Module 1: Making Space
Grow where you are.
Introduction
In all the years I lived in Washington DC, I never owned a house, never lived in any one spot for more than two years, and only once had access to a yard. But I had gardens. Every place I lived, if I found a patch of dirt I grew food.
If I didn't have a patch of dirt, I made one.
My first garden started as a tiny odd-shaped bed of weeds and litter behind a shabby English basement. I cleaned up the trash, tore out the weeds and planted whatever I could fit. By summers' end I was giving away jars of scarlet runner beans simmered in tomato sauce with oregano, rosemary and thyme--all from this ramshackle little garden.
The following year I shared a small ground floor apartment. There was no yard, but the paved parking space was bordered by a narrow strip of kudzu covered ground. Ah, ground! I ripped out the kudzu, opened the hard ground with a mattock, and dug in decayed leaves I had raked up from the sidewalks in the fall and stored in a big trash bin over the winter, occasionally adding some coffee grounds or banana peels.
By spring, the little strip of enriched earth spilled over with spinach and tender greens. Plum tomatoes, okra, basil, banana peppers and cucumbers flourished throughout the long hot summer.
In the city, the main challenge is making space--any space--to garden in tiny and seemingly inhospitable places. It can be done. But growing food in a small space is like treasure-hunting in a thrift store. Just like being able to spot the well-cut wool coat or designer pants in a heap of riff-raff, you can develop an "eye" for potential gardening spots others can't see.
Suburban houses usually come with a bit more space, but present their own unique challenges, like poor soil under tough grass sod, lawn ordinances and nitpicky, nosy neighbors (aka the "HOA").
Making Space in the Urban or Suburban Yard
Now, you might have plenty of space, but don't know what to do with it or how to begin. It definitely can be daunting to look out over a sea of grass, aka "the lawn", and feel overwhelmed.
The conventional way to grow a bit of food in this scenario is to put a garden box or raised bed in a corner of the lawn, out of the way somewhere. And that's a fine start. But why stop there?
Why have a lawn at all?
Keeping a lawn is a lot like being stuck in a relationship with a narcissist. A lawn throws down ALL the red flags: It's needy. It demands constant attention. And no matter how much fertilizer you pour into it, how meticulously you pamper and mow and trim it with cuticle scissors, a lawn gives you absolutely zilch in return for your ardent devotion.
In all seriousness folks, lawns are the single biggest cause of agricultural chemical waste in the United States. They consume huge amounts of water and energy to maintain, not to mention the fossil fuel needed to power all those mowers.
On the bright side, a lawn is also a great opportunity to make positive change. Like a blank canvas, you can use your creativity to transform an ecological wasteland into a more useful and interesting place that benefits you and your local ecosystem.
Here's an amazing lawn transformation Luke did in his Winchester VA yard last year. In just three months, an expanse of green desert had been replaced by a productive oasis of squash, watermelon, tomatoes, corn, herbs, and edible flowers.
If this is your first year of growing food at home, think of it as more of a gradual transition than a total transformation. You don't have to get rid of your lawn completely in one shot.
Perhaps start with one larger bed for veggies and a smaller one for greens and herbs. Once you've figured out the ways of working with your space that work for you, you will be more likely to feel like. "Ok, this year I can do a little more…"
Like every path in life worth walking, take your food growing journey one step at a time.
Challenges
Where to start?
Tough grass sod difficult to remove
Poor soil--usually construction backfill
Solutions
Pick a spot and get started. In the sun is good, south facing even better. But don't fret too much. Just do it.
Use shade to eliminate patches of lawn instead of digging it out. See the section How to Kill your Lawn
Enrich and improve your soil naturally with the methods in Module 2: Build Soil
Growing Options
Utilize a creative combination of containers, boxes, and vertical planting
Raised beds/sheet mulch
Mulched and enriched in-ground beds
Plant a tree!!!
If you have the space, please consider planting a fruit tree (or trees). For several reasons, a backyard tree (or mini orchard) is a big plus for a regenerative ecosystem.
Benefits of trees
Provide tasty fruit or nuts
Hold soil in place and improve drainage via root systems
Help soil retain moisture
Improve soil each year by adding nutrient-rich leaf fall to the ground
Invite beneficial bacteria and fungi networks into the underground ecosystem
Provide a nesting place for birds
Add beauty, shade and tranquility to your environment
Even with this multitude of benefits, be sure to make careful choices regarding what kind of trees you plant and where you plant them! The height of a mature tree is only one means of measure. It is also important to have an idea of how wide the branches will spread. Fortunately, many deliciously fruiting trees like pear, apricot, and fig are available in dwarf varieties or can be managed with pruning.
Be sure to plant your trees where they won't interfere with any power lines or too close to a fence dividing your yard from your neighbors'.
How-To Instructions
1.1 How to Build a Garden Box
You will need:
Four pieces of wood the right lengths to make a square or rectangle.
Hammer and nails.
Organic materials to fill the box/es
The boards need to be wide enough to accommodate the roots of what you want to plant. For most greens, annual veggies, and herbs, that's about fifteen inches (40 cm). The depth of your finished box will determine what you can grow. If you want to grow roots like carrots or beets, build or use a deeper container. Perennials like lavender or rosemary can be started in a 1' box and transplanted into deeper containers as the grow larger each year.
