A Year in the Garden: Lessons, Gratitude, and Growth at Oglesby Gardens in 2024
What a year it’s been at Oglesby Gardens! As I sit down to reflect on 2024, I can’t help but feel a mix of gratitude, pride, and of excitement for the seasons ahead. This year brought its fair share of challenges, triumphs, and “aha” moments in the garden, and I want to share them with you—not just to look back, but to inspire you to dig into your own garden-to-table journey.
A Year of Firsts and Flourishing
2024 was a fantastic growing year, thanks to an unusually warm fall that kept my cool-season crops thriving well into November. It wasn’t until December 1 that I even stepped foot in a grocery store for produce. I’m pretty proud of that, especially since we live in Wisconsin! And that’s the beauty of a well-planned garden—it feeds your family far beyond summer.
However, I will say, spring was kinda tough. Heavy rains and a quick warm-up made for some confused plants—my raspberries and strawberries arrived way earlier than expected. On the flip side, those heavy rains completely obliterated my potato crops, which rotted in the clay-heavy soil of our in-ground patch. That was a harsh (but valuable) reminder of why I love raised bed gardening. With raised beds, you have so much more control over your growing environment, from drainage to soil quality.
Our peppers were the crown jewel of the garden this year—hip-high plants that produced well into October. My husband Matt (who eats a pepper a day like it’s an apple) was in heaven. The tomatoes didn’t fare quite as well, thanks to disease brought on early in the season by those same high temps and heavy rains, but we still canned plenty and even shared the surplus with friends and family.
One of my favorite parts of growing my own food is sharing that homegrown produce with my loved ones. For some, a gift of homegrown produce is just a fun addition to the week’s meals, but for others who I’ve given extra tomatoes or a bundle of fresh herbs, I could see it sparked something in them–the idea that they too could grow their own food. Is anything more rewarding than that?!
New Projects and Lessons
This year was our first full year with the greenhouse, and wow, was it a learning curve! Managing seedling starts for my garden and client projects was no small feat, but I’m thrilled to say we grew about 95% of our plants ourselves. Some tweaks to our timing next year, and we’ll be even more efficient.
We also added some exciting new elements to Oglesby Gardens:
4 Northern kiwi berry plants, complete with a trellis I custom-designed to support their growth (a single vine can produce over 100 pounds of berries 😮).
4 raised mushroom gardens in the wooded area alongside our house, bringing a new layer of diversity to the garden.
A hand-built pergola behind the greenhouse, serving as a seedling hardening-off station in spring and transitioning into a dreamy outdoor dining space come summer. We hosted so many lovely gatherings this year, from Pizza in the Garden, to a bridal shower, to a good friend’s 40th birthday party! I’m not a super sappy person, but I will admit, I did tear up a little bit the first time I saw all my loved ones gathered together in the pergola enjoying each other’s company and delicious garden-to-table foods.
One of my favorite projects? Expanding our mini orchard, which looked stunning in full bloom this year. (At what point do I have to drop the “mini” from its name?)
We also experimented with growing turmeric for the first time—and it was a hit! Paired with last year’s success with ginger, I’m officially hooked on growing root spices. Matt loves the fresh ginger in his morning tea.
Real Talk: The Imperfections
Social media can make every garden look like a flawless paradise, but let me tell you—gardening is full of imperfections. I’ve been gardening for over a decade and I have never had a season where I look back and think, “That was perfect.”
This year is no exception — I made my share of mistakes. I overcrowded my eggplants, forgot to harvest a few crops before the frost, and dropped the ball on preserving some of the things I had big plans for.
I even found myself scrambling to buy celery because I lost a batch I was sure would make it before a big frost came. It’s frustrating, but that’s the beauty of gardening and it’s also part of the process—it’s a cycle of learning, experimenting, and growing (both literally and figuratively). Every “oops” moment is a chance to do better next year.
Gratitude + Growth
One of the highlights of this year has been meeting so many amazing new clients and continuing to grow this incredible community. Whether we worked together on a garden installation, connected through my courses, or even exchanged ideas on Instagram, you are what makes this work so rewarding. Thank you for your trust, your enthusiasm, and your commitment to growing something beautiful.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we turn the page to a new year, I’m excited to keep growing alongside you—literally and figuratively. If you’re ready to dive deeper into the garden-to-table lifestyle, I’d love to help you make 2025 your best gardening year yet.
Whether it’s a custom garden installation, coaching sessions, or joining my garden-to-table membership, there’s a space for you here. Let’s dig deep, grow strong, and create something beautiful together. 🌿🤍
