I have been planning our "square foot garden" for months now. I read the book, 
researched the climate, found sources for soil and seed varieties, ordered the "grow bed", saved cardboard boxes, and waited and waited. I waited for August when our fall/winter growing season begins. I waited until my foot was strong enough to go to all the places to have soils loaded into my truck. I waited until Ben and Nate were available and willing to do the labor. Today we went to "the" source - Southwest Fertilizer, and picked up our components for Mel's Mix. I wasn't real sure about how important this soil would be, but this is Houston - CLAY is all we've got around here. We picked out our seeds and came home to start the garden. I laid out flattened cardboard boxes as a barrier between the bermuda grass and the garden, watered it real good, and built the bed. Meanwhile, Nate & Ben were dumping an even mix of sheep & peat compost, vermiculite, and peat moss on a tarp and mixing it. Then the boys shoveled it into the bed, and I watered it in. This soil is amazing! (Don't laugh if you come from places with real dirt - but this stuff doesn't glob onto your hand when its wet, and it stays loose and finger-workable even when it is sun-baked. It is a whole new experience for me!) Unfortunately, we weren't able to plant any seeds yet...I get to wait some more. Wait until the temperature gets out of the 100's and down to the mid-90's. Wait until the squirrel-proof cover is no longer on back-order. Wait for the seeds to sprout. I sure hope that good things come to Ottosens who wait!
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Oh yeah - we will be covering up the cardboard around the edges with bricks. Some will be hollow blocks to plant herbs in. We will also have a trellis on the west side for the cucumbers and squash to grow up. For fall, we are planting cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, tomatillos, radish, green beans, and try for a late watermelon.
Wow, that is a ton of work! I think that's why more people aren't into gardening. Or maybe that's just me. I WANT to be into gardening but it is just so time-consuming and tricky.
I think that's awesome that you're doing it. I hope good things come from your waiting!
Surprisingly, the most work was in the research. The actual putting together of the garden took about an hour and 15 minutes. The upkeep may take longer, but I don't think so.
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