Garden Resolutions 2013

It is snowing as I write this (Wednesday, February 20th), in front of the fire.  Following my overview of this year’s gardening season, it seems a good idea to make a list of the concrete changes I can make next year in an effort to learn from this year.  So, heart ever hopeful, here are my resolutions.

1. I will try again to not procrastinate: starting seeds, watering, weeding, thinning… I was better organized in 2012 and that made a huge difference over previous years, but I will try to do better.

2. I will add compost to all the raised beds as soon as the snow is gone and the compost accessible.

3. I will start some of the outdoor-bound pole beans in 4” pots in the greenhouse, and also seed directly outside once the soil is really warm, and see what happens.

4. I will plant favas in the field where it will be cooler, not in the hoophouse.

5. I will plant many more: onions (starts and seeds), chicory, radicchio (mid July, for fall harvest and transplants to the hoophouse), out in the field.

6. I will try to grow more basil, some in the beds, some in the hoop house with the tomatoes, and some in pots around the terrace, and see what happens.  Large leaf Napolitano, thai, classic Genovese.  The potted basil on the retaining wall did only fairly.  I think it could have benefitted from a slightly cooler average temperature, hence, I will try the terrace out, where the morning sun is good, but the afternoon is shaded. 

7. I will re-organize in the hoophouse, and devote one bed to arugula.

8. I will try to expand the hoophouse to 40 feet in length.  (A side-effect of this will be the eventual construction of another greenhouse from the current plastic cover, which is so durable.) 

9. And build new cold frames to fill the new space.

10. And not procrastinate.

Fingers crossed!

Photo: Radicchio in the winter greenhouse, by Caleb