This was our family’s first year gardening. The kids and I had fun learning and spending time together. We built the beds, learned about composting, installed worm bins, and planted most of the veggies together. It was a blast, but there was a lot of things I’d like to remember for next year.
Our family likes cantaloupes occasionally, but not enough to eat twelve a week. I gave away a ton, but still ended up tossing a dozen or so as they went bad before we could get to them. Next year I’ll plant two cantaloupes, not five.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, my one watermelon plant wasn’t quite enough. Next year, I’ll plant two.
I let the kids each pick three plants as long as they were different varieties. Jokes on me – all three picked various types of tiny tomatoes – jelly bean, cherry, midnight snack, grape, sun gold, super sweet, million, sun sugar, and isis candy. All of the varieties were good, but jelly bean and sun gold were my favorites. Next year I’ll plant two small tomatoes plants, not nine.
I planted said nine tiny tomato plants in what was supposed to a “snacking arch”. I based it off a pinterest picture – a large, wide arch covered with sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and munching cucumbers that shaded a picnic table. Turns out cherry tomatoes aren’t vines, and the picture was made with AI. Oops, total jungle of an arch by the end of the season.
A friend gave me popping corn starts, which were so fun to see sprout, but didn’t give me the yield I expected. Next year I’ll either hand pollinate the popping corn or skip it entirely.
My lemon cucumber produced enough for an entire village and then some. While fun to grow, they were a pain to peel and not as useful as a regular variety. Next year I’ll plant two regular cucumbers instead.
The chard took off like crazy. It turns out our family doesn’t like chard. I can’t get it to die. No more chard next year.
My zucchini, sugar snap peas, carrots, and green beans didn’t make it at all. Not sure what happened there, but I’ll try again.
My six roma tomatoes, six bell peppers, and pack of walla-walla and red onions each did great, and I’ll stick with those quantities again. The tomato cages weren’t great, so I’d like to try a different support system. I would also like to add in potatoes and a hardier kind of onion for long-term storage next year.
Overall it was a great season, and I look forward to trying again next summer. Hopefully the blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry plants survive the winter and produce well next season. For the fall I’ll continue to grow onions, garlic, and pumpkins. If you’re thinking of starting a garden, I highly recommend it. Even if you don’t get a great harvest, the process was really enjoyable as a family.
Disclaimer/Reality Check: Not all of my gardening was a success – I killed many, many plants this year, and that’s ok. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
