This is the time of year when I start reflecting on what I learned last summer and what I hope to trial in the coming growing season. Each year builds on the ones that came before, making small tweaks to perfect something that was almost right last season or trying something I've never done before in hopes of learning something new. It is the natural progression of my skill building fed by curiosity and nurtured by practice and patience.
As I look at the seeds scattered across my dining room table I am thinking about what they will need to flourish, where they might fit best in the raised beds and who should be their neighbor. One of last year's lessons was understanding the distinction between pole and bush beans. In early July I recall my husband examining the purple bean stalks that were close to 5' tall and saying "Lyss, I think they grew a foot overnight. What kind of magic beans did you buy?" I swore they were bush beans, meant to only grow a couple of feet tall. In typical style I didn't do any research to learn how tall these beans might actually get and just went to the local hardware store to buy 8' bamboo poles. The vines took those over in a few weeks and they collapsed without the proper support. Staple guns and twine were deployed weekly in hopes of keeping these monsters standing tall. In the end, they grew to be over 10' with a yield like no other beans I had ever grown. I loved the heightened look those plants gave to the garden and decided to go with pole beans again this year, but I bought the proper support system and I actually read the seed packet instructions carefully. Rattlesnake Pole Bean and Blue Lake Pole Bean are on tap for the 2015 season with a support structure that will look something like this.
As you may have gathered from my earlier post of how building my garden oasis all started with a dusty old produce scale, I have a passion for hunting out the unique. My watering hose is purple, there is a bath for bees made of antique marbles and the potting shed is secured with a skeleton key. A few years ago, during a trip to the architectural salvage warehouse I stumbled upon a beautifully faded yellow whiskey barrel. The obvious thing to assume when you buy something that is 100 years old is that it would make the perfect water-tight rain collection barrel. What it made for was a very soggy yard and a high water bill that spring.
This year the barrel will become a planter for brightly colorful vines of Sweet Pea Royal Blend and Cardinal Climber. My rain collection system will be brand new and made of plastic; though it will be powered by solar and plumb to a sink made from an antique maple syrup strainer, but that's content for another post.
Most importantly, over the years I have learned which plants I want to spend my summers with and the ones I would rather just buy as an end product from the farmers market. Choosing your seeds in the spring is like entering into a relationship with each little packet. You need to ensure you have the proper soil, support and sunshine in place for them to thrive and then you must commit to giving of your energy to them for months. They will show up in your kitchen daily and you have to be prepared to embrace them no matter how you may be feeling about their constant presence on your cutting board. You chose them to be part of your family for the season and you can't abandon them no matter what challenges they may be presenting. Those challenges are just lessons for next year. Either you adjust the soil, support or sunshine they need or you just cut them off of your growing list completely. I have broken up with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radishes and zucchini over the years for various reasons. Cucumbers may be on the chopping block this year since I haven't been able to look a pickle straight on since last year's massive yields and endless mason jars in my fridge. I know for sure that I am definitely romancing the beet, three ways in fact ~ golden, red and chioggia style!
Ground your gardening in your experiences and each year you will gain new perspectives that enhance both the aesthetics and the harvest yields in your own personal oasis.