Amanda here, Growing Hope Executive Director-- and a proud member of the Four Square Society as well! (True, that I thought it up-- with help from Murph & Lisa & Mark last year...)
In my own garden, I converted what had been mounded raised beds (using tons of compost) to 4 x 4 foot wooden raised beds. I've never been good at-- or interested in, really-- "coloring within the lines." This year, though, I am excited to be "gardening within the lines," and the square foot garden method is helping me do that. I've tried square foot gardening before-- but more so in a rough way, measuring the blocks in the beginning, but not sticking to them. This year, in my raised beds, I've used old measuring tape (and then supplemented that when I ran out with new ones from the dollar store) to affix a permanent grid. It looks so nice and orderly!
I've already harvested a lot of mixed lettuce & arugula, had multiple run-ins with multiple woodchucks who keep mowing certain things down, and experimented with a little hoophouse structure to extend the season (which is why I had so much early lettuce.
