I'm going to make a big move to Vigna from Phaseolus next year in the home garden. This as an attempt to beat a mexican bean beetle infestation. I'll plant a few common beans as a trap and the cowpeas and noodle beans will develop a bit later. If we have one of our cool wet summers the plan will fail on me so it's a tad risky.

Also going big for sweet potatoes, going to do about a third of an acre from slips that I'll start from saved tubers.

I'm trying a couple of new winter squashes - greek sweet red and australian butter.

corn
pole beans
bush beans
broccli
brusselsprouts
cucumbers
hot peppers, bell peppers
watermellon
cantalope
pumpkins
zucini
yellow crookneck squash
butternut squash
canning tomatoes
paste tomatoes
grape tomatoes
sweet potatoes
yucon gold potatoes
russet potatoes
red potatoes
finger potatoes
marigolds all the way around the gardens
petunias
impatens
blackberries
raspberries
blueberries
asparagus
garlic
bulb onions
green onions
peaches
apples

This is only my list for spring 2011. Its not a very big list but with all of my fruit trees its all I have room for.

Tomatoes....
Sungold
Black Cherry
Cherokee Purple
Husky Cherry
Black Prince

Tomatillos...
Purple
Toma Verde

Squash....
Rampicante-Tromboncino Zucchini
Zephyr' Squash
Black Beauty Zucchini

Mellons....
Hale's Best CANTALOUPE
Golden Beauty Casaba

Bush Beans
Dragon Tongue
Blue Lake

Pole Beans
Black Seed Yardlong
Blackeyed Peas

Sunflower....
Mammoth Grey

Cucumber....
Armenian

Beats....
Detroit Red and one other that I can't remember right now.

Onions....
Multiplier Onions

Peppers....
Pablano

I may also add a few herbs here and there between plants.

My list isn't very long either. I've removed all herbs from my list. Every year I plant them and never take the time to harvest them. I always seem to reach for the store bought container rather than take the time to get my fresh herbs.

Just a few weeks ago I planted my mini-orchard, so I guess I should have added them to my list. I added a Stanley plum, Red Haven Peach, Honeysweet Pear, and Golden Delicious apple tree. Oh, and some Caroline raspberries.

I don't have a lot of space, so I'm only planting a few tomatoes that I haven't grown before. Everything else has been tried and true. With such little area to use, I need some certainty...well as much as you can get in gardening with unpredictable weather.
Kim

I am going to just list my new additions I am aiming to grow 2011.

Here is the list;

Moringa oleifera (4 seedlings doing well)

Jerusalem Artichoke (I am planning to do a trade for this soon)

Yacon (I have a 3 plants going right now, I plan to propagate more later)

Garlic (varieties; Spanish Rojo and Lorz Italian)

Oregano (Wild Zaatar)

Anise Hyssop

Taro (varieties; Bac Ha and Kai Kea)

Turnip 'Golden Globe'

Tomatoes (I plan to have around 5-10 plants, I need to select disease resistant varieties this year)

Oca (This is a Peruvian tuber crop)

Giant Cape Gooseberry

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa, grown for its edible flowers and leaves.)

Extra Dwarf Pak Choi

I have many others that I can't recall right now.

The garlic is in already:
Ajo Rojo
Early Italian Red
Inchellium

Spring:
Radish - April Cross, Sparkler, White Hailstone
Lettuce - Forellenschuss, Mascara, Pablo, Pirat, Tennis Ball, Webb's Wonderful
Spinach - America, Monnopa
Mizuna - Early
Mustard - Southern Giant Curled
Beet - Chioggia, Crapaudine, Detroir Dark Red, Touchstone
Cabbage - Brunswick, Deadon, Early Jersey Wakefield, Glory of Enkhuizen
Collards - Georgia
Kale - Winterbore
Broccoli - Early Green, Early Purple, Romanesco
Carrot - Cosmic Purple, Dragon, Shin Kuroda, Sweetness II, White Satin
Celeriac - Giant Prague
Pea - Blauschokkers (Blue Podded Shelling Pea)
Turnip - Hakurei
Swiss Chard - Geneva

Summer:
Melon - Minnesota Midget
Sweet peppers - Buran, Jackpot, Orange Bell, Sweet Yellow Stuffing
Hot peppers - Ancho 101, (head-to-head with) Ancho Gigantea, Hinklehatz, Pasilla Bajio, Long Thin Cayenne
"Spinach" - Red Malabar, New Zealand
Tomatillo - Toma Verde
Cucumber - De Bourbonne, Muncher
Tomato - Spoon, Snowberry, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Amish Paste, Principe Borghese
Beans - Mitla Black
Herbs - Stevia, Dark Opal Bail, Osmin Basil, Borage, Cilantro, Cumin, Triple Curled Parsley, Florence Fennel, Bouquet Dill
Flowers - Nasturtiums, Marigolds, plus the fencerow of misc. bee forage

Fall:
Not sure yet. Probably an exact repeat of spring to comparison test the same varieties at the other end of the year.

