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Garden · January 27, 2022

My 2021 Garden Plans Are Bigger Than Ever…

It’s only January but I can’t help but get excited about the growing season that is yet to come! I’ve been watching gardening videos from people in much colder climates wondering why we can’t get that lucky in our 7b climate. I learned a lot from those growers and I am trying to start an early harvest… something I’ve never done before!

I have started some seeds indoors using my favorite germination trick: the wet paper towel. Place your seeds in a damp paper towel folded over itself and place it in a plastic bag to keep them damp. I reuse the bag for many types of seeds and have a wide variety growing already!

  • Romaine and French Crisp lettuce
  • French Breakfast, Spanish Black, and Sugar Rose radishes
  • Beets
  • Basil
  • Cilantro/coriander
  • Chives
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Pole beans
  • Sunflowers
  • Wildflower pollinator mix

This is the most we’ve ever sown in January but I have faith in our ability to grow indoors and harden on warm days! It’s been decently mild for winter in our area and I have hope for this first batch of seeds. It won’t be long before it’s time to early sow within 6-8 weeks of the last frost date!

The Market Garden

Every year since we put in the market garden has been full of surprises, but it’s always bountiful. This past growing season, we thought we had some corn growing in… turns out it was tall grass that I had a nice time tearing out after the frosts hit. When I start clearing out the overgrown, frost-bitten leaves of the past harvest, I start formulating my plan for the spring.


So far I have hopes to start an early harvest and add more pollinators. Our garden is on the south side, giving plenty of light and the opportunity to grow more! I’ll be planting more wildflowers in the market garden than we’ve ever had! I’m also expanding our herb section.

I have been reading up on plants that animals don’t enjoy and I hope to plant them around the border of the garden. I also heard that putting dog fur around the area can help? I’m not sure if it will make a difference, but we’ve got plenty of dog hair to spare for it!


Plants like mint, lavender, calendula, marigold, and sedum are rumored to detest animals and we have many of those plants already growing around the area. I hope to bring more into this space and to improve our guard against animals. Last year, we were waiting for a pea harvest and suddenly lost all of them. All of them. Every single one. We also found some fur in one of the beds while cleaning it out, leading us to believe we had a family of bunnies in our bed.


Let’s hope that an increased harvest for us doesn’t mean one big feast for the animals!

Flower Beds

We have many flower beds around the property, both boxed or bricked, or left open-edged! I haven’t experimented much with flowers in the past, but I was gifted some wildflower mix for graduation and I’m ready to put them to the test!

Wildflower borders are so pretty to me and I have always appreciated the aesthetic of a cottage garden. Along with filling in the pre-existing flower beds with new varieties, I also plan to add a few new beds!

Using the no-dig method, I place cardboard and something heavy over the place I want to plant. Once the vegetation that once grew there has died out, you can add compost and plants!

I’m planting lots of self-seeding plants I hope to have again next year! I am focusing on using perennials that are native to my area to help our shade garden and barren areas.

Here are my favorite flowers I have grown in the past or are going now for next season!

  • Sunflowers
  • Milkweed
  • Hosta
  • Morning Glory
  • Black-Eyed Susans
  • Lupine
  • Coneflowers

Woods & Permaculture

The woods have always been overwhelming considering their size. While it’s not big enough to really get lost in, it’s quite the plot to conquer. I have plans to improve this space for the shared wildlife and for our harvests in a few different ways. Here’s what I’m planning!

Since we live on a hill, I’d like to get some more pumpkins and squash growing when the time comes. There is a mowed area before the woods that would be perfect to grow them where they should get enough sun! As for the woods themselves, I want to attempt to start a permaculture-inspired way of cleaning up this space.


We have fallen trees that can be cleared to one area and covered with other raw materials that will be a great vertical growing space! This will allow vegetation to return to areas with wood damage. Birdhouses can be put up on sturdy trees and feeders around the area. I might add some sunflowers in the sunny path leading down to the woods so the birds can snack on their seeds in the late fall.

How will it be permaculture-inspired?

