Approximately 200 of the year’s 365 days are available to us for spending time in our gardens. That’s almost 60 percent of the year when we can work, walk, or think about our gardens. And now, when our gardens rest and are quiet, we have the opportunity to look back over the gardening year’s successes and failures, delights and disappointments, while the season is still fresh in our mind’s eye.
There are two areas I suggest we examine and build upon. The first is the traditional reflection of “What worked and what didn’t?” The second is forward thinking “Garden dreams.” (I think this part is lots more fun.) But let’s be responsible here and begin with the practical issues.
What worked and what didn’t?
1. Photos and Notes: Look through the summer’s photos and read through your gardening journal (if you kept one).
- Look for pictures from different parts of the summer.
- Link up those pictures with any notes you made during the same periods.
- Organizing by sections, make a list of beautiful seasons and lovely areas. Consider lushness, colors, height, and texture.
- Has plant growth changed the amount of sunlight various flower beds are getting? Do plants need to be moved because of the shade from the expansive crape myrtle? Or did removing that old maple tree give shade-loving plants more sun exposure?
- List the plants (both annual and perennial) that flourished over the summer, and list the plants that struggled or failed completely. If you know the specific cause of any of the successes or failures (new fertilizer or insect invasion) add that information.
2. Seasonal weather conditions.
- Make a list of any major weather events during the previous growing season.
- List the general weather conditions, month-by-month if you can.
- On that larger list you just compiled of seasonal successes and botanical successes and failures, make some simple notes (maybe symbols for “wet” or “dry,” “hot” or “cool.”)
- Your conclusions. Perhaps by season or area of the garden (if your garden is extensive) make a list of your conclusions: List areas of the garden that need to be replanted—fully or partially. Make two lists: Plants that love your garden and plants that do not. Prioritize projects for next spring and summer.
Your dreams for the garden.
1. Start by letting your imagination run wild. Perhaps, like me, you have saved pictures of gardens or plants or garden features that you particularly admire. Lay them out; take a little time to savor the possibilities.
2. Make a list or organize the pictures of those charmers. Separate them into “Possible” and “Ah, if only” groups. For example: Seating: add a bench, relocate the swing set, eliminate tired Adirondack chairs. Focal Point: Time to add a birdbath? Fountain? Pond? Sculpture? Special Planting: an unusual or special plant or shrub; devise a theme for part or all of the garden. Watering system: add, expand, revise (Tired of dragging that hose around and carrying the watering can?) Perhaps the current sprinkler system needs to be cleaned and reset for optimum service. Were there puddles last season where water was misdirected? Did the timer overwater some of the flowerbeds?
3. If your “Possible” list and those pictures are too sparse, do a bit of wandering around on the internet. The various websites have so many ideas for gardens. Caution: Be sure the ideas are appropriate for our hardiness Region 7.
4. Over the summer, did you amble around your neighborhood or take a drive to other neighborhoods where gardens were visible? Did you peek past the gates and over the hedges; see what fellow gardeners are doing? Any possibilities there for your garden next season?
5. Perhaps, like me, you’re always seeking ways to keep your garden blooming all season—colorful blossoms from May through October. This might be the winter to move ahead with the expansion of your three-season bloom calendar. List which flowers bloom each month and whether they’re perennial (preferred) or annual (where to buy and who’ll plant them.) It’s a challenge!
6. Consider adding or enhancing your garden’s paths and walkways. I recently widened my garden’s paths by three inches, simply by cutting back some of the enthusiastic groundcover along the path. (I’m not a big fan of edging; I prefer the softer look of ivy, periwinkle, or pachysandra along the flowerbeds’ borders.)
7. Has your neighborhood grown a bit more bustling? Would you like more privacy in the garden? Perhaps a project to install trellises and plant some lovely vines – those showy clematis blossoms or fragrant honeysuckle. Or, encourage your hedges to grow higher; but, be careful that you think about how you’ll trim the taller version of your hedge-fence. Will your gardener have to use a stepladder or long hedge-clippers?
8. What about adding a plot for growing vegetables? If you have a sunny flowerbed, it could be the start of something wonderful—home-grown carrots, tomatoes, and fresh-off-the-vine peas and green beans. If you’ve got a chef in your household, there may be some herbs that would be lovely in your garden. (Caution: herbs tend to grow with abandon; dare I say… like weeds.)
With the must-do and the this-is-the-year lists on your desk, you can wander through the gardening magazines and catalogues focusing on your well-considered objectives. When March arrives and you’re eager to start puttering in the garden, you’ll have some fun goals before you.