Brussels Sprouts
Spinach
Lettuce (Butter, Romaine, etc.)
Tomatoes
Peppers
Carrots
Cucumbers
Corn
Radishes
Turnips
Potatoes
Melons (not sure what ones yet)
Peas
Beans?
Herbs
Pumpkins
Butternut Squash (other squash like Acorn maybe)

I think I might have missed some things

I'll also be doing a heavy sowing of Cereal rye in mid-late August to improve soil drainage.

kr222, thanks for mentioning flowers for nectar and hummingbirds. I will try some in my garden. Like scarlet runner beans for hummingbirds.
Herbs: always grow more than I can use but am delighted to have perennial sage, tarragon, garlic chives, common chives, etc come back every year. I have recipes to use some that I just need to DO. Also like to grow calendula (pot marigolds) which are edible and provide color in the herb garden. Lemon gem marigolds add lemon fragrance and pretty dainty foliage to anyplace I put them.
Annual herbs: all kinds of basil, some dill, marjoram, etc. Flat leaf parsley. Enjoy it the second year before it starts putting up a seed stalk.
Beets: What grew were very tasty. I need to put the fall crop in sooner and add more lime to the soil. Chioggia, Bull's Blood and any variety of golden beet although germination is spotty.
Beans: Filet beans. My husband loves a young, tender bean and these produced a good second crop and even some third before killed by frost. Will try Red Noodle yard long beans again because the folks at a new Chinese restaurant said they are delicious and will cook them up for me.
Sugar Snap Peas: both regular and Sugar Ann. Great early crop. Need to plan for a fall crop.
Spinach: Tyee. Get in the ground as soon as possible but make sure compost is added first.
Carrots: Think I will just do a late crop of baby carrots again because in cool weather they were very sweet.
Summer Squash: Always zucchini romanesque. Survived striped cucumber beetles. Will look for a yellow squash.
Winter Squash: Confection from Johnny's. I think it's from the kabocha family. Very dry, very sweet and a great keeper. If I grow a butternut type again it will be the same long necked variety from Bakers Creek. Prolific. Thought it was too watery without good taste until the other night when I roasted it with a little brown sugar. Fantastic. Might try a third variety just because.
Tomatoes: Need to plant further apart. Always a yellow or orange cherry and standard variety. Amish paste is definitely my choice for a paste type. Get great plants from a local grower who sells individual plants.
Peppers: Need to find a good hot variety with gentle heat. Pepperocini were prolific but too hot. Poblano was iffy. Heat doesn't seem to be consisent even with peppers from the same plant. Carmen is on my list. Will grow at least 10 or 12 different varieties.
Broccoli: will have to check variety planted this year. Great taste and grew great in the fall.
Cucumbers: my most neglected veggie. Had a decent crop this year but planted different kinds close together so the little patch was a mess. Will do a cornichon variety again because in 2011 I might make tarragon flavored pickles. Thought the white variety from Bakers Creek that turns brown was bizarre until I fell in love with the flavor. Best picked young and eaten skin and all but keeps pretty well.
Onions: Need to do better with these but might stick to red ones because...

Besides the usual, I have my heart set on finding some sort of melon that will grow here. I've got 8 varieties that are supposed to be short season and I'll be planting a couple of each of those. Expensive seeds, most of them, but it will be worth it if I can find one that works.

Hello and Happy Holidays to everyone. :-)

We have a good snow storm blowing out there so perfect time for finalizing that seed order for next spring. I'm planning to put a little more effort into the vegetable garden next season, after focusing more on landscaping for the last 5 years. Lots of fun looking at seed catalogs.

I haven't decided where to buy seeds yet. I'm looking at FEDCO. I like their prices and the fact that they offer some organic seed and no GMO seed. Does anyone have a favorite seed supplier I should be considering?

Kim, I also enjoyed your suggestions for Hummingbird attractors and I'm fascinated with your idea of growing potatoes in containers. I haven't grown potatoes before. What is the reason you grow them in containers instead of the ground, and do you use a special growing mix?

Sungold Tomato remains our favorite.
Giant Marconi Sweet Pepper first time last year and I will grow that again, looking for a couple more varieties to try that produce early and a lot.
Sugar Snap Peas still our favorite

Otherwise, I'm trying all new varieties of everything....

