There are little snowdrops blooming in my garden today. I
took a walk around the yard, was smiling to see just one little snow patch left
to melt. It got me thinking of all the things I want to remember from what I learned
LAST year, in my first year ‘turn my front yard into a garden’ adventure.
1 1. Keep a journal. It will make making such a list
much easier. In reality, I captured a lot of the garden learning in photos. I
still want to keep a log of things, to ease the strain on my brain.
2. Plant the things you really liked and don’t worry about the other stuff. For me, it is really all about the tomatoes. Last year in a 4’ x 8’ bed I grew more than 450 tomatoes, in 8 varieties. It was the pride of my summer. I also love to grow (and eat!) swiss chard, beans, basil, rosemary, leeks, carrots, lettuces, and brussel sprouts and a big container of mint. I will try to grow squash again, although mine caught bugs and fungus and were gone too quick last year. I will skip cauliflower, kale and broccoli.
3. I have always loved old cotton sheets, the kind that have little birds or flowers embroidered on them, and always feel cool to your cheek on a summer night. Well, those sheets, once wor n and tattered make one of my favorite garden tools – cotton strips for tying plants. Especially in my tomato bed, I love to see all the strips blowing in the breeze amongst the green of the plants and the red & yellow of the fruit.
4. Talk about the food we eat at our family dinner table – it is interesting to talk about where our food comes from and my family is proud and happy of the food we grow and the food we get from our farm share and our city farmers market.
5. Share. I think I have this one down, but like the reminder. Share the food, share the fun, share the knowledge. Share my enthusiasm.
6. Move a table to the front yard for al fresco dinners in the garden. We have a back yard table where we ate at a lot last year, but I want to have coffee, breakfast and snacks in the front yard garden too. This is a big lesson learned for me that I am excited to implement.
7. Find a way to count and predict and celebrate. Maybe we will make guesses to how many tomatoes we will grow this year, or what will be ready by someone’s visit or birthday? Maybe we will guess how many local meals we can make between June and September. Maybe we will host a pot-local luck garden dinner…endless opportunities.
2. Plant the things you really liked and don’t worry about the other stuff. For me, it is really all about the tomatoes. Last year in a 4’ x 8’ bed I grew more than 450 tomatoes, in 8 varieties. It was the pride of my summer. I also love to grow (and eat!) swiss chard, beans, basil, rosemary, leeks, carrots, lettuces, and brussel sprouts and a big container of mint. I will try to grow squash again, although mine caught bugs and fungus and were gone too quick last year. I will skip cauliflower, kale and broccoli.
3. I have always loved old cotton sheets, the kind that have little birds or flowers embroidered on them, and always feel cool to your cheek on a summer night. Well, those sheets, once wor n and tattered make one of my favorite garden tools – cotton strips for tying plants. Especially in my tomato bed, I love to see all the strips blowing in the breeze amongst the green of the plants and the red & yellow of the fruit.
4. Talk about the food we eat at our family dinner table – it is interesting to talk about where our food comes from and my family is proud and happy of the food we grow and the food we get from our farm share and our city farmers market.
5. Share. I think I have this one down, but like the reminder. Share the food, share the fun, share the knowledge. Share my enthusiasm.
6. Move a table to the front yard for al fresco dinners in the garden. We have a back yard table where we ate at a lot last year, but I want to have coffee, breakfast and snacks in the front yard garden too. This is a big lesson learned for me that I am excited to implement.
7. Find a way to count and predict and celebrate. Maybe we will make guesses to how many tomatoes we will grow this year, or what will be ready by someone’s visit or birthday? Maybe we will guess how many local meals we can make between June and September. Maybe we will host a pot-local luck garden dinner…endless opportunities.
How about you, what garden lessons will you take with you
into your Garden2014?
Yay!! I'll enjoy following your garden adventures! We're planting today!
ReplyDeleteHeather! Miss that growing zone. We are a few weeks out to planting in my yard. There is still some snow.
ReplyDelete