My Top Three Growing Mistakes

What was Paradise?  But a garden,

an orchard of trees and herbs,

Full of pleasure, and nothing 

there but delight.

                 William Lawson

I have just about all my little seedlings planted in the ground.  I am increasing the numbers each year and this time round had a hard time deciding where to plant it all.  I mentioned I had tremendous luck with the Vessey seeds with so many sprouting but what a good problem to have.  I was especially pleased with the marigolds.  They are a great little flower and have such staying power, will keep on flowering till the fall with care and deadheading.  I also have sprouted an abundance of morning glories, enough to cover two fences this year.  All the butterfly flowers, shasta daisies, asters and bee balm also sprouted well.  It should be quite colourful if all grow and bloom.  Time will tell.

The vegetables are trickier.  I needed to find spots that suited individual growing needs and this is harder.  It would be best if I could corral them all in one garden plot but the side garden where I've planted vegetables before is not in full sun as some require.

I've learned at least three things about vegetable growing that I hope to get right this year.

#1 From planting pumpkins last year I discovered the vines needed a lot of space to spread out, so this year I have to put them somewhere else where they have room to grow and not tangle up so badly and try to make a run for the woods.

#2 I always seem to plant things too close together, especially tomato plants.  I've learned the hard way to put the cages on earlier and not try to fit them on later.

#3 While potatoes are growing, they need a lot of water.  It took a while for me to figure out just how much they required...quite a lot.  If it wasn't raining, they had to be watered.  I think my minuscule crop suffered because I didn't know this.  (I have a tendency to think that if plants are in the ground, they don't need as much watering as, say, the potted things.)

I must have read this information but, surprise, didn't retain it.  Oh well, now another growing season and a chance to get it righter!