Note: Remember to build your boxes only as wide as your arm can comfortably reach to the center from the periphery.
Whack nails into the boards until your box holds together.
I'm no carpenter, but my boxes held together somehow. If you want a real technique on how to hammer nails into wood, consult the internet.
Place your box(es)
Mostly in the sun is ideal, but some shade is good too. Don't worry, many plants wilt in full sun and like some shade. If you are fortunate to have access to both, put one box in full sun for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant; place the other box in partial shade for leafy greens and other shade dwellers (See Module 3 for more).
1.2 How to Fill a Container or Box
Do NOT fill your boxes with soil only. It will be incredibly expensive AND your garden won't drain water well, causing roots to rot. Put about 3-4 inches of gravel, rocks, or broken concrete on the bottom followed several inches of mixed organic materials like straw, dry leaves, stable bedding and wood chips. Layer the largest/coarser material on the bottom and smaller/finer on top. Finish with a top layer of garden bed soil mixed with leaf compost.
Many cities and towns offer free leaves and wood chips for pick-up or will deliver for a modest fee. See Organic Material Resources in Module 2.
1.3 How to Remove grass easily
(Kill your lawn without herbicide)
If you are starting with a lawn, no matter what shape it's in, removing the grass is the first step in transforming it (or part of it) into a garden. The first step of any project is usually the hardest, and here's no exception. Digging out a turf of grass sod is a tough task
Some people enjoy the catharsis of hard work, but there is an easier way: SHADE.
Grass needs sun, and shading it out is a labor-saving way of eliminating it. It's easier on your body and better for the soil.
Here's a chemical free way to kill some lawn without breaking your back.
First, cut the grass and weeds very short. Don't rake them up, just leave the cut greenery on the ground to entice worms and other soil critters to tunnel up to the surface and open up the tight soil. If you have any veggie scraps from the kitchen, you can toss them here too.
Right on top of the cut grass, place the shade.
Sheets of cardboard, flattened boxes, or thick sections of newspaper are ideal. You can also use old carpets or sheets as long as they are a natural fabric like wool or cotton. Overlap all the materials so not a blade of grass shows. Weigh it down with rocks or patio furniture or whatever is available to you.
Then, forget about it for a few weeks.
The longer you can leave it, the better.
When you are ready to garden on your new spot, lift up your shade and voilà!
You have a lovely patch of grass-free ground already softened up and fertilized for you by your underground construction crew of soil builders.
After shading out the grass, you have two options to build soil fertility:
Dig in, amend, and mulch
OR
Build soil from the ground up with sheet mulch
We will explore both options in detail in Module 2.
1.4 Essential Toolkit
Don't buy more stuff than you need. The purpose for each tool is listed here as well, so you can determine if it's something you really need. For example, you won't need a spade or mattock if you aren't doing an in-ground bed.
You can also substitute some tools with kitchen utensils or things you may already have. Handy household alternatives are given in parentheses.
Large bucket, basket, or bowl - to carry things around the garden
Small trowel or soup spoon - to dig small holes for transplants and seedlings
Small saw or large serrated knife - to cut through grass sod & weed roots
Hand claw or large fork - to dig out tough weeds & open soil to plant seeds
Light rake - mix materials for compost & mulch
Small wheelbarrow or dolly - to move bulky materials
Spade or mattock - to open compacted soil/cut through grass sod
Sturdy flat shovel - transplant larger perennials, tree saplings, build terraces, shape garden beds
1.5 Creative Alternatives
If you have the financial means but a dearth of time, by all means invest in what you need to get started: a raised bed box kit or large planters, for example. Or, if the thought of hammering together boards is, well, a lot, maybe you know a handy person in need of money who could build them for you.
There's still many ways to get creative and resourceful without nail-whacking. I've listed a few fun options below, and the internet is replete with ideas and how-to guides to making your own planters, hanging baskets, trellises, and more.
Instead of a pre-fab box kit, build a homemade box.
Instead of store-bought planters, consider: large plastic bottles, recycled kiddie pools, stacked tires, storage bins, old sinks or wash basins.
Instead of a pre-fab trellis, consider building one out of any number of materials: old window frames, chicken wire & poles, existing fences, sticks & twist ties.
Brainstorm Exercises
What kind of space am I working with here? What are my garden space options?
What’s the best option for me? Think: What can I do realistically given my schedule and what I would like to grow?
Exercise:
Go outside and take a good look around your space. Choose a plausible spot (or spots) and take some photos.
Now, sit down with a piece of paper and pencil or pen. Referring to your photos as "What is" sketch out "What you would like there to be."
Don't worry if you think you "can't draw." The sketches are just for you. Be whimsical and sketch in butterflies and ladybugs or take a more architectural approach, whatever suits your inclination.
Incorporate any or all of the options outlined throughout the module: beds, boxes, and combinations of containers, hanging planters, vertical supports, and creative alt
Resources
Native Plant Finder: https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/