It's that time again...garden-planning time that is. I've made a few garden resolutions this year:
1) Any needed structures, e.g., trellises or hoop houses, will be built well and correctly...no more wonky "quick-fixes" that make my garden look like a mad inventor lives in it.
2) Wait until April to start tomato seed indoors...this in an effort to avoid having a jungle of 3-foot tomato plants sitting around my living room during the entire month of May.
3) Focus on quality not quantity...do not go wild and try to do too much for my small garden areas. This year the garden will be well planned and appropriately spaced.
We're having a very mild winter and soil temperatures are much warmer than usual this time of year. I'll be planting in fava beans this weekend, and getting my cabbage started indoors next week. Shell peas will go in at the end of the month....the rest is yet to come...
Having said all that, here's what I'm planting in my edible garden for spring/summer season:
New edible plantings:
Alaska Shell Peas
Black Cherry Tomato
Image source: http://heirloomtomatoplants.com
Black Beauty Eggplant - Organic
Bloomsdale Long-Standing Spinach - Organic
Cilantro - Slow Bolt/Organic
Early Bountiful Broad Beans - Organic/Heirloom
Edens Gem Melon - Organic
Image source: solanaseeds.netfirms.com
Babylon Cucumbers
Italian Sweet Peppers - Organic
Nurti-red Carrots - Organic
Image source: http://www.westcoastseeds.com
Peron Tomatoes - Organic
Red Bunching Onions
Image source: http://www.onestoppoppyshoppe.com
Red Express Cabbage (early variety) - Organic
Russet Norkotah Potatoes - Organic
Savoy Express Cabbage (early variety) - F-1
Speckles Lettuce - Organic
Italiko Rossa Dandelion
Image source: www.namayasai.co.uk
Wild Arugula
Edible Chrysanthemum
Image Source: http://www.egardenseed.com
Basil
Chives
Flat-leaf Parsley
Nasturtium
Sunflowers (start in pots and plant in when peas are done)
Established edibles from past years:
In containers:
French Sorrel
Rosemary
Thyme
French Tarragon
Heritage Raspberries
Image source: http://www.lakeview-farms.com
In ground:
Peppermint
Spearmint
Pineapple Mint
Oregano
Would like to grow and still searching for:
Perilla (Shiso)
Stevia
I hope they turn out as pretty as the pictures.
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Wow! You're planting so many delicious foods this year. I've always been a bit ambivalent about having a veggie garden. I'm a bit concerned that it would be too much work, but it looks like the payoff is HUGE.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see how yours turns out!
I'm looking forward to seeing how your's turns out at well. I'm sure it will be incredible. I've never been able to grow sweet peas or foxglove. No problem with nasturtiums though;-)
ReplyDeleteWe're in the midst of a blizzard on the east coast so it's hard to imagine workable soil or germinating seeds at this point.
Your garden really sounds wonderful. I can't wait to see the updates.
ReplyDeleteGlad you aren't having the winter we have been. Feels like we were transplanted to Alaska.
Alicia
Allison,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. The garden can be a lot work at certain times of the season, and in any given year there are always some failures (in my case at least)but it is fun to go out and pick food from your own garden for a meal.
SV,
We'll see how it all goes...the garden always throws a few surprises...and ups and downs.
I heard about the winter storm alert for the Mid-Atlantic region; hope you stay cozy and warm inside with a full pantry!
Alicia,
Thanks, hopefully I'll have some success stories later in the season (fingers crossed).
Stay warm and cozy in all that snow.
Rose, your garden AND your blog are beautiful, charming, and look delicious! :-) I haven't had time yet to fully explore your archives, but I've really enjoyed everything I've seen so far and look forward to perusing it further. Everything about it - including its name (I too love dandelions) - is just delightful! (And anyone who quotes from "The Owl and the Pussycat" gets bonus points from me... I've always loved that poem. Have you heard Billy Connolly recite it on "The Poet's Corner" cd? It's brilliantl!)
ReplyDeleteYou have admirably ambitious plans for your garden and I can't wait to watch it grow this summer! We have a wee organic garden but are taking a wait-and-see approach this year, as grasshoppers wiped it out last year and we anticipate a return engagement! You probably have this posted somewhere, but do you have a favorite organic seed supplier?
We follow several of the same blogs, but I found yours through Alicia's and am so glad I did! ("Yo, Al" - thanks!) ;-)
Have a great weekend, Rose!
Laloofah,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments and kind words. I found your blog through Alicia's site too...double thanks to Ali!
I'm a huge fan of Billy Connolly; I must try to find that CD.
I don't have a favorite seed supplier (yet. I've been trying a few different ones over the last couple of years. Previous years I went with Abundant Life Seeds and Territorial Seed Company (both in Cottage Grove, OR) I like the idea of sticking with smaller, local seed companies, so this year I bought my seed from Irish Eyes Seeds in Ellensburg, WA.
Fingers crossed, hope it all pans out.
Love your blog too, it is oozing with creativity! Good weekend to you too.
Hi, Rose!
