A garden update

Fall sunflowers - cultivatedrambler.comIt’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these so I thought it might be good to review my goals from this year’s growing season and start to pencil in new ones for 2016. I mean, I am a planner you know! Looking back, I didn’t accomplish as much as I’d liked but it was definitely a year for learning.

GOALS for 2015

  • Figure out a rain barrel system and add at least 2 to house – D. Well this did not happen. After purchasing some supplies to start this, I ran into too many road blocks and gave up. Fortunately, our water bill wasn’t high at all this summer, even though it was a scorcher. I don’t think I’ll keep this as a priority as it isn’t recommended for watering vegetable gardens.
  • Add raised bed next to shed OR try straw bale gardening – C+.So this happened and it was a fail. I couldn’t keep the pests off them and every little seedling got eaten. I suspect it might have been because of the proximity of my compost pile, but either way, I won’t be trying this again. Luckily, I’ve got good straw for my garden next year.
  • Add fruit trees and blueberries plus herbs to patio bed – A+ on this one! We added four fruit trees plus more herbs this year. I hope to even add more next year. Muah!
  • Attempt winter gardening – F. This did not happen this year with Europe in the mix. I COULD have been a bit more proactive in August and I’ve still got this month to get things started if I really want to but I’d rather focus on putting things to bed properly to start fresh in the spring.
  • Add a bee house – C. I didn’t do this, but I did make a few bee watering ponds and placed them around the yard. So there.
  • Add more flowers – B. I loved, loved, loved sunflowers this year so will definitely plant them again! I had mixed reviews on my flower seed starts – the cosmos did well but everything else sorta flopped. Note to self: just buy starts instead of trying to grow from seed.
  • Add rocks to front flower bed and plant bulbs – D. I didn’t get to the rocks part as I’m looking for free landscape rocks but I did plant some bulbs, which didn’t fair well. I might just pull up the weed barrier and soil and let this bed go back to grass for lower maintenance.
  • Add tomatoes in front yard? N/A. I didn’t need to because they do so freaking well in the garden. We harvested tomatoes until mid-October.

GOALS for 2016

  • Make new raspberry bed next to shed and add new everbearing varieties – I think I’m going to try to order from Raintree Nursery this year.
  • Get current raspberry bushes healthy again – I just cut them all down (sad face) and am going to give them a second chance next year armed with organic fungicide.
  • Move strawberries to border patio beds and add new ones in main garden.
  • Add two blueberry evergreen bushes to the patio bed plus two to the front side yard – I’ll get these at the Seattle Tilth spring sale. The three I got last year rocked this summer.
  • Add two dwarf peach trees to the side yard.
  • Find a better way to net the garden. An ongoing problem…those freaking birds.
  • Build a permanent compost bin.
  • Divide main garden bed into 6 or 8 smaller patches for easier management. Add perennials and/or herbs to give it more of a punch and attract bees! Bee balm!
  • Prune apple trees. This guide is helpful.
  • Continue to maintain a pesticide free and organic garden!

OK, are you a crazy garden lady like me armed with a plan or do you let your planning happen more organically? Please don’t let me be the ONLY freaky planner here.

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