Integrating SFG into existing landscape?

[nekomi]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here (a transplant from BYC ) and this is my first year starting a garden of any kind. I decided to start with a SFG (square foot garden) because it seems like it will be the easiest way for me to start.

I've had seeds started in the sunroom for the past few months, and they are getting ready to go in the ground! But, I still have to finish planning and setting up my SFG.

My biggest problem is that I don't like an "orderly" approach to landscaping; I love it when things look natural, park-like, even "wild". My home is older (1950's), dark cedar siding, on 2 acres nestled within a state park, and we have woodlands all around. To give an idea of what our yard currently looks like, all our existing gardens are edged with small river boulders, surrounded by pines and small trees and lined with ferns.

One half of our yard is our "farm" zone and we keep chickens and horses. Even our fence is rustic-looking, it's a beautiful old weathered split-rail. I want to build the SFG around our current small barn to keep all our farming activities in the same location and easy to manage. But, does anyone have any ideas on how I can make a natural-looking SFG garden? Any ideas on stone edging I could use to keep the gardens consistent with the rest of the landscaping?

I'd also like the layout to not seem very "rigid" and flow nicely into the rest of the barn. The gardens will be the first thing visitors see when they come to our homestead, since the barn is right at the end of the driveway, so I'm really hoping to make it look beautiful.

Thanks for any input!!!

 

[nightshade]

Since you are in a farm/ rustic theme already you can do the old farm thing and build stone hedge row walls. Like those you would see on an only farm dividing the fields. Just make them on smaller scale. That is what we are doing for all our gardens and flower beds.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there & WELCOME TO TEG :rainbow-sun

Lots of us came over from BYC so you will feel at home here!

There are lots of ways to solve your design problem, but can I ask you a couple of questions first?

Is it that you want to do your SFG in a non-formal way -- i.e. not in an square or oblong?

Do you want free-form beds?

What is your barn made of & what colour is it?

Whoops! sorry, that's more than a couple of questions The trouble is I used to be a designer (albeit in the theatre) & getting things clear at the beginning is important.

You say that you like the " wild"look yet you have chosen to start with a Square Foot Garden which in my opinion is probably the most organised method of gardening & the one least suited to your favourite look. Of course it can be done but it will always be a compromise (dressed up in stone walls).

Sorry if this sounds negative -- I really don't mean it to be. I have created a woodland garden for myself so I understand what you mean about the "wild" feeling you long for. If I lived on a farm I would make a vegetable garden within fences that matched the others in the vicinity.

Have you got any photos you could show us, it would be lovely to see them & it would help us help you.

Have a nice evening - I have just woken up as I'm in the UK!

:rose Hattie :rose