My garden plan is coming apart

[hoodat]

There is an old military saying,"No battle plan survives intact after first contact with the enemy".
I think it's that way for gardens also. I always start off with a nicely plotted out garden plan but Winter vegetables mature early and are taken out. Others in the same row may need a few weeks more to finish growing. Some plants fail just as you thought they had a good start, leaving gaps that can be planted to other uses. The first thing you know my nicely planted garden is a hodge podge of mixed plants instead of neat plots. Somehow though I usually end up with enough veggies to feed myself and share with neighbors.

 

[Carol Dee]

That sounds pretty normal. I am always happy if ANYTHING survives! Happy gardening. :tools

 

[the1honeycomb]

As in nature there is no guarantee what will survive and what won't I think it is most natural to have a hodge podge and I always get excited to find a little something that I thought was done, hiding in the garden. Please post some photos I would love to see your garden

 

[Ridgerunner]

I thought that was the plan. I didnt even make it as far as you say you do. After I had all my cabbage in and growing well this year, my wife said shed like some red cabbage so I got a 4-pac. Lets see. This kale didnt make it through the winter so I can get two cabbages in here. I was saving that space between the chard and onions for something else but the other two cabbages will fit there. Problem solved.

Last year she wanted me to grow some cotton from seed she got from her Weavers Guild after the garden was in. I found room.

This does count all the stuff youre talking about, which happens to me too. A potato volunteered this spring. Its not in a good place. But there was a gap in the peas where a few didnt come up. That potato fit perfectly.

Some people seem to have ideal conditions. I have conditions I deal with.

 

[the1honeycomb]

That is what makes gardening great like a living quilt!!
row

 

[digitS']

. . . Some people seem to have ideal conditions. I have conditions I deal with.

I know it isn't just trying to make the Significant Other happy either, Ridgerunner. There are life's other responsibilities, wildlife, the weather, and the plants themselves.

There can be positives to be found in most everything. I try to make the best of them.

Hoodat, all that adapting and adjusting to circumstances are valuable skills, also.

Steve

 

[lesa]

Yup, that sounds like a perfect garden to me, Hoodat!

 

[bj taylor]

so glad to read this. I thought I was so smart. I would have my winter stuff out of the way by the time the summer stuff needed to go in. now I've got volunteer tomatoes here and there, cucumbers, squash, peppers coming up here and there. the onions aren't coming out as fast as I thought, so i'm squeezing stuff in there as one lays over.
I've got my pumpkin sneaking into my tomato. none of these plants are behaving like I told them to

 

[baymule]

Garden chaos. I like hodge podge. Neat orderly rows, perfectly straight won't be found here. Jumbled, crowded, mixed up, absolute chaos. In this picture is 3 bell peppers, 3 riesentraube tomatoes, a couple of volunteer tomatoes, gobs of dandelions-which are actually shading the bell peppers and preventing sun scald. In this same bed, on the other end is 4 yellow squash and 2 zuchinni, several volunteer tomatoes and a scattering of radishes. Utter chaos.

 

[hoodat]

There are fewer insect problems in a scrambled garden. Planting things in rows just makes it easy for them. I picture cutworms with tiny shopping carts filling them with nice young pepper plants cut off at the soil level. Block those aisles.