“There are no garden mistakes, only experiments” stated Janet Kilburn Phillips, English Cottage Garden Designer. While Janet may be credited with the quote, many seasoned, successful gardeners agree. Now is the time to evaluate the success of your garden. How did you do? I agree with Janet and I learn from each mistake and garden disaster. I encourage you to remember that there is always next year!
Here are some of my “experiments” and successes.
Our new asparagus bed was both an experiment and a success since we planted 20 plants and only had to replant one root. The “experiment” is the two different depths and techniques we used to plant our roots. I interspersed the roots of purple and a hybrid Jersey Giant to experiment with the possible crossing of the two. Since they are both hybrids and the Jersey Giants are mostly male plants, it will be interesting to watch for a new cross.
I had the best and most effortless harvest of potatoes in all my gardening days! The untouched virgin soil had near-perfect tilt, few grubs and pill bugs that allowed me to leave the potatoes in the rows until I needed them. They were delicious!
An “experiment” that did not work was trying to container garden from a distance in the shade. Since we are presently maintaining two homesteads, there were times that I didn’t get to the new one to water. I also wasn’t ready to give up on my front containers that we placed in the deep shade. I planted peas, beans, tomatoes and onions that were a flat-out failure! Only the onions did well and everything else barely produced fruit. But wait until next year! Lettuce and spinach will be my experiment in the deep shade container in early spring before the leaf cover hits.
I finally had a harvest of a temperamental variety of purple cauliflower. One of the reasons botanists developed hybrids is that many heirloom plants are fickle, picky drama queens that are susceptible to every virus and pest coming down the pike. An extremely long growing season needed to produce a harvest so I will start them in January next year.
There are all kinds of “experiments” taking place at the new homestead like installing a cold frame onto one of our sheds that has great southern light exposure. I will plant cold-loving greens in the hopes of harvests in the dead of winter. I want to try painting milk jugs black and placing them, filled with water, in one corner of each section to generate heat at night. I will let you know how this and all the new gardening sites do as we move closer to nesting in the new house. Think about what experiments you’ve like to do. Be blessed! Ann May
