It takes a village to raise a village
There is a statement in the Tassajara Bread Book that goes something like, “There are no mistakes. You did it that way this time, and you can do it differently next time.” My summer garden did not meet expectations, and I want to learn something from the experience and do it differently.
So, if when I learn something, does that makes it easier for other folks to learn it? If so, I hope everybody learns things so I can learn more things, too. It takes a village to raise a village.
Here are thoughts for what I can do differently that we all can learn from.
- Time is a runaway train, so better garden planning might be necessary, but planning is not the finished product. The middle part between planning and picking bushels of tomatoes needs an upgrade. Limited time can be a factor when outcome does not match expectations, but sometimes your gumption just doesn’t want to, and that’s okay. So, the plan would be to listen closely to know what needs to be done, and then pile up the chickweed in a corner of the turnip bed. I find it is more fun than it sounds.
As Uncle Wahoo said, “If time is limited, temper ambition but push the limits and see what happens.”
- I talk big mulch, but I’m inconsistent even though I know it makes a difference. Enough mulch will suppress weeds for a while, but the soil gets only richer over time with every addition of new elements and fibers and textures and colors from leaves and whatever. Keep it coming. It’s never a bad idea to improve the soil (aka, the planet).
A goal for my garden next year will be to have soil so friable I can transplant seedlings using no more than a tablespoon. That means covering the soil through the winter with an affirmative double-duty dose of good stuff. I use leaves of every kind plus horsey barn litter. I also have an aggressive oregano patch, so I trim it back to reality occasionally and use the dried leaves as mulch. Spicy!
Other herbs, too. Sage will grow into a small shrub which donates buckets of aromatic leaves. Sassafras leaves add color, and color helps. Everything contributes in its way. Everything together makes it better. It takes a village to raise a village.
- I will either use popsicle sticks to identify what I plant and where or write everything down on a map because perhaps my memory sometimes is not paying attention. Last month I planted a few Asian brassicas plus a new (for me) variety of kale, so they’re all new and I did not write down what I did. The good news is there is only one variety I cannot identify and it’s tasty.
- I must pay more attention to the asparagus bed. It is difficult to weed, and weeds affect the vitality of the crowns. Asparagus crowns don’t want to be bothered, and these are ten years old ,so regular weeding matters. It is difficult to weed my particular asparagus patch (whine, whine, whine) because the bed is a bit wide, and apparently I am lazy when it comes to wide asparagus beds. Soon all the ferns will dry up and I can venture into whatever point I was making about asparagus beds.
- I grow way more leafy plants than one person can eat because I enjoy trying new varieties. I haven’t grown them all yet, so is there a point here I need to reconsider? Maybe, but I have the seeds already, and it is important for things – such as seeds, time and worry – not to be wasted.
So, my curiosity is an investment. I learn for all and so do you. It takes a village.