Instead of making a raised bed(she is about 75 years)she purchased (swimming) pool side planters wide 24 by 36 inches, depth of 7 inches available in the swimming pool section of lowes.

Since these are black and to prevent dry out she covered the sides with some tall white kitchen bags with some news paper inside. She says that insulates in the hot summer season.

Doncha just have to love, adore and respect the older gardeners whose physical capabilities have deteriorated, but whose mental creativity has only blossomed?

What a fantastic and creative adaptation your elderly neighbor has come up with. Clearly the gardening bug bit her hard many moons ago and the advance of old age isn't something she is ready to yield to just yet.

Please give her a hug and kiss for me, I would love to meet her, she sounds like a kindred. And please share with us any other wisdom she may share with you as she sounds like she has much to offer.

The few things that are done little differently by her.

She ran out of vermiculite (29 dollars per bag- at the local nursery-Expensive for us).So used only half the amount of the required 1/3. Still the plants did well.

The compost that is used is from LoweÂs and the local nursery. 2 different types. The compost in the bag is moist. Hence it is allowed to dry for few days. Purchased in the last week of March. Slit open and cover the laundry clear plastic. Expose to sun (Concern-fungus)

Added very little garden tone Epsoma organic fertilizer. We think that helps.

Used gift wrapping paper from K-Mart.The shiny silvery one.
It is used as mulch in the early season there is little more sunlight reflected. But needs to be removed later .I guess one can use red for tomatoes.

Copied pictures from the square foot gardening book- MelÂs tomato trellis and gave it to the local hard ware stores. Saved some cost (1/3) plus no shipping. He gave them cut, every thing tested and ready to go in the evening. Now they are every where-adopted by other in our area.

Our neighborhood got too many restrictions. With MelÂs tomato trellis--- as it looks nice no one objected.

The drainage holes for pool side planter need to be multiple. Be generous. Cover them with mesh.

In the winter months pull it to the garage or car port or if there is forecast for heavy winds and rains to a sheltered spot. These are heavy for both of us .Plan to purchase under the car mechanics creeper 17-00 or a childÂs play cart with wheels. Which ever is suitable on sale?

Cover it with a clear plastic there is a mini temporary green house.

eswar, all of your (and her) ideas sound very creative and also very knowledgeable.

Methods like square foot gardening are very useful as step by step, hand holding methods that work quite well, but there is nothing that makes up for good old fashioned experience and trial and error.

Every last one of your adaptations to your specific situation seems like a really good idea.

I look forward to seeing more of your posts and experiences.

Bulbs:
We planted early spring flowering bulbs in our beds last year rather than keeping them empty...Spcifically early blooming bulbs like Crocus both hybrid and species and few star flowers.
I made a mistake of watering too much. The mix froze and became a solid Ice. But only few of them did not make. We had blooming Crocus and star flowers in March (15 days late), the bubs grew bigger and many even produced babies.
I think because of the loose mix they had abundant roots, 2and 1/2inchess Spread.downwords and laterally. In the month of April they can be pulled down and the bulbs can simply be dried and replanted in the next season.
April and May flowering bulbs are not suitable as they interfere with planting in the month of May.
There is a one good suggestion in the book. Works well.
Watering with water in 5 gallon bucket, warmed up by the sun.
I think the warm water and the evaporation of chlorine help significantly.

Companion plants: we panted dwarf marigolds with out reading the label. They are not really dwarf grew 18 inches plus.
The seeds for real dwarf marigold are available from Thompson and Morgan and if it is true they wonÂt grow more than 12 inches.
The other companion plants I like are cilantro.

I made a mistake of watering too much. The mix froze and became a solid Ice. But only few of them did not make. We had blooming Crocus and star flowers in March

It's OK if the bulbs freeze solid, they can take it. In my zone 5 Wisconsin I have crocus planted in the lawn. The ground can freeze solid to 4' down. Doesn't faze them a bit.

Once their foliage begins to brown it can be removed and if the bulbs won't interfere with your other plantings, they can be left in place. Very, very, hardy plants. Companion plants: we panted dwarf marigolds with out reading the label. They are not really dwarf grew 18 inches plus.
The seeds for real dwarf marigold are available from Thompson and Morgan and if it is true they wonÂt grow more than 12 inches.

There are many dwarf marigolds available. Thompson and Morgan is a good source, but I find them a bit pricey in those cases when they are selling the same variety as many others, but they do have many things hard to find anywhere else. You can find marigolds that will form tight mound, no more than 8-9 inches tall and wide that will cover themselves with blooms. I love them as they don't require much care and can be fit in pretty much anywhere.

Very adaptable and pretty plants, although I wonder whereabouts you live in the US? I am in the north, but I have heard from some in warmer areas that they have to deadhead their marigolds to keep them blooming all season, whereas I don't have to. Would like to figure out if this is a geographical thing or not.

I live in Kentucky, senior citizen with some restrictions about gardening in this sub division. My neighbors are also senior citizens, empty nesters. We all, when get old, children leave, we need to take care of some thing whether be a plant or a pet.It is a therapy.

I learnt quite a few things from neighbors; one is from Okinawa, others from India and china.
Some of their practices are cultural and traditional. I do not question or try to validate them scientifically or by the current knowledge base.

All Asians like marigolds, Jasmines and mums. Marigolds- many believe are good Feng shui plant. Many burry them in the soil. Good for the soil, kill nematodes Etc.

My neighbor, born in Okinawa ferments every thing in a 5 gallon bucket, feed grains, flowers, fruit peels, manure adds a little rice bran sauce( similar to Soy sauce).She says it is like a TV food trays, heat and eat---.and it is useful to the soil immediately. My Indian friends water in the early hours of the day. They never cut a vegetable or pluck a flower after sunset. Since this housing colony allows only 25 square feet for gardening, people readily adopted Raised beds, container gardening. Use 10 gallon totes from K mart. Some 18 gallon totes. Some one got a soldering iron, duct tape it and burn a drainage hole .No weakening of the plastic and edges of the holes stay strong. Some one said air bubble packing material is a better insulator and good and easy to remove mulch during heat wave, people adopted it.

When the A frame trellis (Not anchored) blew away in a windstorm, MelÂs tomato towers gained favor.
During the heat wave we used foliar spray.I think it works as perk up during stress periods like intravenous nutrition.

I think whether a person is five year old kid or aged 75 years old senior citizen when he sees a seed he planted months ago is producing vegetables and flowers feels happy, feels some thing is accomplished whether he admits it openly or not.

You sound like a hoot, eswar. Too bad I am nowhere near Kentucky or I would invite myself over ;-)

Many LoweÂs stores got a winter close out sale of fish emulsion reduced to 1 dollar.

Now they have fine pine bark mulch and fine grade hard wood mulch at $2-50.

I use- adulterate MelÂs mix with pine bark mulch. I also use it for container plants.

Some Lowes stores now have good quality swimming pool planters square for 4-95.They are 7 inches deep work well for me.

All one needs to do is burn 1/2 inches holes in the bottom with soldering Iron. Few bricks or 2/4 lumber to elevate them from the ground .It is similar to Sq foot gardening. I use them to grow spinach, amaranths (leafy type), cilantro and fenugreek and one for Japanese mint.

It also acts as a good temporary parking place which we get by mail order in winter when it is hard to plant. The Oxygen exchange is great with the mix and there is great root development by April.

Red cell available at feed stores at 15-18$ for gallon got most of the minerals, cheap and works well. Cheaper than the stuff at Nurseries.