While you wait for spring . . .
Now is a good time to review what worked and what didn’t in your garden during the previous year. Some things to consider:
Were your plants growing in the right place? Did any plants struggle? Trying to grow sun-loving plants in shade, or vice versa, leads only to frustration for you and the plant. Match plants to your garden’s microclimates, even if this means moving some to new locations.
Did you love your flowering beds? Were there color combinations that worked really well? Did you have blooms throughout the growing season? Maybe this is the year to try some different perennials.
Did your vegetable garden thrive? If your garden fizzled, what went wrong? Was it location, too little or too much water, or just the luck of the weather?
Is your irrigation working as well as it could be? Whether you have a completely automated irrigation system or water by hand, think about ways you can make your watering more efficient. Do you need to adjust the sprinklers or install a rain-sensitive monitor so you don’t water during a rainstorm? Would a drip system or a series of sprinklers cut down on your watering time? Are rain barrels, greywater capture systems or even methods like losing part of your lawn in your future?
What would make things easier? What were the annoyances you encountered again and again during the past year? Simple fixes like adding a work surface for potting plants or a short ramp to make getting the lawn mower out a little easier may be all you need. Or maybe convert low-growing edible beds to raised beds.
Were your plants growing in the right place? Did any plants struggle? Trying to grow sun-loving plants in shade, or vice versa, leads only to frustration for you and the plant. Match plants to your garden’s microclimates, even if this means moving some to new locations.
Did you love your flowering beds? Were there color combinations that worked really well? Did you have blooms throughout the growing season? Maybe this is the year to try some different perennials.
Did your vegetable garden thrive? If your garden fizzled, what went wrong? Was it location, too little or too much water, or just the luck of the weather?
Is your irrigation working as well as it could be? Whether you have a completely automated irrigation system or water by hand, think about ways you can make your watering more efficient. Do you need to adjust the sprinklers or install a rain-sensitive monitor so you don’t water during a rainstorm? Would a drip system or a series of sprinklers cut down on your watering time? Are rain barrels, greywater capture systems or even methods like losing part of your lawn in your future?
What would make things easier? What were the annoyances you encountered again and again during the past year? Simple fixes like adding a work surface for potting plants or a short ramp to make getting the lawn mower out a little easier may be all you need. Or maybe convert low-growing edible beds to raised beds.
This article and links therein reprinted from Houzz.