I'm hoping to try new varieties of Hot Peppers...
Vietnamese Tear Jerker
Chocolate Habanero
Billy Goat
Thai Orange
Carribean Red
Maui Purple

Jericho & Forellenshluss Lettuces
'Wow' Cherry Tomato is supposed to be as good as Sungold
'Blue Coco' Pole Beans
Looking for a green pole bean that is a heavy, long, producer
'Tromboncino' Zucchini, maybe I'll try that 'Romanesque' , defrost.

Going to try harder with onions. I usually do scallions but I want to try bulbs for storage, red/yellow. Thinking about New York Early and Red Wing. Wondering if I should be trying bulb sets instead of winter sowing seeds?

Beets, I have gotten poor and late germination on beets and I haven't harvested more than greens from them. I want to do better with those. Not sure what variety to try

I've about given up on cucumbers. Too much trouble. The cucumber beetle shows up and the plant develops disease problems and I just don't want to use row covers.

I'm going to put more emphasis on greens next season, thinking of trying....

Space Spinach
Ice Bred Arugula
Fordhook Giant Chard
Bright Lights Swiss Chard
We eat a lot of Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts but I don't seem to have an easy time
growing it. I'm going to give that more effort, too. Looking for recommendations for reliable varieties?

I want to use more Herbs. My daughter is really starting to use a lot of herbs in her cooking, so we are planning on growing more next year. We already grow a ton of Basil. Genovese, Sweet, or Green Ruffles will be our choices. Will try Cilantro again, Dill for the first time. That along with Parsley and Bronze Fennel will grow in the flower beds. Chives come up every year. Looking for more ideas of herbs that are useful and great in cooking.

We also planted two Blueberry bushes last year and hope to find...

Prairiemoon2,
I have very limited space in my garden. This past season I planted potatoes in the ground and in containers. Those in containers did even better than those in the ground. Drought was a big issue, so I know those in containers were watered much more regularly and thoroughly. They were much easier to harvest as well. I found a bare spot in my garden, and dumped them out. The kids had tons of fun grabbing them up. I used old containers from some large shrubs I planted. The containers already had drainage holes. I filled the containers with Miracle Grow potting soil and about 1/4 of the mix was peat moss to acidify the soil. It helped to keep them healthier. I have pictures at the link below from this summer.

A great bell pepper that I would suggest is Fat N' Sassy. It's a hybrid that matures in about 60-65 days. I've been so pleased with it over the past couple of seasons, that it is now the only bell pepper I plant. It produces A LOT as well and remains very healthy. I've never had a pest or disease issue with these peppers.

As for onions, I've tried them from seeds, bulbs, and plants. So far, plants have produced the best bulbs. I have to plant long-day varieties here. I've had nice bulbs with Sterling, Red Zeppelin, and Copra onions from plants. I ordered mine from Dixondale Farms, but I'm sure there are other great suppliers out there. I've already ordered my 2011 onions from them. It will be Red Zeppelin and Copras. They both have stored the best. I'm still eating them now. The Sterlings grow gorgeous bulbs, but a few have started to get soft. Still a great, tasty white onion though.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden

Kim,
That sounds like a great idea with the potatoes. I only have four 4x4 raised beds plus containers. I'm planning on adding two more 4x4 beds next spring. I had strawberries and sage in two half whiskey barrels, but I'm going to dig those out. Maybe I could do potatoes in those. Thanks for the idea! Love those Yukon Gold potatoes. Where did you buy your potatoes? The drought was horrible last year! The worst I've ever seen since I started gardening in 1980.

I'm putting an order together at FEDCO and I understand they stopped offering Fat n' Sassy because they would have to buy it from Monsanto who they won't do business with. I don't want to do business with them either, so I'm going to look for another variety of pepper to try. Too bad, it sounds like a good one.

I will definitely try those onions. My family has been using a lot more lately. How do you store yours that you are still using them?

Love your blog! Especially enjoyed the 2010 garden review. I am also trying to grow roses without spraying and bought a few bareroot last year that I can't wait to see how they do this year. I have two David Austin. Your Lady Emma Hamilton is very pretty!

Pnbrown- In Great Garden Companions (by Sally Jean Cunningham) she writes that growing potatoes and beans together, helps repel Colorado potato beetles and Mexican bean beetles. Lots of marigolds around the beans, should help, too. I don't have this pest, but it might be worth a try.

