This is such a great question for me to think about right now...actually I HAVE been thinking about it!

One thing I would change is to plant only the vegetables that my family and I really enjoy (like, not kale) or that it really doesn't matter as much whether I grow it or get it from the grocer (like, red onions). The tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers and green beans are really appreciated, and pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns, so I will always have those.

Also, I planted some things in bad places - such as the squash plant in front of the mandarin honeysuckle, so now they are both intertwined on the fence. Some of the flowers are in less than ideal places - and they are quite crowded. A lot of the lettuce seeds got washed away because of hard rain (lack of paying attention to the forecast).

In general, I did use a plan on paper but what I had on paper was too much in the real garden. I will scale back and be very choosey about what I spend my time (and water!) on.

I also may widen the paths, since not so many veggies will be going in, I will have the room.

Thanks for asking - Actually, writing this helped me organize my thoughts!

And as they say, experience is the best teacher.

Donna

I have to jump in with this question too. I agree that the paper to 3-D thing doesn't always work. Plus, hops grow like weeds! I didn't leave enough spacing between the trellises for the most vigorous varieties. They keep crossing over to visit their neighbor. They need to be separate since they give beer different levels of bitterness.

I also really need to divide the front perennial bed. My poor day lilies are being swallowed by bee balm.

My long pepper bed turned out great. But, I'll have to rotate it next year and that's one thing, I haven't been able to decide upon.

I agree with Donna about growing veggies the family will eat. Sorry, broccoli rabe and endive. More spinach and lettuce. And, finally, (who I am kidding, I know I'll have more changes) I have to get better with getting my succession plantings going.

Good topic!

I like mine, but didn't get a chance to plant some things due to the excessive and continual rain we have had May-June. I usually plant sunflower seeds along the far side of it, but it was all mud. Too late for those and the gladiolas? What do you think?

I won't ever get mad at the rain, but spaced out would be nice!

I would like to add a couple narrow beds, one for squash, one for berries. My daughter uses the tall, strong tomato cages for her peas and cukes and they do wonderfully.

Also need to find a better path filler than mulch.

Perennial herbs doing wonderful, annuals a bit water-logged. Still, it's doing good, the bess are buzzing and I'm enjoying my little slice of heaven.

Next year I'd like wider paths and more beds. I've run out of space already and it's only the 3rd week in June. The squash plants have taken over one whole long bed and are snaking out toward others. The lettuces, 2nd crop, fill half of another bed. Tomatoes getting bigger than I'd expected. Next winter I may have to dig up half the perimeter posts to move them way out, get more fencing for the larger area, etc.

Also, I have no seating area, just room for one plastic chair in a corner. Where's the enjoyment? Not in weeding.

Maybe this is just a really good year for crops. Or maybe it's because it is a new area of ground, sod having been removed and manure dug in. I can only hope it gets less lush and fertile! :)

Carol

lily51,

A separate bed for squash is a great idea! They are vegetables that are taking over my garden. I may just combine two of my beds next year and have squash, cukes, and pumpkin in those.

I did a lot of things not quite right this year (and am learning from them :) but one thing I did that was good is the path filler - I used pea gravel over the black weedblock fabric. It has been great. No dirt comes in on your shoes, not a single weed has gotten through on the walk, and it looks really nice - and it was pretty cheap getting it by the tubful (shovel yourself) at the local masonry.

If you want to see a picture - there is another poster on this forum whose garden I saw and it made me want to use pea gravel. She posted photos here under the "post pictures of your garden please" post earlier this summer.
I saw it and I made up my mind.

Good luck!

Chickadee...thanks for the pea gravel over the black weedblock. I havent' gotten around to re-doing my path, which i have to do every year with mulch Anything that is no-weed is worth a try!

what did you use to keep it on the path and not spilling out the sides?

I'll try looking for the pics.

Hi lily51,

The post to check out for a picture of gravel potager paths is "Paths in Potagers", and check out the followup by sisterific. She has a link there to a book with a photo that I liked so much I used the plan.

I have four raised beds so most of the stone can't escape.
Where you enter the potager I have a bit of a "lip" that you step down from (maybe 2") so that keeps the stone in for the most part. I really haven't had any trouble with stone getting out.

Take care,

Donna

Two quick thoughts.

1: When you are shopping for seed next year, look for squash and cucumber plants that say they are "bush" varieties. These are huge space savers and tailor made for potagers. I have bush cucumbers and zucchini this year. Still on the hunt for yellow crookneck.

2. Pea gravel is lovely as a path cover, but I think it would be awfully hard on your knees when kneeling to weed and harvest?? Also, weeds absolutely will grow up through it.

Planting bush varieties of vegetables is a great idea and is going in my garden notebook!

About the pea gravel path - I have raised beds that are fairly narrow so haven't had much need to kneel, but when I do I use my "knee cushion" to be comfortable.

To do the pea gravel path I anchored the weedblock fabric under the raised beds along all the path edges and in a few spots overlapped the fabric, and then raked the gravel over that. Weeds don't get through as long as that is done properly.

Anyone know of a bush variety for pumpkins? Last year a friend had them in her garden and they were great. She couldn't remember the name of the variety when it came time to order seeds this year. :(

I did bush varieties of some of my tomatoes as a test this year. They're working well except, the beefsteak's are very heavy for the plants. I had one pull off the trellis in the hard rain yesterday. The vine is split but looks like it will survive.