Looking back at the gardening year: 2023

It was a very mixed year in terms of garden successes; a better year in terms of learning more about gardening in this changing climate. More importantly, acknowledging my bad habits online and in the garden.

I ordered a lot of plants online last winter. Come spring, it was clear that I had too many things to deal with at one time as we had frost for ages. That meant I had plants everywhere indoors and was wheeling big planters in and out of the garage day after day as night approached and bringing them out again in the morning. And that's after having potted them up in the garage and basement rather than outdoors on my work table. These up and down Spring temperatures seem to be one of our new norms.

I continued to add more shrubs, native and non, as a way to reduce maintenance, but keep the garden looking good. Last year's drought and extremely high temps reminded me that new plantings need an incredible amount of attention (and water) to survive the trauma of planting. I lost two expensive evergreens in short order and a third by late summer. Even old reliables suffered with the weather.

I may be the gardener and thus responsible, but I am going to blame my losses and other problems on our weather/climate issues. This year it was still too hot and dry to plant much in the autumn which historically has been an optimum planting time. I was still dragging hoses and watering cans around until it got cold enough that we had to turn off the outside faucets. 

I overwintered a Eucomis that I received as a door prize at a garden party in 2021 and fell in love with it. I want to try a couple more this year. I won't reorder any Calla lily which left me unenthused. In 2022 I planted a dozen Byzantine gladioli in two pots and swooned over them all season. So last year I planted 3 dozen in 5 pots and felt oppressed with watering and deadheading them. It was definitely a lesson in "less is more."

When I order plants online in the winter, I always know where I am going to put them so it feels like I have a plan. I am now going to admit that it is a dream and not a plan, given how many plants don't go where I intended. There's no room for them, they don't look good with their neighbors or they aren't getting all they require to succeed, like sun or moisture. Less ordering and more thinking needed. 

Now it's time for me to come up with a serious list of what needs attention in the garden and what plants or shrubs might I plan on getting, preferably locally. In the winter I am mentally gardening like a 35 year old. I need to remember that come spring, I am more than twice that age with a very large garden. Time to get real. 

Comments

[danger garden]

I love that watering can photo!

We gardeners do fall prey to the temptations, be they online in the winter, or in person in the summer—my weakness. It's so easy to add another bromeliad or jungle cactus to the mix, not remembering that I've got to find a place indoors to overwinter them.

[Linda Brazill]

LOREE — I've joined the overwintering indoors crowd with two huge Begonias. Too big and gorgeous to start from scratch again. I want to have a big foliage plant by the front door fast and this is the best way to do it.

[Chavli]

"Reduce maintenance, but keep the garden looking good" has been my mantra for a few years. That, and having a 4-season garden: I love a good looking winter garden.
Seductive as it is, I decided to avoid catalog and online purchase if possible, love what works well in my garden instead of the exotic and unusual. With plenty of Conifers, Japanese Maples, Ferns, Hostas and Hellebores to choose from, I can usually avoid heartbreaks. I know we share quite a few garden plants. In fact, I added a couple of Millenium Allium after seining it on your blog.
Here is to a successful and smart gardening in 2024!

[Old Lady Gardener]

Well said, Linda. Loved the comment about thinking like a 35 year old. So true and easy to fall prey to. Like it or not, we are all going to be forced to learn how to garden in our changing climate as well as with the gardening challenges associated with aging. grrrr!

[Jerry]

You've encapsulated all of the struggles that I've dealt with as well. It's hard to plan when each year is so dramatically different and when the garden is subject to my whims and mistakes, yet I'd like to think things turned out better than if I hadn't planned anything at all

[Linda Brazill]

Jerry — I definitely think our plantings are always a helpful improvement — for the garden and for us.

[Tracy]

The watercans tipped like that are really cool. Let's get real, I could've used that sentiment while ordering seeds yesterday. Oops!

[Ken]

This post is my life as a gardener! 2023 was definitely a breather compared to the horrible drought of 2022. I worry that the plentiful rains of 2023 will be an exception and that 2022 will be the norm. I discovered too. I added several last year. Love the foliage and the flowers. Win win.