Prairiemoon2- I've had good luck with Scheeper's seeds, if that helps at all :)

Veggies I'm growing this year-

Tomatoes and cherry tomatoes
Lettuce
Spinach
Potatoes (trying fingerling)
Broccoli (green and purple)
Cabbage
Bush beans
Pole Beans (emerite and purple)
Peas
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Cinderella Pumpkins
Acorn Squash
Also planting purple and green asparagus (from seed)

Also in the garden-
Blueberries
Strawberries
Purple Raspberries
Maybe some Concord Grapes

Basil
Dill
Sage
Bee Balm
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Winter and Summer Savory
Tarragon
Mints

Clematis
Roses
Snapdragons
Marigolds
Nasturtiums
Cosmos
Stock
Evening Stock (great with peas)
...and Alyssum under everything, to keep the weeds down :)

I have a 'kitchen garden' or potager, so I like mixing vegetables with fruits, herbs and flowers. Very pretty and it brings in lots of beneficial bugs. The alyssum and strawberries also make great groundcovers, keeping the weeds down and shading the soil.

I cured my onions for a few weeks on my covered back porch. They were in a single layer in my permanest grow light trays. After that I placed them in paper bags and into the refrigerator veggie drawer they went. They are still solid and tasty.

I got my Fat n' Sassy seeds from Jung Seeds in the past.

Oregonwoodsmoke- Minnesota Midget melon matures early. They are small, sweet muskmelons about the size of a baseball. Open-pollinated. Cheap seeds to find. Tasty if you cut back on watering before harvest.

Trying a lot of different varieties this year - and plan to save as much seed as possible.

• Kennebec potatoes grown in the ground, in my old "potato bin" and in buckets

• Burpee Pickler and Little Leaf H-19 Pickling cucumbers (going to see which performs better; I've grown Burpee Pickler and Straight Eight for the past few years)

• Simpson Elite, Buttercrunch, New Red Fire, Paris Island Cos lettuce (the last two will be new in 2011; will not grow Red Salad Bowl again because of low yields)

• Bush Blue Lake 274 green beans (tried to grow Greencrop in 2010 but it had horrendous yields; had very good luck with Bush Blue Lake 274 in 2009).

• Honey Treat Yellow Corn (New; grew Sugar Dots with bad results in 2010; grew Silver Queen with good results in 2010 - but Honey Treat is earlier and shorter)

• Cascadia Snap Pea (supposedly doesn't grow as tall as Sugar Snap - which failed in 2010; moving away from snow peas such as Dwarf Grey Sugar)

• Crimson Sweet Watermelon (first time growing watermelon)

• Scarlet Nantes Carrot and Sugarsnax (previously used Sugarsnax against Burpee A#1 and couldn't tell any difference; trying lower-priced Scarlet Nantes for comparison)

• Crimson Giant Radish (saved seed in 2010) and trying Easter Egg Radish (new for 2011)

• Varsity Onion and Copra Onion (used Copra onion in 2010 but FedCo notes Varsity grows larger than Copra with the same storage capacity)

• Premium Crop Broccoli and Green Goliath Broccoli (very good results the past few years with Green Goliath - may try to see the difference between these two varieties in 2011)

• Snow Crown Cauliflower (used Snowball X in 2009 and only had one good-size curd out of eight planted; going to try cauliflower again)

• Ventura Celery (bad results in 2010 with growing - but may have been because of the extreme heat and not watering enough)

• California Wonder Pepper and Anaheim Hot Pepper (very good results with California Wonder over the past two years; going to try Anaheim in 2011 since it has a little bit of heat)

• Roma Tomato, Best Boy Tomato, and Red Cherry Tomato (works for our needs and still have seed left from many years ago that I continue to use)

• Sweet Basil, Oregano and Rosemary (grew Sweet Basil in 2010 with good results; Oregano is a perennial so it should come up in 2011 from a planting in 2010; trying Rosemary in 2011. Not growing parsley again since it wasn't used)

Here is a link that might be useful: BsnTech Gardening Blog

Here is some of what I'm growing, subject to change.

Beans- rattlesnake, dragon's tongue, white dixie butterpea, dixie speckled
butterpea.

Tomatoes- linnie's oxheart, spear's tennesee green, green giant,
cherokee green pear, grapette f1, sugar daddy cherry,
black cherry, amazon chocolate, kosovo, sandul moldovan,
amish paste, hunt family pink, plus others

Peppers- yellow scorpion cardi, datil, c.parvifoum, wild brazil, boonie,
giant jalapeno, red carribean, tobasco, craig's grande jalapeno,
large sweet antigua, red cheese, quadrato asti giallo, carmen f1
ancho san louis, numex heritage 6-4 & big jim, belize sweet,
cheiro recife, scarlet lantern, hawaiian sweet hot, gypsy,
numex pinata, vaquero, onza, rezha, plus others.

Eggplant- listade de gandia, kamo, florida high bush, rosa bianca,
louisianna long green, plus others.

