March Garden Dreaming and Planning

shifting my attention outside

With the season shifting, my attention returns to my backyard garden (even while I’m still loving up my houseplants).

Tuesday was beautiful and I spent the afternoon in the garden. Then Wednesday it snowed. Typical March weather.

Wednesday’s snowstorm.

In Wisconsin March is usually too early to do much outside, but a lot of my gardening begins inside. In my home (catalog studying, seed ordering, seed starting) and in my head (dreaming, planning, reading, watching).

My garden planning actually begins the year before, while I’m gardening. With my hands in the dirt, I watch and assess and dream and imagine. I ask questions: What’s doing well? What’s not? What’s missing? What do I need more of? What’s taking over? What don’t I like? What makes my heart sing?

Last year the snowdrops had already been blooming for weeks at this time. This year there’s no sign of them.

Often all these thoughts and ideas live only in my head. But I can look through my photographs, sketches, paintings and blog posts to help me remember. If you haven’t already figured it out, I can be a bit haphazard in my garden planning.

I like to imagine my garden planning as a work in progress, constantly changing like the garden itself.

We revamped this bed last year, but I never got around to some of the other projects I’d been dreaming about. Maybe this year.

But I also aspire to (someday) be more organized. Earlier this month I started a garden journal to help me plan and dream and document my garden. I’ve tried keeping a garden journal in the past but haven’t always been good about sticking with it. We’ll see how it goes this year.

When I went to the library the other day, I brought home the book Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed Month by Month by Huw Richards and was amazed by his intricate plan for each month and each section of the One Bed. In the past I’ve checked out Meg Cowden’s Plant Grow Harvest Repeat which inspired me to start more seedlings inside during the summer to transplant into the garden later, instead of doing all my indoor seed-starting in the spring.

Even the most intricately planned garden is always a work in progress. As much as we wish we were in charge, so much is out of our hands. Weather, pests, diseases. And every year is different.

The Poet’s Wife rose was more beautiful last year than it’s ever been thanks to the near disappearance of Japanese beetles. There’s no telling what this year’s beetle population will be like.

But isn’t that one of the most beautiful things about a garden? Each spring gives us a fresh start, a chance to begin again.

Plant what delights you. Grow what you love. Don’t get caught up in the “rules” or the “right” way to garden. Maybe it’s a bit strange to plant tomatoes next to a rose, but I love both and in my limited space, the sun-lovers need to share the room.

Chocolate Sprinkles Tomtoes

The most important piece of advice I have is to do what brings you joy.

Grow — and make — what is beautiful or tasty or necessary to you. And don’t let anyone talk you out of it.

As for planning your garden, enjoy the process — in whatever way works for you. Study seed catalogs. Read books. Walk your neighborhood. Talk to other gardeners. Visit local nurseries. Visit public gardens. Watch TV shows and YouTube videos. Write notes. Collect ideas.

Clara helping me order seeds

Inspiration is everywhere!

Always be on the lookout for it. Listen to your heart when you feel a tingle of excitement and follow where it leads.

Our gardens are our sanctuaries and our sustenance. Giving them time and attention is giving ourselves time and attention. During these increasingly difficult days, this is more important than ever.

Joy in the form of my lemons, finally ripe and harvested off my tiny plant.

Here’s some garden planning inspiration to keep you going:

• Seed Savers Exchange has lots of helpful garden planning advice.

• Johnny’s Selected Seeds’ Growers Library is filled with resources to help you grow your garden.

• If you’d like to start a garden journal, Lorene Edwards Forkner teaches a fun class on Creativebug to help you create one.

• I’m always inspired by The Roots and Refuge Farm YouTube channel. Jess also wrote a book to get you started with gardening (which I found inspiring even though I’m not a beginning gardener!).

• On her website Meg Cowden shares resources to help you become a better gardener.

• I love that Erin, The Impatient Gardener, also gardens in Wisconsin. Her blog and YT channel always inspire.

• Monty Don’s The Complete Gardener is a gorgeous, inspiring book and one I return to again and again.

• Huw Richards has tips to help you have a more productive garden this year (his YouTube videos are what led me to his book).

I’ve also created a printable Seed Sowing Plan and you can find it near the bottom of my Free Resource Library.

I’d love to hear what you’re planning for your garden this year.

Are you trying any new plants? What are your must-grow varieties? Is there something you’re planning on doing differently this year? What garden rules are you breaking?

If you also want to make some art inspired by your garden…

or document your garden in your sketchbook, I’d love to have you join me on Skillshare! Many of the lessons in my classes were filmed in my garden and much of the art I demonstrate is inspired by what I grow. One of my series of classes is focused on seasonal sketchbook inspiration (here’s a taster from each season to get you started).

some of the projects from my class Welcome Spring in Your Botanical Sketchbook

If you’re not yet a member of Skillshare, you can try it free for one month. And into April I’m running a contest to celebrate my birthday (which is today!!) and giving away a free year’s membership (find the details here).