I used to think that once the garden was created, all it took was maintenance to keep it looking good. And then I became a gardener. 🤣 Once you’re actually gardening, you realize that the garden is never finished.

There are always new plants to add and old plants to remove. You want to create new garden beds and refresh the old. Trees grow too large for the area and need to be removed. Over time, structures must be repaired or replaced.

Sometimes you have a new vision for your garden. Or maybe you want to simplify as you grow older. The list of possible changes goes on and on. But fortunately, we gardeners are up to the task and excited about change as it occurs.

As we move into a brand new year, now is a good time to look back at your garden from last year. Examine what was good and what went wrong with your garden. And decide about any changes you want to make in your garden for the new growing season. This is the perfect time to think about your garden in review.

Garden In Review…

Each year, it’s a good idea to create a list of the pros and cons of last year’s garden. You can also ask questions about the garden that will give you insight into the possibilities for this upcoming year.

So while last year’s garden is still fresh in your mind, take time to complete a Garden In Review. Then spend some time planning what you can do this year to make your garden even better. Follow these four steps to create your garden review.

READ… Organize Your Garden With a Garden Binder

Step 1: Visual Reminder

The first thing to do for your review is a garden walk through. Bundle up and walk around your garden areas. Winter is the perfect time to see the bones of your garden. Look at the flower borders, the trees and shrubs. Examine your growing areas such as raised beds. What about your deck, shed and fences? Does anything look like it needs to be repaired or replaced?

If you have two feet of snow on the ground, this might not be possible. Wait until the snow is gone or browse through your photos and garden notes looking for areas that might need to be reworked.

Step 2: Questions to Ask

Go through the following questions and think about how they affected your growing season. Then you can decide about how to move forward for this year.

1. What did you love most about last year’s garden?

2. What didn’t you like about your garden?

3. Are there any plants or pests that you had problems with?

4. What would you like to see improved in your garden?

5. Do you have any structures that need to be repaired or replaced?

6. How did you use your garden this past year?

7. Do you want to expand or reduce your garden spaces?

8. Are there any new plants you would like to grow?

10. Do you have any plants that you want to remove?

You might have your own questions to add to this list. The purpose is to think through what you want your garden to be in the upcoming season.

Step 3: Lessons Learned

After reviewing the questions listed, did you learn anything new about how you want to garden in the upcoming season? Here are just a few lessons that I learned from this past year…

• Having a high energy puppy did not make for a pleasant garden season. Although I love our new puppy, I’m hoping for a better garden this year. A garden that isn’t chewed, dug up, or smashed. If he hasn’t mellowed a bit, I might need to put a fence around my raised bed area to protect the plants.
• I needed a quick filler in a new flower bed as I prepared for company. All I had available were annuals that I normally put in my pots… heliotrope, calibrachoa, and verbena. I was amazed at how well they grew. They grew larger and had more abundant blooms compared to the ones grown in containers. I’m going to include more annuals in my flower beds this year.
• I was reminded of how different garden center plants are from seed grown plants. I filled my flower pots with Nicotiana that I grew from seeds. Although the seed packet said they would grow 5 feet tall, in my mind I was envisioning the 2 foot tall hybrids I purchased a few years ago. Although mine were too tall for the pots, I will definitely plant these flowers again. The blooms were abundant, and they smelled heavenly. However, I’ll be planting them in the ground and not containers.

Now it’s your turn to think about how you can use problems and failures from last year to grow a better garden this year. Whether you’re growing flowers, vegetables, or herbs, you can learn something from last year’s growing season to make this year even better.

Step 4: Create a Wish List for Your Garden

As you reflect on what you learned about your garden, make a list of all the changes you want to incorporate. Start with a garden brainstorm, where you write down everything you want to grow and any changes you want to make.

Then go back and make of list of the things you think you’ll be able to accomplish. Chances are, you won’t be able to do everything on your list. So start with your top priorities. That way, if you’re only able to make a few changes, you’ll get the most important tasks completed.

Winter is the perfect time to reflect and complete a review of your garden. This will help you set the stage for an even better garden next year. So grab a cup of tea, your pen and paper and complete your Garden in Review. This spring, you’ll be glad you planned ahead!