View Full Version : 2020 garden plans?
I’ve ordered the first 2 small batches of seed for the year. I have garden space but used only about 1/2 of it last year.
Also going to cut back on the big csa we’ve always used and add another’s spring share, costs the same (if the big csa doesn’t raise their prices.) and I probably won’t toss as much? The big one runs June - November and you can buy a share in December. The little one starts in April or May and ends around July, I think. So we get farm fresh organic veggies for the same $ but for another month or so.
This will result in less driving, but also less food for the freezer. I’m going to need to be VERY organized to make this work.... last year I made a chart, which helped a lot. I’ll have to do that again!
Are you planting a veggie garden? Is it different than last year?
I’m doing my usual dry beans and greens and nonred tomatoes, just more than last year.
My gardens need to rest....they will be well fed. I have 1 bed that has been resting for a few years. I will put in 4 tomatoes and I'm not sure what i'll do with the other half of it. Doing so little, I will buy starts at the organic farm plant sale.
We have a full CSA share every year to get variety in our diets. That was paid for 2 weeks ago!
This year I will be installing a wildflower meadow on the periphery of our cleared land, in area that was formerly weeds and bittersweet. The veggie garden stays the same size, but I plan to integrate more flowers- particularly stinky marigolds which seems to deter our pet woodchuck from climbing the knee high fence and helping himself to green beans. Fewer peppers I think, I went overboard last year thinking the peppers I grew would be those small lunchbox size but they were full size. Oops. I grow a little of a lot of things, but not winter squashes as 1) they take up so much room 2) you don't eat these fresh anyways so store bought is fine. On either side of the veggie garden that is fenced, I have additional planting areas. One is primarily herbs and seasonings (like garlic and leeks) the other is flowers. Gotta feed the soul, as well as the body.:)
Next year I plan to put in more phlox and for edibles grow squash, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil, parsley and stevia. I need to enrich the soil, most of which was fallow last year.
This year I will be installing a wildflower meadow on the periphery of our cleared land, in area that was formerly weeds and bittersweet.
Let me know how that goes! I don't really have space for a whole meadow, but in Year 3 of living in Grand Isle, now that our neighbors are our trusted friends, I'm going to toe the waters and see what they'd be willing to do to create beautiful and functional lakeshore vegetation--pollinator plants and grasses. A couple of years ago they were hell-bent on mowing down everything at the lakeshore, including cutting down young trees, but they may be more open to a compromise if I can help them see the benefits.
As for my garden, we will rotate the crops in our 4 32-sqare foot plots and our larger 100-sq.ft. plot, but we'll do the traditional--tomatoes, lettuces, herbs and some wild-card things we haven't decided on yet. We don't have CSAs, but we have twice weekly farmer's markets up here, and we'll buy the things that we don't want to grow.
We'll probably do some starts inside or outside in a portable greenhouse/cold frame in late March/early April, but our growing season starts kind of late, so we won't put anything in the ground until May.
Also, I'm going to expand on shrubs and plantings along a pathway--I'm considering rhododendrum and/or berry bushes. I also miss my hydrangea and peonies from NJ, so I may get a couple for up here.
iris lilies
1-4-20, 5:54pm
Herbgeek and Catherine,
i am curious about your methodology of creating wildflower plantings. comment if you wish.
The ones I have seen planted by, shall we say amateurs, turn into a big weedy mess. Even those wild plant areas planned and maintained by knowledgeable horticulturalists are are scrubby looking. Just be prepared for that. But
I also think it is great to jump in with both feet and try something.
Last year we kicked out of our community garden a person who thought she could sow wildflower seeds and have a perfect garden. Thing is, she didn’t bother to weed it so not surprisingly the weeds took over. But she didn’t put any effort into it so that is a large part of the problem. It was her fifth year of low-to-no effort so she got the boot.
Herbgeek and Catherine,
i am curious about your methodology of creating wildflower plantings. comment if you wish.
The ones I have seen planted by, shall we say amateurs, turn into a big weedy mess. Even those wild plant areas planned and maintained by knowledgeable horticulturalists are are scrubby looking. Just be prepared for that. But
I also think it is great to jump in with both feet and try something.
Last year we kicked out of our community garden a person who thought she could sow wildflower seeds and have a perfect garden. Thing is, she didn’t bother to weed it so not surprisingly the weeds took over. But she didn’t put any effort into it so that is a large part of the problem. It was her fifth year of low-to-no effort so she got the boot.
