Last year’s garden was a big, not entirely successful experiment. I hadn’t had a vegetable garden since I was a kid (when the adults did all the planning and most of the work, and in a very different growing climate as well), and Billy had never had a garden. We got off to a rocky start with the whole toxoplasmosis debacle, but by mid-spring things were going well. We were harvesting delicious spinach and kale. Not enough in any one harvest to feed the family, mind you, but enough to make side dishes and to hint at the bounty the summer garden would bring.
Except not so much with the bounty. Last year’s summer garden offered up bites of tasty things here and there, but never enough quantity. Excited by the possibilities of my first garden, I’d planted a little bit of a lot of things. Way too much variety for our limited space.
This year, we’re looking at the garden as an asset to help reduce our food bill. I’m planting large (for the space we have) quantities of only a few things, focusing on the things we like best that cost the most at the grocery store or farmer’s market.
We also ran into trouble with plants just not producing. Remember how some of you were worried I would be overrun by zucchini because I’d planned for two zucchini plants? We didn’t get a SINGLE zucchini last year. Not a one. The beets never matured. The broccoli produced maybe a mouthful per plant. By all accounts, it was a weird, cool year last year, with a spring that came late. I think I could have offset some of the climate weirdness by starting more seeds inside instead of relying so heavily on direct sowing. So this year, as you can see in the photo, I’m starting some things inside to be planted out later in the spring. Specifically Brussels sprouts, broccoli raab, zucchini, winter squash, and artichoke. I’m still direct sowing some stuff. Arugula, spinach, chard, and kale will be direct sown this week. I think I’ll also sow some broccoli raab and see which does better, seeds or starts.
The fall/winter garden? I was so disappointed by the non-existent summer yields, and so burned out by all the other crap going on last summer, that it never happened. I did forget about some garlic and it managed to overwinter nicely on its own, so we’ll have (hopefully) a bit of a garlic harvest pretty soon.
And so (Everyone playing Fantasy Gardening, get those garden maps out now):
We’re going heavy on the greens this year: arugula, spinach, chard, kale, broccoli raab. We aren’t doing broccoli again. It wants too much space for the little bit it produces and broccoli isn’t expensive in season here.
Come summer, many bean plants. The bush beans were great producers last year (Maxibel) and we’re going to do twice as many of those, and some pole beans as well.
The blueberry bushes and the strawberry crowns are moving to the front yard where they will thrive or die in our rather shady lot. Berries are cheap and plentiful in season here. If I’d known how cheap and how plentiful, I never would have planted berries. The space they’re giving up will instead be used for those space-hoggy summer and winter squashes.
No more attempts at okra or watermelon. Okra and watermelon in Oregon? Yeah. That space can be used for more beans! Another squash plant.
Many, many containers to make up for the fact that we don’t really have room for another raised bed. Tomatoes in the containers, sure, but also greens and beans. Brussels sprouts in containers for summer, then more Brussels sprouts started in containers and planted in the garden for fal/winter, and the artichoke plants (planning on two) in huge permanent pots, since they’re perennials but the best spot for them is on the patio.
This year we can also start harvesting from the asparagus bed, though we’ll have to use restraint. I’m curious to see if 15 crowns will produce enough asparagus to make it worth having so much space dedicated to them. If not, we may need to rethink the asparagus bed in a few years.
Wow…this must be fascinating reading to anyone outside my own head. Sorry. But hey–look on the bright side. The garden-planning post is now safely behind us.
we’ve re-evaluated our garden space, too. you should see my spread sheet…
our zucchini plant produced a lot and we only had one.
AND SHE’S OFF!!!! I’m pissed you can start so early! 15 asparagus crowns should do GREAT. I only started with 12, and a few have died. They struggled along for many years because I believed what I read, which was: put them in the ground and forget about them. WRONG. They really really really really REALLY like compost, which I now dress them with twice a year, AND lime, because our soil is acid clay. Once I tried that (fearfully, because I was afraid it would kill it), my harvest has improved multi-fold!
Are you kidding? We’re big gardeners (even my tattoo is about gardening) and I love, love, love to read/hear about other gardening adventures. So please garden-blog all you want.
PS – it’s a good thing Norma commented before I did – she’d probably die if she knew we’re harvesting peas and carrots, and should have spinach soon down here in CA! 🙂
From what little I know about asparagus once it gets going it grows like a weed and can over run garden.
