I've Been Bitten,
By The Garden Planning Bug!
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As yesterday was the halfway point of January, it was no surprise that I felt a familiar stirring in my fingertips, the desire to feel organic hummus crumble between my phalanges starts to build around the middle of January. A phenomenon that helps feed my wanton garden desires is what I like to call the veg-onslaught of printed material consumption. Seed catalogs have begun pouring into my realm like frass from a woodpile. Everywhere I look around my house I am blissfully assaulted by pictures of plants that beg to be ordered, seeded, and grown.
Over the years, my garden philosophy has evolved. In the beginning my vegetable growing eyes were much bigger than my production plate and I over ordered and over planted ALL the things. The last few years I have been more structured in my food production approach, only growing the cultivars of produce that my family actually enjoys eating.
However, each year, in true obsessive gardener form, I try out a few new things. There is something so exciting about seeding a new cultivar of tomato, or trying to grow a plant you have never grown before. This year's victim, er, selection are Fava beans. We have a pretty extreme growing season here in North Idaho, you can have snow in June and also 100 plus degree days in June. Forest Gump's words of wisdom about life being like a box of chocolates could also work with North Idaho weather, you truly never know what you are going to get.
Fava beans intrigued me because they like a cooler growing season, and can be put in the ground soon after the soil can be worked. In fact, somewhere I read the plant can take a cold snap of down to 21 degrees Fahrenheit. The Kat is so going to try growing this plant deal was sealed when I read that Fava beans had 39 grams of protein per cup! Wow! As a bean, I knew they were going to be fiber rich, but that protein level is fantastic! I can already visualize being chased around the farm by my raptors, er chickens, if I keep a pocket full of Fava beans for treats.
A couple new varieties that I am going to try growing this year are Serendipity Hybrid Sweet Corn and Purple Beauty Pepper. Here lately I have been craving sweet corn in the worst way. I am going to blame that craving on a future family member, for at Christmas dinner my soon to be sister-in-law's brother's girlfriend (yay!) made a corn pudding souffle thing that sent my taste buds into orbit. Any sweet corn that has the word serendipity in the name has to be worth trying so that I can feel serendipitous as I nosh on corn pudding stuff all the following fall and winter long.
The purple bell peppers come from a much more scientific and complicated motivation. I just love purple. I also love bell peppers and eat masses of them in everything from eggs to pasta. I'm sure that there is an algorithm somewhere that shows how I came to that conclusion. Or at the very least a government study that correlates the fondness of purple to small brunette haired women's penchants for peppers. Or something even smarter and more fantastical!
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So how about you all? Are there any new plants that you are going to try growing this year, if you garden? Or perhaps there is a new growing method that you are going to give a go? I've heard of lasagna gardening, but maybe there is quiche gardening or free range composting or something. I love to hear from others about what they are going to try, are doing, or didn't like.
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Oh that sure sounds like fun times are in your future! I recently was persuaded to purchase a garlic press. I have now been enjoying the immense pleasure of fresh pressed garlic...However, I believe I would enjoy it even more if said garlic was free :) Plus, my mom always grew fresh garlic and I believe it would be a cool project!
Ooh, I got derailed once I got to the garlic press part. I love fresh pressed garlic, and it's super easy to grow. I have an entire crop doing its thing underneath a protective coat of snow. We plant in October and I usually harvest in July once the scapes die back. It's so good! This year I was able to grow enough to have garlic to eat and bulbs to save for next planting, so this coming year's crop will cost me a big fat ZERO! I know that's music your ears, lol!
I am super looking forward to reading an Old Guy grows garlic series! Maybe even some video footage, you know, with titles like When Scapes Attack ha ha.
Well I was starting something this year that I have never done. I went to the Mother Earth News Fair in the fall and bought some seeds to grow over the winter. I had never done that before and their seminars that they gave showed ways that even an elementary student could do it. Why not me? I am always after fresh lettuce and herbs in the winter. So I found a little place to grow them that would be out of the way and I got my seeds all ready.
I should have put them in last month, but I procrastinated, or truly I was busy and I didn't do it but as they say, it's never a wrong time when you are doing it this way. So this pseudo Homesteader is going to put them in and see how it turns out.
Just about this time of year my hands to start getting a little bit itchy to be back in the dirt and I to have Lessons Learned under my belt. I have always put in more than I can eat, but I noticed that my neighbors are always looking very hungry, so it's an easy Pass over. Of course, I really do like my neighborhood because if they grow too much oh, there's a basket of yummies at my front door when I open it. Usually comes in the form of eggplant or tomatoes or even melons. Something that is so prolific that you can't imagine how you got so many by just planting a dozen plants. I have learned over time that a dozen plants will feed a village. I can't eat flowers but you know darn well I plant a bunch. There's just something so relaxing, going out there and plucking off those deadheads like they were errant children. Not the child services were called on me.
Anywho, I hope you are having a wonderful day and that life is treating you well!
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Oh DS, your reply made my day, especially the dead heading of the flowers quip, lol!
Your neighborhood sounds glorious, and you are so right about produce always finding a home, even zucchinis😉. And I always plant a big crop of flowers just because I love them too, it's never a waste of time to do things that bring you joy, I mean that is a purpose, right?
I am super curious to hear how your indoor gardening progresses. I have been pretty happy with mine, although, successive seeding on a reliable schedule has not happened as it should. Getting to take a trip to the Mother Earth News Fair sounds amazing! I can just imagine all of the vendors and symposiums to partake it, all revolving around topics that I love!
Life has treated me to a case of the flu, but now I am forced to rest a bit, so it could be worse. I hope that you are having the very best of days😊
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My friend how are you? wow I like Crazy Cora, I have a bush of sabila, and I just planted a little oregano is a very good medicinal plant, as in Venezuela the medicines are very expensive opted for medicinal plants. You know it's a real pleasure to read your stories.
Regards!
Hi my dear friend! I am doing well, and I hope you are too? Crazy Cora is the greatest little dog, she sleeps with me every night and is just the most loyal companion ever. She's also a bit of a goofball, which I like cause she's always making me laugh.
Oregano is amazing! I once successfully treated an infected abscess in my dog's neck by using oregano oil, it is amazing stuff. And I am truly sorry that medicines are so expensive in Venezuela. Your family and neighbors are lucky to have someone like you who knows how to grow and use medicinal plants:)
I appreciate your comment!
Crazy Cora is beautiful, is your darling I like her look
Oddly enough, our mailbox has not yet been inundated with seed catalogs. Perhaps we haven't been ordering from them enough in recent years. I have not yet given thought to what might go into our garden this year. A lot depends on how my husband's health is when the time comes. I will be curious to know how the corn does for you. My Minnesotan husband planted corn for several years after we moved to Idaho, but it only did well once. I finally convinced him it was wasted space, and we could get corn from a U-Pick place if we really wanted it.
If anyone deserved a bit of gardening reprieve, it's you! I'm sure someone, er, people will wander by with fresh things for you from time to time, lol!
It took me a while to master corn growing with our short season and climate challenges. I tend to plant a couple of short season hybrids, with the quickest days til maturity that I can find, straight into composted cow and horse manure, and side dress it heavily every two weeks with composted chicken manure and kelp emulsion. I've had quite a bit of luck this way.
Last year I didn't even plant corn, as it is a bit labor intensive, due to it being my first year as a beef leader. This year, however, I plan to spend quite a bit of time in my garden, so corn will be sown. Being out there for most of the summer makes this Kat more than a bit happy.