Year in Review: 10 things I’ve learned as a “grown-up” gardener.
“Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
They say you only get what you give and I suppose the same could be said of gardening. In total fairness there are at least a hundred factors out of our control once we plant that tiny seed or seedling. The wind, the rain, the temperature mood swings… the location of that giant crepe myrtle in the backyard just to name a few. But then there’s the real gardening “to do” list. These are the boxes that must be checked, otherwise your future harvest is pretty much doomed before you’ve even had a chance to turn on the hose. The hard truth of gardening is you have to put in the work. If you don’t, you’ll end up with sad bean pods, minuscule lettuce leaves and barely there tomatoes. Not that I speak from experience of course.
My first foray into “grown up” gardening occurred in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Oh sure, growing up on the farm I had plenty of exposure to gardening, but there’s a serious difference between pulling weeds as a chore versus running solo on the whole garden show. Over the years I managed to squeeze in some container experience with herbs and the occasional tomato plant, but that was as far as I got. Then the covid shutdown hit and with literally nowhere to go, I dove in head first. I carefully mapped out the garden’s location and researched companion plants; “yes” to basil and tomatoes; definite “no” to mixing potatoes with sunflowers. I built my own above ground planters and even meticulously charred the wood so they’d last as long as possible.
Ok fine… my husband built and charred the planters, but I made sure to give loads of input and feedback when it came to the overall layout. Hey we’ve all got our strengths right? Mine just happens to be managerial. All I’ll say is… it’s a good thing he loves me so much.
So a full year and a decent crop of short n’ sweet carrots later. Here’s a look back at what I learned:
#1 - Don’t skimp on good soil AND amazing fertilizer. No really, spend the extra. I don’t care if it says “miracle gro” right on the side of the potting soil bag. You’re going to need add more goodness than what comes in the package. Trust me.
#2 - A drip irrigation kit is not a splurge purchase. Unless of course you enjoy skipping summer vacays to water your precious plants.
#3 - Sweet potatoes look really pretty growing in the front porch planter.
#4 - Gardening is truly its own form of therapy. The plants are great listeners; even better, they don’t talk back or gossip when you’re not around.
#5 - Composting isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially if you go the vermicomposting route. Who knew worms could be so high maintenance? Not saying the extra work wasn’t worth it, just a heads up on the learning curve. We like this one by the Urban Worm Company.
#6 - Sweet potatoes look really pretty growing in the backyard planter.
#7 - Nothing tastes as good as your own harvest. Seriously, that whole farm to table thing takes on a whole new meaning!
#8 - Garden Time = Decompression Time which is always an amazing boost for mental health.
#9 - Roly-polies aren’t so cute when they’re eating your seedlings!
#10 - Being bitten by the gardening bug guarantees you’ll be back again next season.
