2027 Planning

 Most years I vow to do better next year. This time I SUPER VOW to do better next year. I think I will try to keep a post here to keep track of what I want to grow, chores I need to do, links, ideas, and planning.

What I want to grow

• Tomatoes, of course. Perhaps a bunch of different varieties.
• Garlic
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Hot Peppers. A lot. Crazy varieties. Prep for future photo collage!
• Cukes. Be nice to have some to make pickles
• Dill, also for pickles
• Onions - maybe do some sets
• Basil
• Different sorts of berries?
• Green beans
• peas
• lettuce
• cabbage
• carrots (for reals!)
• kale
• spinach
• dried beans
• fig? YES!
• probably more

What I need to do

• Build raised beds
• Buy raised beds
• Panels from pvc pipes to keep deer out?
• Wood frame panels to keep the deer out of driveway planters?

Timeline

Now-Sept

• Clear weeds and brush
• Lay down cardboard
• Obtain buckets
• More cloth buckets?
• Think about hydroponics
• Repair rain barrel
• Maybe plant some kale?
• Other fall crops?

October

• Drain rain barrel, also patch it
• Empty hoses, shut off water to hoses
• Longer hose for driveway spigot
• Obtain and Plant Garlic

November

December

January

• Seed starting early January

February

March

• peas around mid march

Links

Pinterest board for links

Map

Rough map of what I have to work with. The planter closest to the street has Jerusalem artichokes, I will leave those. One of the other 4 should be for garlic. I don't want the front yard to look too trashy, so either need some cages to keep the deer out that look nice or grow something they don't care about. 

The space in front of the planter trench on the lawn has grown sunflowers in the past, that might be nice. I'm not sure if there are more deer now and they might get eaten.

The trench itself needs to be cleared out. I want to clear out pretty much all of it. Maybe not the rose. Maybe move the rose? Clearing the prickly bush will be a fun challenge. There are some black raspberries, but they grow poorly there. Maybe transplant? Not sure how difficult that is.

Front patio may host some buckets, possibly a big planter of some sort. Needs to look decent.

Maybe something along the side of the house along the driveway. Some nasty lil vining weeds there that would need to be handled. Maybe some buckets.

Small bed before the rock garden is kind of shady. Needs lot of clearing out.

Rock garden is a disaster. To the point where it would almost make sense to take it out.

Small planter at the end of the driveway with strawberries. Seems to be doing pretty well, though need to be cleared out a little bit.

Old garden area seems promising, though it will need protection from deer. I tried basil here and kale, they did not prosper. 

The "brush" are is a bit overgrown. May clear that. Maybe put down some big old planters in there.

Maybe some way to keep deer out of the yard. Definitely some deer-proof raised beds. Maybe the old garden is the easiest place to do that.

Rough Ideas

• Cut up yogurt containers for markers
• Cardboard tubes for plant starters
• 
  

Updated

• Aug 20 - started
• Aug 22 - added map

Disappointments

Well, another sub par year. Got started late, not a lot of redundancy. I do have a nice batch of Roma tomatoes in the area right by the front patio stairs. Had some zucchini, but they died out. Got a grand total of 3 *sad trombone*. I think critters got at them. Maybe mice. Maybe rabbits! I definitely saw a rabbit escaping from the area when I rounded a corner. The start up was late, I tried planting seeds directly in dirt and did not get a solid sprouting, sadly. Peppers were pretty disappointing, but I got a few New Mexico types growing. Should get a couple pounds. Miraculously grew some huckleberries from seed. Got a couple plants. Not a huge harvest, but been picking and freezing, saved up about a pint, will make something with them. Also grew something called an orange variety, they have a distinct taste, but not very pleasant. I wonder if there is a use for them. I've just been letting them go. Couple eggplants grew, but I don't see any activity that looks like fruit. I abandoned garlic, weeds overtook them, I just harvested a couple days ago. Just terrible. Small heads, some broke apart on harvest. The Jerusalem artichoke patch is booming, I will harvest some soon, see what I get. I planted none, I did nothing, not even watering.

I got some more strawberries, and bought a row cover and frame to keep the varmints out. That seemed to work. I got a few berries. Also had some eaten off by something. Perhaps need to clamp down the row cover a bit better to protect them. Maybe do better next year. I saw a bunch of blueberries, but they got got by something before I got any. The "serviceberries" are not doing anything like a berry. *shrug*

I think the big take away is that I'm going to put a lot more effort in next year and see what I can get. Thinking about a few things, like raised beds (the big metal ones). The row covers did a pretty good job with the strawberries, maybe see how that goes if I expand it. Maybe make some nice removable panels to keep deer out of the stuff along the driveway. Anyway, will make another post called 2027 planning that will keep track of what I'm thinking..

Huckleberries