My approach/methodology would be this:
Go slow... we already have vegetation but it's just random grassy stuff and weeds. One of my neighbors has enlisted me and others to rid the that area of the cockleburs which are all over the place. We removed about 15 contractor bags full last year. But I know my limitations, and so I would ONLY tackle what I KNOW I could follow through on. The worst thing I could do here is try and fail.
I would probably focus on just one or two things that would add color and some consistency--like milkweed, bergamot, or rudbeckia, along with some native grasses, and again start very small and slow.
My main sales pitch would be discouraging geese. We do have a geese problem, which my neighbors HATE (so do I)--they drive wooden stakes with string into the ground.
It would definitely be a trial and error effort, so I'm open for suggestions. In my dreams, our shoreline would eventually look like one of these:
https://regenlanddesign.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/shoreline-gardens-re-imagining-the-waters-edge/
Our local park has a huge problem with geese and vegetation does help a lot to discourage them. Milkweed may not thrive in wet areas but I am sure that you could find the native species that would do well. Some shrubs help to stabilize the wet areas and encourage both native fauna as well as protect the native flora. Sounds like a fun project!
iris lilies
1-4-20, 7:56pm
My approach/methodology would be this:
Go slow... we already have vegetation but it's just random grassy stuff and weeds. One of my neighbors has enlisted me and others to rid the that area of the cockleburs which are all over the place. We removed about 15 contractor bags full last year. But I know my limitations, and so I would ONLY tackle what I KNOW I could follow through on. The worst thing I could do here is try and fail.
I would probably focus on just one or two things that would add color and some consistency--like milkweed, bergamot, or rudbeckia, along with some native grasses, and again start very small and slow.
My main sales pitch would be discouraging geese. We do have a geese problem, which my neighbors HATE (so do I)--they drive wooden stakes with string into the ground.
It would definitely be a trial and error effort, so I'm open for suggestions. In my dreams, our shoreline would eventually look like one of these:
https://regenlanddesign.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/shoreline-gardens-re-imagining-the-waters-edge/
Thats a good article.it is realistic in talking about the aesthetics of a native shoreline garden. The Enhanced native approach sounds next to me.
Wewere at the Chicago Botanic garden shown in the article a few years ago for the North American Lily Society conference. I do not remember the shoreline plantings, though.
Thats a good article.it is realistic in talking about the aesthetics of a native shoreline garden. The Enhanced native approach sounds next to me.
Wewere at the Chicago Botanic garden shown in the article a few years ago for the North American Lily Society conference. I do not remember the shoreline plantings, though.
Yes, that approach (the Enhanced Native from Chicago) would really be ideal. Here's a picture of part of our shoreline--you can see the challenges.
3069
It's still a ways off for definates, but late fall I rototilled several bags of ground leaves into the ground. I'm trying to reduce purchased compost and have a household compost pile that should go into the garden in the spring time, too. My garden is relatively small, so I go for low area space used for high production. Tomatoes are for sure, probably Japanese eggplant, and leaks. I also have a 4x4 raised bed from the square foot gardening style which is will be the same spring greens. A few plantings of spinach and a little chard and kale are the main crop there.
I have some roadside wildflower mix I intend to add to the edge of the road along our property. One neighbor has a small bit planted around her mail box. The other has nurtured the heather until it comes in, larger than almost anywhere else, and is gorgeous. We've always had trees, whatever came to grow there and I planted vinca on a hill on one side of the driveway, there are may flowers which have volunteered there too. The wildflower seed is to replace the "whatever comes" under the trees. The neighbor with the bracken is on that side, and if they get a few wildflowers she won't care. It's unlikely they'll take over her bracken plot!
i am curious about your methodology of creating wildflower plantings. comment if you wish.
I am expecting some level of weediness, hence the placement at the far edges. There's weeds there now, just not pretty ones. We have lots of birds who like to spread weeds etc. I've cleared out a couple of areas of vegetation, in order to have less competition for new seedlings. Over the winter, I'll be doing some winter sowing again (example: http://wintersown.org/) for some of the plants started early, which I will then transplant.
The flowers I'm growing in the "meadow" are typically garden plants versus "true wildflowers" for the most part poppies, cosmos, bachelor buttons. Annuals that will self seed- at least that's what I'm hoping for. I also grabbed some echinacea seed from a garden bed and scattered that in the fall and will try to do that with some of my other perennials.
iris lilies
1-5-20, 10:32am
I am expecting some level of weediness, hence the placement at the far edges. There's weeds there now, just not pretty ones. We have lots of birds who like to spread weeds etc. I've cleared out a couple of areas of vegetation, in order to have less competition for new seedlings. Over the winter, I'll be doing some winter sowing again (example: http://wintersown.org/) for some of the plants started early, which I will then transplant.
