planting towards spring.

Oh March. I both love and dread seed starting. 10-12 weeks of hope and soil and light and care. I love the thought of what is to come, the life that springs up from tiny seeds, the smell of it all. I dread...I am not sure. The thought I might fail (no matter how many years I've been doing this). That they need care just as I want to run shrieking outside not to return until summer peaks with humidity and mosquitoes. But it isn't so much to ask when we get so much in return.


There is something about doing it yourself. There is that feeling you got when you were flipping pages in that pile of seed catalogs while a blizzard raged outside that makes you NEED to do it. To fulfill that dream and promise glimpsed when scribbling furiously into that notebook in January. And it is so much more satisfying on some primal level to pick a tomato from a plant grown from seed compared to something bought at the market in May. I don't know why, but it just is.


So, it starts. I have a hard time pacing myself. When I sit down in March with snow on the ground and I have a big stack of trays, a box of seeds and a huge bag of soil I want to PLANT IT ALL NOW! But seed starting requires continuous, um, control. I must start the right plants each week from now until June. It is wonderful to see it all grow. And it is so obvious in its progress - it is like a calendar of life building to spring and beyond. You may not see signs of spring outside, but you are banking on it coming, and soon.


I have my seed packets organized by start date in my little box. I have each packet marked with what week to start, and when to plant out. I have my lights hanging and I have my notebooks full of crazy ideas. I have two little boys who could care less about the yield or varieties but sure love to dig and water and poke the soil and help and watch it all grow.



When we started our first trays this week G said to me "Mom, it is like we are making spring come by planting inside when it is still winter!" I think he is right.

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seeds!

Oh February, are you still here? What a week. I have a little boy who still has an ear infection that just won't go away (I know, it never ends! Poor guy). So I've been doing lots of snuggling, caretaking, and being quiet at home with my guys. In between elderberry lemonade, warm packs and mountains of library books, my seeds have arrived. I love posting my big list of what we are growing each year to the blog so I can go back (10, 09)and compare years and have a record of it, and also so I can hear what works for you, what new things you are trying, and get that whole garden energy spring is coming juju rolling!

**seeds 2011**

Some of these seeds are left in my 'stock' from previous years, some are new to the garden this year. The list is what we are growing for 2011, with all new seeds/varieties for '11 marked as **.

Before you think I sound crazy with this big list as I write often about how small our yard is, I don't plant a ton of anything. Most of these plants we plant only a FEW, spread out throughout the shaped beds. We also plant in quick growing things near the slow growers, so that we get multiple harvests from the same space. I also use a lot of containers on deck & porch and grow almost all culinary herbs in pots. I also grow UP as much as possible! This is all very do-able in a small space. Some items are specifically to repel pests, and some are to attract beneficials as companion plants. Some things are literally strewn as I go, wherever I find an empty spot or have just picked an opening - like greens and radishes. It all works together in the end, and it looks nice too!


beans:
bush beans: bush blue lake
pole beans: purple podded pole, blue lake
drying beans: good mother stallard
**Dragon Tongue
**Envy Edamame

beets: (for garden planting as well as microgreens)
detroit dark red
jewel toned (red, gold, candy stripe)
**albino beet

cabbage:
ruby perfection

carrots:
**Chantenay Red Core
**Tonda di Parigi

cucumbers:
crystal apple
**Parisian Pickling

fruit (from seed):
ground cherry
wonderberry

kohlrabi:
azur star

melons:
minnesota midget
Pride of Wisconsin
**Sweet Siberian Melon

onions (to eat & as repellent):
evergreen long white bunching
yellow of parma (late)
yellow borettana chipollini (early)
**red baron bunching
**Red Welsh

peas: (for garden planting as well as microgreens)
oregon sugar pod II
de grace snow & snap
tom thumb dwarf
**Blue Podded Blauwschokkers

peppers:
beaver dam (hot)
healthy pepper (sweet)
**albino bullnose pepper

potatoes: to come (grow bags)

radish:
long scarlet
purple plum
red meat
helios
Cincinnati market


greens: (for garden planting as well as microgreens)
giant japanese red mustard
bloomsdale long standing spinach
mizuna
swiss chard - lucullus
swiss chard - bright lights
swiss chard - flamingo pink
lacinato italian kale
wrinkled crinkled cress
garden cress
siamese dragon stir fry mix
pepper cress
**Ornamental Fringed Mix Kale
**belle isle cress

