New Year, New Garden

 My garden plan is finished for Spring and Summer, and the seed racks are almost filled. I thought I’d share with you some varieties that I am excited to grow.

I was gifted an Aerogarden for my birthday this year. It comes pre-set with herbs such as basil, parsley, and dill. I’ve also chosen two veggies to try. They are small and perfect for containers; Little Crunch snap pea and Tiny Tim tomato. I’m hoping to get these planted next week.

 

This spring I’m excited to grow beets and kohlrabi. I love baby veggies and Baby Ball beet is calling my name. I’m also going to try growing Golden beets. I’m hoping to spiralize and pickle them. Can’t you just imagine the brightly colored spirals on your plate?

For kohlrabi, I’m trying Crispy Colors Duo. I love kohlrabi in stir fry and salads, but I’ve only ever had green. I’m excited to add some more colors to my diet.

 

Another cole crop that I’m growing is Rat Tail radish. I grew these last year and had some success with them. They were very tasty in my stir fry, but I only got one small harvest. These radishes are the seeds of the plant and not the root, which is where I think I went wrong. I’m hoping a better fertilizing regimen will help the plant produce better.

 

I would need about a week’s worth of blogs to tell you about all the summer vegetables that I WANT to grow, so I’m just going to highlight a few that I am definitely growing.

If you’ve never tried a yellow or orange watermelon, you need to try them! They are delicious! I’ve never had much luck with melons, again I need a better fertilizing regimen, but I’m trying Rainbow Sherbet this year. Just look at the packaging – so beautiful!

 

I've always grown jalapenos. I pickle jars of these, and we still seem to run out every year. This year, along with my regular jalapeno, I’m also growing Lemon Spice and Orange Spice.

 

Last year I grew ground cherry for the first time. They were so sweet and delicious, but I never got the opportunity to preserve any. This year I’m growing them again, and I’m hoping for some ground cherry jam to fill my pantry.

 

What else am I growing?

It was so exciting to see Ashwagandha and Astragalus seeds for sale in the store. Both plants are adaptogens, helping to regulate stress in the body. I’ve only ever bought these in the store as supplements. I’m looking forward to seeing how the plants grow.

Emerald Towers basil is one of my go-to basils. I love to harvest big bunches at a time and make pesto and this is basil that doesn’t flower until later in the season. I can let it grow and harvest lots at a time.

 

Pollinators are still a hot topic. While everyone is talking about bees and butterflies, I’m thinking about the bats. I love bats. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is watching them dart around after dark. I’m growing Midnight Garden Mix and Indian Peace Pipe, especially for the bats.

 

Ms. Mars is a new sunflower for me. I’ve grown container sunflowers in the past but never had much luck with the tall ones. I’m not sure if it was the bunnies or the chipmunks that ate them.

 

Last, but not least, Happy Birthday Mix zinnia is not a variety that I am planning to grow this year. Instead, I bought a couple of packs to add to birthday cards for friends and family as a special treat. Zinnias are easily started from seed, and they are prolific bloomers.

 

Jen Kostick, who wrote today's blog, wears several hats at Valley View Farms. As an assistant store manager, she is also responsible for our large seed selection. In addition, Jen manages our herb department, procuring herbs grown locally for our greenhouse. Jen trials many plants in her garden and helps us decide which vegetable plants and annuals to grow at our farm in Hydes, MD. In the past two years, when the demand has been higher than supply, Jen has done an excellent job keeping seeds and plants in stock at Valley View Farms.