As our first year of permaculture gardening draws to a close, we reflect on all we’ve learned about this method of gardening and are eager to begin planning next year’s garden. The fruits of our labors have been many, and much of what we’ve learned can be applied to your home garden. By sharing what we’ve done and learned, we hope to inspire you to try some new things as you plan next year’s garden.
We’re harvesting our herbs to create a variety of products for home use. We’ve found several herbs, such as chamomile and basil, will re-seed themselves for next year’s crop. Calendula is extremely hardy, and when the flowers die and are dried, they render a significant number of seeds we can use next year. We’ve been astonished to see our comfrey plants happily burst forth and produce beautiful purple flowers enjoyed by bees and hummingbirds. We have been drying the comfrey leaves; the plant’s anti-inflammatory properties will be useful for making a salve. We’ve also been pleased to learn that while lavender flowers are the most desirable part of the plant, the leaves themselves have multiple uses and can be enjoyed long after the plants have flowered.
In addition to our herbs, we’ve had a vegetable harvest that includes eggplant, cucumber, potatoes, tomatoes and more. The unusually hot weather was a challenge for us, and we are developing solutions to help us increase our yield next year. As with any garden, weeding was a daily task. While somewhat tedious, weeding enabled us to identify changes to the garden on a daily basis and trouble-shoot as necessary.
In the coming weeks, we’ll prepare our garden for the winter. Fall is every bit as busy for gardeners as the rest of the year, and that holds true for us. In the coming weeks, we’ll plant wildflower seeds for slow germination over the winter. Additionally, we’ll protect our perennials by spreading farm-made mulch, as well as taking stock of our lasagna layered areas. As winter sets in, our time will be spent planning future expansion of the garden, reflecting on lessons learned and continuing study.
It’s been an exciting time in our garden, and thanks go out to the volunteers who helped us and gave us pointers along the way. We will carry our knowledge and experience into next season, and we’re confident our garden will be bigger and better in 2025.
