garden thoughts, 2015
Yearly garden thoughts, with an eye towards learning to plant the right garden for me. Comments and thoughts are welcome.
Tomatoes: This year I was in Israel during seedling-growing time, so I was unable to start tomatoes from seed. I bought seedlings locally, and planted Early Girls, which are perfect for New England, Big Boys, which did well, and a Brandywine, which grew beautifully but in the end didn't produce much before first frost. Next year I'll go back to planting Riesentraube tomatoes.
Cucumbers: Again I bought seedlings, which produced wonderfully, but the Marketmores one can buy locally have none of the taste of the heirloom varieties I normally grow. Next year back to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and to the English long cucumber, if not to the dragon's egg.
Pole Beans: All I grew this year was purple podded beans, which I no longer see at Baker Creek. They're prolific and forgiving and -- if you pick them early enough -- delicious as whole beans. Left too late they get tough, though, and make a fine but not spectacular shell bean. Next year I'll add back in the Cherokee Trail of Tears beans, which are by far my favourite shell bean.
Peas: Snap peas, sown directly in the soil. The protected ones grow incredibly well; the ones outside the fence are invariably eaten. Tried a fall crop as well, but planted perhaps two weeks too late; planting a second crop earlier would mean competing for space with summer crops. I think this means I need more protected garden space!
Strawberries: Perennials, delicious.
Chives: Perennials, grow well no matter the conditions, good.
Thyme: Easy to grow, delicious. What little I haven't picked is still alive in mid-December.
Asparagus: Perennial, and delicious, but I only have six roots. I've planted roots in a second bed near the lake.
I still really miss wild blueberries, and wonder if it's possible to get them to take here, or if they'd require a sandier soil. I'd like to get better at root vegetables -- at carrots and radishes, especially -- but I think for these I'll need raised beds with looser soil.
What else am I missing?
Tomatoes: This year I was in Israel during seedling-growing time, so I was unable to start tomatoes from seed. I bought seedlings locally, and planted Early Girls, which are perfect for New England, Big Boys, which did well, and a Brandywine, which grew beautifully but in the end didn't produce much before first frost. Next year I'll go back to planting Riesentraube tomatoes.
Cucumbers: Again I bought seedlings, which produced wonderfully, but the Marketmores one can buy locally have none of the taste of the heirloom varieties I normally grow. Next year back to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and to the English long cucumber, if not to the dragon's egg.
Pole Beans: All I grew this year was purple podded beans, which I no longer see at Baker Creek. They're prolific and forgiving and -- if you pick them early enough -- delicious as whole beans. Left too late they get tough, though, and make a fine but not spectacular shell bean. Next year I'll add back in the Cherokee Trail of Tears beans, which are by far my favourite shell bean.
Peas: Snap peas, sown directly in the soil. The protected ones grow incredibly well; the ones outside the fence are invariably eaten. Tried a fall crop as well, but planted perhaps two weeks too late; planting a second crop earlier would mean competing for space with summer crops. I think this means I need more protected garden space!
Strawberries: Perennials, delicious.
Chives: Perennials, grow well no matter the conditions, good.
Thyme: Easy to grow, delicious. What little I haven't picked is still alive in mid-December.
Asparagus: Perennial, and delicious, but I only have six roots. I've planted roots in a second bed near the lake.
I still really miss wild blueberries, and wonder if it's possible to get them to take here, or if they'd require a sandier soil. I'd like to get better at root vegetables -- at carrots and radishes, especially -- but I think for these I'll need raised beds with looser soil.
What else am I missing?