Okra- Burmese and emerald.

Lettuce - black seeded simpson, buttercrunch, brune d'hiver.
Squash - tromboncino
Watermelon- ali baba
Cucumber - suyo long, diva, yamato.
Sunflower - Selma suns (ornamental)
Herbs

Right now I have growing:
broccoli
cauliflower
cabbage
collard greens
broccoli raabe
arugula
kale
lettuce
fava beans
peas (one shelly and one snow pea)
beets (bulls blood and crapaudine)
carrots (sunrise red, purple dragon, and scarlet nantes)
onions (Texas Grano and Red Creole)
lots of heirloom garlic
turnips
rutabagas

I have my nightshades started:
peppers - Lemon Drop, Soroksari, Cayenne, and Habanero
purple tomatillos
eggplant
ground cherries
tomatoes - Cherokee Purple, Bloody Butcher, Rio Grande, and am still deciding which cherries to plant

Later I plan on planing some Moon and Stars watermelon, San Juan Honeydews, and some squash. Haven't decided which varieties yet. I have several in my collection, and usually like to plant just one variety of each species so I can save seed.

Also will plant sweet potatoes, but not sure about regular potatoes. They don't seem to do well here.

Not sure which beans yet either. Again, I have a lot of varieties in my collection and have to choose between them, though beans don't cross much, so it's more of a space issue than worry about crossing. I have a good variety of, um, varieties to choose from: pole green beans, pole dry beans, bush green beans, bush dry beans, tepary beans, limas, cowpeas, and yardlongs.

And okra. Got to have that. Tempted to try grain amaranth or corn, but it takes up so much space.

Oh, and I'll grow cucumbers up the fence.

I'm sure I've probably forgottem some things. I like to grow a big variety of stuff.

In my ultra small bed:
- Tomatoes: Jetstar, Sungold, Bloody Butcher and one more
- Peppers: Pimiento
- Cucumbers: Pickling or burpless, I'm still researching
In containers:
- Sweet potatoes: Beauregard

Plus all my berries, strawberries, black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. VdB Figs. Other trees growing and yet to produce fruit: Jonathan apple, Eversweet pomegranate, Mary Lane fig, dwarf Novak banana

I love reading what everyone is planning for next year. I especially get a lot out of hearing how you liked/disliked what you grew last year. Did anyone notice that Gardenweb requires you to add your growing zone every time you post now? It used to be you could set it in your member page and it would automatically show up every time you posted.

Defrost, thanks for sharing your experiences with different varieties. I've grown
that Bull's Blood Beets and I may try that again.

Thanks for the name of Scheeper's Seeds, Lavender Lass...I'll check them out.
I do love a potager and I look forward to photos of yours next season.

I have a long perennial/shrub border along side my vegetable area, where hopefully
the plants will attract beneficials. I do plan on adding more to the corners of the
vegetable beds themselves next year. Nasturtiums, marigolds, alyssum.

Evening stock with peas, sounds great. Do you winter sow the stock, LavenderLass?

oregonwoodsmoke, I've also heard Minnesota Midget, but have no experience.

Thanks Kim, for directions for the onions and I'll check out Jung Seed.

BsnTech, I may try that Green Goliath Broccoli...thanks.

roper, have you grown any of those varieties in the past and liked them?

>> Did anyone notice that Gardenweb requires you to add your growing zone every time you post now? Doesn't seem to require me to add it.

Mike

No, you're not required to add it, but if you want to add it, you have to do it every time you post instead of just once. If you look at the page where you 'post a follow up' at the bottom of the thread...It shows your User Name, then 'Zone' is optional. Then Subject of Posting...

It is my understanding the zone issue is one of the bugs they're working on, when the fix is completed you won't have to add it every time you post.

Annette

Thanks Annette, I emailed and asked them about it but they never answered me. Good to know. :-)

I've grown Minnesota Midget. It was the only melon that produced in a brutal Alabama severe drought summer. It was sweet, but not cloyingly so. I was waiting on the rest to ripen when the neighbor's cows got out and discovered my garden.

OWS, I can send you a few seeds if you want to try it.

Prairiemoon2, almost everything is new. I love the rattlesnake pole
bean. Black cherry tomato is good and amish paste. The quadrato
asti giallo I grew for the first time last year and loved it. It is a bell
and it is sweet. The numex heritage 6-4 is also a good one, as is
Rheza, which is very hot and sweet. The black seeded simpson is
a very nice lettuce. The suyo long cucumber is great, tried it last
year and will again this year. The yamato cucumber I have not tried,
but it's suppose to be superior to suyo long.

