Garden lessons of 2008

Lots of lessons learned this year!

-Next year I am going to triple my tomato plants. We had 5 and that was enough to eat but we did not have any to make into salsa or sauce to bottle for the winter.

-I am going to plant the pumpkins somewhere else, probably along the fence. They took up so many squares in our boxes and I need those to plant tomatoes. I baked tons of pumpkin seeds and they are already mostly gone.

-The watermelons just didn't work. They were all gushy and rotten inside.

-The zucchini did great! I planted 4 plants out by our mail box. We had lots! Plenty of zucchini bread and fried zucchini for dinner. I also have 24 cups of shredded zucchini in my freezer.

-We need more green beans. We had enough to eat while we played in the backyard and for dinner a couple of times a week but not enough to bottle for the winter.

-We need more radishes. They grew so well and we loved them!

-We need more carrots too.

-My spring crop didn't do so well. The radishes and carrots did great. The spinach, lettuce, chard and peas did not. I think it was just too cold at first so they did not grow well. Then it got too hot and they wilted. The peas finally started growing just when it was time to plant the tomatoes and I needed those squares. We had one good salad from the lettuce, spinach and chard.

-I want to more than double our garden space next year. We have five 3x3 boxes. I want to add four 4x4 boxes come spring time. I am not sure our landlady will approve that though.

-I also want to do a 4x4 herb garden. So I guess I need five 4x4 boxes.