Not all keyhole gardens are round. In the photos below we illustrate how we created a small rectangular overgrown space into a good looking, functional, sheet mulched square keyhole garden. Doing this instead of rows in such a tight space almost doubled the surface area for planting. The form is not only visually pleasing, but the keyhole allows for easy access for harvesting and planting.
The garden plot before shot
Brought in compost and straw (highly recommend to make compost on site)
Turned over grasses
Laid down cardboard in thick layers. This application is about 2.5 layers. Make sure to overlap and leave no gaps and soak in water
Add 3″ of compost and soak with water
Add 8-10″ of straw and soak with water (preferably not sprayed with any chemicals – herbicide being the worst)
Arrange seedlings where they will be planted – pack them in tight (10″ apart in diamond pattern)
Plant the bed out and water in
For a more in depth video on keyhole and mandala gardens click here.
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