The flowers I'm growing in the "meadow" are typically garden plants versus "true wildflowers" for the most part poppies, cosmos, bachelor buttons. Annuals that will self seed- at least that's what I'm hoping for. I also grabbed some echinacea seed from a garden bed and scattered that in the fall and will try to do that with some of my other perennials.
You might try larkspur in that mix too. Larkspur is my go to annual that seeds itself.
The orange perennial daylily would be something I’d plant if I wanted to cover a large area wiickly, but those things are invasive and touch to control.
iris lilies
1-5-20, 10:34am
I am expecting some level of weediness, hence the placement at the far edges. There's weeds there now, just not pretty ones. We have lots of birds who like to spread weeds etc. I've cleared out a couple of areas of vegetation, in order to have less competition for new seedlings. Over the winter, I'll be doing some winter sowing again (example: http://wintersown.org/) for some of the plants started early, which I will then transplant.
The flowers I'm growing in the "meadow" are typically garden plants versus "true wildflowers" for the most part poppies, cosmos, bachelor buttons. Annuals that will self seed- at least that's what I'm hoping for. I also grabbed some echinacea seed from a garden bed and scattered that in the fall and will try to do that with some of my other perennials.
You might try larkspur in that mix too. Larkspur is my go to annual that seeds itself.
The orange perennial daylily would be something I’d plant if I wanted to cover a large area quickly, but those things are invasive and tough to control. I am still digging them out of my Hermann garden. Stupid things.
You might try larkspur in that mix too. Larkspur is my go to annual that seeds itself.
I love larkspur- I have it readily self seeding in my "real" flower beds, I will add it to the meadow. Thanks for the idea!
but those things are invasive and tough to control. I am still digging them out of my Hermann garden. Stupid things.
I learned my lesson about picking up plants at garden clubs. If there's so many of those items, its because they are invasive and people are trying to get rid of them. When I first moved here almost 25 years ago, an elderly neighbor offered me all kinds of things she was trying to get rid of. And now 25 years later, I am trying to get rid of them too. I think I finally got rid of /most/ of the grape vines that came from her. Originally one plant I had out back- but as I was clearing out the vegetation this fall in anticipation of new plantings, I found it had spread /everywhere/. So I'm leaning more towards annuals versus more perennials.
Yes, that approach (the Enhanced Native from Chicago) would really be ideal. Here's a picture of part of our shoreline--you can see the challenges.
3069
How much wind impacting the size of waves and erosion? Has the water level remained stable or does it fluctuate from year to year and throughout the seasons?
How much wind impacting the size of waves and erosion? Has the water level remained stable or does it fluctuate from year to year and throughout the seasons?
I'm on a bay so there aren't a lot of waves, though.
But another big challenge is when the lake thaws in the spring it rises significantly and the water covers at least half of the common area, sometimes almost reaching the homes. It usually recedes by late April/early May
iris lilies
1-5-20, 12:41pm
I'm on a bay so there aren't a lot of waves, though.
But another big challenge is when the lake thaws in the spring it rises significantly and the water covers at least half of the common area, sometimes almost reaching the homes. It usually recedes by late April/early May
Oh that is exciting to me. Maybe you could grow some of the boggy iris, the Louisiana irises for instance. They like living in a shoreline where the water comes in and out. Mine limp along here but they’re not entirely happy they would like a whole lot more water than they get.
My approach/methodology would be this:
Go slow... we already have vegetation but it's just random grassy stuff and weeds. One of my neighbors has enlisted me and others to rid the that area of the cockleburs which are all over the place. We removed about 15 contractor bags full last year. But I know my limitations, and so I would ONLY tackle what I KNOW I could follow through on. The worst thing I could do here is try and fail.
I would probably focus on just one or two things that would add color and some consistency--like milkweed, bergamot, or rudbeckia, along with some native grasses, and again start very small and slow.
My main sales pitch would be discouraging geese. We do have a geese problem, which my neighbors HATE (so do I)--they drive wooden stakes with string into the ground.
It would definitely be a trial and error effort, so I'm open for suggestions. In my dreams, our shoreline would eventually look like one of these:
https://regenlanddesign.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/shoreline-gardens-re-imagining-the-waters-edge/
Catherine: That's a pretty exciting project! On our recent Niagara trip, we enjoyed the naturalistic Olmstead plantings on the American side. There was a lot of rudbeckia, echinacea, joe pye weed, and goldenrod.
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