Shoppers tired of paying two dollars for a tomato and fed up of forking out for overpriced aubergines are being urged to grow their own in square foot gardens.

Mini-garden guru Guy Bartholemew is in Bermuda this week showcasing the simple concept at the Ag Show with the help of schools already versed in the art of cultivating the raised plots.

Once built, the gardens take a few minutes a day to maintain ? much of that will be harvesting the produce.

The whole system is very low maintenance and low tech, said Mr. Bartholemew, making gardening no longer the onerous chore it once seemed.

?Single row gardening is a lot of work ? especially when you have to dig up the ground and then improve it. ?Most of the ground is not really good for growing. We say with square foot gardening let?s eliminate all that hard work. Let?s build a box above the ground and fill it with a perfect soil mix.?

The secret is in the soil ? one third peat moss, one third coarse vermiculite and one third compost. That mix has no wheat seeds likely to spawn tiresome weeds.

?You don?t need a hoe, fork or a spade. You don?t need any tools. You can buy all these at your nursery or make the compost yourself. If you can?t afford to buy peat moss or vermiculite you can have just have pure compost.?

The main work is in creating the box although even that needn?t take long or cost money as scrap wood from a dump or building site will do the trick and last ages. Holes are needed in the bottom of the box for drainage.

He has been spreading the concept around the world where materials used to make the plots have included cinder block and bamboo as well as wood.

Gardens need not be more than six inches deep said Mr. Bartholemew who believes they provide five times the harvest of a conventional garden.

All that is needed is a sunny spot not prone to puddling after rain.

The permanent square foot grid subdividing the plot makes it attractive and easier to manage as any encroaching weeds are easier to spot. Once harvested the mini plots to be replenished with a bit of compost. ?A two by two would fit on somebody?s balcony, patio or near their pool.?

A three foot by three foot creation is perfect for youthful horticulturalists while grown-ups can get more out of a four by four giving 16 different crops to plant. It?s enough to yield a fresh, varied and large salad every day of the year for an adult, said Mr. Bartholemew.

A four by four should give most people all the options they need but those with smaller plots can subdivide the squares, scraping the divisions with their fingers if they wish. ?All plants fit in a square foot ? everything ? all vegetables and flowers.?

As most novice gardeners know, even when you have managed to finally get a vegetable to grow it normally ends up in the stomachs of insects or toads before you get anywhere near plonking it on your plate.

That?s an easy problem to solve with small, self-contained gardens. Simply criss-cross the patch with two PVC pipes to form a dome and fasten a net over the lot.

Cover it with clear plastic and you have your own mini-greenhouse for the chilly winter months.

His stall at the Ag Show has attracted a lot of interest.

?We appeal to people who don?t have a lot of time, space, money or knowledge ? they are afraid to garden because they think it is too much work.?

The next generation are less apprehensive.

?When we go into schools to teach the kids they just love to garden.?

The all-natural concept needs no fertilisers or pesticides while the planting method requires no thinning and very few seeds and can be started in any season.

The method also uses only 20 percent of the water needed in conventional gardening according to Mr. Bartholemew?s website www.squarefootgardening.com.

Seniors who loved to garden the old way but found it too backbreaking can get busy again. Wheelchair bound gardeners can tend their crops by putting their garden on a table.

And the hard-pressed consumer can save a small fortune on fresh veg.

When pointed out the highly extravagant prices charged for staple foods in Bermuda?s groceries Mr. Bartholemew exclaimed: ?Holy mackerel!?

He added: ?If everyone did this on the Island we wouldn?t have to wait for planes to fly in fresh vegetables. If tomatoes are two dollars apiece we can grow our own.

?It doesn?t mean you are going to grow all your food. This isn?t farming. But this, particularly for children this will improve their nutrition and give them something fresh to eat.?

Square foot gardening will be championed throughout Government departments, schools and health centres in the coming year said Mr. Bartholemew. He hopes everyone will opt for a small garden outside their backdoor.

Hotels will also be lobbied to grown their own herbs ? a sure-fire selling point for discerning diners believes Mr. Bartholemew.

?When all the people eating look out the window they will say ?Wow, look how fresh everything is!?.?

Box building could be an interesting small business opportunity if the idea takes off. ?There?s so many opportunities there.?

Government agricultural officer Tommy Sinclair is fully behind the concept although he admitted one of the soil ingredients vermiculite ? a type of rock which has been heated until it pops ? is difficult to find in cheap bulk quantities. The material helps aerate the soil while keeping it moist.

But he hopes nurseries will respond to demand by shipping in more affordable vermiculite when the concept takes off.

Peat moss is available from most outlets while Marsh Folly dump has tonnes of free compost. Mixing that with home-made compost and animal manure will give a rich mix to get a garden started on the cheap said Mr. Sinclair.

Compost makers, available at a cost price of $55 each, are available from the Marsh Folly dump although payment must be done at the Works and Engineering building above the General Post Office in Hamilton.