Good morning Randolph Garden Club members and those interested in joining the Randolph Garden Club. Just wanted to share the following with you to guide you along your way to a successful 2024 gardening season.
If you are like me, you are ready to get going for planting season. After the busy holidays, January is my quiet time to rest, to be still. My senses start to waken by the beginning of February with visions of the gardening season ahead. Gardeners are programmed this way. We start planning. I walk my yard and start percolating my thoughts on the season ahead. I can visualize what it will look like in a few months. I know if I want to have a successful and plentiful garden this coming season, I need to prepare.
Half of having a green thumb is being organized. Now, before actual planting season arrives, is the time to imagine, visualize and carefully plan out your plots. It is still time to take advantage of winter's downtime.
Best, Joan
LOOK BACK TO LOOK FORWARD
Now is the time to reflect on how your garden grew last year and to review your notes of what worked and what didn't. What goals do you have for this season. Jot these down. Make a spreadsheet that you can keep as a record from year to year.
MAP OUT YOUR GARDEN
Get to know your physical garden space. Now is the perfect time to walk your land. You have a blank canvas to design. Take photos. Get some graph paper and start to map out your garden. I use colored pencils.
Sketch out your whole garden area. Not just the garden bed, but other landmarks like spigots, water barrels, compost piles, sheds, and roads.
Shade in or label your growing space. Include shady corners; even if unusable.
Divide up each area of your garden by shading or labeling them.
Identify the limitations. Map areas that don’t receive full sun. Draw in fences, roads, areas where water hoses won’t reach, deficient soil, kid or pet areas.
Turn limits into crop-plan decisions. Right plant - right place. Work with the limitations of your growing spaces. Find varieties appropriate for that space.
Soil Test and Choosing a layout. A soil test done by the local extension service (UMASS or UCONN) is one of your best investments toward having a successful garden. When you get your analysis back, you can organize your plantings: design your layout.
PLAN YOUR CALENDAR
Now that you know what you want to plant and where to plant it, it's time to plan out when each seed can go in the ground. Before you get started, you'll want to know your last spring frost date. This date is the average last day that gardeners can expect a frost to visit their garden.