For the past two years, my fiancee and I have taken a retreat during the Thanksgiving holiday to escape for a couple of days. In most cases, this means “going analog” and doing things that don’t require a computer, tablet or smartphone. This has become the favorite time to start planning next year’s garden. The following details this project and offers suggestions to anyone who’s already fired up about their 2013 veggie garden.

The list of things you’ll need:

1. Graph paper
2. Writing pad
3. Pencils and erasers, or pens
4. Comfortable chair (but not too comfortable)
5. Your 2012 seed catalogs
6. Your favorite beverage and snacks
7. Information on planting dates, spacing requirements, etc. (printed out preferably).
Optional: Tracing paper, photos from this year’s garden

Got your feet up with everything listed above within easy reach? Good… let’s get planning. The first thing I like to do is get into the mood and get the creative garden juices flowing. There’s no better way to do that than flipping through your seed catalogs. If you’re like me, you’ve probably thrown them in a closet or lodged ’em between piles of old magazines.

After you’ve been filled with inspiration from the seed catalogs, it’s time to list what you wanna grow next year. I know this seems like common sense, but I’ve started many a garden plan without asking myself (or my family), “what am I growing next year?”

Now it’s time to put on your plant-person-designer-architect hat. Plain graph paper works great for this. Figure out the scale to use on the paper, and first draw the outside boundary of your garden area. If your garden is simply a raised bed, then you’re done for the moment. If the garden is part of your yard, include obvious objects like trees, fences, borders, etc. Then draw in the edges of your raised beds if you have ’em.

With your list of veggies to grow, along with information on planting dates, spacing requirements, etc., map out which plants are going where. Photos from this year’s garden are quite helpful here as a visual reference. Consider such things as crop rotation, plant height and succession planting. Also consider whether you’re going to integrate flowers with your veggies (always a good idea). Did you plant certain things too close to each other? Did they grow taller than you expected? Are you gonna put in an irrigation system? Food for thought (no pun intended).

Now that you’ve laid out how your garden is gonna look, sit back and celebrate. The chances are good that you’ll make several changes to the design, both before and once the season gets started. This is normal and expected. At least now you’ve got a game plan; so you’re not wasting time, buying too much, or even worse, forgetting something. You also now have a green light to start ordering those seeds, unless it can wait until the 2013 catalogs arrive.

What other ways do you plan next year’s garden?

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.

Buy at Amazon

Ho-Mi Digger - Korean Triangle Blade

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Versatile Tool: The Easy Digger Korean Triangle Blade Ho Mi Ho-mi is a versatile gardening tool designed for leveling and digging in home and garden settings. Efficient Design: Its unique triangular blade shape allows for easy soil penetration and efficient leveling of garden beds or landscaping areas. Durable Construction: Crafted with sturdy materials, this tool ensures long-lasting performance and reliability. Ergonomic Handle: The comfortable handle provides a secure grip, reducing hand fatigue during extended use. Compact Size: Its compact design makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces and store when not in use.

Buy at Amazon

Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency.

Buy at Amazon