A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. – May Sarton
At this time last year we were setting up the garden for the very first time – raised beds purchased and assembled, a greenhouse, loads of compost to fill the beds, and a fence around the whole thing to keep out the goats and other curious creatures.
The goal was a kimchi garden: napa cabbage, Korean radish, and Korean chili peppers. One bed was set aside as a culinary garden with herbs, lettuce, and lemon verbena.
What I didn’t know at the time was that the pretty little white “butterflies” fluttering around were actually a sign of cabbage worms. We lost all the giant cabbage that had grown. That bed became a garlic bed come autumn.
The radish grew from seed but never reached a useful size.
Korean peppers weren’t available as seedlings, and it was too late to start from seed — so we substituted cayenne, durango, Hungarian wax, and ghost peppers.
This year, I reached out to a nearby farm back in March and asked if they’d grow Korean pepper seedlings from seeds I sent them. So grateful they said yes! Korean peppers are back in the plan.
I also worked with the robot to map out a proper planting plan this time around. It wasn’t the easiest process, but far easier than figuring it all out on my own — and the result is a plan I’m genuinely excited about.
Now that I have the plan – time to plant!
Grateful for lessons learned, nearby garden stores, and for the help of the robot.
