At this relatively quiet period of the year we can plan what we really want to achieve during the next gardening season - where and what to construct, what seeds and plants will be needed to source and any plants or trees that might grow well or need extra attention.
What exciting things are we all planning for 2026?
1. Actively limit the number of new plants we plant (especially trees), and instead take better care of the ones that are already there. A lot of the existing plants grow slowly or not at all, probably due to generally poor soil. This needs to improve. I'm thinking large quantities of seaweed and biochar, etc.
2. Transport more soil from future pond sites onto the "garden hill", in order to increase the amount of veggie gardening surface. The priority crops are sunroots, potatoes, peas and buckwheat. The soil transporting will take some work, since wheelbarrows don't do well on our land (too steep and too bumpy), so it has to be carried by bucket or backpack. The plan is to do a little each day, so we don't break our backs.
Of the new plants we will try this year, I'm extra excited about scarlet runner beans and wapato.
I am the kind of person who has a zillion ideas but only can get a few put into action. I have started to narrow my list but I will highlight a few that I'm excited about!
The 2026 Garden on Corliss Plan
1. Plant at least two fruit trees on the property. I have been planting successive fruit trees for the last three years and believe I can squeak in at least two more. The squirrels love to decimate my peaches before they can ripen so my answer right now is to plant more peaches! I'm hoping to see another two already planted trees flour this year if I am lucky.
2. Re-woodchip existing chipped areas and cover existing grass in my fruit tree orchard. I'm hoping to get maybe two or three tandem loads?
3. For once in my life, successfully succession plant my garden beds. I've been planting once and then that is it. I want to keep a living root in the ground and keep up the momentum. I've struggled with it before as I would get distracted with other projects but I want to really obtain a yield this year.
So many plans so little time! I'm working hard not to bite off too much this year and keep my plans down to an achievable level. 'Aim low aichieve your targets' as my hubby is fond of saying. 'small incremental improvements' sounds a lot better!
I think that getting my new polytunne up and running, getting passive watering, making the soil in there nice and active and reducing the weeds that will love it in there, will be enough of a project for most of the year for me
polytunnel plans
I'd like to get more mini hugel dug, finishing some of the ones I've started at least....Maybe make a start on my zone one kitchen garden (which will involve some new crops), another year on my simple farming area (hopefully getting seeds from my root crops again). We'll maybe find a good home for the old tunnel frame, and I'd like to have a purge on plastic in the garden - getting rid of old pots and tatty bags without compromising future project plans.....
1. Finally get my fruit tree pruning schedule under control - I've got 2 apples, a pear, plum, cherry, and mulberry that I've been a bit haphazard with. This year I'm committing to proper winter/summer pruning splits and actually remembering which trees I've done. Also considering trying a fig if I can find a good sheltered spot.
2. Succession planting for salads - Like Timothy mentioned, I've always been a "plant once and done" person. This year I want to keep lettuce, rocket, and radishes going continuously from March through October.
3. Better record keeping - I've tried notebooks, spreadsheets, calendar reminders... always ends up scattered. Finally got something working for me this year that actually sends me reminders for the fruit trees, which has been helpful.
The big lesson from last year: I planted way too many courgettes (again). This year, just 2 plants. That's it. I'm writing it down so I can't talk myself into "just one more."
This year I have more pots and containers, and my first 2 raised beds are waiting to be set up! Since the soil in my small yard is poor I'm going to be strategic and plant things into the ground where some of my pots have been sitting killing off the grass, using compost to make small mounds there to plant into. I have potatoes chitting in the cupboard as we speak. I planted a walking onion start from Paul back in Sept. and in spring we'll see if it took.
