Wednesday, April 13, 2011

This week in my garden - the seeds are working - kind of

As I stated in this post, I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed.  This year I decided to see how much produce I could get from seeds.  I grew some basil from seed last year, but this is the first year I have tried to grow everything from seeds.  So far we have spent about $50 - this includes seeds, seed starting mix, some containers, more soil mixture (from the Square Foot Gardening Book).  I bought blackberry bushes last year and blueberry bushes too.  We plan to add a few more boxes although they will be against the fence and will be 2 ' x 6 '.  So we will be spending some more money.
 
Here is where I will be growing my food.

My mini herb garden

Some of my blueberry bushes in containers

A few blackberry "bushes" which you can't see very well

My three "boxes" where we grow most of our veggies and strawberries
And I just put my seedlings out today to get some real sun just for a bit.


Here are my goals and what I am planting:

  • Spinach, Lettuce, Radishes - interplanting and successive planting in square foot garden beds to be harvested every few weeks for salads all summer.
  • Amish Paste Tomatoes and Big Boys - started from heirloom seeds to be used for sandwiches, salads and of course canning!  And if I can't grow enough myself I have a source for buying organic ones in bulk towards the end of summer.
  • Onions and garlic - Garlic is grown from last year's garlic bulbs.  Onions from heirloom seeds (my experiment as I have never grown onion from seed before) - to be harvested when ready and used in cooking - if I have too many onions I will freeze some chopped.  Garlic I keep in a paper bag with holes all season long once harvested.  It worked last year.
  • Herbs - Chives (that come up year after year), Oregano (trying to see if last year's will come up?), Basil - planted from heirloom seeds, Cilantro - planting from heirloom seeds, Dill - free from the heirloom seed company (also planted from seed) - these will be used in cooking, dried, used in salsa or to can pickles or to make pesto!
I have a few other things I am growing too, including some perennial flowers from seed.  I have some bush beans I am growing but only to eat fresh or freeze.  I don't have enough room to plant enough to can so I will probably get a few bushels from the farmer's market.




6 comments:

  1. I LOVE Baker Creek Seeds! That is where we purchase our seeds from, and we've been very pleased. Their farm/store/village is GORGEOUS, too. {We're just East of them!}

    Did you plant your chives from seeds, or were they plants? I've never had luck getting my Chive seeds to germinate. :(

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  2. Phoebe,

    I want to go to their store the next time I visit my in-laws (in SW MO). I bought my chives at a farmer's market several years ago and they have been great ever since. I just dug some up for my MIL and she said they are doing very well or her too. I haven't tried them from seed. And I don't really do much with them although I should.

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  3. I love the idea of putting your herbs in the washtub.. I am gonna have to try that next year.

    I have a question.. I wanted to plant lettuce and spinach and the guy at the nursery told me they are winter crops. I see that you have planted both. My question is where do you live? I am in Southern California and it gets really hot,so maybe that is why he said to plant them in the winter??

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  4. Tobi,

    Yes, I live in the eastern Midwest (sounds oxymoronic doesn't it?) Anyway, our weather is not really hot until mid-June through August so we can grow spinach and lettuce well for a while just not in the really hot months.
    Although - you could try interplanting your lettuce under your tomatoes because they would shade them somewhat and water them like crazy or they will get wilty and bitter (same with spinach).

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  5. That is a great idea about planting them under the tomatoes.. I think I will be making ANOTHER trip to the nursery..lol Thanks for the advice. Happy Gardening!

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