Chase down your passion like it's the last bus of the night. Glade Byron Addams

If you truly want a big garden in a small space we have one last factor to consider - that is having your plants grow "up" instead of spreading out on the ground taking up the amount of space stated on the back of the package. I use what is called a "cattle panel" - your larger home improvement stores or a farm store will stock these. They are 16 feet long and 5 feel high comprised of galvanized steel rods of about 3/8 inch thick fastened together. Farmers use them to build a mesh type fence to hold livestock. I cut the panel into 2, 3 or 4 pieces, ending up with 8 foot pieces, about 5 ½ foot pieces, or 4 foot pieces. Then with a "t" steel post of 6 feet length on each side, I stand them on end about 3-4 inches off the ground. This allows your plants to grow on a support up to 6 or 8 feet high in the air.

Growing your plants "up" will dramatically alter your planning and the amount of vegetables you can plant in your garden. This will truly allow you to have a much bigger garden in a small space.

Before heading off to the garden center to buy your seeds or plants, you will want to have a plan showing what to plant in each spot in your garden. Determine where you will place your cattle panels and what type of vegetables you will grow on each length. Understanding the amount of space a plant will require is an important step in your planning. A common mistake is to plant too closely together, this will hurt your overall yield. You will want to select a "vine-type" plant rather than the compact "bush-type" so the plant will grow up your fence.

Training your vegetables to grow on the wire panels offers other advantages. Your vegetables will be off the ground and will be less likely to rot. Finding your ripe vegetables, especially cucumbers, is easier as you move aside the leaves and look for a cucumber hanging down compared to finding one laying on the ground against a dark background. On top of that, it will give the neighbors something to talk about – 2 years ago I had a 28 pound banana squash which grew 5 feet in the air completely unsupported. If you are not sure when to pick your muskmelons, just wait, when they are ripe they will fall off. I’ve used a step ladder to pick pole beans and the big fishhook lima beans. Now let’s not get too carried away trying to grow watermelons or your Halloween pumpkin off the ground as the vines or the stem will not support that much weight.

I’ve provided some basics for finding your passion with a small vegetable garden. With a little water and bit of your time, you also will be successful in growing items for your dinner table, while finding peace and relaxation in your life.

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