Grow What Inspires You

When the crisp fall weather passes and snow and cold temperatures move in, I always start to dream about next year's garden. What will we grow next year? What will I do differently? Over the last several years, we've had some successes and a few failures in the garden. Here are a few tips for getting your garden planning off on the right foot.

1. How much space to do you have? Whether you have a few acres or just a few window boxes, calculate the amount of space you plan to use for your garden.
2. Draw it out. I never do this, but I should. Grab some paper, a pencil, and a ruler, and sketch out your garden space. This will help you get a realistic idea of how many crops you can plant in a defined amount of space. Don't forget to think vertical. Can your space be expanded by adding trellises?
3. How much time do you have to devote to gardening? In my fantasy world, I have 2 hours/day to spend in the garden. In the real world, I maybe have 20 minutes on an average day.
4. Think about what your family will eat. This is especially important if you are working with limited space. If there are two people in your family, do you really need to give up a quarter of your garden space to an enormous cucumber plant? Do the two of you need a gajillion cucumbers?
5. Research your potential crops. Are you planting veggies, flowers, herbs? How much space/light/time do they need? Are they right for our zone?  What do you expect to get from your CSA?
6. What will you raise from seed? Starting from seed is more of a time commitment, but very rewarding.
7. Write it down. I never do this either. As you're spending the winter months dreaming about all the time you'll spend in the garden next year, write down your ideas. As you come across different varieties, make a note of the name as well as the pros and cons of grown that particular plant.

The most important thing to consider when planning your garden is to be REALISTIC about what you can do. That said, grow what inspires you. If you're not interested, you won't stick with it.

For your scheming and dreaming pleasure: Jason build this raised garden bed from a Sunset magazine tutorial. Our raised bed is taller and smaller - 2' tall x 4' x 4'.