Seeds!

I just bought all of my seeds and starters from Johnny's!

This year I will be growing from seed (Cost: $259 which includes seedling soil, shipping and tax):
Broccoli
Parsnips
Leeks
Onions (yellow)
Spinach
Salad mix
Arugula
Fennel
Radishes
Carrots
Corn
Bell Peppers
Watermelon
Tomatoes
Green Beans
Cucumbers (salad and pickling)
Zucchini
Pumpkins
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Celery
Basil
Cilantro
Sage
Thyme
Dill
Parsley

The new items from seed are:
Strawberries
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Lavender
Kabocha Squash
Shallots

I will be growing but not from seed:
Oregano
Rosemary
Chile/Jalapeño Peppers

Looking back on a successful growing season (thank you Mother Nature!), I learned so much. This was certainly evidenced in flipping through the seed catalog this year. It was SOOO much easier this year. I knew better of how much to order and what to order. The descriptions of each item made more sense to me pertaining to growing conditions, yield, etc.

I am going out on a limb this year and starting the tomatoes from seeds. I'm feeling pretty good about it. My goal this year is to figure out potatoes and onions a lot better. Neither one turned out so well for me last year. I think part of the problem was not planting them soon enough in the ground. However, I didn't have my garden plots rototilled in time for early planting. I think that will give me an edge this year. I've also lived through a growing season and know where the sun is and how long it shines on each garden. Some crops actually do better with less sun and other do better - the main reason I am moving the bell pepper plot!

The $25,000 question is, what will I do differently this year:

1. Tomatoes: I am not growing cherries or grapes. Nor am I going on the other end and doing beef steaks. Medium sized fruit and I am going to splurge on nice wooden tomatoes stakes, so that plants don't fall over. Also instead of eight plants, I'll probably plant five.

2. Zucchini: Whoa BABY! I think two zucchini plants will do! I mean, how much zucchini can two people eat??? (reference point, I think I had 6-8 last year)

3. Carrots and Parsnips: MORE MORE MORE! I am going to learn to store this root veggies and I am going to say, keep 'em coming. There is NOTHING like a carrot straight out of the ground. AND the longevity of these veggies are conducive with the Maine climate. I think I'll be able to keep them through winter.

4. Broccoli: Early planting; spring from seed. Let's see if that works, because nothing yielded last year.

5. Peppers: As mentioned before, I am moving the bell peppers to the big garden with LOTS of sun and hoping for magic. I might plant them where the corn was last year - rich in nitrogen for those babies.

6. Corn: Which takes me to corn. The thing about corn is that you need to plant a bunch because they pollinate. But there's only two of us. And all be it, corn straight from the garden is mind blowing with regards to the taste buds, we are only two people. BUT now that we have a chest freezer, I am going to freeze the corn we're unable to consume. So, same amount here.

7. Herbs: We are going to have one garden devoted to herbs. We love herbs. We use herbs all of the time! I ran out of parsley and cilantro last year. So, I bulked up on that. AND I remembered to get dill this year. We all remember D-Day last summer where I was one of 100 people at the farmer's market desperate for dill and there was no dill to be had. Which leads me to canning, I really need to take a class this summer on canning so I can make pickles that will last. And I will also be making pesto to freeze this year. Come on basil!

8. Cucumbers: TOO many cukes last year. We couldn't eat them all. Unfortunately, they don't store well either. So, I think one pickling plant and three regulars will be more than adequate (compared to three pickling and six regular).

9. Lettuce: I am not growing lettuce from a head. It was terrible last year and the yield is low. So, I highly recommend the Wildfire Mix from Johnny's. Not only is it beautiful but it grows incredibly and tastes good too. And of course, me LOVE arugula.

10. Squash: Holy Squash! If you visited the Warehouse Gardens last year, you will know what I mean when I say, perhaps I didn't anticipate such a high yield. The great thing about squash is that it stores. However, we don't eat that much acorn squash. So I think I will only plant 4-5 plants this year. BUT Go Butternut or go home! We eat a ton of butternut - it's great plain, in soups, stews, raviolis. So, I am going to plant 10-ish butternut plants. And you probably noticed the new variety of winter squash called Kabocha (the varietal is called "Cha-cha" how could I pass that up?). We'll just see. Perhaps 4 plants of Cha-Cha. Something about it makes me want to say "cuchi cuchi".

11. Pumpkins: Enough is enough! Though we ended up with some great pumpkins last year - (great!), pumpkins take up a LOT of room and they love to kill other plants with their tentacles. So, I am going with one variety and planting four plants (instead of eight). I also bought seeds for a pumpkin that has medium vines instead of long vines.

12. Watermelon: Since I wasn't late in the game purchasing seeds this year, I didn't miss out on choosing exactly which watermelon I wanted. Last year by the time I wrapped my head around this garden thing, I purchased a lot the seeds later into the spring and they were sold out and I think I was stuck with a kind of bogus watermelon varietal. Though they grew, they were FULL of seeds and went mealy rather quickly. This year, I have high hopes and big dreams for the watermelon.

I am really excited about this growing season. I made a lot of capital investments last year, so the money towards the garden will be a lot less and our cost per veggie will significantly drop. The items that need to be bought are the tomato stakes, new fence stakes, 2x4's for the herb garden and unless we can score some more chicken poop from the neighbor (doubtful), we'll need to order up some compost. And marigolds.

It's too early to wish you happy growing (soon enough), so take care to eat and be happy,
--Annie

Well Whatta yah know!

For the longest time I couldn't get into my blog! I have no idea why. I am sure it had something to do with me and not google, but alas. That's is in the past. Moving forward.

We ate our last butternut squash, we still have some carrots, beans and parsnips in the freezer. We have a bunch of acorn squash in the basement BUT the rat at most of them (including a bunch of butternut) BOO! I hate rats. Rats must die.

Of happier note, I am going to start onion seedlings in a few weeks. I can't believe it!! How time flies. So, the best part is being able to flip through Johnny's Select catalog to pick out some yummy goodness for the 2011 growing season. Fingers crossed that it is just a bountiful as 2010.

Happy growing and eating,
--Annie