Roper, I've grown the Black Cherry tomato and it is a very beautiful plant. It was vigorous and bushy and the fruit is such a pretty color. I'm pretty sure I've tried the rattlesnake pole bean. I can't remember how I did with it, it was a few years ago. I wish I had more room to try many different varieties each year.

They list that Quadrato asti Giallo Pepper over on the Cornell Vegetable site. I only see one review, and someone gave it a 4 star. It needs your review! :-) It's easy to register and review veggies over there.

Do you have problems with the striped cucumber beetle there?

Hey everyone! This is as much of a want/dream list as it is a list of what I am planning on planting this year. I am a newbie and am trying to grow a garden this year to help feed my family. I am trying to start up for as little as possible and this site has been a great help. So here is my list of what I would like to plant this year, if I can gather up all of the seeds. otherwise I will plant what I have. If anyone is interested in a trade, buy, or has some extra seeds to spare, let me know. Thanks!

Corn - sweet or butter and popcorn
Pole beans
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cucumbers - salad and pickling
Zucchini
Yellow summer squash
Butternut squash
Tomatoes - Slicers, canning, paste, minis (grape, cherry, pear)
Sweet potatoes
Russet potatoes
Red potatoes
Finger potatoes
Garlic
Bulb onions
Green onions
Cabbage
Salad Greens
Strawberries
Cauliflower
Peas
Beets
Radishes
Carrots
Parsnips
Turnips
Rutabagas
Herbs
Peppers
Melons
Asparagus
Simple flowers for border
Any and all seeds that are good for putting up- like best picklers, freezing and canning types, and root cellar storage types
Any types of dried beans, peas, lentils
Any type of winter squash, smaller pumpkins, and edible gourds

HoHumHollow I have not had a garden for many years and am starting again. Here's a link to a seed store with some really nice prices. Wish someone had told me about this place before I purchased all my seeds for the season.

If you are looking for seeds in bulk there are some eBay sellers that sell in quantity at very reasonable prices.

Here are a few of the eBay auctions I have taken advantage of.

CARROT CHANTENAY RED CORE 1500 SEEDS YEAR 2011
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130433083920&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

BEET EARLY WONDER TALL TOP **** 500 seeds ****
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390120526493&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Perfected Detroit Dark Red Beet seeds apprx 2400 (OP)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300499234437&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Here is a link that might be useful: Sample Seed Shop

prairiemoon2, I usually inspect my plants and I did find about 6
cucumber beetles, not at the same time. I get my cup with soapy
water and try to throw them in with a stick. I get most of them.
I have to do the same thing with my milkweed. As soon as I see
the adults, in the soapy water they go. That keeps the milkweed
aphids at a minumum... I should check out the Cornell sight because
that was my favorite bell pepper last summer.

I will be growing tomatoes, peppers and eggplant in containers; I understand that if taken indoors they will grow for an extended period. I may also try mellons of various types in containers, moving them outside as soon as the weather breaks and back in when nighttime temp drop below 60F.
strawberries will also go in elevated containers to save my back.
Dan

Thanks roper, hand picking is something I do with just about everything. I don't think I've had much success with the striped cucumber beetle. Those little buggers are pretty evasive and quick...lol. You must be pretty fast! With the aphids on the milkweed and other plants, I left mine alone last year and within a week or two, I had noticed that ladybugs had taken care of them. I was very happy about that. I've been gardening organically for a long time, so I am seeing more of that happening in my garden. Now if something would come along and eat up all the earwigs and Asian Beetles that I've been seeing more of. I use the soapy water cup for those.

I'll have to put that pepper on my list, thanks!

ack! striped cucumber beetles. They devoured yellow summer squash plants but on either side, a round yellow summer squash and zucchini romanesque weren't bothered at all. Later in the season, squash beetles got on the zukes but they survived. Tried an organic spray which seemed to keep them under control.

Cucumbers were planted in a bed against the south foundation of the house and didn't have any bug problems at all. However this bed is not close to the main veggie garden. Last year peppers were grown is this bed for two years in a row. My first seeding of cukes failed since I was away and the garden wasn't watered enough (maybe not at all) and it was droughty. I think I replanted mid-June so planting later may have been after the cucumber beetles.

I think beets need extra lime.
I need gardening advice and tips for sweeter lettuce. Mine always seems so bitter. My favorite lettuce from the grocery store is romaine.

I just read in The Town That Food Saved (about Harwick VT) that Eliot Coleman grosses $120,000 on their 1 1/2 acre market garden!!! I think the types of greens etc that can grow all winter in a tunnel don't need a lot of sunlight plus you would be gardening when the leaves are off the trees so there will be more light (except shorter days).

