Planning the Layout for the 2013 Garden

Today, I was able to sit down and plan how I would rotate the beds in my garden. My garden is set up in "Neighborhoods" so to speak and within each neighborhood there are plants that benefit one another. Think back to stories of the Native Americans planting the "Three Sisters", corn, beans, and squash, and you have the right idea. This is also known as companion gardening. For the most comprehensive book I have found on this type of gardening, check out "Great Garden Companions; A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden" by Sally Jean Cunningham.

In order to keep track of my rotations and plantings each year, I keep a garden notebook with all of my notes and observations. At this point in my planning, I have the following planned; 3 Tomato Neighborhoods, 3 Bean/ Squash Neighborhoods, 2 Roots/Greens Neighborhoods, 2 Blueberry Neighborhoods, 1 Strawberry Neighborhood, 2 Cabbage Neighborhoods, 1 Asparagus Bed, 1 long fence line of red raspberries, a 3ft row of Blackberries, and 1 Herb bed. The far right corner of the garden is anchored with a corner perennial bed to help attract beneficial insects. Flowers and herbs are interplanted throughout the garden for that same purpose. Not only does this approach cut down on harmful insects, it makes for an attractive garden.

A New Year - A New Garden

As I begin to prepare for the new year, I actually begin to feel a little excitement. A new year always means a fresh start with my garden. I can look at my notes, look at what we have in the freezer and pantry, and begin to plan what needs to be planted and the layout I want to use. (This is the stuff that makes me feel like a little kid!)

I went to the garden today to see what I could find. I was very pleased with my small harvest! I was able to bring in carrots, kale, and Swiss Chard. Not bad for January 5th!

I also found that some of my herbs still looked pretty good and the ground was only frozen in the upper 1 inch of soil. So, we'll see what happens. I brought in Italian parsley, curled leaf parsley, some shallots, and some celery. I'll be curious to see what they do inside.

Yesterday, I was very excited to see that my seed orders arrived! Now, I'm in the process of getting everything set up so I can begin to get seeds started.

I have had very good luck with the seeds I order from Henry Field's and I find that their quantities of seeds in a pack and prices are very reasonable.

Some things I can't find at Henry Field's I get from companies such as Baker Creek. I usually get seeds such as Fish Pepper and Cherokee Trail of Tears beans from Baker Creek.

I will begin planting seeds this week in order to have cole crop plants large and healthy in time for early spring planting. Even though I'm just in the planning stages and haven't done any planting yet, I am excited to see the 2013 Garden begin to take shape! I hope to share my garden as it unfolds in my posts here. Thank you for sharing in the fun of gardening!
Noelle

A New Year= A New Garden!

 This is the view I am looking forward to in the months ahead. Early spring, many shades of green, a lot of freshly cultivated dirt, an assortment of seeds planted in the garden, a few seedlings reaching for the sky, and visions of fresh produce by the basketful! 

Right now, it's unseasonably warm and I'm thinking I should of planted something to take advantage of this crazy weather. But I know that had I planted something, the weather would not be favorable and I'd wish I hadn't planted. 

So, it's almost time to start my seeds inside and I can hardly wait. It's been a crazy year for me (with my day job) and I am looking forward to a new year in the garden. It's funny how each year you start everything all over again, and I don't mind at all. I like rotating which beds I plant my different neighborhoods of crops and I like experimenting with new seeds and plants as well as trying different companions within the beds.

It's January 9, 2012, and I am starting to plan my best garden yet!