has anyone in zone 3 tried straw bale gardening? I think this is just the ticket for me with a wonky back.

I'm in zone 4, and I'm going to try it next year. If you can grow veggies in zone 3, I don't see why this wouldn't work for you as well. In fact, I would think the bales of straw would hold heat and that would be an advantage in your zone. I think it's a terrific idea, even if you don't have a "wonky" back. It's great for the soil, and for the vegetables as well. I did find one site that really showed off straw bale gardening. He has tons of photos showing how he did it, step by step, and every layer he put into it. He used a lot of mushroom compost, which I do not have available to me, so I will use something else. I'll have plenty of compost, plus plan to use layers of leaf mold and anything else I can think of. I'm going to put heavy cardboard on the bottom to keep the weeds down. Anyway, Len also has tons of photos of all the beautiful veggies he grew -- tons of them! He got quite a crop! And it didn't look like a lot of work either. Hope this helps. MacThayer

Here is a link that might be useful: Len's Home Page

I almost gave up on gardening. The weeds were a pain, the soil was clay and very little nutrients..So i started researching no dig type gardens and was HOOKED...the best gardening experience I have ever had. If you want photos of a straw garden,and info on how to get it started check out this site