Hard to believe that the gardening year has made a full cycle. Once again it is almost time to browse through the gardening catalogs and plan my 2013 garden! Winter is always a good time to review your past garden and plan your changes for the next season. Did your garden work where it was planted? Are there any trees that need to be taken down to provide more sun? Was the size appropriate for what you planted? I enjoy this quiet time of year for the gardening season; it’s a good time to reflect on your successes and failures of the past year in the garden.
This year we doubled the size of our garden and then had a very busy summer. It was almost impossible to keep the weeds under control. To top it off we had a very dry summer and the new bed was quite a distance from the water source and I couldn’t water it enough. Will I cut back next year? Probably not, but I will make a better effort to get the garden weeded and mulched at the beginning of the season. This will help keep the weeds under control and help retain moisture in the soil.
As we move toward the spring it will be time to start your seeds. By starting your own seeds you have a much better variety to choose from.
Don’t forget to have a soil test done so you can understand just what your garden needs to thrive. Before the gardening season starts we also empty our compost bins into the garden so the compost will be incorporated into the soil before the planting begins.
By summer the garden is fully established and keeping ahead of the weeds can be a major chore. Keeping the garden mulched is key to keeping the weeds at bay. They are various mulches that you can use depending on the plants. For example strawberries do wonderfully with a mulch of straw whereas blueberries prefer wood chips.
Fall is my favorite time of year, as the busy gardening season wraps up I can devote my time to harvesting and preserving my harvest. I use various methods to assure that I have an abundance of fruits and vegetables to get us through the winter. Freezing, dehydrating and canning (both with a pressure canner and a water bath) are all fine methods to preserve your harvest.
As you enjoy this quiet time of year take time to read through the various issues of the Prudent Living Magazine, including the winter issue which was just released. There you will find an abundance of information relating not only to your garden but to your home as well.
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Nancy on the Home Front 