2025 gardening scorecard: self-replicating leafy greens
This year’s gardening season was easier than usual mainly because in some ways, 2024’s gardening season never ended: As spring rolled around, I was delighted to see that last fall’s arugula, spinach, parsley and even cilantro had somehow survived a winter with multiple snowfalls and sub-freezing days.
I don’t know why that happened this year but not in earlier years (see my recaps of 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011), but I appreciate that unearned benefit anyway.
Arugula: A+
My go-to leafy green remained undefeated for yet another year, providing sandwich fixings and delicious additions to a variety of other recipes–it’s great to throw into an omelette, a pan sauce, on top of pasta or even as a garnish for a pizza just out of the oven.
Herbs: A
I’m using to parsley doing well, but cilantro persisting through summer and fall was not what I expected; neither was cilantro briefly returning in the fall. Thyme thrived for a second year in a row, and I had more rosemary and sage from the pots on the back patio than I knew what to do with. Mint, however, suffered from my irregular watering.
Spinach: B+
This did immensely better in the spring than in the fall, even though I sowed a fresh set of seeds in the fall. I continue to endorse this as an entry-level kitchen-garden crop over lettuce because, like arugula, it’s useful for so much more than salads and sandwiches.
Peppers: B-
All credit here goes to my wife, who once again grew bell and jalapeño peppers in a planter in the driveway for some of our most cost-effective gardening. Those plants, however, were not as productive as in past years, even discounting the peppers that some of our local squirrels snacked on.
Lettuce: C
This was one of 2025’s gardening disappointments; like last year, I didn’t get much out of the plants that grew from the seeds I planted in the spring. That still represents a decent ROI when you look at what good lettuce costs at a farmer’s market, but I can’t help thinking of how much better this crop fared in earlier years.
Tomatoes: D-
Yet another year, yet another year of disappointment in my attempt to grow one of my native state’s signature crops. This is starting to look like an annual slow-motion, step-on-the-rake exercise in which most of the tomatoes I grow only start to ripen once we run into a period of drought or or travel prevents me from harvesting and enjoying the results. It’s frustrating, but of course I will try again next year.
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