 |
| My last garden harvest of 2024 |
Hello everyone! It has been quite some time since I wrote about my garden. We ended up being quite busy toward the end of the summer 2024. Suffice it to say, last year was my most prosperous gardening year to date. While I certainly didn't see the amount of some produce that I wish I had, I definitely grew more tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash, peas, beans, and peppers than I ever have before. Of course, the thing that every gardener does over the winter is contemplate their gardening goals for the following year. So let's talk about mine, if you happen to find that interesting!
Pollinators & Bug Habitats
My top priority for 2025 is attracting more pollinators to the garden and providing them with additional resources. I attempted to add a "bee bath" to the garden last year, but was unable to keep up with it. After reading about other folks' ideas online, I have a plan for mine moving forward. On a recent trip to the thrift store, I purchased a set of 4 shallow glass dishes or trays. I also picked up some black glass stones. I already have some pink stones. Depending on how adequately the stones fill the dishes, I may need to get back to the thrift store for additional material. I'll be setting these 4 trays around in the garden, ensuring that they have some water in them throughout the warmer months.
I have collected seeds from my marigolds and calendula from last season. I was also gifted a huge collection of zinnia seeds by my nephew for my birthday last year. I'll be starting these flowers well in advance in order to have a summer full of flowers to attract beneficial insects to the garden.
Last winter I had asked my coworker to save some plastic tubs for me after receiving bulk orders at our store. I had attempted to use them as hanging planters for some cherry tomatoes. It didn't work very well for me, but I'll be repurposing these containers to make in-ground worm bins.
Finally, toward the end of the season, I'll be making a bug hostel pyramid with branches, twigs, leaves, etc.
Rainwater Collection
My mother purchased a collapsible rain barrel for Christmas in 2023. I put it up last spring and used the water it collected periodically throughout the summer. That being said, I didn't divert much water to the barrel and it only gathered a maximum of 60 gallons periodically throughout the summer. It needed to be emptied at the end of the year as well.
I'll be putting the rain bin in a different spot this year and building some racking around it to divert more water into it. I'll also be setting up other collection spots during rainy times and adding what I get to the main barrel. The barrel itself has a hookup for a drip line, which I didn't realize prior to setting it up, so I'll be able to use that more thoroughly as well with better planning. If you want to take a look at the barrel I have, click here (affiliate link).
Permanent Greenhouses
At the end of the summer I erected one of my many PVC greenhouses with the intention of visiting it regularly and attempting to keep winter vegetables alive during the colder months. I always do this. Last year I overwintered some kale and scallions inside, but I didn't use them on a regular basis, they just had a nice jump start going to flower and setting seed come warmer weather. I am pretty certain that nothing I set aside this year will make it. We have had such cold temperatures and very little sun. I won't be doing it again next year. I can't get into that part of the yard at all.
That being said, our neighbors were kind enough to remove a maple tree from our back yard. It was not pruned correctly and was infested with mites. I could tell it was in bad shape because the bark was just falling off and it was constantly losing limbs. With it gone, the yard has much more light and more growing area. My plan is to make two mini greenhouses or hotboxes near the back door of the house. This area has some sun and is much easier to get to and clear snow from during the winter. I'll be able to start seeds sooner and also extend the growing season for cold tolerant vegetables. This was the only thing on my goals list for last year that I was unable to reach!
Create Content
Yes, I've been sharing gardening content with you all for a few years now but I actually want to keep up with it this year. I have started a new YouTube channel which will feature gardening as well as other types of content. I'll be writing some ebooks as well. I used to write recipe books years ago when I was a food blogger. I don't see a lot of folks doing this anymore but it is something I enjoyed and would like to do again.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to follow me on social media!
Comments
Post a Comment