Epic Garden Planning for 2023, A Look Back

It is that time of year again! Garden planning season! 

This is perhaps one of my favorite times of year.  As the winter slows us all down a bit, it is a time for me to reflect on the things that worked and the things that didn’t. I have learned in gardening, some years there are more things that didn’t work than did.  Learn from them and do better next time!

Gardening Season 2022 was definitely one of those seasons to learn from. As I reflect on this past season and look towards the next, I hope sharing some of my wins and learnings from this year may help you as you plan your new garden.

Lesson 1: Time is of the Essence

This year was a busy one for us. With the farmhouse in the final stages of readiness, I found myself with less and less waking time in which to do things other than keep the family running, my regular full time job, and keep the house moving forward. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t really plan my garden well for the circumstances we would find ourselves in.  I overcommitted and under delivered.

This lack of time led to some major frustrations for me which trickled down to my family.  What was supposed to be an escape for me became a disappointing chore. While it is not always possible to know what is coming in your year, if you know there are some major life changes happening I recommend to not follow in my footsteps.  It is okay to plant small or not plant at all some years if that is the phase of life you are in. 

While we will certainly have more time this year, I am going to try to be mindful of the things I add to my plate and the time I have and plan my garden to fit our family.

Lesson 2: Invasive Plants are Not Your Friend

Until this year, I never knew how invasive some plants could be, but boy did I get a lesson in it.  This aggressive plant (later I learned it is Lady’s Thumb and may be a beneficial edible, but I will need to do some more research on this!) took over our garden this year,  in part because I did not have the time to pull weeds daily, but also because it is AGGRESSIVE!  I have never seen a more aggressive plant than whatever this bad boy is called!

This plant spreads like wildfire once established and is nearly impossible to get rid of.  We especially had issues with it in our bean patches, resulting in our beans not doing as well because the plant crowded them out. Unfortunately we ended up having to pull the whole bed and replant because of the takeover. 

I don’t know if earlier intervention would have made a huge difference, but I do think being able to work in the garden every day would have helped keep the issue under control. The best way to control the weed without using herbicides is to dig it out.  I prefer a more natural approach due to pollinators, kids, and animals we have in and around the garden.  So pull we shall!’

Lesson 3: Take Stock of Your Inventory

I planted a lot of tomatoes this year…. I mean A Lot! It was a jungle of tomatoes in my garden. Not a problem, except I already had a ton of canned tomatoes in my cellar.  While not a big deal most years, I found that the combination of limited time, knotweed, and knowing I had enough already stored away, made me a more inefficient gardener.  

I like growing tomatoes. I enjoy pruning them and tying them, and working with them in general.  This year however they were a distraction for me.  I spent time working with the tomatoes that I should have spent elsewhere in the garden.  Mainly because they were the easier chore that would yield the most.  I just didn’t need them.  

When planning a garden, it is important to not only take stock of your time, but take stock of what you already have in your cellar and pantry and plan accordingly.  This year, I will still plant tomatoes, but it will be minimal compared to last years almost 40 plants. 

Lesson 4: Plan to Try Something New in this Year’s Garden Planning

The most fun thing about gardening is trying something new!  This year I planted potatoes for the very first time and boy were they a success! I loved everything about planting and growing potatoes.  We planted 10 lbs of potatoes  and yielded over 70 lbs of potatoes!! The kids loved digging these fun tubers with me when it was time to harvest and we spent the afternoon seeing who could find the biggest “treasure”. 

Potatoes will definitely be on our grow list again this year!

We also planted Sunflowers for the very first time along with Zinnias.  These were so fun to watch grown and the kids and our pollinators loved them! Flowers bring such joy to me in the garden. We saved our seeds and will be planting more next year along with other beneficial companion flowers! 

Lesson 5: Try Try Again

I mentioned before the Lady’s Thumb and bean incident.  It was so discouraging to have to pull an entire plot of beans and replant, but it was the right thing to do for our family. While we had green beans still put away from the previous year, we knew we would not have enough to do until the following summer so replant we did.  And I am so glad we did.  Although we had to replant, we had such a great yield from that second planting.  I picked beans all summer long and put enough away for my family in the coming year. 

While it can be discouraging to have to do something like that, if you do not try again you never give yourself the opportunity to succeed. 

Lesson 6: Save a Seed

Seed saving isn’t something new to me, but this past summer I was very thoughtful about the seeds I used in my garden. I focused on heirloom varieties that would allow me to grow this year and for years to come. This gives your garden longevity and saves your family tremendously in the long run.

Yes it takes a few minutes to process the seeds and package them away for storage, but one $2.00 pack of seeds will not only potentially yield pounds of fresh produce this year, but for the rest of your families life! How amazing is that to think about?! That is what I call food security!

Lesson 7: Use Mulch in your Garden Planning

Once the weeds took over and I began replanting, I decided to use mulch for the first time in my garden. What a game changer! The weeds still peeked through and would need to be pulled, but it made it much more manageable. Not only that, but mulching provides so many nutrients back to the soil which in turn is a natural fertilizer for your plants as it decomposes.

There are so many free or cheap sources of mulch like grass clippings, pine needles, leaves, wood chips, straw.

Garden Planning into 2023

As I begin looking through my existing seed stash and seed magazines start flowing into the farmhouse, I am excited for the new gardening year. The lessons learned this past year will continue to make me a better gardener and I hope they help you as well. The number one thing to remember is to never give up and keep trying! I hope you have a blessed 2023 gardening year and don’t forget to check out our other gardening posts and follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

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