“To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul,” writes poet Alfred Austin, but the soul becomes frustrated, rather than nourished, when plants don’t grow. However, anyone can become a successful gardener with help from Your Garden Solution, a business that sets up gardens based on the square foot gardening (SFG) concept created by Mel Bartholomew.

Co-owners Seppi Garrett and Joe Manotti became SFG disciples after their first attempts. Garrett states, “We were absolutely amazed at the amount of time we saved, the amount of produce we grew and the ease and simplicity of the planting methods.” When visiting friends commented on their gardens and asked if they could build similar ones for them, Your Garden Solution was launched. Three years later, they have helped many people cultivate bountiful gardens.

The no-fail SFG method utilizes a planting grid system—four-feet-by-four-feet is recommended—to define and maximize growing space. Your Garden Solution sells everything a SFG gardener needs to get started: growing boxes and tables, soil mix, grids, vertical frames, vermiculite, peat moss and compost. A simple, easy-to-use planting guide tells gardeners how much to plant in each square, depending on the size of each plant. The guide even tells people when to plant different foods.

According to Seppi Garrett, who is also a certified permaculture designer, most gardening failures occur because of poor soil quality. “It’s all about the soil,” he says, which is why they create their own blend made from a nine-ingredient humus compost, bio char, vermiculite,  peat moss and minerals. This unique soil eliminates the need for fertilizer, retains water well and provides every gardener with the means for an abundant harvest.

“It’s not just about helping others grow healthy food with relative ease, but it’s securing our food source within a current system that isn’t working well,” says Garrett. “Growing our own food is one of the largest acts of reclaiming our lives and health that we can do.” The pair is particularly eager to share their planting tables, which are built by local Amish woodworkers, with people that find it difficult to bend down.

Your Garden Solution will be hosting a SFG presentation at noon, May 17, at the Penn State Extension Master Gardener’s of Centre County fourth annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale (Extension.PSU.edu/plants/master-gardener/counties/centre/master-gardener-plant-sale). Admission, parking and demonstrations are free.

Your Garden Solution is located at 129 N. 19th St., in Camp Hill. For more information and to order supplies, call 717-919-1010 or visit YourGardenSolution.org.

Nancy Somera is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings.