I can scarcely believe that it is the final weeks of 2025. “Where does the time go?” my grandma’s voice echoes through my memory. It is in the 60’s today and I long to be outdoors gardening! It is December, however. This morning I changed out the wildlife water and bird bath. Took pictures of plants who, like me, are not ready to go to bed yet for winter! I planned next year’s garden and future dreams of greenhouses and cold frames, ponds, fire pits, fencing, trees, fruit bushes, dye gardens, herb gardens, and when thinking about grasshoppers, I plan for chickens! There is time for everything.

The past three years have seen Biblical numbers of grasshoppers so ravenous, they eat the paint off of houses. Surely the next year will be better. I was quite pleased with my results for a first year garden on our tiny homestead. The grasshoppers came and ate everything I planted down to nothing. I did not spray chemicals on them. Only curse words. I fed the soil with worm castings, wood chips, old hay, and homemade compost. Fed the worms. Mulched. Watered. Many of the plants came back. The deer wander the yard and pose for photographs. Grey foxes, raccoons, deer, and hundreds of birds visit our yard. I am on my way to creating a beautiful oasis where there was none, in between houses with rock yards, and on soil that has not been fed, on a 1/16 of an acre, I will be able to grow so much food and increase biodiversity.

In preparation for next year’s garden I have a few reminders for you!

• If you have wildlife, you will have to use clever ways to fence, cover, shield, and protect your plants. Do not expect them to not eat your lovely buffet.
• Welcome wildlife on your homestead. The foxes keep the mice down, the birds keep the grasshoppers in check. Even the wasps pollinate. And the deer fertilize!
• Keep water out for birds and wildlife. Feed the birds over the winter.
• Mulch all garden beds with thick straw or wood chips or leaves.
• Keep a compost pile going.
• Order your seeds now before they run out! Plan next year to save seeds.

At our last craft show, I had a wonderful conversation with a young man who is doing some great farming near me. He brought back a blackberry bush for me as a gift! What joy! We talked non-stop about grafting, vermiculture, permaculture, and everything gardening. Next year my garden goals include cold frames, maybe a greenhouse, 30×10 more feet of enclosed gardens (6×10 foot dog panels with chicken wire on top), and worm bins! I enjoyed the speaking events I’ve done this year and I hope for more next year. I want to show people that you do not need outside chemicals to garden- not even in high altitude desert! Work with nature. Appreciate nature. Don’t try to control everything. And as Prairie Rose would remind us, now is the time to rest. I’ll try, but I’m growing lettuce and tomatoes in the back room over the winter just for fun!

Don’t forget to follow me (Farmgirl School) on TikTok and Facebook and Farmgirlschool.blog on Instagram. I’m stepping out of 1867 to be social, y’all.