We are just days away from Halloween, and I feel it is far enough into fall to step back and assess the 2013 gardening season.

What worked? What didn’t work? What lessons did I learn?

Quite frankly, this is more for me than it is for you, dear reader. How else will I remember what I learned when next spring approaches?

Seeds I planted in fall flourished in early spring

I was pleasantly surprised at my garden’s first harvest. Spinach and kale greeted me on my first visit to the garden last April. The lesson learned is that I will fret less if I don’t get a fall crop out of this year’s spinach seedlings. They just may be ready for me in a few months.

Make sure labels stay in the Garden

This is especially important when planting something for the first time. Don’t rely on memory. It will fail you, or I should say, it will fail me. This is said specifically for all of the tomatoes I plant. Label, label, label.

Stick with what works, but allow room to experiment in the garden.

I had used buckwheat hull mulch for years, but decided to experiment with salt marsh hay as mulch this year. It worked fabulously. Not only was it less expensive, but it stayed put and didn’t blow around as buckwheat hulls are known to do.

Floating row covers worked to keep flea beetles off my arugula.

Hallelujah. I’m so glad I finally have a way to control those little buggers and give my arugula and other bitter-tasting seedlings a fighting chance as survival.

Plant broccoli and cabbage a bit later in the summer if at all possible.

I just ate some broccoli that I harvested after a bit of cooler weather and the flavor is so much better. Getting the seedlings to come in at the right time will be a challenge. Just remember to feed.

Eggplant. I’m not sure why I bother.

My neighbor has tremendous success. I’m not sure how he does it. I’m seriously contemplating not attempting them next year.

Try a stronger material for the “Florida Weave” tomato trellis.

My version of the “Florida Weave” tomato trellising worked well—until the plants got too heavy for the wooden supports and snapped them. I will definitely do the weave again next year, but may try a different material.

Try growing cucumbers in the vegetable garden.

Something I didn’t grow this year but wanted to was cucumbers. I’d like to try my hand at lactose-fermentation in the cucumber pickling process. That should be fun.

Buy more but fewer.

By that I mean I don’t need 2 6-packs of cherry tomatoes. Instead I’ll try larger pots of specialty or heirloom crops. I’d like to try the unusual items. Oftentimes, though, those items are hard to find at the places I shop.

Loosen up a bit.

That’s a reminder for me to not get so worried about how things are going, or not going. I had a freak-out moment this summer that had me convinced to give up my garden plot for good. I waited a week and whatever the problem was just went away. This, I think, was the most important lesson I learned this year. Don’t worry. Just let the garden grow.