80/20 in the Garden?!
Today, I want to share with you a simple yet effective approach to gardening that has been good for my growing experience: the 80/20 mindset. This method involves dedicating 80% of your garden to reliable, tried-and-true plants, while reserving the remaining 20% for experimenting with exciting new varieties. By balancing familiarity with creativity, you can enjoy the best of both worlds—steady success and the thrill of discovery. Let’s dive into how this mindset works and how you can apply it to your own garden!
Beautiful Miner’s lettuce!
It is my first time growing it. It is in the more shaded part of my garden and is doing great!
Every gardener is on a journey of learning and growing their skills, and adopting the 80/20 mindset can be a valuable part of that journey.
About 80% of what I grow every year are my “go-to” plants. These are the plants that I have grown before and had good success with. I feel confident about how to deal with these plants. I know their optimal growing seasons, water and sunlight needs, and the pests that might be a nuisance to them.
The other 20% consists of exciting novelties. This part is creative, risky, and so much fun! I often keep my expectations lower for these new crops. If it works out, great! If not, then I have learned something, and the compost might benefit. :)
Last year, some of my novelties included ginger, peanuts, and even a date palm tree that grew from a date pit! (I didn’t really expect the date pit to sprout, so that was a happy surprise.) I also planted different varieties of tomatoes, like champagne bubble cherry tomatoes (now my favorite). Additionally, I grew poblano and shishito peppers, which were fun and different.
Nasturtium not only adds beauty to the garden, but also helps with pest control! The leaves and flowers are both edible.
This year, my 80% includes green beans, Swiss chard, kale, spinach, lettuce, nasturtium, and more. My 20% of different crops includes purple green beans, kohlrabi, many different varieties of tomatoes, and gypsy peppers. I am also trying a few different varieties of cucumbers.
How cute is this kohlrabi!? Kohlrabi tastes like a sweeter version of broccoli.
What if you have never gardened before? You have several options! You can start small, which is great! Another option is to fill your garden with lots of different plants but really focus on just two or three each season. Herbs are a great place to start. They are hardy, and many of them are also pest-repellent, which makes them great around other plants.
What about flowers? I love flowers in the garden! I used to only grow zinnias, but now I have several types of flowers growing. They add beauty, and we love the fresh-cut flowers (either for ourselves or to give away).
Remember that the garden is yours and for you—so grow what you enjoy!
Gardening is a fun learning journey where even setbacks offer valuable lessons. Embracing the 80/20 growing mindset keeps my gardening experience both fun and interesting!