Garden Plans

It’s that time of year again: time to plan the garden! This winter, I read through the book “Carrots Love Tomatoes” by Louise Riotte. It was a good book, and I had lots of great ideas after reading it. While we were at Grandma and Grandpa’s house last month, I looked though all the pages I had marked, my notes from last year in my garden journal, and my marked pages in “The Backyard Homestead.”

I typed out a whole sheet of notes of what I wanted to plant, and the kinds of plants each one likes and dislikes. Then it was time for drawing out my map!

If you click on the above picture, you can see it in better detail. Here is what I would like to plant this year:

~Cantaloupe~

~Summer Squash~

~Zucchini~

~Bell Peppers~

~Jalapeno Peppers~

~Tomatoes~

-Sweet 100’s

-Chocolate Cherries

-One larger variety

~Cabbage~

~Collards~

~Mustard Greens~

~Spinach~

~Lettuce~

~Kale (in the fall)~

~Cucumbers~

~Basil~

~Rosemary~

~Sweet Mint~

~Chocolate Mint~

~Spearmint~

~Chives~

~Oregano~

~Thyme~

~Parsley~

~Catnip~

~Nasturtiums~

~Zinnias~

~Dianthus~

~Bee Balm~

~Lemon Balm~

~Lemon Verbena~

~Lavender~

I realize that this is a lot for such a small garden. Some of the plants I plan on doing in pots on the deck, in other gardens, etc. I’m really hoping that my garden is more successful than last year (that’s probably not that hard to do! J) I’m hoping that by companion planting, I’ll run into fewer problems from pests and that the plants will produce more abundantly.

My garden has actually been getting ahead of itself with all of the warm weather. I went out there a few weeks ago, and this is what I found. . .

Growth!

My perennial herbs (including the chives pictured above) are already coming up! Unfortunately, since we’ve had such little snow this winter. . .

…My newspaper from last fall hasn’t finished decomposing! I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do about that.

I’m looking forward to another year of gardening and learning! Any tips or advice that you have to offer would be welcome and appreciated!