Our end of the summer season garden haul included raspberries, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, carrots, and zucchinis. Still have lots of tomatoes and peppers to pick as well as kale that I’m hoping will continue to grow. Plus a few herbs like mint (that lasts through autumn) and rosemary (that can be harvested year round). After 3 years of trial and error when it comes to gardening (as a girl that previously had a black thumb), I thought it was time to share a few tips that we’ve learned during the process!
5 GARDENING TIPS FROM A NON-GARDENER
- BUY A BOOK > SURFING THE WEB: This ones for those of us that get easily overwhelmed with loads of information. Of course the www has it’s place, but I’ve found it’s better for solving specific problems or questions and less helpful for planning. The book we used when starting out was, Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners. It still comes in handy!
- DON’T GROW PLANTS THAT YOU DON’T ALREADY EAT/USE/LOVE: Might sound like common sense, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to get carried away with buying seeds and starts (been there!)! Gardening requires a certain amount of attention and it’s difficult to stay motivated if you aren’t eating or using what you’re growing.
- ADD A FEW PLANTS YOU KNOW WILL GROW WELL: It’s nice to have a few crops you can count on! Mint and raspberries are basically weeds and we’ve had a lot of luck with most squashes/pumpkins (including zucchinis), rosemary, tomatoes, bell peppers (this one surprised me!), salad greens including kale and arugula, and cucumbers. Cabbage and garlic also have the reputation for being easy, but we haven’t tried yet (hopefully next spring!).
- GET TO KNOW YOUR PLANTS & THEIR HARVEST PERIOD: This is one of the things we’ve learned along the way. Certain plants will produce all season while others have shorter harvest periods, don’t tolerate the summer heat, or are one-and-done. Knowing helps with expectations and clearing space to plant new crops.
- THE SOIL: We live in an area with lots of farmland so have the perk of healthy soil without much work, but am learning that the soil temperature is important for certain crops too… next year we’ll be using mulch in certain beds to keep insulated from cold/heat, and hopefully (finally) be able to grow broccoli successfully!
Last thought is this. Each year your garden will improve, so don’t get hung up on how you’re starting, what it looks like, or what you have/don’t have. Just start! 3 years ago our yard was a total disaster with roaming chickens, piles of dirt, and a couple raised bed. Now our backyard (and the garden specifically) is one of my favorite places to spend time, and we’re only about halfway done fixing it up!
Will try to share a little more of the planting process, next spring, but now’s a good time to start planning your actual garden space. Do you want to use containers, raised beds, or plant straight in the ground? Is there any prep-work that needs to happen? How much room do you have to work with? Do you want to buy starts, grow your own, or plant seeds directly in the garden? What produce do you buy at the store that you could grow instead? Do you have friends that garden to ask questions or is there a book that might help? Just a few things you can decide now to make spring planting easier!
ily, Rae
OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE: DINNER TONIGHT: SUMMER GARDEN PASTA, CHICKEN UPDATE + THE COOP!, BASEMENT LINEN CLOSET AFTER
Leave a Reply