Big list of seeds.

Each year I expand the growing space in our small yard. Having a long narrow landing strip side yard means I plant against the houses with limited sun each day. With buried utilities, HOA rules, and not much space, we don't have the optimal gardening space. But we make it work, and each year we grow even more. Our garden is always green and lush and we get a good bit out of a small space. It is nice when it fills in so thickly in the summer too - almost like we have our own secret hidden garden in the midst of a close neighborhood.

This year we will expand our yard garden once again and are also expanding into community plots. We plan to have one family plot at this community garden where we can grow food that likes more space and sun than we can provide in our yard here.


I am also hoping to be granted a second plot for a child garden, to be planted and cared for by several families of kids. For this, I have sketched out a bean teepee, in addition to a sampling of many types of veggies that will produce in longer spurts so that there can be weeks of harvest - such as radishes, italian stuffing peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. It will be fun to also grow different things such as miniature red popcorn, peanuts, ghost pumpkins, and beautiful sunflowers in addition to things that can be used to make natural dyes. Variety and color is good. It will be great to have a spot where we can go throughout the season and let the kids roam, water, weed, pick, sit, and check on things. Get their hands dirty, and see what works in their own little organic plot!


My eyes are always bigger than my space, but this year it is nice to think of having three growing areas to get seeds for! Ahhh. Here is a rough list of what we plan to grow within those three spaces:

beans:
bush beans: royalty purple pod
pole beans: purple podded pole
runner beans: painted lady
long beans: chinese red noodle bean
beets:
yellow cylindrical, cylindra
cabbage:
early jersey wakefield
carrots:
st. valery, yellowstone
corn:
strawberry popcorn
cucumbers:
chinese yellow, wautoma pickling
fruit:
ground cherry, huckleberry , strawberries
greens:
various greens...loose leaf & head lettuce, mesclun, mache, mix
kohlrabi:
azur star
melons:
minnesota midget
onions:
he shi ko-bunching, tokyo long white bunching
peas:
blauschokker shelling pea
peanuts: peppers:
sweet chocolate, patio red marconi, tequila sunrise
potatoes:
caribe
radish:
long scarlet, purple plum, sora
spinach:
red malabar spinach (asian vine 'spinach')
summer squash:
lemon squash
swiss chard:
five color silverbeet
tomatillo:
purple tomatillo
tomatoes:
orange fleshed purple smudge, brandywine pink, green zebra, black cherry
winter squash:
white acorn, waltham butternut, baby blue hubbard, thelma sanders sweet potato
herbs:
shisho, cilantro, several types of basil, anise hyssop, chamomile, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, savory, mustard
dye plants:
bulls blood beet, hopi red amaranth,
in ground:
raspberries, borage, red currants, parsley, dill, chives, shallots, garlic, lemon balm, mixed herbs & flowers

It looks like a lot, but we won't plant a whole packet of seeds for each item and some will be succession planted and not all in the first round. We like to grow a bit to not only supplement our CSA each week with things that are not as common, but also to provide more veggies that can be preserved to get us through the next winter.


Splitting seeds with someone is a great way to get many more varieties to try without the extra cost - I am splitting many of the seed packets this year with a friend, and we are excited to expand our list that way.

Now I must get all of my seed starting equipment in the basement setup, checked, and ready to go!