That looks like fun In this part of the world where planting can be done year round, I buy my seeds as and when I need to.
Seeds are little packets of optimism! I love starting seeds! In 2021 it was hard to find some varieties, or they were too expensive, or the shipping was, so this time I saved a lot more seeds this year. For other varieties, I already ordered early. For 2022- In Jan, I'll start onion and shallot seeds, The onions are both red and yellow types, and some Japanese scallions. Also peppers - Jalapeños, cayenne, Serrano, Thai, and banana. I might start some Rudbeckia early too. Then it's a wait, start tomatoes in April - open pollinated Romas, hybrid Romas, Early Girl Bush, Early Boy Bush, Extreme Bush, Dwarf Champion, and a few other dwarf types that are open pollinated so I saved seeds. Also some dwarf cherry types. No tall ones next year. Also marigolds, other annuals. In May, squash and pumpkins. Galeux, Pink Banana, Costata, Fordhook, and Red Kuri from saved seeds and some Buttercups for something new. Most of the rest are direct seeded in May and June - green beans, sweetcorn, pickle cucumbers. Also greens and annual flowers as weather allows. Potatoes too, in April. In 2021 I grew a seed-grown type (Clancy) as well as the usual potato-started types. They were not worth it. Small and poor flavor. For 2022 I ordered mostly Kennebec seed potatoes, which are productive here and very good cooking, also Envol and Yukon Gem which are early, and Elba, a late type. For a couple of years, I've been experimenting with dwarf tomatoes. Some are open pollinated or heirloom types, some are modern bush type hybrids. So far the most productive and best are Extreme Bush and the modern hybrid Bush Early Girl, then a dwarf cherry called Johnson Dwarf Cherry. For big juicy beefsteak types, I saved seeds from open pollinated Dwarf BrandyFred, sort of like Brandywine, and Dwarf CC McGee, a pale yellow open pollinated dwarf. I'm adding Livingston Dwarf Stone, New Big Dwarf, and Golden Dwarf Champion, all heirloom type dwarf. In future years, I want to narrow down the list, growing some open pollinated types for independence minded thoughts (and flavors) and modern hybrids for disease resistance and productivity. This was BrandyFred this year. Not the prettiest or most productive by a long shot, but very delicious. This year I did a sauce tomato experiment - Hybrid Romas, Heirloom Romas, Amish Paste, and Tyren, a San Marzano hybrid type. My conclusion for my garden this year's weather - the Amish Paste was too juicy and more like a slicer but too mealy for that, plus too tall. The Tyren were too tall, decent paste tomatoes. Hybrid Roma were very productive, short plants, sprawling. The Heirloom Roma wasn't as productive but excellent size and shape. So next year, no Amish Paste or Tyren, mostly will be Hybrid Romas with some heirloom Roma as a back-up plan.
Thanks KK. In a way, you are lucky that you can plant anytime you want. Daniel— those are several good ones that you have used. I am fond of the Roma’s and San Marzano’s too and use them every year for tom concentrate. Great minds, eh? I shall be trying a couple of new ones this year.
Enjoy your sorting through and selecting new, Sjoerd. I have to get that planned veggie garden of ours going soon.
Don't get your hopes up. Last time we grew carrots we ended up with the sum total of three. About here the berry bushes are now, facing south. We need to move the berry bushes, the rhubarb and some plum tree root sprouts and spread some soil my husband put in piles the last time he did any digging with the little machine of his.
No wonder your carrots didn’t work out—in stead of staying at home and caring for our garden...you went off galavanting around the low countries, or Greece or somewhere.
Or somewhere, that's true. Got me there. And that year we had a very dry summer too. We'll probably be better at growing stuff once we're retired and can go galavanting around in the winter months.
Chortling. Yeah, a winter gala-vant. Is that a thinly veiled to the world that you may really be planning to go viking? Oh dear, I thought those gruesome days were past. To err on the side of caution, I am getting another latch for the door and taking out a second fire insurance.
I have several 'must have' seeds on my list every year. Blue lake bush beans for canning Rattlesnake beans for fresh eating Cucamelons for the grandkids English cucumbers, and this year I grew Armenian cucumbers and they were great. I'll grow them again. Sweet Potato squash Zucchini - not too fussy about the type, however I grew round ones for stuffing this year and wont do that again. Bloomsdale long standing spinach Little fingers eggplant Detroit dark red beets Curled scotch kale Sugar snap peas California Wonder green peppers Early Jalapeno I also like to grow unusual pumpkins for fall decorating, and the variety changes. This year I grew Jarradale blue pumpkins and they were a hit. Now for my tomatoes - this is the reason I garden! There is nothing like a fresh picked tomato, and I try a few new varieties each year. Amish Paste tomatoes for canning. Always. My list for fresh eating tomatoes grows every year as I try new ones. Paul Robeson, Sweet millions, and Parks Whoppers were my regular must have tomatoes, but next year I am adding Kelloggs breadfast and Brads atomic grape as well as red grape. I grew them all this year and they were amazing! I've already got my tomato seeds for 2022, some ordered and some from a wonderful Gardenstew member that shared some seeds for new to me varieties. Cant wait to try them all!
