Well there it is. A month’s worth of brain power and two months of evaluating last year’s garden. It all comes down to a rough sketch (click on the picture and it will get bigger) that will be my garden next year. What you don’t see is succession planting. I plant a new crop in each bed as the old is harvested. I know what I’ll be planting (see the circle with a question mark), but I don’t know where they’ll go until plants begin reaching maturity.
The orchard has been ordered. The first year we will plant 2 plum, 2 apple, 2 apricot, and 3 cherry. Each year (for the next three years) we will add 3 trees of various types.
The front herb bed contains:
- calendula
- lavender
- peppermint
- spearmint
- chocolate mint
- monarda
- rosemary
- purple cone flower
- mullein
- St. John’s wort
- chamomile
- horehound
- vallerian
- marjoram
- wormwood
- boneset
- zinnia
- cosmos
- comfrey
- lemon balm
- catnip
Edited to add this comment in response to Bryan’s question:
Let’s see . . .the asparagus beds are to the south and about 15 feet from the house. They are the “front” of the garden so the rest of it runs to the north in a straight line. The area with all the notes is yard that will hold the new chicken coop (with water collection system), the rabbit houses, the compost piles, and could hold even more garden beds. We still have room for 10 beds behind the beds we are building this year though. Immediately to the north of the garden is our 2 1/2 acres of woods and to the east and north-east of the “notes” is the field in my blog banner. In the bottom left corner of that picture you can see the door to the sheep/goat/hay barn. Maybe today I’ll try to get a drawing of our land. That might help explain our set-up better.
The herb bed is in front of the house with full southern exposure. The orchard will go over by the grapes to the east of the house. I was going to put the orchard in the front yard, but the sheep will need more space come Spring.
I’m not sure there is a picture of the whole garden. I’ll have to poke around and see. If there isn’t then I’ll add one this spring while we are working and it doesn’t look so pathetic!
I’m intrigued, always intrigued by the gardens of others; especially since I am at a similar stage with my own “garden” - thanks for the reminder. Does your garden have a layout similar to the drawing? Is there a pic somewhere amid Hedge’s Happenings of the garden in its entirety - if so, I’d love to have a look. Bryan
Bryan,
Let’s see . . .the asparagus beds are to the south and about 15 feet from the house. They are the “front” of the garden so the rest of it runs to the north in a straight line. The area with all the notes is yard that will hold the new chicken coop (with water collection system), the rabbit houses, the compost piles, and could hold even more garden beds. We still have room for 10 beds behind the beds we are building this year though. Immediately to the north of the garden is our 2 1/2 acres of woods and to the east and north-east of the “notes” is the field in my blog banner. In the bottom left corner of that picture you can see the door to the sheep/goat/hay barn. Maybe today I’ll try to get a drawing of our land. That might help explain our set-up better.
The herb bed is in front of the house with full southern exposure. The orchard will go over by the grapes to the east of the house. I was going to put the orchard in the front yard, but the sheep will need more space come Spring.
I’m not sure there is a picture of the whole garden. I’ll have to poke around and see. If there isn’t then I’ll add one this spring while we are working and it doesn’t look so pathetic!
Excellent sketch, and looking forward to seeing some photos too. I must complete the plan for mine and post it - I haven’t done that since doing the plan for the edible hedge…
Thanks for the great detail - i am picturing it in my mind, and smelling the scents, and feeling the earth crumble between my toes, and thinking that maybe tomorrow I will take a walk through my own mess/garden with new eyes.
Bryan