lettuce: (for garden planting as well as microgreens)
mesclun
red wing lettuce mix
rocky top lettuce mix
heritage lettuce mix
green oak leaf
farmers market lettuce blend

summer squash:
lemon squash
summer scallop trio (patty pan)

tomatoes:
lime green salad
window box roma
tommy toe
**Bison
**Red House Freestanding
**Isis Candy Cherry

winter squash:
early butternut
fordhook acorn
(winter squash didn't do so hot last 2 years in our tiny space, planting only a few this year)

general veg:
white egg turnip
purple of sicily cauliflower
early purple sprouting broccoli
**tendercrisp celery


culinary & 'other' herbs:
cilantro
oregano
common thyme
florence fennel
giant italian parsley
sweet marjoram
lettuce leaf basil
red reuben basil
genovese basil
**lime basil
kerala red amaranth
feverfew
tooth ache plant
yarrow
fenugreek
greek mullein
**Anise Hyssop
**German Chamomile
**Dill Bouquet
**Bergamot

flowers:
**frosted salmon poppies
mammoth sunflower
**italian white sunflower
**butterfly weed
**resina calendula

in ground::
golden raspberries
red raspberries
strawberries
white currants
chives
lemon balm
borage
lovage
rhubarb
mix prairie flowers for rain garden
chocolate mint
lilacs


Also New This Year::
fruit/veg (on list this year to plant, bare root or young tree )
**2 columnar apple (golden sentinel, northpole)
**1 dwarf cherry tree (blackgold)
**1 dwarf peach tree (reliance)
**1 cultivated elderberry
**pink thornless gooseberry
**sweet purple asparagus (might do this next year)
and, thinking of grapes or hardy kiwi for arbor

So my big change is more medicinal herbs and fruit bushes/trees...things that stay year to year and don't require as much day to day care. All of the trees will be dwarf or columnar so they will fit in our small space and not cast too much shade. I'll be doing more things in pots again - to get more sun and heat on my peppers, tomatoes, culinary herbs, etc. And we will be designing a few more ways to grow things UP so I don't have to bend over, and so they don't take as much room. More on all that later, as we plot and plan. We hopefully will have some big changes in the shape and bed spaces, the deck, and other infrastructure details too. Can't wait!

What are you trying this year that is new (for you)? What are you most excited about planting?


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garden dreams.

We have had a rough week full of asthma attacks, ear infections/rupture, urgent care and a little guy who still feels just terrible. Those rare quiet moments I have had with a sick boy trying to sleep on my lap and a bigger boy tucked under an arm reading a book, I have been sneaking peeks at my garden notebook and flipping through all of the garden inspiration I have checked out from the library. I'm a little behind, I feel, although I greedily look forward to some time in the upcoming weeks to catch up on it all after all this, this.


I have been re-working the garden plan a bit. My back can't handle as much labor intensive work, and so I'm adding more things that can just be. More fruiting bushes, columnar fruit trees, more culinary and medicinal herbs, more cutting flowers, and some fun 'room like' nooks for the boys.


Of course I know I'll still plant a ridiculous amount of veggies, but I'm doing more in pots again, and will be trying to train/tie/grow things straight UP so there is better air flow, light and easier access for me without crawling around.


We have been sorting through all of the seeds we still have, going through my notes of what worked and didn't work in our small space last year, and finalizing the seed starting schedules for everything (must start soon! eek!) to come.


On the one hand I'm excited to look forward to another garden season and these great changes, but I'm also a bit wiped out after the past few weeks of sick boys and gardening seems like a lot of work to this tired mom - I will admit thoughts of just planting all marigolds have crossed my mind. ;) I know that will fade as my asthma boy gets his health back and we'll be ready to roll on this seasons garden...and I'll be excitedly looking forward to it all again!


I'm hoping to share my list of what we are growing again this year. It is nice to always have it to see and compare and hear what everyone else is growing....so, soon!


