Dreaming of Veggies....

Planning and outlining... (It all starts here!)

First and foremost it is important to list what you will want to grow, and quantities. (Everything at this stage is an approximation until you have a set system after a few seasons) Also, this list can be made over the course of the winter months and the internet it chock full of good information. Walking around the garden centers this time of year is also a great way to see what makes you hungry. Also don't forget that some veggies can be stored for extended periods of time:



Spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, Collard and other greens can be blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, then immediately submerged into an ice bath before being frozen. They will keep for months like this in an airtight container.

Many things can be pickled or brined to be stored for months. Making a salt brine for chillies and other peppers keeps them crisp and fresh for over a month, and obviously Cucumbers, Peppers, Green Tomatoes and Carrots along with others can be pickled to retain their nutritional value...

Tomatoes can be jarred as sauce, paste, crushed or whole.

Strawberries make great preserves, mix with Raspberries, Blueberries and Grapes for a different type of jam that is quick and uses a wide array of your simple fruit crops.

Root vegetables can be stored in a root cellar of sorts, or even underground. Carrots, for example, can be stacked horizontally and buried underground for 6 months and potatoes keep for a long time as well...

Squash and Zucchini can be frozen for months, but some types of squash will actually last for a couple months in a cool dark place...

ANYWAY! If you have any questions about this stuff, Google has lots of answers...

It's fun to think about what veggies you really love and which ones you tend to shy away from... I LOVE vegetables so I'll try just about anything....

This is the list. It is just a mish-mash of everything I would like to grow, though most of it will have to wait for another season I fear...

Also try and think about perennial (comes back every year) vegetables and fruits while you are at it, Asparagus, Artichokes, Horse Radish, Rhubarb, Grapes, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries and many more are perennial and fairly cold hardy. Don't forget, Leeks, Bunching Onions, Garlic and others in the Onion family are very cold hardy, and will get huge if left over winter into the next year!

Just buy seeds whenever you see something that sparks your interest... They are inexpensive and readily available, plus its better to have too many than too few, that way if something fails or you need extras for Succession Planting (which is TOTALLY awesome!) Just part with the dollar or two, it will be worth it, trust me... Keep an eye open at grocery stores, markets, garden centers, big box stores, even small organic farms like Urban Oaks in New Britain. Seed Swaps are also becoming more and more common, Just be on the look out.

Saving seeds from store bought veggies is a practically free way to get seed for good food as well. 

I am a bit of a seed hoarder now, why not?

My List (for all intents and purposes) in no specific order:

• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Eggplant
• Peas:

• Snap, Shelling, Snow Etc. 

• Beans
• Garlic:

• Chesnok Red, German Red, Elephant, Inchellium Red Etc.

• Quinoia
• Amaranth
• Cauliflower
• Onions:

• Bunching, Red, White, Yellow, Spanish Etc.

• Shallots
• Peppers: 

• Jalapeños, Bell, Fish, Bhut Jalokia, Trinidad 7 Pod, Trinidad Scorpion etc.

• Squash:

• Summer, Butternut, Acorn, Zucchini, Yellow Etc.

• Pumpkins
• Asparagus Jersey Supreme and Violet
• Broccoli 

• Romanesco, Small Miracle, Raab Etc.

• Potatoes:

•  All blue, Red pontiac, Austrian Crescent, Russian Banana , Yukon Gold, Rose Finn Apple Etc.

• Tomatos

• Black Krim, Green Zebra, Brandywine, Vintage Wine, Ugly Beefsteak, Rutgers, Super Sweet 100, Yellow Pear, Yellow Cherry, Grape, Amish Paste Etc.

• Swiss Chard
• Cucumbers
• Peas
• Lettuce:

•  Buttercrunch, Bibb, Lollo Rosso, Mesclun Mix, Parris Island Cos Etc.

• Spinach
• Corn
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Grapes

There is no way that I will be growing all of these this summer, that would be suicide... But I gathered all the information I could on specific varieties because taste and consistency are so important to me... This is the key to a successful garden, being thorough enough to have as many options open as possible...