Learnings from summer and prepping for winter
I really enjoyed my first attempt and growing some veg this year, and while not all were successful, I did end up with a constant supply of courgettes, tomatoes and chillies so I am taking that as a win.
I did however fail at a bunch of things including cauliflower and herbs. No matter what I do, herbs just do not want to grow in my garden - or house for that matter. Onward and upwards. I am seeing the colder months as an opportunity to try out a few new things like spinach, which I hear is quite cold-hardy and can hopefully survive in my little corner of the garden.
Things that didn't work
One major learning for me (and its a difficult one!) is to follow the instructions on the seed packet! I am guilty of this in life generally - always thinking it will just work out, but it clearly this does not apply to gardening. Spacing things out, giving them room and trusting the process instead of throwing a handful of seeds into a container because I tell myself lots of them won't grow anyway.
Pruning the tomatoes. I really should take my own sisters advice here as she has had an amazing year for tomatoes and genuinely grown some the size of a head. I let mine turn into a bit of a jungle which has lead to them taking longer to fruit and longer to ripen as well as difficult to access.
Netting. As it turns out - really important when it comes to growing vegetables! I would find many half eaten strawberries and cauliflower completely taken over by bugs. I tried to net some of these but it is surprisingly difficult and have not yet found the right solution (or technique!).
One thing I have learned though is that you can grow quite a lot in a surprisingly small space. This is one of the great things about learning to grow some of your own food - sometimes being able to pick a few tomatoes to put in a sauce for dinner feels like a success.
Ideas for winter
This year, rather than trying to grow everything, I am keeping it simple. I am thinking about spinach seems like a good place to start for me as it doesn't need huge amounts of space and you can pick the leaves rather than harvest the whole plant. Kale is another one I would like to try. Meanwhile - I will continue my quest to grow a little herb garden indoors and maybe take a little of Ginny's advice along the way.
It may not sound like much, but I am learning that a small collection of vegetables can be more enjoyable than trying (and failing!) to manage a huge number of plants.
Although I have not harvested half as much as I planted, there is something oddly satisfying about going outside each day to pick a few more tomatoes with my kids, so I will take that as my win this year.
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