At our other house with far less sun I had good luck growing tomatoes in large plastic flower pots.

I have some herb books published in the 80s that have some interesting recipes but the internet is a wonderful resource. I like Epicurious.com. Didn't start to enjoy Greek oregano until I make a recipe with zucchini and potato gratin. My husband doesn't care for tarragon but I love tarragon vinegar, meant to make tarragon mustard and cornichon pickles, and enjoyed some recipes using tarragon. I recommend experimenting with herbal mayonnaises and salad dressings. I love Thai basil flavor and aim to perfect an Asian salad each summer. Cilantro seems to do better when seeded in mid-July. Also like rosemary but it's a tender perennial.

I think one of the things to think about when choosing varieties is good keeping ability. Confection from Johnny's can keep almost 6 mos. I usually wait to cook the last one as long as possible for bragging rights. So far the long necked butternut type from Baker Creek is keeping well and since discovering a recipe for caramelized squash, I've changed my mind about its flavor. Roasting intensifies the flavor.

I forgot to add that I plant nasturtiums every place and save the seed from year to year.

From reading other posts I'm inspired to try turnips next year, the white Asian variety, and to track down seed for Eastman turnip. (Vermont Bean Seed Company)

When cucumbers produce, they're wonderful. We love them, so maybe it is a question of finding a cuke and squash that can tolerate them some.

Interesting, defrost, how they didn't find the cukes by the foundation of the house. I am considering whether to try some in a container in the front, away from the main vegetable area, where there is more sun. I hesitate because I don't feel I ever get as good a result in a container as I do in the ground. Planting later is another good idea.

I never add lime to my garden. I'm thinking I really need to get a soil test in early spring, since I haven't had one in awhile. I'm pretty sure I'm a little on the acid side but only about 6.4. Do you add the lime in the fall/winter or in the spring?

I'm fascinated with Eliot Coleman. I wish he were closer so I could buy HIS vegetables. I might give up my vegetable plot all together...lol. I bought seed this year from FEDCO that are designated as possibly going thru the winter.

Nice to hear someone experimenting with herbs, defrost. I haven't tried the Thai basil, does it taste that much different than Sweet or Geneovese? My daughter and son are the adventurous ones. They like to cook mexican and italian, so they love Cilantro and Basil. We used more Chives over the holiday season and I think they will try using those more. I should try something different.

That 'Confection' is very cute looking. I love winter squashes but my family just can't seem to develop a taste for them. How do you 'keep' them? I remember when we visited Sturbridge Village in the fall, they would have lots of huge Hubbard squashes laying around the dining room and in every corner. But their houses were very cool. My house is fairly warm and even the basement is warm and the garage is unattached and is too cold.

I ordered Alaska and Jewel Mix for nasturtiums this year. I always use the Alaska in a Hay Rack but I think this year I'm going to put some in the corners of the veggie beds too. Do you cook with the flowers?

Ann

After a disaterous year last year(NO sun all summer!), I'll be going back to my all time favorites with only a few experiments!

Thisisme thanks for the links. I will def try those out!

prairiemoon, Thai basil has a different flavor, almost completely different, more cinnamon/licorice-like. Darn it's been so long, I can't remember the taste. Unless they are trying Asian recipes, they probably wouldn't enjoy it.

Our garage is semi-heated so I have the Confection squash there. Last year it was kept under my husband's workbench in the cellar. The Pennsylvania Crook Necks are sitting on a bench in another part of the cellar where it is cooler. The cellar used to be very damp (old fieldstone foundation) but a few years ago the walls were sprayed to keep out moisture. So far so good. Those are also supposed to keep for 6 mos. I wasn't going to grow them again since like many butterNut types, they are watery but a recipe for caramelized squash was fantastic (roasted with brown sugar). Confection is very dry so I have used it mashed or cubed for Thai curries or other casseroles. I use either squash in recipes for baked goods esp my favorite pumpkin ale bread.

I usually add either lime or wood ashes to the garden. We burn wood so there's always plenty of ashes available. I found a source of nicely composted horse manure on Craigslist. The owner mixes manure, kitchen scaps, ashes, etc and turns the pile with his tractor bucket all winter. In the spring it is beautiful and he only charges a nominal fee to load our utility trailer. When I build a lasagna style bed, I give some of the layers a good sprinkle of ashes. I need to re-check suggested application amounts.

I love Alaska nasturtiums because the leaves are so pretty. Two years ago I had a lovely yellow climbing nasturtium that did great. Last year it was a bust and didn't climb the ladder I have leaning against the wall. I might not have watered it enough since water priority went to the veggies beds last year because it was so dry.

