Calendar Additions and Improvements
Before 2023, the calendar went through many changes under Caren’s guidance. In 1998, she sold only one print edition of the calendar (Long Season PST). Over the years, she added a Short and Medium Season version, downloadable .PDFs, Eastern Time options, and even had a garden planning software (programmed by her brother) available through the website for a several years.
The software was retired in 2021 and hasn’t been replaced as of this writing, although we are interested in developing a new app or calendar tool in the future.
New for the 2023 Calendar
- added average frost dates by USDA Hardiness Zone (Short: 3, 4, 5, 6; Medium: 5, 6, 7, 8; Long 7, 8, 9, 10)
- added solar and lunar eclipses
- enlarged drill hole to 1/4”
- changed to 100% recyclable paper in the calendar
- removed all plastic and single-use materials from the retail packaging + shipping process
- added seedsaving information to monthly and daily activities
- added medicinal and culinary herb growing/harvesting/storing information to monthly and daily activities
- added a Central Time option to digital calendars
- added a mobile-friendly format to digital calendars
New for the 2024 Calendar
- removed any advice to use petroleum products and other long lasting pesticides; replaced with advice in line with organic gardening methods
- added specific information for growing, planting, and harvesting culinary and medicinal herbs
- fine tuned Short/Medium Season activities to better suit northern and mountain growers & updated the Long Season calendar to accommodate our many customers growing in frost-free areas
- incorporated customer feedback and new research to improve consistency and accuracy of monthly planting lists
- added new crops and expanded to Vegetable/Herb/Flower planting lists
- stopped categorizing flowers as annuals/perennials/biennials, in recognition that these categories are not set in stone and often depend less on the plant than the location of the garden, and that our customers are gardening everywhere from Costa Rica to Alaska
- added plant/variety identification to all photos, and original source of seed where applicable
- added rest days & growing advice specific to eclipse days and new/full/half moon days
- updated daily moon pictures with brand new high-quality images & brought color printing to full calendar (not just top half)
- added a plastic-free packaging option for our wholesale clients
- added a Mountain Time option to digital calendars
- updated the transit bar to aid readability
- brand new six page introduction to lunar planting included at end of calendar, with sections on seedsaving and growing herbs
