Last year we dabbled in gardening with a few tomato plants, a couple small okra plants, and some herbs. We were in the middle of planning a wedding so, between those plants and the rose gardens we didn’t have time for much else. We had also subscribed to a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm delivery so there was no real need for us to plant any other veggies.
Our CSA brought us a weekly delivery of a variety of fresh produce and we loved it! We tried new veggies (like kohlrabi!) that I never would have stopped to buy at the grocery store or market and discovered that there were some things we don’t want to live without – like radishes! While the CSA was a great investment for us last year, it’s a bit out of our price range this year. Also, now that we know better what we like and (supposedly) have more time on our hands, we’ve set our course on a semi-ambitious raised bed garden.
Mr. ThirdRow is the chief gardener and researcher. He’s been gathering books on raised bed and square foot gardening since Thanksgiving. In fact, he’s been looking at so many books that his Amazon suggestions have gotten a bit skewed – suggesting books on how to build your own bunker and survivalist literature. Funny. Anyway, our research phase is coming to an end. The spreadsheets are made, the garden map drawn, it’s time to buy the seeds!
What we’re planning to grow this year: eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, bell peppers, bush beans, radishes, kale, swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, marigolds, turnips, okra, lettuce, bok choi, brussels sprouts, tomatillos, banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, early girls, zebra tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, asparagus, and various cooking herbs.
Are you starting a garden this year? What’s your plan?
