It might be gloomy and wintery outside, but that means it’s finally time to dream about the 2025 garden season! If you live in the northern midwest like me, we’re trying to avoid that seasonal depression… IYKYK. Planning for the gardening season is a fantastic and productive way to keep those winter blues at bay!
In fact, it is scientifically proven that having a positive event or activity to anticipate and look forward to, is almost as rewarding as actually experiencing that event. You can read more details about that here in the National Library of Medicine. As if we even needed another reason for getting excited about the 2025 gardening season!
If you’re a bit type-A like I am or are just super excited to get your hands dirty again, this post will help you get set goals, prepare and organize yourself for planning for the gardening season!
Planning for the 2025 growing season
Here are 9 practical tips to help get you prepared and excited for the gardening season ahead! Whether you are a seasoned gardener or you are taking your first steps into your gardening era, these tips will help get you position for a successful 2025 gardening season.
Know your growing zone and frost date
Alright, first thing’s first, you need to research what your growing zone and frost date are. Whether or not you are new to gardening, you still need to do this. This is based on historical weather data and your location, so it will be different for everyone. I recommend just Googling these things and you should find the information you are looking for.
It is important to make sure you do not skip this step because these are the key pieces of information that will inform you when and what to plant to be a successful gardener this year. Even if you have done this in the past, do this every year because the zones and dates do change over time.
Make an ambitious list
Listen, we all now that you probably won’t do 100% of the things on your gardening this this year. Regardless, now is the time to be ambitious because you can pick and choose later on. Write down all of the vegetables, flowers, and fruits you would like to grow in 2025.
Having a wish list of seeds and plants you’d like to grow is a great way to inspire yourself to change up your landscaping, consider rearranging your garden, or maybe it is a way for you to give to other plant lovers in your life. Don’t be afraid to be ambitious on your wish list because you never know what kind of change you might inspire in yourself or others.
Identify areas you love about your current garden or yard
Write down a list of all of the things you love about your current garden, yard, landscaping, or balcony garden. Doing this will highlight the things that you value and will keep you pointed in a direction that you actually enjoy.
If there are plants you love, write those down. Have a favorite pot? Write that down too. Maybe you really love the way your solar lights make your outdoor living space come alive at night. You already know what to do… write it down!
Identify areas you’d like to improve
Alright, now we are doing the opposite of what we did in the last step. Jot down the areas in your yard or garden that you think are looking a bit drab or outdated. Maybe you need to freshen up your mulch or replace a diseased shrub. Perhaps your garden layout isn’t efficient or perhaps you actually planted too much last year. Add in any space constraints you might be experiencing too.
Writing down all of your areas of improvements will help guide you to identifying what tweaks you need to make to be more successful in the garden this year. This will also help you improve your overall enjoyment level while being in your garden.
Make a list of what went well last year
When planning for the gardening season, it is important to note what your successes were last year. This is different than the section mentioned earlier (identifying areas you like) because this section is focused on the execution of your gardening tasks. For example, maybe you timed all of your planting just right last year, which helped you gain a more successful harvest. These are important things to note so that you remember to repeat those things again year after year.
Make a list of what didn’t go well
Take note of the things you tried last year, that didn’t end up working out so well. For me, once again, I planted too many tomatoes and I just couldn’t keep up with them. I also had squash vine bores for the first time and mildew on my squash leaves for the second time. I also did not protect my broccoli rabe from pests, and instead of harvesting any broccoli, I let it flower and support the bee population instead.
These are are just a few things that I will be extra vigilant about in the 2025 growing season to help prevent it from taking over any of my crops. Writing these down helps bring awareness to things you can change and allows you to jump on a problem right away to better solve the issue.
Manage your seeds
Go through all of your seed packets and decide which ones to keep and which ones to replace. I am sure there is a more scientific way of managing your seed library, but for me, I throw away seeds that are 2+ years old, had issues the prior year, or had a very poor germination rate.
For example, my yellow squash seeds and banana pepper seeds both produced some slightly different produce this year than these same exact seeds produced the year before. The harvest was still good and plenty, but it is time to replace those seeds in order to get back to the more “normal” version of these vegetables.
You may have different criteria than myself- many gardeners have success with seeds older than 2 years and some replace them every year. Try it out and determine what works best for you, but starting out with my 2 year rule is a good place to start.
The not so fun part
Unfortunately, not all gardening tasks are “fun”. For me, it’s taking care of the structures, tools, storage, and overall maintenance. Take note of all the “tasks” you need to take care of. This might include fixing a fence, finally building a compost pile, replenishing your soil reservoir, or repairing your potting bench. Write down all of the gardening tasks that aren’t as “fun” as harvesting the fruits of your labor. These tasks might not be fun, but they sure do make gardening more enjoyable once they are complete.
Create a practical action plan
Now that you have all of your thoughts, wishes, and ambitions down on paper, it is time to create a practical action plan. To start, separate out the warm weather tasks and cold weather tasks. Things like replacing old seeds, getting new materials, and creating a garden layout are all good “cold weather tasks”. Save repairing the potting bench and replacing the mulch for the warmer days.
Set aside a budget for any new materials you need for the upcoming gardening season. The great thing about starting yearly in the year is that you have time to save up money and wait for good deals. I recommend creating “wish lists” or “favorites lists” with the businesses you get your gardening supplies from. Utilize the time you have now to save up your money and keep an eye out for good deals.
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Formulate a list of all the plants you are going to start by seed and then organize them by direct sow and starting indoors. Organize your seeds by start date and sowing type. Add the key dates to your calendar to keep on track!
What is your favorite ways to start planning for the gardening season? Comment below and share this article with the gardeners in your life!
This post has been all about the best ways to start planning your garden for the 2025 growing season. This is how to start planning for the gardening season. Inspiration and practical tips for planning your garden in the winter months. This is a step by step process for planning your garden for success in the 2025 growing season.
