| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Brenda Kay Groth |
Posted - Sep 22 2009 : 06:13:52 AM
All of us at this time of year are thinking about putting our gardens to sleep, and the things we will do differently next year. What changes will you make next year (garden,house, job, whatever)
I had to return and replace potted fruit trees twice (first time they replaced with other trees) as the place i bought them didn't provide good roots to their potted trees, next year i'll not buy potted trees, at least not from that store.
for over 20 years I have spent my summers either working as caregivers for relatives, or redoing their homes for sale, or building projects of some kind, and I haven't had the opportunity to enjoy working in my gardens, and they have gone unmanaged, I hope next year to not have projects or people I have to care for besides my disabled husband, so I can spend more time in our gardens.
I want more mulch and manure next year, I am hoping we won't have the hottest summer ever (08) or the 2nd coldest summer ever (09) and just have normal weather so we can enjoy growing good things.
I hope next summer to do a better job of keeping ahead of the weeds and maybe be able to harvest a crop from new berries and fruit trees I planted this year.
bloom where you are planted |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| countrykatgirly |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 1:15:40 PM
I will get started MUCH earlier! Before I knew it the time had gotten away from me and I really didn't get much done. This is our first year in our first home and it seemed like there wasn't enough time for everything. I haven't grown vegetables in a very long time and I guess I forgot when things were supposed to be started.
**Farmgirl Sister #622**
“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”
--Laura Ingalls Wilder
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| gr8tfulmom |
Posted - Oct 08 2009 : 11:10:59 AM
More time in the garden would be the first thing, lol. We had a crazy busy summer and it was just little old me out in the garden occasionally, dh who usually helps was pulling 60-70 hour weeks. Next year I will be ruthless with heirloom tomato volunteers, as well as fennel and catnip - no more taking over the garden you renegades. I would love to get some more general landscaping done, but the chances of that are slim ;) And yes, this Michigan season was weird!
http://symbioticstitches.blogspot.com/ |
| geminidream62 |
Posted - Oct 01 2009 : 5:30:17 PM
Next year I will remember to actually *use* the safe apple tree spray so there will be edible apples and not a waste. It will be an all-out (non toxic) war on the earwigs. No veggies in pots and I'm going to make purses or tote bags out of the topsy-turvy tomato planters I was dumb enough to buy. Going to double the amount of tomatoes and carrots and try to resist growing beets, since I'm the only one here who likes them. No pumpkins or butternuts but at least one hill of golden hubbard. Hmmm...I'd better write all this down in my garden journal so I don't forget!
Molly
http://geminisdream.blogspot.com/ |
| Beverley |
Posted - Sep 30 2009 : 8:05:13 PM
Oh brenda,
I live in michigan too and I hope next year we have a fairly normal summer too. these past to summers have been kinda weird, I agree with you. I hope next year to really get my flower bed going well and to do better with my garden.
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett Beverley with an extra E...
http://bevsdoggies.googlepages.com/ |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Sep 30 2009 : 07:53:09 AM
Well, I am HOPING and PRAYING we will be back in Texas this time next year. Hoping to at least have a house and that I can start working the soil for the following spring. I am still trying to learn about what I can grow and when. I am also wanting to convert our home over to partial solar. With all the Texas sun, it seems such a shame not to take advantage, so I am reading up on that also. I also will be needing some sort of trellis for partial shade for most plants because the sun can be the death of most plants, even full sun ones. I saw someone had built pretty trellis' that still allowed enough sun for the plants to blossom but didn't burn them out. Also, water conservation is important as well as deer control. SO I am busy before I even get to Texas. LOL : )
Heather
http://somewheredownintexas-heather.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Sep 30 2009 : 07:29:32 AM
I have started putting my garden to bed. I dug out about a 6th of it yesterday. I am going to get some fresh manure from the horse stable where my horse is at and work it in to the top 12 inches of soil. I know this is going to lighten the soil as well as give it more nutrients.
Next year I will start a garden journal and also test the pH of my soil before planting. I will be starting my seeds indoors this year and will be setting up some sort of automatic watering system with a timer at the faucet and a network of soaker hoses.
I also want to expand my veg garden and dig out the gravel filled flower beds!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
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www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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| knitnpickinatune |
Posted - Sep 30 2009 : 07:17:43 AM
Every year I mean to plant mini pumpkin seeds but the seeds get misplaced. So next year is to plant pumpkins in a timely manner. Also hoping we actually insulate,put new windows and siding on the North side of the house (the coldest part of the house in winter!) And,whether we stay here or move to NM,this needs to be done to increase the value of the home. Planting the fruit trees would also be a great thing to have done!
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fingerpickin Farmgirl #702 |
| Cindy Lou |
Posted - Sep 27 2009 : 7:06:46 PM
We are redoing some of our raised strawberry beds from 4 foot wide to 2 feet for easier reaching. Next year I will actually give my tomato plants enough room. They look so little when we put them out that I usually misjudge the room they will need. This is the first year we have kept a good garden journal so I can check back and get the varieties we were pleased with and try different ones for those that were disappointing. I'll test the soil for the blueberries, our soil doesn't have enough acid and we need to get the balance right. Some are doing well and some aren't.
