2012 Promises to my Garden: Part II

My 2012 garden resolutions are a reflection and reminder of my overall gardening philosophy – that it should be enjoyable, that it should help us achieve a greener lifestyle, and that we can reap social benefits along with the peas and tomatoes because the value of gardens are often found in the personal connections we make in the process of growing and sharing food. So, without further ado, here they are…

Resolution 1: Make the garden more presentable for company.  Cleaning up the inherited and accumulated detritus of old pots, tomato cages, toys, collapsing trellises, hoses, etc. (really sounds like a paradise, huh?!) will encourage me to share the garden with family, friends, and neighbors. I will no longer be reluctant to talk about its progress because someone might ask to see it. Additionally, I will put more effort into planning the space to be attractive and accessible with mulched paths, weeded borders, and flowers that I will claim are to attract beneficial insects and birds but which are really just there to be pretty.

Resolution 2: Grow more food. One of the emerging motivations behind my gardening is to supplement our family’s diet with more organic produce and to reduce the environmental impacts engendered by the production of our food. Therefore, I would like to improve yields to make a more significant difference. Luckily, the San Diego climate is very obliging. For me, the best part about growing here is that it is never too late in the season to start over!

Resolution 3: Learn about and practice water-wise gardening. I am used to watering only when planting or if I’m feeling particularly generous during a record-breaking drought, so I’m still figuring out how much irrigation is needed to keep plants alive in this semi-arid climate. Mulching, more compost, ollas, contouring, and drought-tolerant varieties will likely be part of the water conservation equation this year. I may also break down and put in some micro-irrigation.  There will be more posts to follow with updates on the relative merits of these strategies.

Resolution 4: Continue improving the soil. The soil here is disgraceful. We need a different name for this stuff. I’m planning a compost-tea brewing session (my first, actually), a big harvest of vermicompost, and cover-cropping one section. Of course, as a confirmed compost enthusiast, I will keep you posted about any composting developments.

Resolution 5: Keep learning and experimenting. But start small. In Solana Center’s gardening courses, we always talk about small successes versus large-scale flops. I will try to take some of my own advice, saving grander plans for later phases and aiming for a small-to-medium success this year!

We invite readers to bravely share their exciting 2012 garden plans as well. Feel free to make comments below or send me an email at elizabeth@solanacenter.org.  Making resolutions public is a little scary, but I’m hoping the threat of accountability will keep me on-track, and, who knows, it might work for you too!

2012 Promises to my Garden: Part I

I am a bit of a goal-setting devotee, and most years I do make New Year’s Resolutions, despite some concerns about all the pressure associated with this type of goal-setting. I started thinking about this year’s resolutions just before the holidays when I received a call from a woman who is committing to composting in 2012. While I admire the eco-nerdiness of her chosen resolution, I am a little hesitant to post my own green goals for the year. My general philosophy on New Year’s Resolutions is that goals made on January 1^st do not deserve quite so much extra clout. If, like most people, I lose motivation around February, I don’t want to wait months before I can make another resolution of significance! However, I am willing to go out on a limb and, at the very least, share my gardening-specific goals for the year.

The garden is in a bit of a slump at the moment, with a few of the most stalwart plants persevering despite moderate levels of neglect. Conversely, there is also a large amount of luscious compost just waiting to resuscitate my pathetic Southern Californian soil and provide sanctuary for new seeds. 2011 was the Year of Experimentation in my garden, allowing me some time to translate my mid-western gardening skills into the San Diegan climate in which I now find myself. This was also the first time that I was primarily responsible for the life and death of everything in the garden, without the option of relying on parents, custodians, or roommates to water, weed, or otherwise ensure a harvest. I did learn a lot during this experimentation phase – including a few ways to slow down the scourge of snails and slugs, how to make the most of compost and worm castings, and the hard lesson that plants will not quit needing water, despite my admonitions that they should just “toughen up.”

The most important take-away, however, is that the experimentation phase doesn’t really end, and that maintaining curiosity – observing and tinkering and plotting new courses – is an important measure of a successful gardener, at least for me. It is also essential to celebrate little victories and pleasures. These include the Holiday Strawberry that I rescued from the insatiable maw of the snails and slugs at the peak of ripeness as well as the English thyme I saved from the botanical version of Trench Foot which will now be making my soups tastier for years to come, no matter how inconsistently I water it, and many more little triumphs.

Visit again next week for my 5 Garden Resolutions for 2012, and, in the meantime, I would love to hear about your green or garden resolutions. Post them in the comments section below or shoot me an email at elizabeth@solanacenter.org.  Happy 2012!