Sunday, April 25, 2021

My 2021 Edible Garden Plan

So many to chose from!  Seed rack in Sicily.
Sunday, April 25, 2021

I usually have already laid out my garden plan by this time.  The recent cold snap we had this past week has caused a delay in getting plants into the garden and my planning.  The addition on our house actually got started and there is a basement where my garden used to be.  This year's garden will be smaller and will utilize pots for many veggies.

All my garden topsoil was moved into a big pile.  We'll save it and put back when the addition is completely.  I did not want to start from scratch on getting my new garden bed soil built up with organic matter!  It'll give me an enforced crop rotation too as I won't be growing anything in it this year.  Crop rotation is great for depressing disease and pest pressure.  Since I garden in a small space (my flower beds), it can be difficult to practice crop rotation with discipline.

This year, I will need to maximize my pots.  I haven't been as diligent with keeping my edibles in pots under control and well maintained.  I have such a hard time pulling out growing edibles even when there are other varieties that would give more to the table.  I'll need to really leverage the pots for growing greens and herbs this year.  There are so many new compact varieties out there today that you can grow just about anything in a pot.  

Herbs
My perennial herbs like lavendar, parsley, celery, thyme, sage, chives, tarragon, oregano, garlic and Egyptian walking onions have come back this year.  My rosemary did not.  I always buy the hardiest available like Arp or Barbeque, hardy to Zone 5 and 6, respectively.  I picked up a hardy one at the local hardware store to replace it.  

I am growing pink celery from seed to see if it is as hardy as Utah green celery is in our garden.  I also have dill growing indoors.  

The self-seeding annuals chervil and cilantro are coming up in the garden.  I have several varieties of basil (Persian, African Nuowin, African Nunum, Emily and Cardinal) and dill (Bouqet and Dukat) that I started from seed.  I'll need dill to make pickles.  Swallowtail butterflies love it too.  I'll be transplanting them outdoors soon.  Herbs are the easiest edible to grow.

Cool Season Crops
Peas can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked.  I'll plant snow peas in all my pots.  The leaves, flowers and pods are all edible and taste like peas.  Legumes-peas for spring, beans for summer

I have lettuce, chard, Chinese cabbage, Giant Red mustard, and sprouting broccoli that all overwintered.  I bought spinach transplants and started more from seed (Oriental Giant and Bloomsdale Savoy).  I started my heat tolerant varieties of lettuce from seed (Sanquine Ameliore, Butter King, Red Romaine, Rouge d' Hiver, Royal Oak Leaf, Yedikule) and have them outside in a pot hardening.  When they are of good size, I will transplant.  I have Dragon's Tail radish growing indoors.  It is an unusual veggie that brings a smile to my face.  I also like to use the pods in salads.  Growing fabulous lettuce and greens

I started a few other greens indoor-pink flowered dandelion, French dandelion, Italian dandelion, Chinese Multicolor amaranth, Double Purple orach, Rose orach, Chinese cabbage Hilton, Ruby Streaks mustard, Palla Rosa Ashelim radicchio.  I like to have a variety of greens for summer salads.  I like have different colors, too.  Not only do I find them pretty, but different colors have different nutrient profiles.

My perennial blue potatoes seemed to have gotten bit by the February freeze we had.  I think I will not worry about potatoes this year.  

My asparagus I started from seed last year, came up again this year with very slender sprouts.  I started a couple more from seed this year.  I'll just keep adding to my bed over time.  I also started Violetta artichokes from seed.  It is another perennial vegetable with stunning flowers if you don't harvest the buds.  It is hardy enough for our winters.
 
Warm Season Crops
Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, and cucumbers are my typical standbys.  The last couple of years, I have added spaghetti squash.  I'll grow them all again this year.  

I will grow a sweet pepper for snacking, an Ancho Poblano pepper for making chili powder, and Super Red Pimento for adding to salads.   I have plenty of frozen Jalapeño and Cayenne peppers in the freezer.  I did bring my Cayenne pepper plant into the garage to overwinter and it survived.   Peppers are for every taste and garden

I am growing a Bush zucchini and spaghetti squash.  The other types of zucchinis get huge and without a lot of space, I'll go with one that keeps to a smaller footprint.  I'll plant the spaghetti squash in the potato boxes.  Everything you need to know to grow squash

For the eggplant, I started a few from seed and they are all coming along well.  I will grow them all in pots.  Eggplant and peppers both seem to do very well in pots. We like the white eggplants as their skins don't get tough in our hot summers.  I also have a few others I am trying that are supposed to be good for hot summers (Casper, Turkish Orange, Italian Pink Bicolor, Rotenda Bicolor, Mitoyo, Amadeo and AO Daimaru).  Eggplant-add this native from India to your garden

For tomatoes, I am growing Italian Pear paste tomato, Cherokee Purple slicer, and Chocolate Pear.  This should cover us for making sauce for winter, slices for burgers, and small tomatoes for salads.  Tomatoes 101, everything you need to know to grow great tomatoes

I am growing one White Wonder cucumber.  That should be all I need for fresh eating.  I may grow a green cucumber if I need to make more pickles.  I'll either grow it on a trellis so it grows up instead of out or put it in the potato box with the squash, keeping it's footprint small.  How to grow cucumbers-in pots or in the garden      Quick tip-Grow Up!  Make your own pickles without a store bought seasoning mix

I have 4 varieties of okra growing indoors-Heavy Hitter, Red Burgundy, Candle Fire, and Jing Orange.  I like to slice and freeze okra.  I coat with spicy olive oil, salt and bake on a cookie sheet in the oven.  Growing and harvesting okra

I will also grow New Zealand spinach and Red Malabar spinach.  Both have sprouted from seeds I started.  They are a good substitute for traditional spinach in the summer.  Spinach bolts in the heat of early summer.  

Lastly, I have started Alpine strawberries (Mignonette, Italian, Regina, and Alexandria).   I love these little berries.  They are fun to snack on and add to salads.  Back yard strawberries

 I will start snap beans outdoors in a week or two.  I will use a trellis for them and plant in the ground.  We like the flat Romano types.  Last year, I think my beans and tomatoes got blight.  The best defense for these type of diseases is to rotate your crops.  Since last year's garden spot is a basement, I will definitely practice crop rotation and put them in a new spot!  All you need know to grow green (or purple or yellow) beans

Flowers
I add flowers to the garden every year, interplanted with the edibles.  I don't have as much room so the number of flowers will be much less.  I purchased annual alyssum for the border.  They smell great and are low growers so don't take up as much room as marigolds.  They can also self-seed.  I am growing Gold Dust alyssum from seed.  It is a perennial, but only comes in yellow.  To add variety for the border, another low growing perennial I am trying is Snow in Summer.

I keep trying different blue flowers since my husband loves blue flowers.  There aren't many of those around!  This year, I am growing eucalyptus Silver Dollar, Blue Fescue grass, borage, Heavenly Blue morning glory, Emerald Pacific and Fantasia mix delphinium, and Pride of Madeira.

A couple I am starting for fun are Chinese Wool flower (also edible), variegated cockscomb and dwarf cockscomb.  I am hoping Love, Lies, Bleeding amaranth and Giant Red Cockscomb will come back as volunteers.   For flowers that are edible, see Flowers that are edible

The hardest thing for me to do is not over-plant!  There are just so many interesting kinds of veggies out there, it is tough to make a plan and stick with it!  Chart for how many to plant
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