As I’m writing this, it’s officially the start of the gardening season in early February! After the long dark nights throughout January and long forgotten new year’s resolutions, we get a chance to start again.
The sight of snow drops, unmistakable upright shoots of daffodils and tulips sends me into spasms of joy as I look forward with hope for a new growing season. I have to remind myself, there’s no need to rush and more importantly to slow down and focus a bit.
Having some goals helps reduce that pressure, and reduces the chances of a scatter-gun, dispersed approach that yields so little overall. So what are my goals for 2024?
- Rest: Yeah you read right. I hope to and have definitely got some rest time in mind for this year. I’ll be away on holiday around Easter and during the August holidays. I’ve ‘booked’ this time out and mentally adjusted my expectations for what I’ll be able to get done, and how to get help around this time.
- A planting plan for the seasons of the year: Last year, I started a wonderful spreadsheet that was meant to capture all that my heart desired for what I’d grow. Needless to say, life happened, my spreadsheet never got completed and whilst I had a great spring, I had a tough autumn. So this year, I’ve got a more modest plan that gives me more flexibility and is just roughly drawn on paper. Crucially it is complete with clear follow-on plans for the autumn.
- A routine for the seasons of the year: When I look back at my jottings and reflections over the year, I noticed a pattern, different priorities emerged over the year. I found that I needed to change my basic routines going into each new season. So this year, I’ve embraced and outlined my routines so each season I know what needs to be done without too much faff!
- A target harvest per week for the whole year from March 2024-March 2025: I’d really love to have at least two ‘baskets’ full worth of harvest per week. In other words, enough vegetables and fruits to eventually replace our shop bought vegetables. This is a big step up for me and probably the hardest goal for 2024.
Improvement projects to improve efficiency that includes rest spaces: I’ve realised that each improvement project makes it easier to do routine tasks. So this is something I’ll continue to do. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to get two hot beds set up, and we’re now working on some additional seating with a view to setting up a ‘pergola’ style shade area. Each of these improvements will yield new benefits, not least being able to pause and enjoy the gardening space.