I was a bit behind the ball on my seed ordering this year, but I have finally figured out how the Savvy Garden 2014 is going to shape up this summer. Last year, I was all about restoring some nutrients to my soil so that this year’s tomatoes and beans can thrive. So here’s what I’m planning for 2014 (nearly all of these seeds are heirloom varieties and can be purchased from Seed Savers Exchange):
For the front yard.
Once again, I’ll be planting lettuce and arugula in the cold frames. Usually, I would only grow leaf lettuces, since they are much more amenable to a pick-and-come-again harvesting. But I really want to try out some Romaine and Butterhead style lettuces as well, so I’m expanding the lettuce plantings to the raised beds out front as well.
I’m keeping the kale in the space next to the front steps, per usual, and I’m adding some flowers that do well as cuttings to the main front bed.
Varieties I’m growing:
Arugula: Apollo.
Lettuces: Gold Rush, Ella Kropf, Forellenschluss, Speckled, and a salad mix I have leftover from last year.
Kale: Halbhoher Gruner Krauser (say that three times fast!).
Flowers: Torch sunflowers, Drumsticks, Zinnias
For the back yard.
I’ve recently learned that I have a bit of a nightshade sensitivity, so I’m supposed to eat tomatoes and other nightshades in limited quantities. Because of this, I toyed with the idea of only growing one bed of tomatoes again, but that just didn’t give us enough tomatoes for preserves last year. So I’m back to 2 raised beds of sungold tomatoes, interspersed with some basil.
Having just one bed of beans last year was plenty for our needs, so I’ll be sticking with that amount again in 2014, with a little extra arugula in the bed as well.
Last year was my first successful year growing cucumbers. I loved having a fresh cucumber or two nearly every day, and so I’m going with 2 raised beds of the same variety I grew last year. Because I can only eat so many cucumbers, though, I’ll be adding some more lettuce (I eat a lot of salads in the summer!) and borage.
Dill, cilantro and flowers will be in the various pots and smaller planters I have around the garden, and basil will be everywhere. Sadly, I’ve had to give up on peas and zucchini – they just aren’t meant to be grown in our garden, apparently.
Varieties I’m growing:
Basil: ALL OF THE BASILS. Definitely Genovese and Thai, with some others mixed in (getting many of these as starters, not seeds).
Beans: Fin de Bagnol.
Cilantro: Starters from Agway.
Cucumbers: Edmonson, same as last year.
Dill: Starters from Agway.
Flowers: More of the same from out front + borage.
Mint: Last year’s perennials.
Oregano: Last year’s perennials.
Rosemary: Starters from Agway.
Sage: Starters from Agway.
Tomatoes: Sungold.
Thyme: Last year’s perennials.
I can’t wait to start things from seed in a few weeks!