I Wish Someone Had Told Me.....

[peanut]

Don't half kill yourself trying to do it all at once!
It's amazing how much you can get done by just nipping out for 10-30 minutes at a time and it really adds up over a few days and weeks. The most important thing is to make a start and then keep on keeping on, little and often.
Oh and make lists! I love a list.
I list all the jobs I need to get done no matter how small, it feels so good when you cross things off and you've only spent a short amount of time outside.

[nick the grief]

It doesn't matter how many water butts you have, they are always full in winter when you don't need them, and empty in summer when plants are wilting before your eyes.

bit like greenhouses

[Andraste]

I wish someone had told me that supporting broad beans by running string around canes placed at the corners of double rows is not ideal. I tried adding additional canes along the length & zig-zagging the string across the rows & it still doesn't do the job for me. I don't find the system robust enough, especially if the site gets more than breezy winds, the string slackens as the weeks pass so needs re-tightening & the beans don't know they're only allowed to go in a certain direction if they need support.

This year I've given each plant it's own short cane - about 1 1/2 feet (repurposing broken pieces of full length canes).

[Andraste]

I wish someone had told me to be restrained with watering the plot in dry weather.

Ideally, we want plants to send down nice deep roots & find their own water. Often when we get the watering can out we're only wetting the top inch or so, encouraging shallow rooting & more dependence on us to supply water. So if you do water, try to give a good soak then leave it for 3-4 days (or more) if you can rather than giving a regular shallow watering.

Just because one thing needs water doesn't mean everything does. Remind yourself that different plants have different needs e.g. mature perennials/shrubs/trees are often quite resilient but lettuce (which is quite shallow rooted) won't like drying out.

Before reaching for the watering can, check for the obvious signs of wilting, curling or dull looking leaves. Poke a stick in the ground & see how far down you have to go to find moisture. You might find you spend less time watering & get stronger plants as a result.

Now I just need to remember to follow my own advice

[Andraste]

I wish someone had told me it's ok to politely say 'Thanks but no' to generous offers of free plants if you don't really have space/don't like them/grew enough of your own etc.

I was very proud of myself at the weekend for turning down some lovely looking lettuce even though they were two types I haven't tried before & some cauliflowers - easier to say no to as I don't like them unless smothered in a cheese sauce/gravy & I'm trying to cut down on sat-fats (as well as not having room).

Also, no matter how carefully you plan for the year, it's unlikely that everything it will actually happen in practice.

This year I planned to sow some stuff earlier but that didn't happen due to the weather, planting spaces/quantities for 3 beds being extended but only 1 has made it to the full size so far, to move strawberries but missed the window due to the weather, to put a bit of manure in the bottom of squash/cuc pots to see if I could make a mini hotbed but all the site manure went before I got a chance, to start an asparagus bed & I'm sure lots of other things too - including OH planting the parsnips right in the middle of it instead of neatly out of the way at the top which has messed up when we'll be able to manure & cover the beans/roots bed!