What to Do, What to Do, for Bed No. 2?
Bio-intensive; companion plantings; water scarcity; those terms kept running through my head as I plotted out bed No. 2. Although important to keep them in mind so that I can give my garden the best possible chance at producing this season, sometimes, I overthink it, and, overthinking can lead to plotting paralysis. Which is what happened.
The best thing to do is to walk away; so I did. I stepped away from my computer and my books and went outside to work in my yard to finish cleaning out my vegetable beds, pulling the last of the winter spinach and harvesting the onions. Puttering around, checking driplines, transplanting herbs into beds or bigger pots, and cleaning out the beds, helped me disengage from the analytical and shift to the visceral.
By the time I was done with my tasks, I knew what I was going to plant in not only Bed No. 2, but also Bed No. 3.
Bed No. 2 – Summer Squash, Green Onions, Arugula, Spinach. . . and marigolds.
Bed No. 3 – Eggplant, Beets, Garlic, Carrots. . . and marigolds, with thyme, sage and tarragon on the side.
Bed No. 1 Side planting: beans.
If you find yourself, like me, feeling overwhelmed by the planning of your food garden, just walk away for a bit to clear your head. If its too much, then start small; you can always add on later. The worst thing to do is to start big. Starting big can lead to an enormous amount of work and focus, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed, which can lead to losing momentum, which can lead to losing interest, which can lead to no longer working the plot, which can lead to a garden that goes fallow, which can lead to feeling discouraged about food gardening and not pursuing it in the future. And, that would be a sad thing.
You’re planting summer squash and beans already? We’ve got to wait until Mid May.
We can get overwhelmed by all the garden duties, but as you say, if you step away from it, maybe get your hands in the soil, it helps to sort things out.
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Not planting yet, but soon!
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