Waiting for the first real snowfall makes me think about my time in my garden in the warmth of the summer.  I must remember that each of those dead and dormant plants are there because I put them there.  Winter gardens are ghostly echoes of the previous seasons efforts.  Composting scraps and brush cover many of the growing patches and hide the necessary decomposition that creates the black gold that powers a good garden.

Where to start? Maybe fruit trees or exotic vegetables? A chromatic blast of flowers in every possible color?  Grow the world’s biggest pumpkin?  Oh sure, big dreams, but not mine.  No, for me, I want to create a garden that can feed me, protect me, and inspire all.  The only intelligent way to plant is to break the garden into four areas: Flowering Vegetables like tomatoes & peppers, Root Vegetables, Herbs, and Ornamental Flowers.  More than what you grow, it’s important to think of what you will do with your yield when it starts coming in?  Tomatoes - we make sauce and crush them and then can them to preserve them.  Peppers and other vegetables can be pickled to be preserved.  Let’s face it, there are only so many vegetables you can eat in a regular week, so planning what you do with the excess is essential.

I believe that each year a garden needs to change and adapt based on the last year’s results.  We had poor results with snap peas last year, so I need to plan if I’m going to grow them and, if so, what patch am I going to plant them in.  Changing growing areas is a simple way to adjust your garden.  Get to know what grows well and where.  If you mix your flowers with your vegetables and you like it, stick with it.  In fact, some herbs and flowers protect sensitive vegetables from pests and fungus.  Before you make your plan, look through some seed catalogs. There may be something there that catches your eye and might be interesting to grow. 

I always look through my saved seeds from last year.  I tend to save seeds from good plants so I’m able to replant them the following season.  I collect tomato and pepper seeds, and dead head a variety of flowers, including Marigolds.  Now I’m ready to plan!  I would like to have about 40 tomato plants, which is less than last year, but makes making sauce or anything that needs to be canned easier.  The peppers are part of my pickling medley, so I like to plant a variety of types of peppers of different heat levels, about 25 plants would be perfect.  Last year’s carrot patch was a huge hit so I figure I’ll dump the whole package of 200 seeds in the same place.  I want potatoes this year, but potato seeds are quite expensive, so any potato that we have that starts sprouting, gets planted! I’m hoping to get an endless supply at some point!

Last year, we had a disappointing yield of squash and zucchini.  I will change varieties and then relocate the place they grow.  I’ve never tried growing them in the front garden so maybe this year I’ll add them to my front herb garden and see if they like it there.  The great thing about these squash is what you can do with them.  What’s left over can be made into a pie or a casserole and frozen.  The idea of my garden is to grow extra to process into things that can last the winter. 

I leave the flower beds for my wife to plan.  She loves local varieties of plants and takes pride in all the bees her garden attracts each year.  I know she wants to grow Sunflowers, but we have had no luck with them and must put that idea away.  Last year’s big surprise was the rose patch in front of the house.  We added other flowers to it and the whole thing looked great.  This year, I wonder what she’s thinking of adding?  The yellow Zinnias grew well so I’m sure they’re included in the plan.  The great thing about flowers is that you only need to plan where they go, you can wait until last minute to plant them, they are easy!

Finally, the herb garden.  There are always gifts from last year but it is better to plan out what you want.  Oregano, Basil, Sage, Parsley, Rosemary, Tarragon, chives, Greek Chives, Peppermint.  Then, if I want to get fancy, there are variations on certain herbs like Oregano and Basil, but I tend to return to the traditional varieties.  These herbs can be frozen, dried, and used to flavor oil, though some work better than others.  It’s always a thrill to go to the garden to cut fresh herbs to use while cooking and preparing, the food always tastes better!

Gardening is like a symphony of life.  Each plant adding to the music of your life, painting your life with colors and fragrance.  Nature’s market that you create and care for, your little farm, gives you the bounty of your hard work.  Experiencing the miracle of life, even though the moment is fleeting, can fill you up with pride and satisfaction.  Now is the time we plan for next season and for the journey it will take us on.