Friday, January 10, 2014

Garden Goals 2014

I was just reading another garden blog and it had a list of garden goals in the sidebar.  I like that idea, something told keep me in check and accountable.  I am very good at making plans and saying yes to things but I usually get myself in over my head.  It has never stopped me, though!

I have lots of garden goals/projects that I'd like to accomplish this year and I will attempt to list them here.

First the projects:
Finish staining new beds to match existing ones.
Cover walkways with landscape fabric and add gravel
Fix garden gate
Cap off reclaimed water sprinklers and finish installing fresh water irrigation
Remove blood orange tree that hasn't given a single edible orange since planting it several years ago
Work on fruit tree area along fence-remove sod and weeds and make it a proper garden area
Remove dying magnolia in the front yard and replace with a peach tree
Build a moveable trellis/row cover system that is interchangeable and can be moved from bed to bed
Move jasmine vines to west side fence and plant potted muscadine grapes on pergola

Wow, I'm exhausted thinking about all that work!

Now for the goals:

Grow with the intention of eating as much fresh as I can.  Large quantities for putting up can be obtained from the farmers market. Exceptions are potatoes, garlic, onions and cucumbers.
Create a list of recipes and preservation ideas for everything I grow/purchase at market.
Keep an actual garden journal that tracks planting dates, varieties, pests, harvest, etc.
Create a calendar with dates for planting, fertilizing, planting, etc.
Grow a good slicing tomato!
Keep the garden area as neat and orderly as possible.  Put away tools, pots, etc as soon as I'm done.
No shortcuts on projects!  I always end up redoing it at a later date.
Learn as much as I can and enjoy every step along the way.


Anyone else have goals for this gardening season (or year, if you live in the south, like me)?

3 comments:

  1. Good luck! I always try to set goals and make lists, but I don't always follow through with them.

    Have you ever grown "Homestead" tomatoes? They are a determinate heirloom variety that I believe is supposed to do well in your area. I've grown it and really liked the flavor. It's not a huge tomato, but has a really good flavor bordering on sweet. I have extra seeds if you need them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I looked them up, and they are supposed to like our heat. I would love to try them! I grow thousands of cherry tomatoes and they are great, but I am on a quest to grow the tomatoes I remember from childhood. My mom used to slice them with a little salt and they were sweet and yummy. Of course, that wasn't in Florida, but NY, and I'm almost convinced good tomatoes cannot be grown here. It's such a battle against the heat, humidity, disease and bugs (and the occasional hurricane).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great! Send me an email anniebloom1 at gmail dot com.

      Delete