After a pretty crap year growing things last year, I’m ready to make this the best year ever. 2022 is likely to be our last year at 101 and it will be good to go out with a bang! I’m thinking a good harvest, companion planting, a consistently tidy patch – you know, the dream we ALL have every year.
2021 was hard work. The whole patch fell into complete disarray more than once, the weather was unhelpful, my actual real life job was relentless (cheers covid), crops failed blah blah blah, you all know this because many of you experienced it. I’m watching Instagram; I know the score. Frankly, it was heartening to share in some of your failures – though I think the nice way of saying that is ‘I knew I wasn’t alone’.
Speaking of Covid, we’re just recovering from our second Covid-Christmas. Hardly seems fair to have had it twice, especially when both of those times fell across Christmas, but we still had a good Christmas dinner, presents, a warm house and we weren’t alone; there are plenty of people who would give their right arm for that.
Today, after more than a week indoors, I was itching to be outside. I’ve spent two days planning the garden for next year so I grabbed my fork this morning and went to have a tidy up. There weren’t loads of weeds but I think we’re ready for planting in a couple of months. Nice to get all the weedy roots out while they can’t fight back!
There’s still plenty to do – apple tree pruning, fruit bush pruning, manure across the beds, etc – but it seems easier once things are a bit tidier.
Plus there’s still colour! The rainbow chard continues…
Garden 101 