I qualify for the old and long time (almost 50 years). But I am not a traditional sq ft gardener, though I do use raised beds and the close spacing of intensive gardening. I often recommend sq ft gardening for new gardeners. It is a good way to have some initial success. Adherence to Mel's mix results in a highly permeable medium and the good oxygen diffusion that is paramount to intensive gardening. But the components of Mel's mix do break down with time. Merely adding more does not produce the same as a completely new mix. With success comes the desire to have more and more bed space. And then the complete replacement of Mel's mix becomes very expensive. I think most who expand their gardens will move on to a cheaper way of gardening using the things they have learned with the sq ft method. I myself use a medium of sand and clay with sometimes the addition of vermiculite to achieve the same oxygen diffusion of Mel's mix. It's a permanent medium that doesn't need periodic replacement.

Ohh, I wish I could return to Newfoundland. We circumnavigated it in a leisurely, stop and go way ten years or so ago. Our trip was typical of my planning. I like to go to the ends of things. I only regret that I didn't insist we take the ferry to Labrador. Our only planned stay was several days at Tickle Inn, which a woman on the ferry to the island had told us about. As did others who have commented here, we absolutely loved the island. My most vivid memories of life on "the rock" was the garden art--whirligigs, gnomes, other critters--that replaced perennial borders and rose gardens. And the memory of the sight and sound of them makes me smile. OH, and the little vegetable gardens along the road where the fill from road-making made fertile soil deep enough for gardens one after another, set off by string and twigs, maintained by people who lived miles away. And the cottages clad in beautiful pastel pinks, blues, and greens that lined the coast. As does the gentleman at Tickle Inn who proudly showed us his wood shop, and, in answer to my question about his favorite season said, "Winter." I must have gaped. He explained that spring was sodden muck, summer was hot and mosquito ridden, fall was also inhospitable, but in winter, with his snowmobile, he could go anywhere. He also told us about a polar bear, having crossed the frozen sea from Labrador in midwinter, that stood up, peered through, and pushed in the high windows in the dining room, then wandered off while he crouched down inside, gun ready if the beast came into the house, but hoping desperately that it wouldn't. And the several locals who invited us into their homes for tea and dessert, for conversation and sharing. I hope you can return soon. Thank you for evoking memories I treasure.

Hi! I live in St. John's. I'd love to help you plan your trip. If you want to email me through my profile page you can, or i can just share some suggestions here. I assume you are renting a car. If so, rent it as soon as possible. There are not a lot of rental cars here. May and June are popular months because tourists come to see the icebergs. Hopefully you will see some while you are here. Don't expect warm weather that time of the year. Pack rain gear. You will see lots of rain and fog. Day trips from St. John's can take you to some pretty scenic places. In half an hour you can be in Cape Spear, the easternmost point of land in North America. There are 2 lighthouses there, the old one which is now a museum and the new working one. There are hiking trails along the coast. In 3 hours you can get to Cape St. Mary's, a seabird sanctuary. Gannets and murres nest on the cliffs there. A spectacular site. There is also Bell Island. A short (15 minute) ferry ride will get you to the island. You can take the mine tour. That's neat. In less than an hour you can be in Ferryland. There is an archaeological dig there with artifacts from the earliest settlements. The lighthouse has fantastic picnics. If you're going to do just one thing I think the lighthouse picnics should be it. Just book in advance because they're really popular. The food is made on the premises with organic and local ingredients. You eat on a blanket on the hills surrounding the lighthouse. When I ate there with my 2 sisters we watched whales spouting. There are many small fishing communities around the area. Quidi Vidi is less than 5 minutes from downtown. Petty Harbour is about 15 minutes away. Witless Bay is half an hour away and from there you can take the whale and bird watching boat tours. I highly recommend that. And of course icebergs if there are any around. In St. John's there are several museums. The Geo Centre is cool with many hands on activities for kids and adults. The Rooms is a bit more upscale, it has a museum section and an art gallery. There's also a railway museum. St. John's has many many restaurants and pubs. Live music in many Irish pubs. You can eat at Raymond's and spend $100 per person or more or get fish and chips at Ches's , a local "institution". I'd also recommend going to Signal Hill for the view of the city and ocean. Walk water street and go in the shops. Tour a couple of our many churches. I'm sure there is much more but that's what I can think of off the top of my head. Like I said, feel free to email me for more info. And my website, Bitstop.ca has lots of Newfoundland pictures if you want to have a look,

Gros Morne National Park is indeed a great area to visit. I am in the process of redoing my garden beds. Took out my pond a few years ago and now a lot of my plants in this photo is in big pots buried in the ground. planning to get that finished this year.