[2022-09-23] Preparing for next year's garden
In last fall's post Be kind to your future self, I shared a list of things I try to do to be kind to Future Jen—things like planning meals, cleaning the kitchen immediately after cooking or eating a meal, and adding items to my grocery list the moment I notice our supplies are dwindling or have run out.
Today, I added another kindness to the list: preparing for next year's garden. Inspired by my mom's example and mindful of the risk of frost tonight, I decided to bring in my remaining tomatoes and peppers along with the herbs I'm hoping to keep over the winter. But I didn't stop there. I pulled out all the old vegetable plants and organized my planters so that they would be ready to receive new seeds and seedlings next spring. I emptied the garden hose and turned off the water. And I tidied up the entire backyard, discarding items that had seen better days, storing stuff away for the winter, and sweeping the deck of debris. Not only will this make Future Jen's life easier next spring, but it makes Current Jen very happy to see a neat and decluttered backyard.
I also made notes of things I will do the same or differently in the garden next year based on what worked and what didn't this year. I used to follow this same practice at the end of our summer vacations. On the long drive home from Chris' family cottage, I would reflect on what I had packed and what I would or wouldn't take again, as well as what I had failed to bring along (usually sufficient warm clothes). These notes were always tremendously helpful 12 months later when my memory had faded. I expect the same to be true when I read today's gardening notes 5 or 6 months down the road.
If, as Audrey Hepburn said, "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow" then perhaps to prepare for next year's garden is to remain hopeful that there will be many more days after tomorrow.
