Athens —
Neither the hard wind, nor the cool temperatures kept the warmth out of the subject of square-foot gardening, in a workshop staged at the East Texas Arboretum early Saturday. This event attracted about 250 people.
An educational workshop was administered by Pat Kriener, a program sponsored by the Henderson County Master Gardeners. The program focused on growing vegetables using the square-foot gardening method.
According to Kriener, square-foot gardening is “a simple, unique and versatile system that adapts to all levels of experience, physical ability and geographical location. Grow all you want and need in only 20 percent of the space of a convention row garde. Save time, water, work and money.”
Kriener said the need for less work is one of the excellent features of the method.
“There is no weeding, no digging, no tilling – no kidding,” she said. “By using raised beds, individuals with physical limitations can also participate in vegetable gardening,” Kriener said. “If you can grow your own food, you can never go hungry.”
She said square-foot gardening is a “great hobby, stress relieving and beautifies the environment.”
The layout of square-foot gardening is an arrangement of squares, not rows, in 4-foot by 4-foot areas.
The gardener builds boxes to hold a new soil mix above ground, only six inches deep. The boxes are spaced 3-feet apart to form walking aisles.
Boxes are filled with special soil mix, consisting of 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 coarse vermiculite. Existing soil doesn’t matter.
Make a square foot grid for the top of each box to organize the garden for planting.
Never walk on the growing soil. Tend the garden from the aisles. Few, if any weeds sprout, and are easily pulled with a person’s fingers. Soil stays loose. They are easy to protect from weather.
Plant a different flower, vegetable or herb crop in each square foot, using spacing of one, four, nine or 16 plants per square foot. Crop rotation happens naturally.
Conserve the seeds. Plant only a pinch (two or three seeds) per hole. Place transplants in a slight saucer-shaped depression. Plant only what you will use during each season.
Kriener enjoys all kinds of gardening at her 2-acre mini-farm, Wildwood Cottage, located in Johnson County. She is a Certified Square Foot Gardening Teacher, a Master Gardener, a Master Naturalist, Master Composter, horticulture therapist and Certified Herbalist. She teaches classes related to all these specialties.
Henderson County Master Gardeners Vice President Cheri Tannenberger said the occasion was a success in spite of the wind.
“Mother Nature gave us the sun we were looking for, but the wind was strong,” she said. “I am happy about how everything came out. Master Gardeners are used to conditions in which the weather is not exactly as it should be.”
Joyce Hester won the largest door prize, a square-foot garden box and square-foot gardening book donated by Henderson County Master Gardeners. The prize’s soil mix was donated by Athens Organic. Other door prizes were offered.
For more information about square-foot gardening, call 903-675-6130, or visit henderson-co-tx-mg.org
Local News
Master Gardeners brave high wind for Saturday workshop
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Don’t let the fire die
Brownsboro Junior High eighth-grader Yasmine Mendez lights one of the candles during Thursday's induction ceremony for the National Junior Honor Society. Mendez and this year's NJHS class helped to officially welcome 36 new members who will be in eighth grade next year.
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‘Click it or Ticket’
The Athens Police Department is part of a nationwide effort to cut down on traffic injuries and deaths by getting motorists to buckle their seat belts. It’s part of the Click It or Ticket campaign underway through June 2.
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WWII vets visit Washington, D.C.
Two Athens men who served in World War II are part of a veteran’s visit to the nation’s capital this week.
J.C. Garrett and Doug Tanner join 28 others being escorted by Brookshires Grocery Co. who will tour the WWII Memorial and other sites. The veterans were set to leave Texas on Thursday and return at 9 a.m., Saturday. -
Taking a break, just like you
Henderson County offices will close Friday through Monday for the Memorial Day weekend.
The courthouse and other county locations have traditionally closed on a Friday in May for Fiddlers Day. County employees were given May 24 as a holiday this year in anticipation of the event. The county’s 2013 holiday schedule was already set when the organizers of Fiddlers Day decided to make it a Friday night and Saturday affair on May 31 and June 1. -
Great ability, not debatable
BROWNSBORO — Brownsboro senior Caleb Cade earned a state championship in persuasive speaking at the 2013 UIL State Speech and Debate Meet in Austin on May 22.
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Wet and wild
A line of severe thunderstorms roared throughout Henderson County on Tuesday afternoon, dropping significant rainfall and taking down trees and power lines.
The storm produced heavy rains in Athens, where the National Weather Service reports 2.16 inches fell. Residents in the county were seeing three or more inches in their rain gauges. -
Strong message
A Henderson County jury delivered a strong message to a 37-year-old Kemp man in the sentencing phase of a child sexual-abuse trial on Tuesday.
The jury, in Judge Mark Calhoon’s 3rd District Court, handed Danny Ray Lusk four life sentences and one 20-year sentence, the maximum jail time on each count. -
Going to ‘WAR’
A program termed “We Are Responsible” was generated this year at South Athens Elementary School by its principal, Eugene Buford.
At first reading, the slogan appears to be for the school’s students. But, after looking at the slogan and noting that the abbreviation is WAR, Buford says the slogan is for educators. -
A need that’s very easy to see
The Greater Athens Lions Club is asking for used eyeglasses, lenses, glass cases and hearing aids for the annual Lions Club White Cane Day this Saturday.
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Too close to home
It was the kind of moment any parent would dread.
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