Harvest Totals for 2013

Our garden is covered in snow and I can't believe that its already January.  Many people are making goals for 2014 and reflecting on the past year.  Last night we sat down and discussed last years garden and then started making our plans based on what we learned.  We already know for certain that this summer is going to be busier than last year.  Therefore our big picture goal is to simplify for success.

Today I made charts of the quantity of harvested vegetables from our garden in 2013 (see below).  This chart then helps us plan for this upcoming year.  Its also a great quick visual reference.

CHALLENGES IN 2013:
We  started out challenging ourselves last year by adding 2 more raised beds to the existing 2 beds we had in 2012.  We could have stopped there but we decided to compound the challenge by growing a total of 25 different herbs and vegetables.  I will admit that we were overly ambitious.  At the same time we held realistic views of these challenges realizing that we would have failures with the variety and quantity we were taking on.  It is important to remember that every year you have some losses when you garden due to weather, water, pests or disease.  Remember to keep in mind that you will have more successes than losses!