Brown Thumb in Utah with Questions

---

Dear Square Foot Gardeners,

 

        My name is Sandy and I live in Utah.  I have tried growing different plants (flowers, bulbs, vegetables) at various periods in my life.  All without success.  I definitely have a brown thumb, not a green one.  My parents were wonderful gardeners, successfully growing a variety of plants.  They started with flowers and grass in just a small front yard and a slightly bigger backyard at our attached house in Bronx, New York.  My father even took over a portion of a vacant lot on the corner of our block so he could grow vegetables in addition to flowers.  I've always wanted to grow something successfully.

 

        I have read most of Mel Bartholomew's book Square Foot Gardening.  It seems like it might be the answer.  It appears to take little space and a lot less work.  I think I'll be brave and give gardening another try!  There are some questions I have and I would like to hear from both newer square foot gardeners and experienced ones.

 

        Question 1:  Did you start with only one 4 foot by 4 foot square?  Or do you need two squares?  My husband says I should do at least two since there are two of us (since my teenage daughter isn't going to help, I'm not including her), but I don't know if that's too much for my first time.

 

        Question 2:  I am uncertain about what to plant.  Mel says tomatoes, beans, corn, lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers, and Swiss chard are the easiest.  Should I just stick with these?  Should I only try one type of plant for my first time, such as tomatoes?

 

        Question 3:  To grow tomatoes vertically, I know I need to create a frame of 1.5 inch black plastic pipe or metal pipe and attach string to it for the tomatoes to grow on.  Have any of you built the trench Mel suggests in his book and did it work well?

 

        Question 4 (don't worry - this is the last question):  I looked at a colored zone map and (if I picked my zone correctly) I believe our last frost won't be over until June 1st.  In the meantime should I just set up my 4 by 4 and double dig adding whatever I can find in one of the local nurseries to my clay soil?  Should I also start the seeds indoors now and then transplant them when June arrives?  Or is it better for beginners to start the seeds directly in the ground where they will grow rather than transplant them?

 

        Sorry for all the questions.  I would appreciate any advice you can give me and experiences you have had.  Thanks!

 

                                Sandy - a brown thumb in Utah