Edit: Due to a website change, this post is being reposted. It was originally posted on March 6, 2022
For this years garden goals I have decided to be intentional in using what I have and what I can do. I want to challenge myself but not overwhelm. Learning how to choose achievable goals and create the necessary steps to get there has been something I have been working on quite a bit lately. As I evaluate what went wrong when I start to get overwhelmed, I am amazed how specific those steps can get. I always think I’m writing down the stepping stones to get where I want to go and discover there are 2 or 3 other steps in between.
With that in mind, here are my 3 goals for 2022 that I think are simple & achievable:
1. Use what I have. The space that I have and the seeds that I have.
I have dreams to expand my garden but my current bed needs work and it is already more space than I’m used to. This year I want to focus on using that space well and improving the soil.
I have so many seeds! I know that my collection is tiny compared to some but there are more than I can practically use right now. I mentioned in my last post that fear has been a factor in some of homesteading decisions I’ve made and this is true for many of the seeds that I purchased last year. However, there are quite a few that I purchased because I was drawn to the beauty or excitement of the possibility of growing that variety. No matter the reason, I have plenty.
2. Have a purpose for what I’m growing. I know there is something to growing just for the fun of it, I do have some of those, but I feel like I need to be intentional about why I’m growing something to minimize waste and help with the learning curve. This includes fresh eating and preservation. I’ll get into this more in another post, but my preservation focus this coming season will be primarily dehydration and secondary will be fermenting. No canning.
3. Learn. Right now this looks like some on-line classes that the extension office with Colorado State University are offering. So far I’ve purchased their “New to Colorado Gardening” and “Planning a Timeline.” I’ve signed up for Vegetable Gardening later in March. I have found many garden-lovers in the homeschool group I’ve joined and I hope to be able to build a community there.
The great thing about goals is that I have a guide to making decisions, these are not set in stone. I can adjust to get more specific or expand if needed. For example, when I’m tempted to buy more seeds is there a good reason to make the exception to the goal of using only what I have? Fear is not a good reason, but since starting to write this post I have purchased more seeds. One was more of some cucumber I already have as I was really low on my supply and wanted more to succession plant this year and extra for next year. Second, are some Kalette seeds. Normally, I try not to get hybrid seeds because I aim to save as many seeds as I can but I really like the novelty of this plant and want to try it.
Those two purchases I’m happy with. I don’t think either of them go outside any of my goals too much if at all. I did get a third packet of seeds, celery. I don’t regret getting it but it does step out of my current goals as I don’t have plans to plant it this year and was more for future security (I hope). It could have waited. It wasn’t exactly a fear based decision but I was excited to see it on the seed list from the regional company I like to buy from.
I am happy with the goals I made this year and will re-evaluate as needed. Changing how I am approaching my garden has been a huge relief and has allowed to to focus on learning instead of scrambling to keep up.
Proverbs 28:19 He who tills his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty