Regardless of the crazy year almost behind us, the last few days of any year I tend to get reflective about what has passed and also think about what might be to come. I can't say I generally make "resolutions" per se, but I do try to start making some plans and thinking about goals I would like to hit for the months and year to come. Even when times are uncertain, or perhaps especially so, I think it is still important to give yourself something to work towards, even on the smallest of levels.
2020 Catalog
For me, one of the joys of this time of year is looking forward to our spring garden. Last year my boyfriend's mother gave us our first seed catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds for Christmas. I remember cozying up with a blanket and taking my time enjoying perusing the hundreds of wonderful pages full of plants. I dog-eared all the items I wanted to try to grow and eventually put in an order for our 2020 garden.
New to our 2020 garden
We had some great success with a number of the items I chose to add to our collection of saved and purchased seeds. The beans did well considering it was our first time growing them, and we learned some good lessons to hopefully have an even better harvest this year. I still have plenty of the seeds above to grow more in 2021. The lemon cukes were the biggest success, which shouldn't be surprising given how well cucumbers do in our climate. The patty pan and candy roaster squashes also offered up a fine yield, which we hope to replicate going forward.
New seeds for 2021
A few weeks ago I got the latest version of the free catalog from Baker Creek to inspire my choices to add for the coming year. Before making any purchases, I pulled out our collection of seeds from years past to get rid of any duds and see what we still had so I didn't buy more than we really need. We do save seeds from our own garden hauls and often from items I buy from local farmers at the market. Some of our best growers have been volunteers from the compost bin or seeds saved from previous hauls. Once I cleaned house, it was time to dream about juicy tomatoes and fresh herbs not too far in the future...
What's New?
We have quite a good herb garden already, but there were a few items I have been meaning to procure for a while. I finally remembered to add lavender to keep the pollinators happy and rosemary (how the heck did I not already have rosemary?) to my new order. We were also in need of more basil seeds since we were down to the last of the purple basil seeds from last year. I also decided to try planting some marigolds in a few of the beds as some of my online gardening buddies have suggested them for pest control. Plus, why not add some flowers to the mix?
We had some gorgeous tomato plants last year, although we fought a good battle against the caterpillars and squirrels to harvest many of the mature fruits. The boyfriend's golden fertilizer did so well we actually realized we probably overcrowded the beds, as well. Always a learning experience this gardening thing. I picked out a few different tomato varieties this year, a larger and cherry size since the smaller ones tend to make it to the plate easier with less snatching from the pests. A new eggplant was also on the order as we somehow missed growing any this past year. I opted for a green variety this time around since it is not one I've seen locally. That's one of the great things about growing your own--you can get heirloom items you wouldn't otherwise have access to!
Our fig tree we got this year from a clipping is doing quite well, as are our transplanted strawberry plants from another family friend, but as a fruit lover I wanted to add some melons to my dream harvest. My dad had some great success in 2020 taking control over his health and going mostly plant based in his dietary intake. Watermelon was his favorite fruit of the summer. Given that we had great success with a local heirloom this last year (the candy roaster squash), I opted for a Georgia variety of watermelon to try for this year. It would be wonderful to have enough to share with him as he continues his healthy lifestyle. My mother loves melons, as well, so we'll see how the Golden Jenny does for us, too!
The only rattlesnake welcome in my yard...
We'll also grow other staples like more cucumbers, some greens, summer and autumn squashes, along with whatever else we have in our seed collection. I still want to try to work on our planning for autumn/winter growing as we can't seem to get the timing right, but we tend to do quite well for spring/summer. As I wrote in an article for our holiday corporate challenge, just the fun of dreaming and planning what we might be able to grow is quite enjoyable for me. It's a great way to forget about any current stresses or challenges. Gardening can be hard work and there's always pests and mother nature that often put a wrench in your plans, but ultimately it is a very satisfying process. To put the tiniest of seeds in the dirt then watch it grow from seedling, to flowering, to fruiting--it never ceases to amaze me.
A monster cucumber plant from 2020.
There's nothing like watching that first pop of green coming out from the dirt once you start planting our seedlings. We'll start quite a bit of our spring garden indoors in just a few months, so it's easy to monitor the process daily. Plus there is just something so nice about it being cold outside and knowing once it is warm your little plant babies will really start to flourish. Growing from seed definitely takes more patience, but as I said above, you have so much more access to different plants than just buying plants from the local store. Though that can be a great option if you get started late or don't have the time to nurture a plant from seed. There are so many ways to dip your toes in the gardening waters. Whether you just grow a few herbs in containers or plan a whole yard full of outdoor beds, every little bit that we take control over our own food production is a beautiful thing.
