If you live in a small space you can still have a garden that thrives with vegetables, flowers, plants, herbs and more. Cathy Isom has the garden ideal for small spaces. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Keyhole Garden
What is a Keyhole Garden and Why it Might Work For You
Gardens are a proven way for increasing a person’s well-being. And, this isn’t in just one way. Sure, we know that they can provide fresh, organic food full of vital
Wine bottle keyhole garden
nutrients and minerals. That’s great. That’s classic garden talk. Gardening is also known to be one of the most mentally calming activities a person can undertake, and for some of us, it’s also the perfect pace for staying physically active. Plus, when done well, they are something to behold, a tranquil place to sit and take in the plants, the birds, the bees and the bounty. They are just peachy, some of them literally so.
A funny thing about big ag type gardening is that it’s not nearly as nice. Those long, endless rows of the same crop just aren’t as pleasant to look at, nor as healthy for our bodies, nor as inviting to natural ecosystems. In fact, big fields of bare rows of mono-culture crops could not be more at war with nature. Oddly, it’s also a massive waste of planting space with each row of crops being border by a row of dry dirt. Plants weren’t meant to grow that way, and people aren’t meant to enjoy seeing the plants that way.
So, it’s time that small-scale, home-style gardeners unite, buck the old plowed rows of yesteryear, and get into the keyhole.
Keyhole garden scheme. Layering is proven to enhance soil health. Layering suggestions: wood on very bottom, next cardboard, next a bit of compost, next petroleum-free newspaper, manure, worms, wood ash, straw, topsoil. Repeat, compost, straw, topsoil or some such combination until you reach desired height.
The Keyhole Design
Video from: Bonnie Plants
Find out how to build this keyhole garden, designed by Bonnie Plants partner P. Allen Smith. A composting bin and raised bed all in one, it feeds and moistens garden soil continuously while plants grow.
Find out more from Bonnie Plants about composting.
Image credits: (top right) Keyhole garden by Jim. Via: www.organicgreendoctor.com – See more here.
(top left) Wine bottle keyhole garden. The reuse ideas could be endless, cans, metal, old row boats…earthbags…logs. “800 wine bottles, one year from conception to completion, and a lot of faith that this crazy idea would work. The diameter of the circle is approximately 7 feet.” By Mary Martine, Pheonix, Arizona. See more here.