Now that the growing season is almost over and I have documented some of what I have learned this year , I think it is time to start doing research for next year. Plans: Winter: Get the Compost going so I can use it in the spring. Create some homemade trelluses from branches I cut when trimming trees. Find / Buy a couple 2×6s to hold soil in the new Garden I have planned for the Spring. Early Spring: Start the Seeds in the mini contianers I have from last years' flower purchase. Buy some Garden Soil for the Garden Box. Break up a 10 foot x 10 foot section in the hill in the backyard for garden. Install the 2×6s to hold in the soil. Mix in the Soil and Compost Started in the Winter. Plant the seedlings after the first frost. Spring and Summer: Document the Growth of my Garden What I want to plant in the Garden of 2008: Big Boy Tomatoes (seeds stolen from a friend at work) Roma Tomatoes (seeds from 2007 crop) Cucumbers (seeds from 2007 crop) Squash (will have to buy the seed) Sunflowers (will have to buy the seed) Strawberries (will have to buy the seed) maybe some sweet peas (will have to buy the seed) Blackberries (seed from the wild blackberries in the backyard) Avocado Tree (Pits from fruit from store when they are cheap again) I don't know if I will be able to grow all of these plants in next year's garden. Money has been tight and I don't see it letting up any time soon. I am going to get stuff as I have the money and the time. Hopefully things will work themselves out by next spring. What are you all planning to grow next year and how are you preparing for it now?
Now I am wondering if Fresh Tea would be a goodplant to grow next year. Does anyone have any experience with growing tea?
One of the big lessons I learned this year is to grow Luffa in Zone 5. The plant performs very poor during the long day season in July and August and start to form a lot of fruits when the shorter daytime season arrives, and by that time the climate is already too cold for them to grow. Next year, I will choose a type that grows fast and not sensitive to the day light.
I have some cuttings rooted from plants I bought this year, they will go in a sheltered spot for overwintering. I also have several daylily prolifs from 3 different plants, and some daylily seedlings and more daylily seeds planted. Can ya tell I like daylilies. I have many more seeds but will wait a little while before starting more. I really need to get my greenhouse recovered before I have too much started.
Sounds like a well organized plan, rgasperson! My favorite veggies from SC are butterbeans! I ate them for the first time in SC. Those little granny women down there bake bread that is so soft that one could sleep on it, I do declare! LOL I hope you are able to get all the seeds you need. It sounds as though you will be quite successful. Your trellis idea sounds like something I'd like to do.
I am extremely interested in that trellis idea. When I mske them, I will have to photograph them and post the results here. I got the idea from iwetmyplants.com.
I just yesturday recieved my Stokes seed catalogue in the mail, and saw some really cool flowers, i of course made my ""list"" and will be ordering right after Christmas so i can get those seeds started.
I just ordered a few days ago my Impecta Handel seed catalog from Sweden but won't recieve it till Dec since the 2008 books don't come out till then,,,(sigh) but when i get it,,, thats another story,,
I have some Chinaberry branches I have saved from trimming one of the trees that I want to make a short fence and maybe some gates from. We have a large Chinaberry tree on the side of the house that has died and will need to come down soon, those limbs and branches will be saved too. I have made a small start on turning the front yard into a garden and will continue that over the winter as weather allows. Hopefully it will be ready for planting in March. I do plan on having a Herbal Tea Garden up near the front of the house. The side yard is all shade under two large Pecan trees. I have the English Ivy mostly pulled up but that is a continuing effort since the stuff doesn't want to go away. I am hoping to plant Black Cohosh and other yet to be chosen shade plants. Another shady area at the back of the garage needs to be cleared of the dreaded ivy. Not sure what will go there. I have some plants on order to be delivered in Feb and will be ordering more after the holidays. I have wanted some Foxglove plants for years and I have promised myself to get them next spring.
I have recently moved into a town home. When I lived in apartments, my gardening was restricted to containers. But I was raring to go when we moved in to this other house in fall. so the first thing that I did was to put bulbs in the small space that I have in front of my house. Of course I would love to put in tomatoes and herbs but am not sure about the HOA. my only concern about my bulbs is that while digging I felt the soil was too clayey and I am not sure how they will fare in that kind of soil. Well, spring will tell But some bulbs that I had put in the containers are already sprouting and I am not sure if I should leave them outside to die back and start again in spring. I know Tulips need the cold treatment, but how about hydrangeas and daffodils?
As soon as the first hard frost hits here I start to envision my next years garden.(The frost hit already) I definitely want a bigger veggie garden. I just participated in a seed round robin on another site and got tons of new flower seeds. I guess I have to increase my flower gardens too!
I have completed a garden for my youngest niece with 3 new crepe mytrles and I am trying to root a line of Mutabulis Rose (look over spelling). I put alot of different eunomonus bushes in the neglected bush garden and I will be starting a white garden next spring that has not been cleared with my husband yet. I will need him for some heavy labor and funds. Wish me luck.
My mind is always planning next years gardens! Because I garden away from home, my own garden becomes the test plot for new plants. Next year I'll plant flowers that did well here at work. You already got your Stokes catalog Penny? Gee, I'll be checking my mailbox daily!
a lot of plans I learned a lot from this year. Over winter I plan to build some much stronger trellises for next year's tomatoes! And next year I won't try to crowd as many squash and cucumber plants into the same area. I think I will get more produce per plant by not trying to grow as many plants. I also hope to avoid another plague of downy mildew! :'( The soil that began this April as sterile mostly-sand was a lot richer by October, but I am not content. The organic-rich level only goes down a few inches, and I still find only about one earthworm per three square feet. I have several composting bins going for the winter, plus a windrow in the middle of the veggie bed that I've inoculated with five pounds of worms. The two orange boxes on top there are filled with worm bedding and food, and the bottoms are drilled with many holes. Any worms that don't like it in the ground are welcome to use the bins instead. One way or another, I am going into spring with lots of compost and lots of worms! I also have a planting calendar set up for 2008, beginning with starting onion sets indoors in January. I have lots of worm-castings ready for seed starting. I don't want to get any starts from the nursery next year. I've found that most of them are labeled "generically," and out of three different plants all labeled "zucchini" I got three different kinds of zucchini. I want more control next year. The next problem to solve (before January) is getting an indoors grow-lite without spending the rent check.
