Making a List: Garden Preparations

Beware the Seed catalogs.

My goodness, after perusing these glossy pages and delicious descriptions, I’m all set to plant FIELDS of vegetables that I’ve never even heard of. Because they’re heirloom and non-GMO and all the other key words that draw me in and keep me scribbling their names in an ever-growing list.

Why, at this rate, Del Monte won’t be able to keep up with my production.

Or not. Because even if I had room to plant all of this, you would most certainly find me in a heap of sweat or tears or maybe both by mid-summer trying to fight the weeds and the acidic soil and the bugs and the 90 degree weather.

It’s easy enough in January, in the controlled climate of my home, in the comfortable corner of my couch, with my dog snoozing peacefully at my side, to dream of well-manicured raised beds and flowerpot-lined porches teeming with vegetables. However, come July I’ll be ready to skip the country or, at the very least, let the bugs and chickens fight it out and take the spoils if I don’t do a little planning now.

Make a list before the list

I love lists, y’all. Why, I’d rather write a list than any other thing in the world, I do believe. I joyfully make lists of how I will clean, organize, and decorate my home on a regular basis. Then I go to bed and wake up to the same list and same unmopped floor the next morning. *sigh* But the list is SPECTACULAR. I can anticipate every glitch and problem, with possible solutions. List making can be quite the art. And I’m a chief list maker, if I do say so myself. Never mind that my lists lack a lot of the check marks that I also love so dearly. But I digress because we are trying to garden here.

Before you find yourself glassy-eyed at the endless varieties of radishes, make a list of the general categories of vegetables that you buy and use the most. For example,

onions – tomatoes – lettuce – squash – cucumbers – asparagus – carrots – peppers

This list is certainly not all inclusive and not even the tip of the iceberg! It is meant to encourage you to think about what vegetables you use and want to grow. You can certainly add or subtract from this list later, but it may ease the overwhelm if you already have a plan when you pick up a seed catalog or search online or visit a local nursery.

Explore all the many varieties & make choices

Once you have a basic, general list, then you can begin reading about all the many varieties of each kind of vegetable, and decide what varieties you want to grow. Seed catalogs have great descriptions, and most nurseries have information posted about each variety.

The Farmer’s Almanac site has a WONDERFUL article listing the address, phone number, and website of over 40 amazing seed and plant companies that offer catalogs! We have ordered from several of these, and I see a few more I’m interested in. The Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog is a work of art!

There is no right or wrong here. It is true that some may be hardier than others, but that may depend on your location or the weather this year.

Some may be tastier than others, but that is a matter of preference. I have found that any vegetable grown at home in the garden is far more delectable than any I’ve sampled from the store, so any of your choices are sure to be a winner!

Enjoy this process but don’t get bogged down. Just choose some so you can get started.

Remember: you are growing healthy food for you and your family, and you are learning along the way.

You are getting outside and you are making memories.

If you have children, you are teaching them valuable lessons about patience and nature and process, as well as dispelling the myth of fast food, because food is not actually “fast”!

Seeds or Plants?

You may choose to order from a seed catalog or you may pick up young plants at your local nursery or you may do both. We have always done both, and you can experiment with both as well.

Don’t fret too much over losses – they are learning opportunities.

Seeds

Seed packets are inexpensive, but some plants require early starts in the house.

My herb seedlings last year positively hated me, and I lost them all. Perhaps because I alternated between over-watering and under-watering. Such is a recurring theme in my gardening endeavors.

I have much better luck planting from seed if the seeds can be planted directly in the garden. I’m still working on my house-started-seedling skills.

By making a list, you can do a little research on your vegetables of choice to find out if they are easily grown from seed in the garden or if they would need to be started early in the house.

Don’t be intimidated to try starting seeds in the house. Seed starter trays are inexpensive, so it’s worth the experience. You might discover that you love starting plants from seed, but you won’t know until you try!

Some seeds may be planted directly outside. Lettuce is a fun and easy plant to grow from seed. Last year I grew lovely and delicious beets from seeds that I planted directly in my raised beds.

My husband never really liked growing his tomatoes from seed, and purchased young plants from a local nursery that offered a huge variety. Although tomatoes are not difficult to grow from seed, and we often have tomato ‘volunteers’ – plants that seeded themselves the previous year – pop up in our garden! It’s just his preference to buy tomato plants.

So don’t get too overwhelmed with all the information and suggestions. It is only through your own trial and error, and learning your particular garden, that you will discover which plants you enjoy growing, which plants you find easy to grow, and which ones you like growing from seed.

Young Plants

If you’re new to gardening or have a small space, buying started plants may be the best option. You won’t have to fuss over seedlings, and you don’t have to start your gardening endeavors quite as early in the year. Young plants are ready to be planted in your garden or pots in the spring.

Started plants from a nursery often come in packs of 4. They will cost more than a seed packet, but these young, healthy plants are usually fairly easy to get started in your garden if you plant them with a little water in a sunny spot.

It is not necessary to buy large, mature plants that cost a lot of money, unless your budget doesn’t mind. Young plants should be well-started and healthy enough to grow into mature plants with basic care of good soil, water, and sunshine, so no need to fork out the extra bucks for 3 foot tall tomato plants.

Enjoy Gardening

Gardening is very satisfying when you’re in the kitchen using your own vegetables and very frustrating when you’re at war with the bugs and very exhausting when the weeds grow faster than the vegetables (and trust me, they really do!).

Don’t stress and don’t give up! Be purposeful in your enjoyment of these moments. You’re learning and you’re growing as a person and you’re experiencing the amazing cycle of planting and toiling and harvesting.

This is your journey. Make it a beautiful one. Make it a hard-fought one. Make it a unique one. Make it full of plants and bugs and dirt and a little sweat on your brow.