It was a brutal year for me

[BlueToTheBone]

and from the looks of the group, we've all been through the mill.

I'm getting ready to put the garden to bed and work up some areas for winter gardening. I've got a bunch of heirloom shallots and some green onions to plant. The broccoli needs some food and straw and the strawberries need serious weeding... I got some weedy straw and it ruined a couple of beds and now I have to rework them. sigh. The artichokes are 2 years old now and I mulched them very deeply last winter, so I have great hopes for them this year. The asparagus looks great and after raspberries get the old canes cut off, it should be a good berry year in 2013. The blueberries didn't make it. I planted them with other berries and they like different soils, so back to the plant book this winter to try that again.

I hope to have my drip system completely in place by next spring. It's half in and unusable as it is. I can see the future, but getting there is a lot of work.

Well, happy gardening. May this next turn of the wheel bring great abundance and blessings.

[ginnyinWI]

1. such a battle to keep things watered!

Southeastern Wisconsin had such a drought this year--and technically we are still in one. I had exactly ONE zucchini from my garden, and about two yellow squash!

I did get a few tomatoes, and a few dozen jalapeno peppers. My carrots were tiny, and so were the radishes. Strawberries only yielded a few berries. And this was the first time I ever had to water the rhubarb to keep it alive!

I did get some nice butternut squash which volunteered to grow out of my compost pile. Hope next year is easier.

[BlueToTheBone]

2. I've been working with natives and my zone/area

natives to find things that might survive.

My luxury has been my artichoke which I hope will produce more than 2 this next year. But I've chosen local type strawberries/raspberries, etc. which has helped with that aspect of the garden. My biggest problem with most of it was not getting stuff in in time and not being around to harvest. I got to water in between! Oh the humor of it all. Like all gardeners, I just hope that next year will be better.