ReplyDeleteBilly's a hoot! He also does an absolutely magnificent reading of Robert Burns' "To a Mouse." It's one of my favorite poems on the CD. I hope you can find it at your library! I think you'd really enjoy a lot of it. (But I advise skipping Ben Jonson's "Inviting a Friend to Supper." It's hideous ~ sounds like something Anthony Bourdain would have written!)
We ordered some organic seeds from a place in either OR or WA (I think WA) about 3 years ago and really liked them and had great success, but darned if I can remember the name of it. If I do, I'll pass it along! And I'll check out the places you mention, too. We drool on the Gurney's seed catalog, but do our ordering from small, organic seed places. We just don't have any locally. Do you know about the Seed Savers Exchange? Might be something you'd be interested in!
Thank you for your compliment! :-) Blogging is a fun creative outlet, isn't it?
Hi Laloofah,
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to look for that CD. Thanks for letting me know about it. Billy Connolly is very talented.
I'm not familiar with Anthony Bourdain, but I take it from your comment that he's not exactly vegan-minded.
I've heard of the Seed Savers Exchange but have not become a member...I feel like I'd need hone my seedsaving skills a bit more for that. But, what they do is so important, with all the GMO crops taking over the scene and polluting organic farmers' crops, saving the natural seed heritage is imperative.
That's why I stopped buying seed from Territorial...they buy some of their seed from Seminis, which is a Monsanto company. A lot of people act like that's no big deal, because Territorial will provide a list of those seeds for you, so you can avoid them if you want, but I think it goes against the backbone of organic agriculture to have anything to do whatsoever with Monsanto.
Anyway, I'm so glad our paths have crossed. I love your avatar. I'm a small animal critter too...is that little fellow a friend of yours?
Lovely garden! Those red bunching onions look interesting, haven't seen those before. I am holding off on starting my tomato seeds also. Last year was not a good year for many of the things we grew, too cold and short of a summer. This year I may do a crop rotation and give many of the veggies a rest and instead grow more herbs in our small space. I look forward to seeing your updates when the growing season begins.
ReplyDeleteHi, Rose!
ReplyDeleteYou guessed right! Anthony Bourdain is fond of vegans like vampires are fond of sunshine. I'd never heard of him either till I found this wonderful blog called Hezbollah Tofu, which alas has vanished from the internet. But you can read about it here if you'd like. Don't miss the poll at the end, it's the best part! (I really wish I knew what became of Hezbollah Tofu; they were going to compile all the recipes into a cookbook, sell it, and donate the money to a vegan animal sanctuary in Bourdain's name! I hope that all came to pass!)
I completely, utterly agree with you about heirloom seeds and Evil Monsanto! I first learned about Seminis and some of the good seed sources from this 2007 article, "Where to Buy Your Seeds (And Where Not To)". I'm sure some of this info has changed since it was written, but it's still got some good links and information. You clearly stay up to speed on this stuff, which I greatly admire!
No, I don't know the sweet little hamster on my avatar personally. But we do have two fun mice, Val and Tina, as family members. We love the wee critters too! :-)
I'm glad our paths have crossed too! I hope our friendship blooms and grows like your lovely garden! :-)
Thanks for the great links...yes, now that you mention it, I vaguely remember visiting Hezbollah Tofu's blog once or twice...too bad it just dissapeared.
ReplyDeleteI have two mice too...Pim and Wallace...they are two mice men...about 1.5 years old and their hair is turning grey. They are brothers and it's adorable how they groom each other and cuddle.
Hi, Rose!
ReplyDeletePim and Wallace, I love their names! Is there a story behind them? Val and Tina have lived with us two years come Valentine's Day (hence their names!) I have no idea how old they are, but they are as spry and healthy as the day they showed up in our garage during a blizzard, checked into our "Whiskers Inn B&B" and decided to sign a long-term lease (unlike all our former mousey guests, who made it clear after 2-3 days they'd had enough of the pampered life!) They are such fun, so much personality, and like Pim and Wallace so affectionate toward one another. Often they'll sit side by side with one resting her paw on the other's back. So sweet! (They also enjoy listening to Billy recite "To A Mouse!" and make me play it for them every January 25th.) ;-)
Hi Janet,
ReplyDeleteI haven't grown the red bunching onions before either...last year i grew red beard scallions, which were good.
Hopefully this will be a successful season for all of us gardeners.
Laloofah,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story about your mice. So were they domestic mice that went stray, or just regular wild mice?
Mine have a bit of story behind them too. I volunteer on the small animal team of my local animal shelter and often bring home animals that need special care or attention into foster care for a while. Well, a pregnant mouse with an ear infection was surrendered at the shelter from a pet shop owner who didn't want to pay her vet bills for the ear infecction. I brought her home to foster because she needed daily medicine and a quiet place to have the babies....I was so surprised when she had 15 babies. WOW!
Over the last year, we've found adopters for all of the mice except for these two, who I intend to keep for the rest of their natural days.
Anyway, have a great Saturday.
Thank you! And also for the suggestion. I actually made Braciolle already. It'll be in my cookbook when it comes out later this year :) It was a tricky one to veganize, but I did it somehow!
ReplyDelete