5 tips to improve next years garden

1 - Create a garden map of your last garden and draw in your crops at planting, updating as things fail/are replanted/replaced/changed/etc

2 - Make a list of what seeds/plants you grew in your last garden, including things like exact type, source, etc, in as much detail as you can remember

Next year my tomatoes need supports!

3 - After the season, if you made your garden map in the spring make sure your map is accurate, and make notes about what plants worked, which didn't, whether your bean spacing was too tight (as I have now done 2 years in a row because I didn't record the spacing!), whether growing 2 crops side by side didn't work very well, and just generally any suggestions you have for next year.

4 - Before ordering or buying any seeds, sit down and think about what you want to get out of your garden this coming year. Do you want to grow an assortment of fresh herbs for cooking, or lots of basil for pesto, or tomatoes for pasta sauce, or a variety of vegetables to freeze to feed your family over the winter? By thinking in advance about what your priorities are, you can ensure that you pick seeds (and thus grow plants), that will give you the produce you want!

5 - After deciding on your garden priorities, look back at the plants you grew last year and decide on which plants you want to continue growing, which don't fit into your current priorities, which plants need to be replaced with different varieties depending on how they grew last year (keeping in mind whether your weather was normal or not), and which plants you want to add to your selection this year. This will let you pick a good assortment of plants based on your past experience in your garden, for your particular goals!

Keeping these tips in mind helps me focus my energies while planning and avoid overspending while flipping through seed catalogs. I hope they help you get more out of your gardening this summer!