I have to say that while I like the idea of growing saving money by growing my own vegetables, I think the opposite is true. I choose not to do the calculations as I don't want to know for sure how much I'm NOT saving money. Ignorance is bliss. The problem is that my vegetable growing conditions are far from ideal - I have a small shady yard. Here's Rudy showing it off:
Doesn't it look green and verdant and productive. Well it ain't. And while I'd like to blame all of my usual meager harvest on the yard conditions, I think a chunk of it is me not knowing what I'm doing. But learning is fun. And in the case of the garden, costly. At least the produce I grow is super tasty (I think simply growing something yourself adds flavor) and organic.
Anyway, I sat down today and went through my seed stock and started making my list of what to buy. I am trying to do a better job of making seed last so am doing a germination test which I read about on this awesome website - A Way to Garden. I also decided that in 2013, I needed to face the grim facts of my small shady yard and realize that if I am to get a usable harvest of anything I need to stop trying to grow things like Kohlrabi. I need to focus and grow my very favorite things and grow more of each of them rather than growing a little of a whole bunch of varieties. 2013's gonna be all about focus. My final winnowed down list:
Beets, Bulls Blood
Beans, Empress green bush
Carrots, Dragon
Cucumbers, Sweet Success
Garlic; Thai purple; Music; Morado gigante
Kale, Lacinato
Lettuce, Mesclun mix
Onion, Bunching green
Peas, Sugar Snap
Peppers, Tolli's Sweet Italian; Tomato-shaped Pimento; and a slightly hot variety Fish
Potatoes, Fingerling
Spinach, America
Swiss Chard, Rhubarb Red
Tomatoes, Beam's Pear; Gold Medal; Italian Heirloom
The garlic is already planted, along with some shallots I got from a friend, and is actually well up because of the warm October/November we've been having. Most of the varieties listed above are heirloom and will come from Seed Savers Exchange; from right here in Iowa, y'all! They will all be grown in pots, 1- 2'X12' raised bed, and 1- 3'X3' raised bed. What an exciting day thinking about spring! Thanks seed catalogs!
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