas where i'm just going to loosen the dirt and let squashes sprawl out over them. Sharon, this spring I took all of the information from the seed packets which I bought, and put it into a spreadsheet so I could sort it out by times and use that to make a process for seedling germinations, planting order, etc. I was about to pull out the paint program and start drawing the garden beds out on a “snap-to” grid as I did last year, when I realized I already had something to give me a fixed grid. Also, it was easier to change text and border dimensions with it.

I simply clicked down at the bottom to start a new spreadsheet within the same document, set all of the columns and rows to have the same size (30×30 pixels), and used Excell as my garden designer too! I used “Fill Color” to draw paths (brown) and beds (green) as well as other fixed obstacles (toolshed, satellite dish, cliff edge). Each cell represents a foot.

This may not be as mother-earthy looking as a lovingly hand-drawn map, but i’ve moved things around countless times and this map is still completely smudge-free. I keep buying seed packets on impulse, and I can re-do the map in moments when I need to. See this screen print: http://yfrog.com/2pgardenbedsg

I know my choices of locations look funny, but it’s because the left end is shallow and sandy, while the right end is deeper and high in clay. I also wanted to make an attempt to place taller plants north of shorter ones. I’ll be hanging some old wire fencing along the south side of the house, to provide a trellis for beans and peas to climb on. Hopefully, it will give some shade too. I have some other shallow areas where i’m just going to loosen the dirt and let squashes sprawl out over them.

]]> By: aero garden http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-22709 aero garden Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:25:39 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-22709 I want to grow fresh edible flowers within the program - Which would grow easiest in it? I want to grow fresh edible flowers within the program – Which would grow easiest in it?

]]> By: How To Design A Herb Garden http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-13732 How To Design A Herb Garden Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:45:08 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-13732 [...] Body CraftGossip Valentines Day tub tea tutorial Bath and Body CraftGossip is also a nice resource.Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My Garden and my Graph Paper More infos are available here: Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My [...] [...] Body CraftGossip Valentines Day tub tea tutorial Bath and Body CraftGossip is also a nice resource.Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My Garden and my Graph Paper More infos are available here: Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My [...]

]]> By: Herb Gardens Design http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-13731 Herb Gardens Design Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:45:06 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-13731 [...] Aeroponic Garden I found some cool stuff here: Inhabitat AEROGARDEN Tabletop Aeroponic Garden!Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My Garden and my Graph Paper I found some cool stuff here: Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My [...] [...] Aeroponic Garden I found some cool stuff here: Inhabitat AEROGARDEN Tabletop Aeroponic Garden!Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My Garden and my Graph Paper I found some cool stuff here: Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My [...]

]]> By: Sara:farming in northern rural Alabama http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-13730 Sara:farming in northern rural Alabama Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:03:21 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-13730 My advice: Rotate your crops every year to decrease insect and disease burden! Elliot Coleman's book The New Organic Grower has a simple clear description of crop rotation and why. In addition, some crops, beans & onions for instance, "feed" other crops. They do that when they are moved from bed to bed. Grow a lovely cover crop, or two, or three! on any soil that is not actively producing food. In fact, consider growing cover crops underneath or amongst your food crops. Your soil will love you for that! Long may your lum reek and may your neep pot ne'er be empty! Blessings, Sara My advice: Rotate your crops every year to decrease insect and disease burden! Elliot Coleman’s book The New Organic Grower has a simple clear description of crop rotation and why. In addition, some crops, beans & onions for instance, “feed” other crops. They do that when they are moved from bed to bed. Grow a lovely cover crop, or two, or three! on any soil that is not actively producing food. In fact, consider growing cover crops underneath or amongst your food crops. Your soil will love you for that!

Long may your lum reek and may your neep pot ne’er be empty!

Blessings, Sara

]]> By: Small Herb Garden Design http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-13729 Small Herb Garden Design Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:45:07 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-13729 [...] Lovely Plantings Cymbidium Orchid Flowering in Progress Lovely Plantings is also a nice resource.Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My Garden and my Graph Paper I found some cool stuff here: Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My [...] [...] Lovely Plantings Cymbidium Orchid Flowering in Progress Lovely Plantings is also a nice resource.Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My Garden and my Graph Paper I found some cool stuff here: Casaubons Book Blog Archive The Design Question Me My [...]

]]> By: Claire http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-13728 Claire Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:11:01 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/02/03/the-design-question-me-my-garden-and-the-middle-ages/#comment-13728 I sort-of design my garden, the fenced-in veggie area more strictly than the rest. The rest of the property is sort-of following a plan I made following the design process laid out in Gaia's Garden, except when I change things. The overall design process from that book worked very well for me in terms of understanding how energy and resources flow in my yard and making a rough design that works with those flows. I raise veggies in 4' by 25' beds with 1' paths, because I seem to have more luck with figuring out how to plant the veggies when I use a standard shape and size for the beds. Now that I've been using this bed size for several years, I have worked out some combinations of crops that use that space effectively for an entire growing season and allow me to rotate crops to a certain extent. I made the paths as small as possible because I have to fence the whole thing against rabbits, and I don't have much money for fencing, so I try to keep the fenced area to the smallest possible. The 1' path size is pretty tight, but I squeeze in and work the best I can. If the beds are raised at all, it's only a bit and only when I first dig them. I don't side them with anything. They seem to work well enough, but I continue to read gardening books and try new ways of working. As it is, I've cobbled together ideas from at least three different garden books, and I will be adding a more traditional-looking culinary herb bed this year whose design comes from a fourth book. The herb spiral shown in the permaculture books didn't work very well for me. I sort-of design my garden, the fenced-in veggie area more strictly than the rest. The rest of the property is sort-of following a plan I made following the design process laid out in Gaia’s Garden, except when I change things. The overall design process from that book worked very well for me in terms of understanding how energy and resources flow in my yard and making a rough design that works with those flows.

I raise veggies in 4′ by 25′ beds with 1′ paths, because I seem to have more luck with figuring out how to plant the veggies when I use a standard shape and size for the beds. Now that I’ve been using this bed size for several years, I have worked out some combinations of crops that use that space effectively for an entire growing season and allow me to rotate crops to a certain extent. I made the paths as small as possible because I have to fence the whole thing against rabbits, and I don’t have much money for fencing, so I try to keep the fenced area to the smallest possible. The 1′ path size is pretty tight, but I squeeze in and work the best I can. If the beds are raised at all, it’s only a bit and only when I first dig them. I don’t side them with anything. They seem to work well enough, but I continue to read gardening books and try new ways of working. As it is, I’ve cobbled together ideas from at least three different garden books, and I will be adding a more traditional-looking culinary herb bed this year whose design comes from a fourth book. The herb spiral shown in the permaculture books didn’t work very well for me.

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