As I sketch and finalize and think about the garden, I love going through the photos from previous summers. They are inspiring and full of heat and light, and they remind me of what I liked and wanted to tweak. Of course in February they are also eye candy, and a sure sign that spring will indeed arrive.



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growing this year.

Oh, I love this time of year in the garden. Everything is so small, and we estimate and guess and plan...trying to be sure we don't plant things in the same spot, plant heat lovers in the spots with the most sun or radiant warmth, not plant deep roots in front of utilities, keep short up front and tall in back, place complimentary plants side by side, give each plant enough room, fill in the gaps with quick growers that will be done by the time the big guys are taking the space. We try to plant more, find ways to use the tiny space better.


So much to think about, but in the end we basically put it in the ground and hope for the best. Fertilize, water, weed, protect. Let the plant do its job.


I like posting a list of what we are growing each year. It is to share varieties and names with you all, and also to have something to look back on. As you know we don't have a ton of room - we have a side yard and our garden is primarily strips of soil along the sides of the two houses with landscaping integrated with all the edibles - as well as many pots on our deck and front porch. So this list may look ridiculously big. BUT, while we do grow a lot, remember also you don't have to plant the whole packet of everything. While I have many types of tomatoes on my list, I may only have 2 plants of each. I grow only 1 or 2 of each melon or certain squash (just not enough room for more). When properly stored most seeds will last for a few years, and so I like to keep increasing my seed library each year - so I can learn and experience different plants, find out what works best in our space, and always have something new in the garden.

I started most of these from seed. I direct seed peas, beans, greens, radishes, beets, etc. I traded some of my extra seedlings of certain varieties with a friend - she gave me the paste tomatoes, kale, okra, cilantro and dill, and I had extra squash, garden huckleberry, cucumber, and melons in exchange! Seed sharing and seedling swapping is a great way to get more variety in your garden without having to invest in so many seed packets!

2010 list (so far)::

tomato:: blondkopfchen, lime green salad, tommy toe, green sausage, nyagous, brandywine, cuor di bue, carbon, amish paste, olpaka paste

pepper:: beaver dam, healthy, tequila sunrise, sweet chocolate bell

cucumber:: wautoma pickling, crystal apple


melon/watermelon:: tigger melon, pride of wisconsin melon, golden midget watermelon, charantais melon, ali baba watermelon

summer/winter squash:: summer scallop trio, thelma sanders sweet potato, butternut, fordhook acorn

fruit:: garden huckleberry


pod/soup bean:: purple podded pole, good mother stallard bean, scarlet runner

radish:: helios, cincinnati market, sparkler, french breakfast

pea:: dwarf gray sugar, oregon sugar pod II, tom thumb, amish runner


other veg:: udumalapet eggplant, jewel toned beets, purple of sicily cauliflower, okra, paris market carrots

greens:: kale, swiss chard, gourmet lettuce blend, farmer market lettuce blend, baby mesclun mix, stir fry blend, red malabar spinach, mache, mustard mix


onion:: chives, delicious duo scallions, yellow borettana cippollini onion, yellow of parma onion, elephant garlic, shallots

herbs:: greek oregano, summer savory, stevia, spanish mace, lettuce leaf basil, genovese basil, italian parsley, dill, cilantro, hyssop, marjoram, thyme, lovage, borage, nasturtium, calendula, sunflower, motherwort, lemon bee balm, fenugreek, valerian, mullein, yarrow, toothache plant, feverfew, amaranth, sage, marigolds


in ground from last year:: red raspberries, golden raspberries, strawberries, white currants, chives, echinacea, lemon balm, spearmint, chocolate mint, tarragon, parsley, rhubarb (1 was in ground, plus received gifted rhubarb transplants this spring -- thanks jodi!)


Things I am excited about this year? Crystal apple cucumber. Short season melons and watermelon (tough to grow here). Soup beans. A lot of raspberries (my red raspberry canes went crazy!). Oh, so many more, but those are my top right now.

How about you? What are you excited about growing this year?

good companions.

calendula & pentunia

It is the time of year for seed catalog browsing and ordering. I had my orders in a few weeks earlier this year (finally!) to get rolling on that seed starting so that we could have an early spring garden.

