The 2013 Garden, What are You Hoping For

[digitS']

Jared's priorities are to prepare for an All-new 2013! I may also have a few potted tomatoes around the deck as I try to just maintain an existing enterprise. That may be the best place for me to be attempting to do a little hybridizing with smaller varieties. If I get those plants too far from home, in a distant garden, I may never get down to the work at hand!

Try to stay organized, everyone. This is the time for garden planning. The whole purpose of that planning is to enthusiastically set and later accomplish goals (with as little extra work as possible ).

Lesa, why might you not have a garden? Or, am I reading too much into what you said?

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

I'm hoping my new raspberries and strawberries will produce well and be sweet. Will be increasing my container potatoes and hope they do as well as my last one.

Mary

 

[journey11]

Congratulations, Jared! You will be in the thick of it come July. I know how that is! But like Lesa said, growing a "new gardener" is definitely a higher priority.

I've been hesistant to weigh in on this thread because I am afraid of jinxing myself or pining away on unttainable gardening hopes.

I hope to convert myself to a dedicated, responsible, early-morning type of gardener. All practical reasons included, I would also like to be able to enjoy my garden without my annoying neighbors in my face. (The proximity of their rudeness is killing me. I can't even dump my compost in peace.)

Also, I would like to be able to raise and can/freeze more produce...more than I ever have before, because of rising food prices. And to get my basement "cold closet" built for storing canning, potatoes, etc.

I also hope to get back to my garden blog soon. I miss it!

 

[thistlebloom]

I hope to convert myself to a dedicated, responsible, early-morning type of gardener. All practical reasons included, I would also like to be able to enjoy my garden without my annoying neighbors in my face. (The proximity of their rudeness is killing me. I can't even dump my compost in peace.)

I'm with you on the bright and early Journey! I'm a huge morning person, and since it's light around 4 a.m. I would have time to do my animal and garden chores before I have to leave. That's exactly what I did a few years ago and it worked out great. Last year I was just so tired in the morning I wasn't as productive. I guess it would help if I went to bed earlier in the summer, but when it's still light enough to be outside late I don't want to miss anything!

I don't think I qualify for the dedicated and responsible part though.

When I used to get up and work in the garden early I often had conversations with the older man next door who came out to get his paper and would stay to talk garden. He was a nice guy, and wasn't shy about telling me what I was doing wrong. He didn't mean any harm, it was just his right as an old retired fella to help the struggling nincompoop next door along.

Sometimes I would hide in my shed when I heard him coming down the driveway. As much as I enjoyed our conversations- and I did, I just didn't always have the time to jaw. He passed away suddenly last year from an inoperable brain tumor. I miss him.

 

[journey11]

Maybe one of my garden hopes should be that these renters will move away. My cool neighbors moved and these are the people renting the place. They have horses, which would otherwise be common ground for us, but just like their 2 big german shepherds, they also let their colt run loose in my yard. I normally love to put horse poo in my garden....I just prefer that it didn't come straight out of the horse!

Sorry that you lost your neighbor friend, Thistle.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I'm hoping for a structure of some sort (green house / hoophouse ) to put a few tomatoes and peppers in to increase the possibility of ripe fruit. Also for somehow finding the time and energy to do a better job on my garden than last year.

I put in 2 raised bed hoop houses last year and it was awesome. I am planning on doing it again (plus I am getting a greenhouse) it really helps you feel in control of your environment (LOL cause you really never are). That and learning to compost with a hot compost pile was the 2 most impowering garden skills I have learned here.

:tools

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I also plan on having more varieties of Quinoa, and one or 2 more varieties of Amaranth. I received one so far.

Marshall, I have a really stupid question, I see a lot of ads for Amaranth and it is beautiful but I have seen in the veggie section of the seed catalog. What exactly is it and how to you use it? Baker's says something about a complete source of protein. How do you harvest it and how do you prepare it?

 

[digitS']

What is the saying you can't pick your relatives and you can't pick your neighbors . . . then there was something about picking your nose . . :/ ?!

Well, I guess we can kinda pick our neighbors . . . using our feet. You'd need to canvass the 'hood but, even with this marked segregation we've fallen into with the "gated communities" & all that, it's not really possible to do much about who we live next door to even if we move.

I am a fairly anonymous person on the internet. And, because I have gardens in multiple locations, I've got lots of neighbors. See the connection? I'll clue you in on one more thing: a neighbor introduced me to garden forums . . ! We were/are actually on the same forum for years & may still be!

Then around here on the forum, I do a lot of talking about my real life neighbors . . .

Journey, you need to do some talking TO your neighbor. You cannot have a horse wandering thru your 2013 garden! From the get-go, they need to understand that this situation is unacceptable. Take it back . . . let them know that very soon you will require them to keep it off your property - not a day's tolerance. Even if you don't tell the neighbors your course of action, involving authorities should be next.

Steve

 

[Southern Gardener]

Try to stay organized, everyone. This is the time for garden planning. The whole purpose of that planning is to enthusiastically set and later accomplish goals (with as little extra work as possible ).
Steve

I start out organized and then my plan goes off the rails! This year I vow that I'm NOT going to be an impulse buyer and then run around the garden trying to find a place to plant.

I also start out with a garden journal, but that is quickly forgotten - I'm going to try it again this year.

 

[lesa]

Steve, we have taken on so many jobs and responsibilities I am really going to have to stay organized and on track- if I am going to make my garden happen. I can't really imagine life without the garden, but it will be a real challenge this year. I hope the weed police don't stop at my place! I am going to have to replace my chickens-so I have to fit raising chicks in there somewhere, too.