A recap, of sorts.
To begin, weather-wise, 2025 was a solid year for gardening in Upstate New York. The season got off to a somber start with a cold and gray, rain-filled June but by mid-July had evolved into a full-blown scorching HOT sunshine-y summer, with temperatures soaring well into the 90s for long stretches at a time. The little rain we did have in that period came hard and fast, rejuvenating the plants, deeply soaking their roots. The tomatoes liked the latter, best of all.
This was the first year that I had measurable success with larger varieties of heirloom tomatoes. My two favorite were the Costoluto Genovese from Renee’s Garden, and Woodstock from Johnny’s.
Given that my gardens are in-ground, and my home backs up to a wooded area, I am accustomed to dealing with my fair share of critters. Even with the best preventative measures in place, a few animals manage to be a nuisance without fail. The chipmunks went easy on me this year, but the rabbits more than made up for it with their nesting and nibbling. I lost a few pea seedlings, and an entire row of green beans, but again, some of that is to be expected. If I have learned anything over the years, it’s to over-compensate with my planting!
When it comes to the flowers I choose to grow, I typically opt for 2 extreme palettes: light (white) and soft, or dark (red) and moody. Much to my surprise, this season I ended up with rows of bright pinks and purples, due to a few mislabeled seed packets. I am not complaining though as the mistakes made for many cheerful bouquets. As much as I love growing vegetables, the flowers always manage to steal my heart. If you are interested, you can see more of what I grew here.
