2026 - Plans for next year

On a cold and wintery day, let's think about better times in 2026. 

What are your plans and hopes for 2026. 

Any changes you want to make- structural, organisational. 
Seeds and plants that you haven't grown before? You know the score. 

Last year's thread https://gardenandgossip.org/showthread.php?tid=2210  may give you some ideas. about what went well, what could have done better, and what you won't do again!!

Lot of plans . If they happen next year or not is anyone’s guess.
My recent plan to split a couple of the new raised veg beds into 4 for my mint plants to have a little more freedom. Has morphed into using big plastic barrels. The plan is the barrel will cover the same area of space as a raised bed would have.

Grow lists, not a clue yet. Hopefully maybe a second tunnel put up. But I honestly don’t know what will happen.

I’m sure I’ll be back with more ideas, plans, details in the coming weeks, months. At present I’m very happy to say I’m too busy working on the house to think about the garden much.

I wrote my plans down in my garden journal over the weekend:

No green beans, grow yellow/purple/mottled pods only

Grow less varieties of dry beans - I grow more than I can eat so should reduce them

Only grow sweet peppers - I never eat all the chili peppers I grow but quickly run out of sweet peppers

Only grow two varieties of squash, probably Uchiki Kiri, maybe a butternut

Sow spinach early - I always forget!

Only grow one cucumber

There are also flowers to move - one bed is covered in verbena so they'll be dug out and transferred elsewhere. In their place I'll transplant the overgrown dark leaf dahlias I leave in the ground each winter. That'll leave more space in a prime sunny bed for more summer edibles

Only grow dwarf french marigolds - the ones I grew this year swamped everything as they were too tall.

Only grow apricotta cosmos - I usually grow different varieties but it's so difficult to save seed as they all intermingle. The apricotta is my favourite so I'm buying fresh seed and sticking with that

Lot of plans . If they happen next year or not is anyone’s guess.
My recent plan to split a couple of the new raised veg beds into 4 for my mint plants to have a little more freedom. Has morphed into using big plastic barrels. The plan is the barrel will cover the same area of space as a raised bed would have.

Grow lists, not a clue yet. Hopefully maybe a second tunnel put up. But I honestly don’t know what will happen.

I’m sure I’ll be back with more ideas, plans, details in the coming weeks,  months. At present I’m very happy to say I’m too busy working on the house to think about the garden much.

Nothing above as far as plans go have changed. What has changed is time scale. House first. I’m happy to do nothing in the garden this year. Other than keep on top of what’s already there. I’m not even thinking of sowing any seeds at all ! (this will very probably change, as I have the breaking strain of a melting kitkat). 
one quite interesting (mildly terrifying) thing we’ve worked out this week. The amount of gravel that’s going to be needed in the garden. Bob worked out just the area the 2 big tunnels & the path between them. Will take 8 x 18 ton lorry loads! That’s digging down just 1ft. This depth is needed to get all root out and so there’s enough gravel for the water to flow through easily without coming to the surface. Deeper would be better. Just can’t afford to do that. They’ve grown rest of the paths and inside little tunnel will probably be very close to the same amount again.

Lot of plans . If they happen next year or not is anyone’s guess.
My recent plan to split a couple of the new raised veg beds into 4 for my mint plants to have a little more freedom. Has morphed into using big plastic barrels. The plan is the barrel will cover the same area of space as a raised bed would have.

Grow lists, not a clue yet. Hopefully maybe a second tunnel put up. But I honestly don’t know what will happen.

I’m sure I’ll be back with more ideas, plans, details in the coming weeks,  months. At present I’m very happy to say I’m too busy working on the house to think about the garden much.

Nothing above as far as plans go have changed. What has changed is time scale. House first. I’m happy to do nothing in the garden this year. Other than keep on top of what’s already there. I’m not even thinking of sowing any seeds at all ! (this will very probably change, as I have the breaking strain of a melting kitkat). 
one quite interesting (mildly terrifying) thing we’ve worked out this week. The amount of gravel that’s going to be needed in the garden. Bob worked out just the area the 2 big tunnels & the path between them. Will take 8 x 18 ton lorry loads! That’s digging down just 1ft. This depth is needed to get all root out and so there’s enough gravel for the water to flow through easily without coming to the surface. Deeper would be better. Just can’t afford to do that. They’ve grown rest of the paths and inside little tunnel will probably be very close to the same amount again.

Wow! That's a lot of gravel. You'd better get down to collecting small stones in your spare time     I'm sure the house will benefit from your time even if the garden doesn't. I'm looking forward to your updates along the way.

What roots are you digging out? I'm curious to know what goes down so deep. Is it the sedge?

What roots are you digging out? I'm curious to know what goes down so deep. Is it the sedge?

Yeah it’s sedge and bracken (in the not too damp areas). It’s mostly that deep for drainage. We’ve discovered quickly that we still get sodden ground / standing water within a foot of the open drainage ditch. Especially at the top of the garden. The ground just doesn’t drain.

Would a holding pond there help to hold the water? Or some willows? I have a very soggy area too - so you have my sympathy.