Looking ahead...
There were a lot of things that didn't go the way I planned for this past year, but I'm happy to be looking ahead and thinking about what I want to accomplish in the days to come. This year taught me to be even more patient and flexible in many ways, but it also gave me lessons in perseverance and fortitude. Those values are important in life and gardening. And I have a feeling there will be plenty more life lessons ahead...
I'm just grateful to have an outdoor haven to look forward to escaping to again. Really, I know how lucky I am to have the security to do something as simple as gardening. I can only hope this coming year sees even more people starting their own gardens. I saw so many people jumping in this year, and it was a blast to follow along with them! I really have no idea what 2021 will bring as a whole, but there will be plants...lots and lots of plants...
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NOTHING BETTER in turbulent times than planting a garden. And replanting. And harvesting, tending, weeding. LOVE the grounded-earthy sense of it all.
Are they PUMPKIN seeds in your hand???!!! 😆
I was just laughing thinking about commenting on your post because I did indeed get a packet of heirloom pumpkin seeds. The seeds in my hand in the cover photo were from my candy roaster squash, which is basically a long pumpkin, haha. Same family. They were some great meaty seeds delicious for roasting, though I did keep some for planting this year again. I still have a few of our volunteer butternut squash left from the season. It was crazy how well that one plant did, especially given it was a volunteer vine. Talk about cheap food!
I always heard'em called rabbit ears.
2021's in just a couple days, right? I keep meaning to look at the calendar. You got me beat in the prepared department.
Dogs, rabbits...they're all fluffy. And yes, last I checked it starts some time in the next few days. Though at this point it will probably just feel like another Friday at home. Trying to find those silver linings. Gardening is definitely one of the benefits of staying put at least. ;)
After all the... stuff that's been going on this month, let alone this year, reading your post was just the balm my soul needed (and I'm still chuckling over the name of those watermelon seeds). There was a time, not too long ago, that I used to get the Burpee catalog every year & would do much the same with marking the pages, but that's as far as my gardening ever got. Thank you for letting me plant vicariously through your blog. I can't wait to see what you grow for plants (and posts) in the coming year!
Just the image alone on that seed packet was too good not to give them a try! I think just looking through a catalog of gorgeous plants is enough to boost anyone's spirit. I'd love to look through even if we didn't have a garden, too. This year I think we just need to find joy where we can, in any small amount. Happy I can share a wee bit of mine with you as I know there have been many times you have returned the favor! 🤗
We just bought Thyme and Oregano. We plan to grow some herbs. But not yet sure about bigger things. Glad to have your inspiration.
That's a great place to start! I think mint was the first thing I ever grew, then we expanded to some other herbs. After that I think we just did a few basics that grow well here like tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. Every year we go a little bigger and a little bit more diverse, but we still have a lot to learn!
You've turned into quite the consummate gardener! A great theme for the end of the year - harvest the seeds ready for the new year, and a reflection on what did well and waht didn't. I'm with you on the smaller varieties of tomatoes - fast, plump and plentiful. I like the ones that aren't quite cherries or small tomatoes but somewhere in between. Just had the first ones ripen - 4 days after Chrimbo is great guns for us. Haven't had as much success with - oh darn, I think I need to write my own post lol. xx
Oh yes, I am always happy to see some garden updates! Especially since you've got a lot more going on than we do in your current season. It really is fun to plan, though. We still are really amateurs in a lot of ways, but enthusiasm makes up for a lot, haha. I'm definitely spending a good bit of time reflecting on things as we close out the year, though trying to focus more on what is ahead than on what is now in the past. 💚
Unfortunately here the weather is unpredictable. The heavy rain and high heat on the same day made it difficult for me to plant. I am planning a roof on my garden so that I can replant in the future. I wish I could be successful in planting. I'm still bad enough for that.
That is definitely tough when you have such wild swings in weather! Hopefully you can find a few things that work in your part of the world. Sometimes just a little protection against the elements can make all the difference. We would love to have a poly tunnel like @riverflows some day so we can extend our growing season. We'll get there some day! Until then we are pretty lucky here in how much can grow in the elements.
I love this... very interesting
Thanks @micky-teflon. Do you do any gardening yourself? :)
You are welcome dear @plantstoplanks. I'm just about to start gardening because I'm a lover of gardening too.
Awesome! You'll have to share your progress here. Lots of gardeners to connect with all over the Hive world. :)
Alright! Thank you so much.
Hi plantstoplanks,
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Thanks @curie!
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