About Us

We are a couple living in Northern Maine and exploring more healthy and closer to the land ways to feed ourselves and those we love. While we don't plan to move into a yurt anytime soon, we do hope to be able to freeze, can, and otherwise put up more of our diet than we do currently.

She is the more experienced gardener but also a transplant and still working to adapt her gardening skills to the shorter season and more extreme climate. He is the mathematics, the builder, the all around researcher.
The Contained Chaos title came about as a reflection of how we have complemented one another and come to a very workable place using both our talents. He will be the one doing all of the "containing" while she will be working on the "chaos" end. :)

My method of planting initially involved sort of putting a plant wherever and then mowing around it. For quite a while he mowed around the various planters, chimney liners being used as planters, random bushy things in the lawn but eventually he said, "can I build you a pretty box around that dear?" quickly followed by, "just because you mow around it doesn't make it a flower bed!"

For the square foot gardens we will be relying heavily on Max Bartholomew's seminal text on square foot gardens. Other gardens and perennial beds will be a blend of our particular styles, knowledge and or sheer dumb blind luck!