Lessons Learned

It is approaching the end of October, gardening season has officially ended. My first season as a gardener has ended. I have learned some valuable lessons and I assume will continue to learn many more for as long as I garden.

I learned that root vegetables are really not worth the time and energy. I thought it'd be cool to grow my own potatoes and onions and carrots, meh, not so much. They take up a lot of space and unless you have a massive garden the yields are not really worth it.
I learned that it is better to grow things that I love to eat fresh and that grow in profusion: lettuce, cucumbers, zucchinis etc. These things are effortless to grow and you get lots of quantity in relatively little space.
I learned that tomatoes are heartbreakers. You watch them, feed them, nurture them, coddle them and they can turn on you at a moment's notice. This year my tomatoes-although delicious-were sparse and tiny. The drought kept me from harvesting any great quantity. It was uber frustrating.
I learned that I want a cutting garden for flowers. It looks great, smells great, encourages pollinators and who doesn't love fresh flowers?

That doesn't seem like a lot lot, but trust me, these truths were hard earned.