August 13, 2008 - Tools of the Trade

I don't know what kind of gardener I am. I guess you could call me a Square Foot Victory Intensive gardener. All I know is that I like to grow a lot of food, in a small space, with as little effort as possible. I gave up "double digging" years ago (I'm too darned old!). Garden paths are weed factories and a waste of good growing space. I like my gardens to look neat, and I like to get my hands in the soil, so I shun the Ruth Stout and "lasagna" methods of gardening, even though they are both excellent methods of keeping garden soil healthy and productive.

I own a shovel, for loading and then unloading the composts and mulches that I must sometimes purchase. I have a garden rake for breaking up clods and creating a smooth planting bed. And I have a spading fork for trenching and covering my kitchen scraps. But once my beds are all prepared and planted, I basically only use two tools.

The fork for removing and transplanting the little thinnings, and a spaghetti fork for loosening the soil and scratching out the few little weeds that dare to appear. Really, that's all the tools that are needed for a Square Foot Victory Intensive Garden!