The last post about my garden was back in 2018, where I posted about the many issues I ran into with tomatoes. I found that I had lost all of the joy in vegetable gardening, and the homestead had become overwhelming. The winter of 2019/2020 was my last vegetable garden. Starting in the spring of 2020 I converted the vegetable garden to reseeding annuals – sunflowers, zinnias, gomphrena, marigolds – and several herbs. We also sold our poultry and bees. It was time to simplify life.
At the peak I was spending nearly 20 hours a week on the vegetable garden. I found that I could spend a fraction of that time, and have the flower garden I had always wanted. The back garden became a peaceful oasis of purple and silver – with a few pops of red and yellow.
The hard work paid off when Central Texas Gardener filmed my garden in May of 2022. The episode perfectly captured my gardening journey, much better than I could do myself! The timing was bitter sweet, as we were contemplating a move from Texas. Shortly after filming, we decided that it was time for us to relocate and start a new adventure.
I have now said goodbye to a garden 12 years in the making. I am excited to apply what I’ve learned to a blank slate, a new style of garden in an entirely different climate. We have nearly 2 acres at this property as well, but I plan on taking it slow – not get overwhelmed. The goal is to start in spring of 2023 with the front garden, connecting us back to the neighborhood – reminiscent of our days on Roundup Trl where I gardened in the front yard. Our new house is in downtown Sun Prairie, WI, walking distance to parks and schools. I hope to create an inviting space to share with neighbors and wildlife. Even in winter we have already seen a red fox, rabbits, great horned owls, and many types of birds.
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