I didn't do much with my vegetable garden last year besides planting and watering it, mostly on account of getting the kitchen remodeled and not having a stove for parts of August and September. I kind of let things go. For example, I threw several very large zucchini directly into the compost pile, which was wasteful.
I know some people consider gardening to be only vegetable gardening, but I get a lot of pleasure from growing flowers. I also like to support the local food movement, and dislike having to eat something from the garden because it's going to go to waste if I don't.
I'm fortunate to not have to rely on my garden for food, and thankful that I have these beds so if I did need to grow more of my own food, I potentially could.
So this year, I'll have the usual one zucchini, a couple of roma tomatoes, a grape tomato, snap peas, lettuce and spinach, carrots. Some of that stuff will even be in little rows. And that's it. I'll need to tame my raspberries, and deal with the fact that only half (maybe fewer) of the canes are bearing fruit. Somehow, some of the ones that originally went in there are sterile. I've cut them in the fall, I've let them go overwinter, no difference. They'll leaf out fine, but no fruit. Anyone have suggestions for getting those out? I'd be OK with getting everything out and starting over, too. It's only a 4 x 4 bed in the corner of the yard.
Then, I'm going to use the newest bed that I put in a couple of years ago to plant Dahlias, and maybe a rose bush. I've always liked them and why the heck not? Writing this reminds me that I need to have a plumber come out and fix or install a new faucet outside, as the one that is there now leaks unless I really wrench it down.
I don't think it's too early to think about gardening. It feels good to begin.
A raspberry can will grow one year and then bear the next. Don't cut out any canes that look smooth and kinda shiny. The old ones that need to go will have peeling bark and look kinda gray and/or downright dead. Wish I could come over to show you. I struggled for years trying to figure out which ones to prune and which ones to leave.
ReplyDeleteI say YAY! for flowers! Even my hubby who used to think a garden was for growing food only now is converted to thinking flowers add so much to the overall picture.
Hmm. I've had these plants for at least two seasons, maybe three. Darnit, I can't remember if I left those unproductive canes alone to overwinter ever. I might have just cut them all down each fall (like I did in 2013). OK, they get a reprieve and I'll leave the "duds" alone over next winter. Thanks!
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