Jardin Planning 2021

Spring on the horizon

Every winter, while we’re hunkered down in the cold, we like to dream about what to create in the garden come spring. This year, due to the circumstances, we had more time to dedicate towards what we want to envision for this year’s growing season. Contemplating all the various designs, plants, and accoutrements of what could be is something that fills me with great joy and pleasure. I’ve always wanted our garden to be a place of tranquility and balance, a space to reconnect with the earth and delight in its splendor. In this light, we have a somewhat ambitious vision set for ourselves this year, but if everything comes together as we hope, it will be a transformative year for the garden.

We have set three main goals for this season: 1. A new design that incorporates the Biodynamic® philosophies of circularity, balance, and biodiversity. A space for birds, bees, and people. 2. Install a new irrigation system that utilizes our rainwater collection system. And 3. Situate some apiaries for our favorite local pollinators.

The design of a garden may seem trivial (ie “we’ll just put some rows in”) but in keeping with Biodynamic practices, we want to create a space that is best situated to grow potent plants for skincare. This means planning which areas will be designated for our perennials (lavender, comfrey, raspberry, trees, etc) and those that will be easiest for our annual production (calendulas, chamomile, echinacea, marshmallow, etc). This is important because we will rotate crops in the beds where our annuals lie, a crucial aspect of Biodynamic and regenerative farming. There is also the element of beauty. We take into consideration the overall aesthetic of the garden, as it’s visual component is important not only in our own appreciation, but also for the bees who love a variety of pollen to choose from.

Irrigation is a topic that we haven’t been able to get quite right. One year it was so hot our rainwater and well dried up which forced us to just wait and cross our fingers to see if our plants survived. Thankfully, most did, through 17 continuous days of 90+ degree heat and no rain, an astounding feat and a testament to the strength of our plants. This year we will be implementing a combination of drip and spray systems depending on the type of plant and the level of water they require. This should provide a method to minimize water usage, which is a precious resource we try not to waste. This was the reason behind collecting rainwater. The roofs on the farm cover a decent surface area, so by routing the gutters and drains to our collection tanks for the garden, we’re able to fill the combined 4,000 liters during just one decent storm, which can then sustain the garden for weeks. Water is a big topic for us, in case that isn’t fully clear yet…

Ever since we started working the garden a number of years ago, we’ve been delighted by the number of pollinators that are now regular visitors. I still remember our first patch of calendula, which after they had begun opening, were inundated with honey bees, bumblebees, mason bees, and carpenter bees. We’ve always wanted to situate our own apiary and wander into the wonderful world of beekeeping, and this year will be the year that we set the infrastructure to do so. Expect honey and beeswax in the coming years!

Then, as always, there are about 40 other enhancements, tweaks, changes, and additions we’ll be putting into place this year, but the above 3 are certainly the priorities. With some luck and a lot of hard work, we’re confident this could be our best year yet.

—Adrien