Well, we have many wildberry bushes around the property, with a large section of them in the woods. I plan on cleaning up the surrounding area to promote more growth while pruning the mangey plants. I’d like to see how much shade we have in that area first, but I have some ideas for companion planting near the bushes in the future.


I may sprinkle more wildflower mix in the sunny areas of the woods and surrounding area, to give a pop of color. It would be nice to utilize the space we have and make things a little brighter around there!

For now, I’ll have to keep these ideas on the back burner though, as much of it would benefit more from this happening in the springtime.

Gardening is such a huge part of my life that I’ve decided to share more of it with you all! I have major changes planned for this spring and summer, and will hopefully start getting into the projects soon! I plan on sharing on a YouTube channel since you have all been so supportive of the idea!


I’ve been sharing updates of my indoor plants on my Instagram stories @TheUntamedOptimist and you can view them later in my saved stories tab! I am so excited to see the garden and other spaces progress this year. I hope to give it a lot more attention and to learn more this year than the ones before, so let’s see what I can get into!

Posted By: byshannonamos@gmail.com · In: Garden

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There’s nothing better than completely transform There’s nothing better than completely transforming a space with a new garden…

This shady spot in the yard misses much of the direct sun in the surrounding beds and the grass has gotten choked out by English Ivy and roots from nearby shade trees. It’s also an awkward spot to mow when those few patches of grass grow too tall. So I opted for a shade garden instead.

The only problem with adding a new garden bed in is that it can get pricey, and quick. Factoring in the time, materials, and exhaustion—it doesn’t always seem worth it until you see the bigger picture coming together.

But I had a vision for this space. An area full of plants that would thrive in these conditions and eliminate the need for future tending. No more mowing and even taller, prettier plants to view in the meantime.

So that’s what I set out to do. It’s not done yet by any means, as one day the entire area should fill itself in, and maybe then we’ll mulch between the plants. But for now, I’m perfectly fine with watching and waiting for that day to come.
I know, I know. It’s been a while since I last g I know, I know. It’s been a while since I last gave y’all any update about what’s to come with TUO! #theuntamedoptimist

Truth is, life got a little overwhelming this past month. I’m finishing up my degree, taking my business into new territories and making mistakes to learn from along the way, and then there’s the blog. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not stoked to have missed posting for y’all this month, but I did need time to focus on other important things in my life.

That being said, I’ll be tying up some loose ends this week and you can expect to see big changes coming to the blog before Mother’s Day! 🙌

I don’t want to spoil too much for now but keep an eye out because you won’t want to miss this! 😁
If you’ve kept up with my stories recently, you If you’ve kept up with my stories recently, you got to see this gem come to life after sitting for a little over 24 hours 😍

My wild violet syrup recipe is coming very soon to the blog, along with a refresher recipe showing you how to use it for an all natural pink lemonade!

Be the first to get it delivered to your inbox by signing up for the TUO newsletter 📥
to be fair, their puddle made an 8ft wave into the to be fair, their puddle made an 8ft wave into the oncoming lane

edit: why’s it look like I’m sniffin the text 🫣
eternally yearning for when my garden looks like t eternally yearning for when my garden looks like this again 🌱

but as usual, we’re taking it one day at a time around here and getting everything in line for the garden to thrive with more sunny days 🙌
if you found a boulder the size of a yoga mat, wou if you found a boulder the size of a yoga mat, would you take advantage of the opportunity? I know I couldn’t pass it up 😊
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten in th It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten in the garden to take pics of all our current blooms, so enjoy this pic from much earlier in the season, before the daffodils all bloomed 🌼🐝

If you haven’t yet, get outside today and soak up some rays while doing something you love. Whether you’re taking a lake trip, playing fetch, or just sunbathing with a good book, there’s never a bad time to take in your environment for all it has to offer 🌅
your friendly reminder that even food bloggers eat your friendly reminder that even food bloggers eat boxed taquitos… we just go outside to take pictures with the flowers when we do 😉

I popped a couple in the air fryer and got to making some guac before stirring in my shredded lettuce for a quick avocado salad ✔️

The blue corn chips made it feel extra fancy 😎 but I’d also make room for some rice next time as this wasn’t enough to keep me full while working in the garden.
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