So far this year I intend to plant: Potatoes, raddishes, lettuce, spinich, favas, mini-white pumpkins, a lemon seed, 3 types of peppers, and watermelon. Additionally I have Irish clover seeds which are super old but which I'm going to try and establish to start reseeding and hopefully take over my yard along with the mint I planted in the corner last year, I hate the grass and want it to go bye-bye, my landlord won't let me kill it off, but maybe with some clandestine behaviours it can gradually disappear. I'll have to make sure any patches of clover or other things are blocked off from the lawnmower because the yard person shows up each week
I also want to continue to get better at facilitating compost creation. For perenials I have my Italian plum tree (whom I'm hoping will give me first fruit this year), my 2 ornamental plum trees and my maple (all of which are starting year 2 of their lives), my blueberry plant, and my new daphne plant!
I want to set some sweet potato slips, to replace the ones I had growing for almost 4yrs. The buckets they were in crumbled when I picked them up to bring them in, last autumn, but we enjoyed the greens from them.
I've also been reading 'Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health', by Jo Robinson, and it's making a LOT of sense to me. Since foraging has been such a challenge for me, the last 2yrs, I'm going to plant some more purslane seeds - some in the ground, to hopefully take off, as perennials, and some in containers to harvest and eat fresh. I also picked up some lambs quarters, mullein, wild arugula, and garlic chives (all from sow true seeds). Tomatoes are a must, but that book is trying hard to change my mind about some of my tomato choices, too. And, of course, I want to get some strawberries in the soil, again. I bought some bare roots the last 2yrs, and never got them planned. So, this year, my plan is to prep for them before I bring 'em home.
There are also a few culinary & medicinal herb seeds waiting their turn, so... Here we go!
Here are my plans for 2026:
- Focus on growing staples this year: potatoes in containers, sweet potatoes in raised beds and lots of butternut squash.
- Propagate and spread my blackberry, raspberry, gooseberry and black currant bushes.
- Order quail hatching eggs and hatch them for the first time. I have already built a walk in aviary for them.
- Establish a patch of lovage near the back door.
- Spread some sunchokes to the front yard.
- Plant Himrod grape vine near the shed.
- Plant Rainier cherry tree.
- Eat more of the lambsquarters that take over my raised beds.
I will have to tackle drought this year.
Last year we had rain only until the end of january, then a few drops in may, and then all came from mid-september to now (and then came frost - above ground rain tanks had to be emptied). Total and utter disaster for annuals, but trees (especially peaches) thrived and some broke under fruit.
I am repurposing an old concrete septic tank that was forgotten in the vegetable garden (there used to be a house in there, some 30 years ago) as an underground rainwater cistern. It will receive the rain from a gardening shed and from there I will run irrigation lines throughout the vegetable garden. I do not know how much water it can hold, but it is still full to the brim.
No sowing this year - everything will be transplanted after a good soaking, with proper rotation. I am pondering mulching ... caught between drought and slugs ... I still had a lot of damage in may and what remained in september was razed.
Nurturing the few volunteers that manage to grow. I now have feral swiss chards, veined sorrel, parsnips and even some garlic that seems to have survived to the mining fly.
Where I can't water, I will transform the place into a Mediterranean 'maquis'. Aromatic perennials between shrubs and fruit trees, freeze-resistant citrus (yuzu, finger lime, bitter oranges). chickpeas. Yuccas. Perhaps carob trees, but I am quite intimidated by planting a tree that could outlive me by so long ...
And negociation in the kitchen and at the dinner table, for the faithful staples I already have : goutweed, nettles, cleavers, flowering quinces, medlars. I expect some other 'weirdos' coming this year, as cornel cherries, june- and seaberries start bearing fruit ... The hardest part, and the one where I have made the least progress.
I've heard many gardeners in Europe are giving up on annual vegetables because of the difficult summer last year. I'm glad your trees did well. Are there other perennial vegetables that may produce well for you? Sunchokes seem to be a favourite of paul's now, I quite like Turkish rocket (Bunias orientalis)- that has a deep taproot and is perennial slightly spicy greens, and Scorzonera will grow perennially, although I haven't tried it as a replant perennial that is suppposed to work. I'll see if I can find a good thread with more suggestions.
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