I guess I still have a lot to learn regarding planning. A really good plan, apparently, is NOT simply outlining steps of a project. Creating a great plan, which is now my goal in life, should also include the “what ifs”…contingencies…detours, if you will. Why am I surprised? As I look back at pretty much any goal I’ve had or project that I have undertaken, the day-to-day workings took many a turn, came to a perceived standstill on occasion, or, more often, actually morphed along the way into something quite different from the original target.
Which leads me to…my vegetable garden.
What a disappointing boondoggle that turned out to be this year! I’m sure a more responsible homesteader might have had a different outcome, but this girl could not adapt to the soppy, swampy mess that took the place of my carefully tilled, meticulously measured, diagramed, and planted, and oh so neatly fenced in “garden”.
Rains, day after day, gave way to overcast days. By mid-summer the days became warmer, but the humidity remained high…and the soil retained a gummy, suck-the-boots-right-off-of-your-feet mire. Other pleasant and long-anticipated activities began to fill the days. There were opportunities to address the mini jungle, but the effort to regain a semblance of order just seemed too daunting. So I threw in the proverbial towel, along with my garden tools and straw hat, and set my sights on 2020.
Perhaps I should feel more regret about the investment in money and time for Garden 2019…but I cannot muster it. I learned one thing about diversification…”less is more”. Next year I will return to the tried and true crops. I was also reminded about working smarter not harder. And that planning? Yep, I will break out the chart, rotate the veggies, probably get a few more things planted indoors…maybe a little earlier in the spring…and try again.
And pray for a drier spring in 2020.