I can't wait to get outside this spring and start my garden! I'm so excited, I'm going to give you a preview of my 2021 gardening plans! Watch a video about my plans here!
2020 was a super crazy year with so many needing to quarantine or work from home. I was thankful the pandemic hit my area in spring so we could at least go outside and enjoy the pretty weather, the singing birds, and the new life budding all around. Springtime (and also the reality of food shortages at the grocery store) inspired me to grow my own garden.
I've grown gardens in the past with limited success. I often get busy with other things and neglect them and they suffer as a result. 2020 gifted me the time and determination to do my best in the garden and the results matched. I enjoyed the effort and the garden yielded more than ever before, despite my late start and limited garden knowledge.
Last year, I had an old haybale siting in the yard that spontaneously sprouted a pumpkin vine that gave us three large pumpkins. I never had to water or fertilize the hay bale pumpkin, even when the rest of my garden needed constant watering. I would like to see if the same would be true if I intentionally plant in hay bales. So that's what I will try (in addition to my regular raised beds).
I am also going to plant in a new section of my yard. In addition to gardening in my regular spot in the backyard, I will try to grow some things in the sunniest spot in my front yard. I will use hay bales in that location to see if they need less watering, because that location is a long way from the nearest water spigot.
Another idea I want to try is companion planting. Companion planting groups different plants as teams. For instance, beans planted alongside watermelon introduce nitrogen into the soil that helps the watermelon. The watermelon vines sprawl out over the ground to choke out weeds that might cripple the beans. Low growing watermelons won't bother the beans because the beans will climb up a trellis. Also, I will add certain flowers and herbs as companions in the garden because they repel bugs and other pest. Some companion flowers and herbs I will grow are sunflowers, nasturtium, marigolds, rosemary, dill, oregano, and mint.
Here is a list of vegetables I want to grow this year.
- Yellow Stuttgarter Onions
- California Softneck Garlic
- Serbian Hardneck Garlic
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Winter Squash
- Bell Peppers
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Green Beans
- Lima Beans
- Peanuts
- Yellow Squash and/or Zucchini
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Broccoli
Watch a video tour of my garden and follow along with my progress.
