#in the style of:thank you for the question i will answer another one

[fcktaken]

End of Year Gardening Asks

On my way home from the garden this afternoon I thought about these questions and I thought why not ask other people as well - so I’m tagging @allthingssoulful, @hilo​ @plantanarchy and everyone who wants to talk about their garden (windowsill, balcony, allotment, farm...). Also, if you are in the middle of gardening season, talk about that! Or keep these questions for in six months ;)

How was your gardening season?

Okay. I enjoyed it a lot, but also I did not spend as much time in the gardens as in previous years. Might have been because of more work, less energy because of covid, less excitement? I definitely did not plan as much as in previous years, but I remember very good days. As every year I am very glad my survival does not depend on the gardens, because that would not turn out very well.

Did you plant vegetables? How did they turn out?

In the city garden we planted less different vegetables, but more of the same ones. Green beans, swiss chard, cucumbers, potatoes did great. Tomatoes were okay. String beans (eaten by slugs), Zucchini (?), and surprisingly salad (sown too late? or maybe early?) did not work.

In the big garden I sowed no vegetables this year, but we had a surprise squash in the red currants. Very pretty, very tasty

Did you plant flowers? How did you like them?

Always. We have the perennials, like roses, asters, daisies and dandelions, primroses, tulips, peonies, dahlias... New was an autumn crocus that I hope will come back. As for annuals there were of course our beloved giant marigolds, the calendula, this year a bright orange garden cosmos.

Did you plant trees or bushes? How are they?

My grandmother planted new currants, black and red, in the big garden. Six out of eight made it, the other two were unearthed by mice. I tried propagating a pear, which did not work. Of course I indulged in my favorite pastime: I pruned my trees and bushes.

What was your biggest project? How did it go?

Probably the propagation, because it was so long term - cutting small branches in January, putting them on the young trees in May, discovering it didn’t work in August. We also had a new ...privy pit (? don’t know the exact word - a closed hole in the ground where the sewage is lead into because there is no sewage system) built, but I couldn’t help because I had covid at the time.

What did really not work this season?

Maybe I’m too positive, but I don’t know... Okay, the propagation, the string beans, the salad.

What worked really well?

The fact that I have these gardens, that I can spend time there, alone and with other people. The communication between all the people enjoying, using, being in, working in the gardens worked very well this year. Especially considering some of the people know each other for almost fourty years now, have complex relationships and some of them rarely talk to each other.

Did your garden surprise you?

Yes. Despite the drought we had so much fruit, especially pears, quinces, raspberries.

What was the biggest challenge?

The drought and the heat.

Anything else you want to talk about?

My girlfriend and I built a moundbed this fall and I am so excited to see how it will work out! Also the pickled green tomatoes are a treat, @allthingssoulful

Favorite picture?

There are people in my most favorites, so here are my favorites sans people: The most photographed views from my favorite places in the city garden (above) and the big garden (below):

#huh that was long #it was nice to reflect on the season though #and answering these questions i realized that they are not particularly well done #so take them and do what you want #in the style of:thank you for the question i will answer another one #hope you have fun! #ask meme #gardening #my gardens