Overwhelmed in Summer, not winter?

I'm curious whether anyone has the same problem.

In winter, I'm scrabbling around trying to grow things on windowsills and in jam jars, squeezing plants into the GH and treating them like babies. The pleasure of eating every tiny green leaf make it all worthwhile.

In summer, the wide open spaces of the garden beckon and, whilst I grow lots of fruit and veg I don't pick it at the right time or grow too much of the same thing and don't want to eat it all or freeze it. It overwhelms me.  Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy eating the toms, raspberries etc but the pleasure of eating a few small leaves of chard in winter is lost when faced with beds full of the stuff (slight exaggeration but you know what I mean).

I'm picking the first apples at the moment and they're lovely when picked and eaten straight from the tree. In a few weeks time, I'll be sick of the sight of them! There'll be boxes of apples at the front gate for anyone to take and more will lie rotting beneath the trees. You might say "Grow less apple trees" but, some years, the crop is poor and I'll be desperate for them.

If only there was a way of growing exactly what you need at exactly the right time!
Does anyone know how?

I understand completely. Especially this year. I can’t keep on top of harvesting! It’s driving me nuts, watching cucumbers & beans get to big, strawberries are over ripening to name but a few.

I know exactly what you mean. I feel the greatest need to grow when the circumstances are the absolute worst for it. This year has been incredibly odd - I've been looking at so many gardens whilst looking for a house to buy, with no time to do anything in my own, tiny garden... then moved to a new house late July and spent nearly a month here now. The garden is so big and a bit intimidating to get started on, and I have so much to do in the house that... however much I've been craving to do gardening, I've not actually done anything at all yet.

I suppose successional sowing is the answer, but I've never mastered it. You sow the amount needed plus a few and some for luck, then they all come up and you just have to plant them all, then there's no room for the next batch in the succession, or if your like me forget to sow the next lot.

I own up to sowing more lettuce that we can possibly eat its the only thing I can't save, don't mention lettuce soup its not normal to eat cold soup.
Everything else is either frozen, jar or dehydrated that we don't eat at harvest time, hoping it will last us at least part way into winter. We soon eat up and are left with lettuce in the GH then kale, parsnips, JA's and chard outside. with the usual jams chutneys and pickles.
Windowsill sowings don't grow very fast in winter but I do try to get something from them.

Wait for it................I have a plan.

Basically, the veg that we grow falls into distinct categories:-

A . Quick maturing ones, (from seed to crop in 4 months). These are the ones you pick and that's it - like carrots, beetroot, hearted lettuce (not CACA) and cabbage.
B. Quick maturing but crop multiple times - like courgettes, beans, peas, tomatoes
C. Those that take months to mature - like parsnips, sprouts - often these are grown over winter.
D. One that benefit from protection - from weather/frost or from disease like blight.

The cunning plan needs 4 beds to grow the A Group on a 4 month rotation. For example, sow Carrots in March, pick in June. (4 months). In July, empty Bed A of all crops and resow - these will be picked in October.
Another bed will be sown in April for July picking, another in May for August and the 4th in June for September. 
In other words, 4 beds growing quick veg from March to October. Not too many, just enough!

The B Group have needs - like canes/netting and would be in the ground for most of the summer although dwarf peas/beans could be grow under cover at both ends of summer to extend the season.

The C Group would have their own bed.

The Ds would be in the GH/under cover or in movable pots.

My next step is to identify 4 "beds" that I can use for Group A - or just 1 bed so I can sow for August!

The needy B group will be grown in much the same places as they were this year because the supports are in place.

Apart from leeks, I don't grow much in the C group.

D is always growing  something - tomatoes, cucumber, salad leaves.

Still with me?

Oh no not another plan! What makes you think nature will agree with your grand plan? Things this year are well late around here eating into their allotted timescales. On the upside you now have your monthly books to remind you what to do and when. How does this plan fit in with your sowing plan of roots, shoots, etc? It sounds great in principal but I know I'm unlikely to change (for 'unlikely' read 'incapable' perhaps) but best of luck to you.

I knew you'd understand.
Roots, shoots etc is easy because it would be the first week of the month for sowing and the second week for the things I forgot.

Wait for it................I have a plan.

Basically, the veg that we grow falls into distinct categories:-

A . Quick maturing ones, (from seed to crop in 4 months). These are the ones you pick and that's it - like carrots, beetroot, hearted lettuce (not CACA) and cabbage.
B. Quick maturing but crop multiple times - like courgettes, beans, peas, tomatoes
C. Those that take months to mature - like parsnips, sprouts - often these are grown over winter.
D. One that benefit from protection - from weather/frost or from disease like blight.

The cunning plan needs 4 beds to grow the A Group on a 4 month rotation. For example, sow Carrots in March, pick in June. (4 months). In July, empty Bed A of all crops and resow - these will be picked in October.
Another bed will be sown in April for July picking, another in May for August and the 4th in June for September. 
In other words, 4 beds growing quick veg from March to October. Not too many, just enough!

The B Group have needs - like canes/netting and would be in the ground for most of the summer although dwarf peas/beans could be grow under cover at both ends of summer to extend the season.

The C Group would have their own bed.

The Ds would be in the GH/under cover or in movable pots.

My next step is to identify 4 "beds" that I can use for Group A - or just 1 bed so I can sow for August!

The needy B group will be grown in much the same places as they were this year because the supports are in place.

Apart from leeks, I don't grow much in the C group.

D is always growing  something - tomatoes, cucumber, salad leaves.

Still with me?

Baldric springs to mind "I have a cunning plan"

Maybe I'll grow a turnip shaped like a Thingy.