A few years ago, when most of us were spending a LOT more time at home, I did what many gardeners did at the time.

I built myself a dream garden.

And I’m talking big. Nine raised beds, plus as many ornamental beds as I could reasonably fit on about a third of an acre in the suburbs. I loved that garden so much!

But as life slowly picked back up and I went back to working away from home, that same garden started to feel like a lot. What once felt exciting began to feel overwhelming. There was a lot to water, a lot to weed, and a lot to keep up with.

This year, I’m planning a new garden at a new home. And while my brain still says “go big or go home,” the garden coach in me is trying to stay reasonable.

That season taught me a lot, so I thought I’d share three garden planning mistakes I learned the hard way, so you don’t have to make the same ones. These are the same things I talk through with my clients, and I hope you find them helpful too.

Mistake #1: Not planning with watering in mind

In my old garden, my raised beds were along the back property line. It looked great, but the water source was by the house. On hot days, or when I was busy or tired, that extra distance mattered more than I expected.

When planning your garden, it’s important to think about more than just what you want to grow. How often those plants will need water and how easy it will be to reach them consistently matters, too.

For all my tips about how to water your garden, check out this post:

• ​How To Water Plants the Right Way ​

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Mistake #2: Going bigger than my time realistically allowed

At the time, planting a large garden made sense. But as my schedule changed, maintaining that size became harder and harder.

A smaller, well-planned garden is almost always more enjoyable than a large garden that feels like a constant chore. Planning a garden that fits your time, energy, and lifestyle leads to more success and far less burnout.

This post breaks down how to plan a garden from scratch, keeping everything from size to sunlight needs in mind:

• ​How to Plan a Garden for Beginners​

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Mistake #3: Planning for planting, but not for the full season

Planting is just the beginning. Watering, weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting are what fill your weeks later on.

When you plan with the entire season in mind, it becomes much easier to choose crops and layouts that feel manageable long term, not just exciting in the spring.

I keep all of my monthly gardening task guides collected here so you can see what the season actually looks like as it unfolds:

• ​Month by Month Gardening Guide​

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Good planning doesn’t mean having everything figured out. It means making thoughtful choices now so the rest of the season feels easier and more enjoyable.

I’ll be sharing more planning guidance like this over the next few weeks as we head toward spring.

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Happy growing and planning! 🌱

Liz

P.S. Do you have a garden mistake you had to learn the hard way? Hit reply and tell me all about it! I love knowing I’m not alone in learning through trial and error. 💚

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