2008 Garden Reflections, Part One

Every year, when I plant my garden, I make a pledge to note what did well and what didn't and try to figure out why. A written record would be so helpful in planning the next gardening scheme. I have yet to actually write down my observations so I could review them before planting again. Invariably, Spring arrives and I have a vague memory of what worked and what new thing I wanted to try. The memories are all fuzzy and worn at the edges. My brain, once a steel trap, now resembles a worn blanket; it definitely has holes. So I figure I might as well put my blog to good use. It'll be a record of sorts. November is a little late for writing down what did well last July or August but it sure beats trying to remember the next April.

The Squash Family
The pumpkins did really well. I planted two varieties, sugar pie and Jack O'Lanterns. I really like the sugar pie, they are small, only 3 - 5 pounds and they bake and freeze well. They're delicious in muffins and bread. I planted them at the end of the garden, beside the corn and snow peas. Things on that end of the garden generally do really well. I harvested well over 40 pumpkins and was absolutely thrilled. This is the first year I got more than 20, and some years I would only get nine or ten. I also discovered I don't need 40 pumpkins; it's way too much, be careful what you wish for and all that jazz. I have enough pumpkin to bake muffins and bread twice a week for the next year. And I don't bake anything twice a week. Next year, I'm thinking I'll plant them in the annex and give something else a chance in that area of the garden. In the annex, it will be easier to manage the vines, they won't get a chance to over-take their neighbours.

The Zucchinis did well. I had enough to freeze and eat fresh. They were planted with the pumpkins. I still have some of the larger ones down in the cold room, they do keep well. They were the dark green bush variety. I'm not sure if I will plant them with the pumpkins again. The pumpkins will run them over and it's hard enough to find zucs without pumpkin vines snaking over the plants. Zucchini disguised as pumpkins makes them hard to harvest.

This is the second year I grew buttercup squash. I won't bother with them again. They take up a lot of room and don't yield all that well for me. On top of that, the only one who will eat them is me. Mind you, I have managed to sneak a bit into a stew or a stir fry but I'm always doing that with veggies that aren't appreciated here so I really don't need another of how-on-earth-am-I-going-to-get-them-to-eat-this vegetable.

So all-in-all, two (green) thumbs up for the squash. May-be not plant so many pumpkin and keep with the sugar pie.