But, with all the veggie eye candy in those catalogs don't forget to look at the flowers and herbs. So many plants make great companions. They attract good bugs, repel bad bugs, trick and trap pesky bugs from your food, smell nice, make your beds look more attractive, and just generally make your garden a wonderland and not just a block of rows. Of course some flowers are edible too - another good incentive to plant them in every nook and cranny you can find. And companion planting is also about garden health - certain plants just do better next to each other, one providing a little boost of something the other needs to really flourish.

calendula & borage

I'm by no means an expert, but I do grow my garden organically and rely on companion planting for all the above reasons. I also have very limited space and a garden that is fully visible from the street. My garden has to be integrated into my landscaping seamlessly while still optimizing what little space and sun I have! I plant fruit, vegetables, flowers, bushes, and herbs all together. No rows or square plots here! Looks are important when I have neighbors only feet away. I will admit that my garden is a wild luscious jungle by August but it is beautiful and productive...and we don't use any chemicals. Only water, kelp, eggshells, mulch, coffee grounds, water from our rain barrel (as long as we can), and whatever other natural goodies we can find to help it along or address specific issues.

mint flowering & wasp

I have many favorite flowers and herbs for companion planting. Here are just a few!

Attracts good bugs. What are good bugs? Bees, hover flies, wasps, ladybugs, butterflies...I know, you think you don't want bees or wasps! I have kids! I have found that if I have a yard full of good plants & a water source (bird bath) that we do not get stung (we also don't wear bright colored clothes in the garden anymore, just earth tones). Years ago we would get stung constantly. Now we don't. Really. I am happy to have them come - they pollinate the fruit and vegetables and many eat the bad bugs. We need them and we enjoy watching them work busily on those sunny summer mornings.

A few good ones (there are more, these are easy to find and pretty) :: angelica, anise, borage, caraway, german chamomile, dill, chervil, fennel, lovage, nasturtiums, parsley, tansy, bee balm, goldenrod, purple coneflower, yarrow, calendula, cosmos, marigolds, sunflowers, asyssum

borage

Repels bad bugs. To repel, the plants generally have a scent that hides the scent of the vegetables the 'bad' bugs want to ravage. A few that I like :: basil, borage, calendula, chives, garlic, hyssop, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onions, parsley, radishes, sage, savory, tansy, thyme

I like choosing plants that multi-task. :) Herbs which are great to eat but also a good companion plant. Flowers that are good at repelling bad bugs but are also tasty on a salad. And lots of color so that everything looks lovely all summer long.

If so many options seem overwhelming, I have a few favorites.

marigolds next to soap wort

Marigolds seem to really work on keeping the rabbits out, and we seem to have less insect damage. I line all of my beds, throughout the entire yard, with marigolds spaced on the edge. They are easy to find in any nursery too, and very affordable.

nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are the same - they look so nice, the bees love them, and they grow so easily from seed. There are many colors to choose from - and they spread great. The flowers also add a nice peppery flavor to salads.

sunflower

Sunflowers are always a great addition - bees love them, and they are pretty for so long. There are so many varieties of sunflowers - from short to massive, from traditional yellow to streaked red.

So when planning your garden don't forget to scatter some of these great plants throughout your veggies to keep your garden healthier and more beautiful!


If you want to read more about companion planting or get into the details of specific companion combinations, a few good books with more detailed and extensive information::

Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden, by Sally Jean Cunningham

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening, by Louise Riotte

dream time.

It is dark, cold and gray outside - but I've been dreaming. Dreaming about the garden. This time of year is for planning and plotting and reading and dreaming.


I sit with notebooks, seed catalogs, books and magazines. I peruse with a morning cup of tea in hand, at night when everyone is in bed (but me), or whenever I have a few minutes.


I catalog the seeds I still have. Look at notes of what worked/didn't work last year. Plan how to expand growing area in our tiny full yard. Sketch trellises, tripods, containers, vertical lines, and raised beds.


I make lists of what seeds to buy. Think about seed starting calendars and timelines - about cold frames, water barrels, rain gardens and herbs. I read about bed rotations and companion planting.


And while it is dark, gray and cold outside, I envision the lush green, the vines, the soil. I remember the hot summer nights watering, picking and weeding. I remember the bees, the praying mantises, the birds.


