Name:____Katie Hanson________________________________________ Yr:_2013_______________
End of Season Evaluation
1. What were the biggest challenges of this gardening season?
The late start to the season. The cool temperatures. Establishing my front bed with strawberries,
Squirrels.
2. What were the biggest rewards?
The beauty of my companion planting experiments, my brassicas (cabbage with no bug or slug
bites), nice onions, lack of pest issues. Tons of greens for freezing! Lots of preserving!
3. In what ways were your expectations met? (Were you able to achieve your goals for the
season?)
Companion planting worked well. Nice carrot germination this year. Sunchoke eradication is
under control, established native plant bed in back yard, established apple tree beds at cabin. I
didn’t see much dirt in my beds (plants filled things in nicely). Weeds were minimal due to dense
planting. Weak tomatoes due to lack of heat.
4. In what ways were your expectations not met? (Which goals for the season were you unable to
achieve?)
Timing was a bit off with some of my companion planting due to late start to season and lack of
experience. Didn’t reestablish new bed for sunchokes. Strawberry bed failed. Straw bale garden
beds had weak production.
5. What would you do differently next season?
Grow more potatoes, carrots, beets, beans. Give attention to raspberry bed. Plant more fall greens
earlier to I can protect them and eat them into late fall. Better attention to compost bin. Don’t start
brassicas so early. More attention to kids sunflower house. Have better watering system.
6. What would you do the same?
Same amount of cabbage, use the bean, sunflower, carrot, dill companion planting combo, integrate
flowers into all beds. Start brassicas indoors and put in makeshift greenhouse outside.
7. What gardening topics would you like to learn more about in order to enhance your future
gardening experiences?
Season extension. More practice timing my succession planting.
8. Which garden planning tools did you use that you found to be the most useful?
Garden log, maps, surveys, and end-of-season evaluation from last year. Doing the DCGP garden blog is
a very useful tool—motivates me to be a good record keeper and set goals for the season.
9. Which garden planning tools did you use that you found to be the least useful?
10. Is there anything else that you learned or observed this season that you would like to remember
for next season?