Garden 2008

Garden 2008 ???? Yes...well...I've been planning !

Now that my little patch is filling up - I can see the mistakes. I can also see the plants that are working. I'm sure I will notice this more and more as the season wears on. I sat outside yesterday in the cool breeze with a pen and notebook in hand, and started to write down what I plan to do next year (by observing this year's garden). Always a sensible thing to do I think. Then I decided to record my notes on here, more as a reminder to myself than anyone else. I can add to the notes as the year progresses, and then resist all temptation to repeat the same mistakes as this year (yeah right). Make sense ?

1. Plan - I had no plan this year, none at all. We only decided a couple of months ago that we would convert the back patch to a growing garden, and I rushed, in my eagerness to get stuff growing. I'll make a proper plan, on paper, and stick to it.
2. Vegetables - grow less in the garden, and more in containers. I am a vegetable gardener at heart. I come from a long line of successful veggie growers - and would really love to concentrate on this, but this is a rented property, and I know the owner would not be pleased if I turned the whole garden over to veg. I am enjoying growing the few veg that we have at the moment (and so are the grandchildren) - peas, broad beans, lettuce (various), tomatoes, radish, peppers, aubergine. But...in reality...the garden is just too small for any serious sowing. If I want a proper veg garden, I would have to build raised beds as the young couple over at Fresh as a Daisy have done. (They're doing really well - worth a visit !) The peas 'n beans take up too much room. I only have a few plants of each growing and the yield will just not be worth the room they've taken up. I am still patiently waiting on the allotment list !!!
3. Roses - I love, love, love roses. I only have 2 - in containers. I want more roses next year. I'll continue to grow them in containers so they can move with me when we buy our own home.
4. Height - Add more plants for height next year.
5. Sweet peas - my few sweet peas will be blooming soon. I love these plants, and didn't put nearly enough in. I didn't prepare the ground well for them either. They are so easy when good prep. has been done, so I'll grow more next year, along the sunny-side fence.

Those were my thoughts yesterday. I'll keep adding to this category as I make my plans.

Comments

[katie]

this sounds like a good plan - we rent also - but on a very long term arrangement - i never want to leave here and for 22 ears it has been my home - so we have gardened the plot in many different ways - this year - quite neglectfully I'm afraid - but there are never enough hours in the day!
Good luck with your plans!

[Lorraine]

Thanks Katie. Wow - renting the same place for 22 years, that's a long time ! (I've just realised who you are - I've been lurking on your blog since you started it. LOL.)