Exploring the joys and plans for your 2024 garden season promises to be an exciting journey. You’ll learn all about the perennial herbs that you only need to plant once, their benefits, and how they make gardening simpler. Additionally, you’ll get insights into the challenges faced last year, the vegetable garden plans, and the places where seeds can be sourced.
You’ll also discover new additions to the herb garden that bring both culinary and medicinal benefits. If you’ve ever been curious about what F1 seeds are or need tips on seed saving to cut down costs, we’ve got all the information lined up for you. Get ready to embark on a season of growth and discovery in your garden.
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Introduction and Personal Background
Welcome to another season of gardening adventures! Living in the beautiful state of Maine as an organic gardener and herbalist, you have an incredible opportunity to deepen your connection with nature. You spend countless hours nurturing the land, breathing life into herbs, vegetables, and flowers. This year, in 2024, you’re excited to expand on past efforts and embrace new aspirations.
Over the past few years, you’ve turned your modest garden into a thriving sanctuary. From tiny plots producing just enough for your family, you’ve evolved to accommodate the sprawling spaces designed last year. With your future goals, you dream of achieving almost complete self-sufficiency, yielding nearly all of your family’s vegetables and herbs from the garden.
2023 Garden Expansion
Reflecting on last year, you embarked on an ambitious journey to expand your garden to ten times its previous size. Your garden now includes distinct sections for culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, vegetables, and cover crops. This mammoth effort involved extensive planning, soil preparation, and countless hours of labor.
However, the year was not without its challenges. Excessive rain poured down on Maine, bringing with it an unwelcome host of fungal diseases. These conditions forced you to adapt quickly, learning to manage issues like powdery mildew and other fungal infections. Navigating these challenges has only strengthened your resolve and equipped you with valuable experience for the future.
Focus on Perennials
In pursuit of a low-maintenance garden, you have discovered the immense value of perennials. These versatile plants only need to be planted once and can thrive year after year with minimal intervention. They are typically pest-resistant and require less frequent care, making them a staple in your garden.
Last year, you expanded your perennial collection significantly. Some of the perennials that now grace your garden include Sage, English thyme, lavender, yarrow, mullein, Chinese skullcap, and various types of mint (chocolate mint, sweet mint, mojito mint). Your garden also boasts catnip, Dandelion, St. John’s wort, marshmallow root, wild rose, and plantain.
These plants offer a delightful mix of beauty and functionality. Perennials like dandelion have amazing medicinal properties, whereas others like lavenders and thyme bring culinary wonders to your kitchen.
New Additions for 2024
Looking ahead to the 2024 planting season, you’re excited about adding a few more varieties to your herb garden. This year’s new additions include Greek oregano, known for its aromatic leaves and versatile culinary use. You’ll also welcome common valerian, a perennial herb prized for its medicinal properties, especially in treating insomnia and anxiety.
Adding to your fruit collection, you plan to introduce husk cherries. These delightful fruits, part of the tomato family, offer a sweet taste and come protected in a papery husk. Not only will they be a treat for your palate, but they will also add a unique variety to your garden’s yield.
Main Vegetable Garden Plans
Your main vegetable garden is set to see the return of some favorite staples. You will continue growing green beans, carrots, a variety of squashes (including butternut and acorn squashes), sweet peas, sweet corn, and potatoes (both red and russet varieties). Onions, leeks, chard, and kale will also make a comeback.
Cabbage family plants, such as standard cabbages, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli, have been challenging due to issues with cabbage moths, slugs, and snails. Despite trying various methods like diatomaceous earth, beer traps, and protective netting, you’ve faced ongoing hassles. This season, you are open to new strategies to overcome these persistent pests.
Seed Sources
Your gardening success can often be attributed to the quality of seeds you choose. You rely on reputable sources like Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a Maine-based, employee-owned company known for its high-quality products. For medicinal seeds, Strictly Medicinal Seeds is your go-to.
Additionally, you practice seed saving to cut down on costs. This year, you’ll continue this sustainable practice while avoiding F1 variety seeds to ensure that the seeds you harvest will produce consistent plants like their parents. Through these efforts, you aim to build a resilient and self-sustaining garden.
Garden Tools and Seed Organization
Organizing your seeds efficiently is key to maintaining a successful garden. You utilize bead organizing trays to keep your seeds in order, with smaller containers for different types of seeds. This system helps you stay organized, making planting sessions smoother and reducing the risk of mixing up seeds.
Additional Garden Projects
Beyond planting and harvesting, you dedicate time to maintaining your garden’s size and fertility. This involves regular composting and using natural fertilizers to enhance soil health. Moreover, you deal with intrusions by local wildlife—skunks, raccoons, and deer—as they sometimes find your garden as inviting as you do. These encounters add another layer to your gardening expertise.
Tiny House Project
Alongside your gardening projects, you’re embarking on an exciting personal endeavor: building a tiny house for your stepson. This new home will allow him to live rent-free, gaining valuable experience and independence. Though this project will demand significant attention this summer, it reflects your commitment to sustainable and supportive living.
Conclusion
As you look forward to the upcoming gardening season, your heart is filled with excitement and anticipation. The work you’ve planned for this year, both in the garden and with the tiny house project, promises to be deeply rewarding. Not to forget, there’s the maple syruping season ahead, another wonderful aspect of living in Maine that you cherish.
Reflecting on the past and looking ahead to the future, you continue to grow and evolve as a gardener and herbalist. Your journey is not just about plants but about fostering a harmonious relationship with the earth, one season at a time. Happy gardening!