The Christmas decorations are coming down. Things look depressing. The weather is cold and dreary. I don’t even want to go outside.
What’s that in my mailbox? Garden catalogs.
Those supply companies know how to time it just right. They take the winter blues and turn them into dreams of spring. Dreams of how great the garden is going to be this year, before the reality of insects, disease, weather, wildlife and my nemesis the evil Houdini bird set in.
Do you grow your own food? If not, you should consider it. Click for the reasons why.
It’s easy.
I do most of my ordering online, however I enjoy flipping through all the printed catalogs with a cup of coffee.
First, I make my dream list. All the new plants I would like to try growing. All the cool/necessary gadgets or tools.
Next, take my dream list and cut it into a reality list. A list of what I can realistically afford or have room for.
Then I order and wait..and wait.
Wait for the seeds to arrive so I can get started indoors.
Wait for the robins and crocuses to appear. So I can get started outdoors.
Wait to see how everything comes together….. or falls apart.
Wait to enjoy the great tasting, fresh picked fruits and vegetables. So worth the effort.
What are your favorite variet
ies to grow? I am always looking for improvement. I imagine others do as well.
Below are a few of my favorites:
Tomatoes- Brandywine – These are not pretty tomatoes, but the taste more than makes up for it’s looks. They have so much flavor. Actually, before having these from the garden, I didn’t even like tomatoes. So meaty, few seeds.
Raspberries- Yellow – Anne– Tastier than the red. Didn’t get many this year as it was the first season.
Strawberries- Ozark beauty– Large, sweet berries. I like them much better than the smaller varieties. I buy the everbearing varieties so that I can have berries all season.
Cantaloupe- Ambrosia– Really sweet, nice sized melon. Easy to grow.
What are your favorites?
Tell us, I’d love to try something new!!
Peppers and Planks 
I love tomatoes of all sorts. The ones I have done best with are yellow pear. The are about the size of cherry tomatoes, but are visually prettier. They also have a sweet taste.
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I am going to try some gardening this year. I have a dark brown thumb. What’s the easiest to start with. I was thinking cherry tomatoes, strawberries and maybe zucchini but if you say cantaloupe is easy maybe I will try that also.
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The easiest to start with are greens. Lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, etc. Very easy. They like the cold, so they are good in spring before you even put out tomatoes. They don’t like the heat though. I prefer leaf lettuce to head because you can pick the outside leaves and the inside will keep growing. They same with the other greens. It is a good crop again for the fall.
I find cherry tomatoes easier than full size and they ripen earlier as well.
Strawberries are easy you need a bunch of plants to make it worth while. I plant mine close together to fit more. I lean toward the square foot gardening method.
While zucchini can be quite prolific, squash vine borer can be a pain in the neck. The plants also get huge.
Cantaloupe are very easy and there is no guessing when it is ready like other melons. Can get powdery mildew at the end of the season, but it doesn’t seem to affect the fruit. I grow mine vertically to fit more plants in my space and keep them dry and clean. But that’s not necessary. I also find it easier than the other melons.
Sweet peppers are easy. My hot peppers died so not sure what that was about.
Herbs are easy. I started growing those last summer. Rosemary, thyme, chocolate mint, parsley, savory.
Bottom line- grow what you like to eat. You’ll learn along the way. Happy to answer any questions you have. You should have a nice long growing season where you are, right? I’m jealous.
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Just tried yellow tomatoes at the grocery store the other day, looked like grape ones they were pretty good, must be amazing straight from the garden.
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Love this Blog!
Can’t wait for the growing season. This past year we had our first organic garden that Sophia helped so much in.
We had a company help us with the soil and what to plant. This year I will be doing more on my own, ( of course with the help of Sophia)
I will be in touch for in sure I will have some questions!
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Oh, thank you so much Stacey! I always look forward to spring and getting to work in the garden. It’s also very therapeutic! Can’t wait to see what you decide to grow!
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