I read somewhere, when doing my anthro degree, that the aztecs planted beans, corn and squash together. Something about each plant providing for the other seeds in the same pod. Gosh I wish I could remember more…perhaps I will try this combination in my own garden this summer!
Sadly there is no gardening here in the northern prairies we are still in the middle of snow storms and wind chills of -27….sigh.
I wish we could grow things, but it’s asphalt and concrete right up to our windows and the only dirt around is not anything I would plant food in. I though about doing window boxes but we’re right on a busy four lane road and with all the traffic and crazy homeless people I don’t think I trust that either. So I will live vicariously through your gardening posts and be grateful I don’t have to do the weeding.
green with vegetable envy…
I enjoy reading about your garden, too!
I am glad you are getting back out in the garden! From my own experience, gardening is alot of experimentation, what plants and varieties of plants do best in your place, the best time to plant etc etc. Its all stuff that you learn along the way.
Good luck with it, we are putting more emphasis on our garden too, as the US financial crisis is starting to filter through to us in Australia, and hubby has just lost one of his main contracts…
I love the garden posts! Hopefully this year will be a little bit warmer and more normal.
My zucchini was a bust this year two. I was cautious and planted only two plants. And I got a whopping two zucchini before the leaves got all dusty/moldy and turned brown. I’ve replanted two more plants, but they’re going the same way. I bought another strain of zucchini the other day . . . maybe it was just a fluke.
The commenter above who talked about the Aztecs – it’s called a Three Sisters garden. In one of my seed catalogs (forget which one), they sold all three types of seeds together.
I love reading detailed accounts of other people’s gardening plans. It gets me excited for the possibilities in my own yard. Your plan sounds wonderful, and I really like the idea of a massive vegetable garden entirely devoted to greens. How pretty that will look when things are maturing!
This year–some way, some how, I’m going to grow tomatoes. Any kind. Homegrown are so much better than the cardoard flavored ones you get at the grocery store.
As I look out over the melting snow-whiteness, I am delighted to see a garden planning post.
delurking to say that is WAS a fascinating post, and an inspiring one! can’t wait to have a little backyard garden of my own.
It IS fascinating reading to me! I love reading about your knitting, writing, and family but my absolute favorites are the gardening posts. Good luck with the weather this year.
I’ve always had good luck with Brussels sprouts. From my experience, 2-4 plants yield way more sprouts than our family of two could ever hope to eat. I’m looking forward to seeing how your garden turns out. Good luck for a green thumb this year!
I am in the same Fantasy Gardening place…one word: guilds. Plant the corn, beans, and squash together and their roots will feed each other, plus it makes attractive little Veggie Islands for Thumper to run around.
I recommend Royal Burgundy purple beans. They do very well in cool wet weather. They are the first bean I plant in the spring, when the weather is still iffy. Easy to pick, too, because you can find them! Unfortunately, they turn green when you cook them.
Hello fron Kent england,
i ve just read your recent post on poor yields last year and perhaps you could improve your crop size by creating one large narrow bed.put the plastic hoops over it and cover with pond netting.mini ploy tunnel style.dig it over and add fresh compost now and you ll have very happy plants!
I’m with you on garden experimentation…I think it takes a few years in a particular garden to really hit your stride.
I don’t have easy access to a good farmers market, so I’m trying to focus on the things that I either need on impulse (herbs, green onions, garlic scapes) and the things for which homegrown flavor cannot be beat (tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.
I love reading about your garden plans. It inspires me with own small plot.
Good luck!
I love hearing about gardening, too! I have to wait another year to try my asparagus. I didn’t have even one zucchini last year either, from 3 plants. I’m converting some of my ornamental yard to food – planting artichokes out front, I have 2 blueberry bushes, and I’m putting in a kiwi vine – Raintree has a small one. I’m doing lots of tomatoes, you can freeze them whole to make sauce from later. Also doing strawberries in towers. If only I can keep the slugs and cutworms at bay this year . . .
I don’t have a garden, never had one, but still I found this very fascinating. I even dug out my dictionary to check out some of the vegetable names. 🙂
I can hardly wait for gardening season though we’re still two months away. You’re right that it’s a great way to cut back on the grocery bill for a short time (well a longer time for those of you living in such warm areas). Have lots of fun with it!