I just posted about doing a circular garden, and then found this post. So inspirational! I am going to show these photos to DH, as they capture the Spirit I was going for. We even have some flagstones that got left behind at this house. Your photos made me think of a quick glimpse I had of a photo of a garden at the Kripalu Yoga Center. Thank you so much for sharing... and you do know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery??! BTW, I am in Syracuse.

I appreciate people posting on this thread. I am back on GW after many years away. I am still trying to work out what I will do with my gardens this year. Between homes and jobs, I have moved 8 times since 2002, and am a bit tired out. We are currently in a house that we are renting with a contract to buy, but there is no action on the house we need to sell to make this all work. We may have to move late summer. And abandon a garden. Again. Aaarghh! But... when spring comes the Gardener must plant... So, I did get some tomatoes, basil and zinnias started under the lights. Yes, they were late, but I am just happy they're up and thriving, at about 2" currently. The previous tenants had a small wading-type swimming pool which they removed when moving out. Hmmmm.... leaving a perfect circle shape. I still need to be sure there is nothing toxic there; trying to find time and learn what to do for lab soil tests. Anyhow, I turned over some dirt there, and hope to put in a real circle garden. For some reason, I am a bit obsessed with circular gardens, although they do not seem practical. I will try to put faster crops in there, so I would be able to harvest if we have to leave: spinach, kale, mesclun and various lettuces. I also want to put peas in. They could have been put in weeks ago, but I have been waiting until I can drive back out to the old house and "harvest" as much finished compost from our big triple-composter back there. I will mix with peat moss, a la, "square foot gardening," but will plant in wedge shapes. If this works out, I will post pictures. It is more a design of the heart than of logic. I have some earthbox-type containers with water reservoirs, and will be sure to get some tomatoes and basil in those, in case we have to move. (This is the "logic" part!) To make it feel a bit more like "home," I will be sure to transplant my lavender plants to one bed I will keep drier and less rich with compost. I will transplant oregano to that bed, and lemon balm to some pots, perhaps. I am trying to keep a better, more detailed garden journal this year, to help provide continuity in the middle of chaos! (economy-induced, BTW) Keep posting plans, fellow potage-ettes!

ditto to the 2 raised beds, but not wider than 4'. The easiest beds to work for me by hand are 3'. It's handy to reach across & use fingers. Think about how you'll be balancing yourself to work the garden... Leaning over, standing up using a tool, on knees using hands? Fill the path with mulch material. (can be whatever you gather up & something different on top for looks -- cardboard, burlap, are good top layers if that's all you have) When you fill the path up, so it's no longer a ditch -- you can plant more closely to the edges of your garden & the mulch materials holds moisture. Plan how you'll water the plot before you plant. By hand with a bucket is manageable for your size plot, but plan on spending 1/2 hour doing it 2x a week or more depending on your summer climate/weather. A great watering tip for larger plants is to drill 2-3 small holes in the bottom of 2 liter soda bottles & bury them leaving the neck exposed so you have room to mulch, too. Then when you water also fill the bottle to slowly drip more water in your absence. It barely shows up once you're done with planting around it and once the plants grow will nearly be invisible. Plan ahead how you'll reach it. I like them at least 12" away from the stem of cucumber, tomato or squash. The roots will get what they need that way & I won't be disturbing them with bumping the bottle. Maybe even have that be your child's job to fill the jugs. My kids loved doing that when young. Another idea is to divide up the duties between the adults & child in your family. If you select some plants or an area to be yours to tend it encourages more participation because they own the area. Worked rather well when my children were young. Now hubby is helping more in the garden and selects some things to be his to tend. Makes it more fun for me, too! Someone is always -- in charge-- of the garden, so dividing up ahead of time can avoid some disappointment and arguments about how to -- work it--. Ask others at the community garden what they do -- should give you the local tips. Follow square foot gardening spacing & it will be easier for all of you to plant the garden together. OR just make short rows across your divided plot. Install the supports for your climbers (peas & beans) before you plant. Much easier that way. The simple supports work without breaking the bank. Scrap wood or tree prunings + brown twine can make beautiful supports once covered with beans no one will know you didn't buy the expensive obelisks. We don't bother to paint them because we don't want paint residues though our wood won't last as long. Even a wooden ladder can be put to use as a support. I use them and always get comments from other gardeners. The non-gardeners don't really like my repurposed materials and think of the rows instead of how I garden, so if you go that route be prepared for some comments from the other community gardeners. You don't list your zone. In my area we can grow a 2nd crop of cool season vegetables for fall - early spring harvesting. Very productive & less insect damage in the fall, plus the rain waters the garden for me. I wish your family the best in the gardening adventure. Remember that you will try some things this year, but you have next year, too. It takes years to develop your style & figure it all out to grow a lot of food for your family. When my kids were young we learned together. Then became teens & the garden was no longer an interest. Now my married daughter is growing a good amount of vegetables and fruits for their family. I would not have guessed she'd return to gardening when a teen. We had a lot of fun together as a family or just the kids and I playing games while we worked out there. Be creative with your child and they will work hard with you. I miss my little helpers now. Have fun together in the garden~ Corrine

Thanks so much, everyone! I have now finished three beds and have started on the fourth. I have a male friend coming over this afternoon to help fill two of the beds (I filled one by carrying 5 gallon buckets of wet compost--ouch!). The stone is dry-stacked. What I got is thin wallstone. The reason I went with thin is that I wanted to be able to easily carry the stone myself. Also, I wanted the overall wall to be as thin as possible because the stone relative to the outside dimension of the beds eats up planting space. I got it from a local quarry this time, but I got it at a stone yard when I did the retaining wall in front of my house. If you have patience and determination, this is totally doable. It's like a big 3D puzzle. As far as the material to fill the beds, I ended up ordering it from a local garden center run by an agricultural college. However, the head horticulturist at my favorite big commercial garden center also recommended another private supplier. I was really surprised how willing many of the people at the garden centers were to recommend options other than what was available to buy at their business. I'd go to some good garden centers and ask for recommendations. Thanks again...your nice words are helping to keep me going. Lisa