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Become A Square Foot Gardening Teacher -- Earn Extra Income by Attending 'Square Foot University'

'Square Foot Gardening' Creator, Mel Bartholomew to Hold Three-Day Teacher Certification Program at Gardener's Supply

Gardener's Supply, specializing in garden-tested, earth-friendly products, will host best-selling author and creator of the revolutionary "Square Foot Garden" system, Mel Bartholomew, to host a Certified Teacher Symposium in Spring called 'Square Foot University.'

Bartholomew's innovative technique, known as "Square Foot Gardening," recommends growing vegetables in wide, raised beds using a 12" x 12" planting grid. Compared with a traditional vegetable garden that's planted in rows, a square foot garden yields more food in less space with far less effort.

Bartholomew and his staff will be conducting a three-day seminar running Thursday, April 22 through Saturday, April 24. Participants will become certified to teach the Square Foot Gardening technique in their own communities. Once someone becomes a Certified Square Foot Gardening instructor, then they are authorized to set up their own teaching workshops and earn extra income.

Registration for the three-day course is $165 and includes all materials. For additional information and to register, gardeners may visit the official site of the Square Foot Gardening Foundation: www.squarefootgardening.com. Click on Square Foot University. Registration is limited to 30.

"I'm thrilled to be partnering with Gardener's Supply. We share the common goal of helping more and more people discover the fun and satisfaction of growing their own food," said Bartholomew.

Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening at Gardener's Supply, helped to rekindle the partnership with Bartholomew, which began back in the late 1970s. "Mel's Square Foot Gardening technique makes it so easy to plant a vegetable garden. It's exactly the sort of step-by-step approach that new gardeners are looking for," says LaLiberte.

"Last year we introduced an interactive planning tool that we call the Kitchen Garden Planner. People can choose from almost 50 different crops and they can print out a custom planting map that shows exactly how many plants will fit in each square foot," continued LaLiberte.

A System That Makes Gardening Possible Nearly Anywhere
Bartholomew invented the square foot gardening system to eliminate the drudgery and hard work of single row gardening; to extend the harvest season; and to make gardening easy -- even for people with zero experience. A square foot garden makes it possible to grow vegetables in nearly any small space, with less water and less work than a traditional garden.

The techniques were first described in a best-selling book, Square Foot Gardening, which Bartholomew wrote 35 years ago. The original edition, recently updated and renamed All New Square Foot Gardening, became the most popular gardening book in America, with more than 2 million copies sold.

The book also spawned a nationally syndicated PBS television series, and inspired Bartholomew's work to help people with disabilities and limited mobility, children and families, and communities in developing countries all enjoy the benefits of square foot gardening.

Founded in 1983, Gardener's Supply is an employee-owned company of avid gardeners providing garden-tested, earth-friendly products and practical how-to information. Located in Burlington, Vermont, the company has won many awards for its patented products. Gardener's Supply can be found on the web at gardeners.com.