I'll be checking garage sales for canning jars. I have mostly been freezing produce and that isn't leaving us enough space for the quarter of beef we planned to order.
I'm going to make better use of our digital camera. So many times this summer I have seen something great in the garden and it would like to frame some prints to hang up and maybe show at the county fair.
We raised a good crop of carrots, beets and onions this year and some potatoes. We are setting up a root cellar in a corner of our basement by insulating a small room from the heat of the rest. Next year it will be ready to use, not another of our, "got to do it now" projects.
I've gotten a great book on building an outdoor wood-fired clay oven. This winter we will get the planning done and actually
get it built next spring or summer.
"You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.....
But you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you've gotta do in knuckle down, buckle down and do it, do it, do it!" |
| 1badmamawolf |
Posted - Sep 27 2009 : 6:46:30 PM
I am hopeing to increase my veggy gardens x 2. This way, ( yes it will be alot more work ), but, I will be able to donate more to the food bank, cause there is so many more people who are out of work, and not getting enough wholesome food to feed their familys. Also I will be able to put more back for my family to insure enough at all times.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
| Room To Grow |
Posted - Sep 27 2009 : 6:37:27 PM
Well we are going to make sure the ground is in really good shape before we plant. We are going to get rid of the grass first and then put a load of mulch on it and then top it with my friends chicken poop....Wonderful...you should have seen her garden..it was beautiful!!!...I want that.
Deborah
we have moved to our farm...and love it |
| ddmashayekhi |
Posted - Sep 27 2009 : 3:03:22 PM
I have a gardening journal and every year at this time I do my end of the year "lessons learned" chapter. This year I have learned not to put coleus in my window boxes again, put more plants then flowers in my containers, grow more marigolds from seed since they thrive no matter what kind of summer we get, add more organic compost to my vegetable garden, more dirt in my flower beds, more mums throughout the yard and move half of my ground cover to make a full circle around my mulberry tree. I'm sure I'll come up with a few more things, but this is a start! I also photograph and label all of my successes & failures for next year.
Dawnin IL |
| asnedecor |
Posted - Sep 27 2009 : 1:36:51 PM
I want to purchase a garden journal - mean to every year, but never get around to it. I want to start making notes where things are in the garden and what changes I want to make when I think of it, not try to remember when spring rolls around. I need to make sure I have more loamy soil to plant carrots - since mine did not do well this year. Now that I have the composter working well, use more composted material to amend soil both in the veggie and flower garden. Always work on getting rid of weeds - an endless job.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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| Brenda Kay Groth |
Posted - Sep 26 2009 : 4:08:19 PM
well when my order for blackberries came this week i got to reading the guide that came with it and found out my black raspberries are NOT SUPPOSED to be planted near the red, gold or purple ones or near blackberries..soooooooo...now i have to move them to a new place..next year !! oh goodie..they have to be 75 to 100 feet from other brambles..
bloom where you are planted |
| Autumn Leaves |
Posted - Sep 25 2009 : 1:16:09 PM
Next year there will be better control of the earwigs (nasty little bugs) they attacked my squash plants more than once. Don't think I'll do pumpkins although I just love the 3 I got this year, they just took way too much room. I would like to plant more from seed next year, we had two deaths in the family early spring so I bought most of my plants this year. I also want to do more canning next year.
Warm Wishes
Jennifer
Never let yesterday use up too much of today - Will Rogers
http://jenscountrylife.blogspot.com |
| chaddsgirl |
Posted - Sep 25 2009 : 1:00:03 PM
Hmmmmm, so many things I want to do next year.
Plant a more organized garden and move it to a new space. Next year's garden will be 3X the size of this years. I will plant twice as many tomato plants, switching to all heirlooms.
And next year I'm going to take a shot at planting corn, beans and squash using the Native American 3 Sisters method. I'm hoping to have enough to sell regularly to my co-workers next year and have twice as much to can as I did this year.
A person is a success if they get up in the morning and get to bed at night and in between does what they want to do. Bob Dylan |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Sep 22 2009 : 08:33:21 AM
Figure out what I need to do different to get my lettuce and spinach to grow. I used to have wonderful greens, but this year was awful!!!
AND, find a way to NOT have squash bugs!!! Last year was the first year we ever had those nasty things and they were back this year!!!
Probably won't plant radishes. While we like them, we can use them fast enough and then they go to seed . . .
Other than that . . . well, probably nothing different. First time, this year, to plant pumpkins and we got 11 nice ones!!! Our "Big Bubba" pumpkin got attacked by something and turned into mush . . .but I'm happy with the crop!!!
Enjoy Fall!!
CJ
...from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665 |
| gramadinah |
Posted - Sep 22 2009 : 07:17:05 AM
Increase my garden to double in size to have more for the extended family. And be able to share more with the local food banks and churches.
A green house for early starts and some fruit trees to pretty up the place and have fruit in the years to come.
Fences to keep the cows off my lawn.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
| paradiseplantation |
Posted - Sep 22 2009 : 06:51:24 AM
I'm hoping to add more raised beds, add a couple of plum trees and another apple tree, prune my grapevine, and just finish up some projects we've already started, so we can move forward with others. Brenda, I understand too well the 'caregivers for relatives' and I wish for both of us the time to do our own thing this spring!
from the hearts of paradise... |
