I've been gardening for nearly ten years now, and while I don't claim to be an expert, I've picked up a thing or two. Every spring, I stumble upon countless beautiful garden layouts online, all perfectly organized with precise spacing. These plans are super inspiring and often prompt me to rethink my garden design. But every year, I find myself drafting what I think is the perfect garden layout. I start my seeds meticulously, even planting extras just in case. However, as the season progresses, my grand plans tend to fly out the window. I end up planting indeterminate tomatoes wherever there's space, scattering root veggies randomly and even shoving in flowers I forgot to allocate space for! The original plan usually just becomes a joke to me after planting begins. Am I alone in this, or do others also play fast and loose with their garden plans?
2 Answers
I'm totally with you on this one! I call it the Old World Style of gardening. My grandmother used to throw vegetables in wherever there was room; she'd plop a tomato next to a rose bush without a second thought. I've seen the same at my husband's family's garden, too. I once visited a Chinese community garden, and it was organized chaos! The compliments we get on our messy garden are endless, and the neighborhood kids love playing in it. Why stick to strict plans when you can have fun instead?
After one year of trying to stick to a plan and having it completely fail, I've learned I don't know enough to make detailed plans. Now, I just have a general idea and experiment as I go. Direct sowing works better for me, even though my seed starting skills are lacking!