Garden Planning

A successful garden is a well-planned and well-thought-out garden. In my early gardening days, I was somewhat of an experimenter. I needed to get my hands on all the seeds and seedlings, regardless of whether or not they were suitable for my climate, space, or skill set.

While experimenting can be fun, it can also lead to tremendous disappointments. One example I refer to often when discussing the importance of planning is that of a client in Toronto, Canada. She decided to grow luffa gourd in her small townhouse backyard. She had seen many gardeners grow it successfully on social media, some even doing so in containers, and felt like she wanted to be part of the luffa growing movement. Her luffa vine grew uncontrollably, suffocating nearby crops and producing one single gourd which didn’t get a chance to mature on the vine long enough before the first frost. It was an utterly disastrous, unproductive season for her. I had advised her against growing luffa, however, the social media pull and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) clouded her judgment.