Lifestyle

First Year Gardening Wins and Fails

I’m so so good at killing plants. It’s basically my superpower. The problem is that I have big grandiose dreams of a huge homesteader garden.

Our first year garden had a bunch of fails, a couple wins, and hopefully not a flat learning curve.

It’s a modest little garden, and now that October has finally hit I’m ready to call it for the year. Honestly, I’m feeling relief. But before I forget about the garden until Spring, I want to remember all the wins and losses of this year.

First, let me share the fails – mainly because there is just so many of them…

1. Watering

I have two gears when it comes to watering – drowning plants and desert island.

For next year I know that I’ll need to come up with a schedule or watering system. Apparently plants don’t do well under those two conditions. Who knew?

2. Weed Control

I thought I was smart when I started most of my plants from seeds inside. That way when I planted them I could tell the difference between the plants and weeds.

However, if you don’t then remove the weeds or put down some sort of weed barrier (i.e. straw, mulch, or just weed constantly) you will be left with a jungle. And that’s what I got…a jungle.

To quote my good friend that stoped by and saw my garden, “I have no idea what I’m looking at”.

3. Labeling and Organization

I extremely over estimated how easy it would be to remember what I planted and where. This, along with the rest of my fails, is such a rookie mistake that it’s embarrassing.

I didn’t really take into account plants that would start to vine out. For example, my cucumber plants did really well this year. However, I planted like 8 cucumber plants crammed together in a fairly small garden. So, quickly the vines just took over everything. I did have a mountain of cucumbers this year. But the vines touched about every side of the garden and made it impossible to walk around.

Also, there were a few times when I completely forgot what I had planted. I was straight up guessing what the plant was going to end up being.

4. Pest Control

A little heads up. If insects start to eat your plants, you kinda have to address the situation. It won’t just randomly stop. Well, maybe it will – but it for sure didn’t for me.

Next year I’ll have to take the time to find a solution to all the bugs eating my vegetables.

However, it’s October so…until next year bugs.

Well that felt very cathartic. Thank-you for letting me get that off my chest.

Now – onto the few things I’m very glad I did this year and I would actually recommend to other first time, novice, plant killing gardeners.

1. Movable/Changeable Garden

I don’t know what I’m doing, but man do I have big plans. I’m so glad we used these gardening stakes and didn’t do anything super permanent.

That way I could easily make it bigger next year if I discovered I needed more room. Or I could shrink it down if I decided that I actually don’t want to be Ma Ingalls. Maybe just grow basil and call it a day.

It’s a moveable fence, so it’s not “Instagram worthy”. But I’m glad I let go of that vanity to give myself some figuring it out time.

2. I Tried A Lot

I’m really happy that I grew bunch of random stuff this year. I mean I went a little crazy with the seed packets. Some made it – a lot didn’t. But I’m really happy that I tried everything I could get a hold of because I learned a lot.

I even learned what I don’t want to grow next year. Because as it turns out – we actually aren’t a pickle family. So, tubs and tubs of cucumbers was unnecessary and useless.

I really hope future Nicole remembers a few of these.

If you don’t have a green thumb and yet have those homesteader dreams, I am right there with you. I’m learning to be persistent. It’s not my strength – not even a little.

Until next year!

Thank-you for taking time out of your day to hang out here!