I wonder how I can fit in more flowers, more herbs, more color, more fragrance, and still grow more food (in so little space!). I remember little hands helping me plant, dig, water, harvest.


I think about the baskets of juicy tomatoes we had last summer. Colanders full of herbs, vegetables and fruit. I want to try new varieties, new flavors, new textures, new colors.

So while it may be a dark, gray and cold mid-winters day, there is a bit of my summer garden right here in my head.


What are you doing different this year in your garden? Expanding? Trying new things? What is inspiring you right now?

jungle stage.

The garden has been growing so much that if I take pix but don't post them, they are outdated in days! We are officially in jungle phase. Tomatoes are ripening, beans and peas are picked daily, raspberries are being eaten right off the cane, and the squash and cucumbers are sneaking their way around bushes and landscaping to snake throughout. There isn't an empty inch! I thought I'd post a few before and today pix - to see how the garden is growing!


The photo above is from the first week of May. Everything is empty! We have a very small yard, and have beds along the side - one side of the garden is against neighbors home, the other side against ours (we have side yards here).


This photo above is from mid-June. Filling in, but still fairly small.


And this is last week - definitely filling in. It has that chaotic beauty today, as everything is so tall and so green.


This photo above is from today - the beans have grown up the whole twine line and have reached the top of the gazebo, while below them peppers, calendula, borage, lemon balm, squash, beans and spinach are huge mixed between other flowers and plants.


Many of you asked about the rain barrel cover (yes, that is my shadow ;)). Well, in May I ran twine line from the ground and tied it into a piece of twine around the top. I just keep clearing the area just around the spout, but otherwise it is covered with morning glories. Next to that the cucumbers are vining up a metal trellis in front of our AC, and squash is going along the ground.


I was looking at photos from this time last year and can really see how much we have expanded the beds. It is amazing how pulling out a landscaping bed even just a foot can make such a huge difference!

So here is my updated list of what is growing right now:

Front porch/pots: potatoes (3 types in 5 bags), tomatoes (4 hanging, 2 pots), peppers (4), squash (1), and several small pots of herbs (basil, parsley, oregano).

Back porch/pots: shisho, oregano, marjoram, 2 types of basil, sorrel, strawberry spinach, lovage, tomatoes (3), peppers (3), savory.


Lower back raised bed: tomatillo (2), tomato (1), strawberries, raspberries, mixed flowers. Plus a small rain garden off of our downspout.

Square bed off back of deck: beets, carrots, garlic, shallots, peas, chives, mustard.

Along side of neighbors house: wonderberries, red currants, peas, kale, dill, beans (purple pole, scarlet runner), watermelon, melon, baby blue hubbard squash, butternut squash (2), tomatoes (orange flesh purple smudge (2), green zebra (2)), peppers (2), nasturtiums, lovage, cabbage, mesclun mix, calendula, chinese long beans, lemon summer squash.


Along side of our house: borage, calendula, peppers (5), tomatoes (3), cabbage, kohlrabi, peas, cucumbers (3), sunflowers, purple pole beans (3), scarlet runner beans (3), baby blue hubbard squash, butternut squash, lebanese bush marrow summer squash, white acorn bush squash (2), potatoes (in wooden barrel), white pumpkins (up arbor), lemon summer squash, raspberries.

Front raised bed: purple bush beans (4), green bush beans (2), strawberries, peppers (2), flowers.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something but that is a good list! We have fruit, vegetables, trees, bushes, flowers and more...all mingled and growing happily.


It sounds like we have a big space, I know, but interplanting small quantities within the landscaping rather than planting in rows really allows for a lot of variety in a small space. Having pots helps expand that too. I'm sure our neighbors are wondering what is going on ;), but by keeping the front and back smaller and neater with lots of colorful flowers, it keeps it looking more organized and neat, while the more gangly or bushy plants are behind our line of bushes at the arbor, not as visible from the street. It does also make it seem like we have a secret garden past our lush arbor too - with a center strip - yet plenty of room - left for little boys to play...soccer, sprinkler, T-ball, basketball...

As we expanded the beds a bit this year, we are finding that there are a few things we will change next year to help keep the back areas a bit more accessible, but overall everything is growing great!

How is your garden growing?