I have cooked with flowers in the past but I'm not a big fan. I grew borage last year specifically for the pretty blue flowers that taste of cucumber but never used it. I have started file folders for recipes to use during different times in the garden year when there's a lot of sugar snaps, spinach or zukes. I started digging out my old herb recipes that I put aside when I didn't have fresh herbs to use. i.e. Rosemary jelly is very nice and good in thumbprint cookies. Opened up pickled tarragon sugar snaps this weekend. Some people liked them, others didn't because of the tarragon flavor and red peppers.

The bizarre cucumber from Baker Creek was Poona Kheara. Very nice eaten fresh. You don't have to peel but the skin turns brown as it gets bigger. Starts off almost white. Seemed ok in pickles but I just did easy recipes like freezer dills.

I am a very unique gardener. I plant dumpster seeds and dead agway plants. the owner of the marina I work for also owns our local agway. when he has plants that are no longer saleable he tells me to stop by and he loads my truck. (10 years ago 40 grapes in november, 6 came back in spring). seed that is 2 years old in bulk and he wont guarantee. I wantabe farm about 10 ac 3ac tilled. I have 20 fruit trees this year in good shape that have no tags, he could't sell that way. I till about a 1/4 ac in the fall for when he cleans out his green house in the spring I transplant what comes back and I can semi identify. He comes to my house in the summer and fall and picks what he wants. apples peaches plumbs pears squash corn blueberries rasberries potatoes get the pic. we try to guess if we are eating a marshall mac summer mac or an early cortland.

Hi defrost, sorry I missed your post.

Thanks I'll have to try that Thai Basil, I like cinnamon and licorice flavor.

I guess my house is just not going to be cool enough to keep squashes over the winter and with my family's disinterest, I think I'm going to stick to zucchini for now. I'm going to grow some pumpkin this year, which I think we will use at least into early winter.

We rarely burn wood, so no wood ashes. Definitely need a soil test this year.

I ordered Jewel Mix and Alaska Mix Nasturtiums this year. I haven't tried using flowers in cooking yet, at all.

I forgot strawberries and peas. I have a half acre in two
gardens and three raised beds. I grow enough to feed three families.

Well I am new to gardening and mine seems tiny now compared to all of you but this year (year #2 for me) I do have some new plants I am excited to try:

Tomatoes:
Green Zebra and Aunt Rubys-both are Green Tomatoes
The rest will be probably Celebrity or Rutgers

Hot Peppers:
Habaneros 2-3 plants
Jalapenos 6-7
Ghost Pepper- hopefully 2 or 3
Peter Pepper 2 or 3

Bell Peppers:
Green Red Yellow Purple and White

Beets, Cucumbers, Onions, Beans and Rhubarb will be added too. I am still trying to figure out exact varieties though.

Oriental Poppies, Gladiator Alliums, HollyHocks, Delphiniums, Bells of Ireland, Babies Breath, Mint, Hardy Carnations, Shasta Daisies, Painted Daisies, Tulips, Daffodils, Hardy Gladiolus, Cannas, Red Hot Pokers, Star Gazers, Ixia, Laitris, Black Eye Susans, Bachelour Button, Passion Clamitis, Rainbow Butterfly Bush, Orange Trumpet Vine, Purple & Green Envy Coneflower,Green Wizard, Tall Phlox, Columbine, Lavendar, Roses, Lenten Roses, Toad Lily, Mums, Pansy, Lily of the Valley, Dutchman Britches, Crimson Coral Bells, Cycleman, Pink Primrose, Zebra Mallow, and Canterbury Bells.

So far this year in my veggie garden I am growing:

pumpkins
watermelons
bush beans
wax bush beans
sweet corn
tomatoes
radishes
carrots
spinach
kale (ornamental just to look pretty)
peas
peppers
cilantro
basil
parsly
chives
canteloupe

Everytime I go to the store I end up with another pack of seeds though so the list is ever changing. LOL*

I am looking for a thin skinned (no spines), burpless, non bitter and great flavor for kids to eat right off the vine.
Thanks.

So far this year, I have got red and green cabbage, broccoli, Cascadia sugar snap peas, Tall Telephone peas, Snow Peas, and Texas Grano onions growing. Tommorrow I am planting tomatoes, Roma, Rutgers, German Queen, Mr Stripey, and Sweet 100, Moon and Stars Watermelon, Yellow straightneck squash, Sumpter cucumbers, Roma green beans, Henderson's best Lima Beans, Sweet Basil, Oregano, various flowers, Zuchinni, Tam jalapenos, orange bells, green bells, Ichiban eggplant, and Dill, Tromboncino squash, and maybe some more Swiss Chard :-)

This is my list. It snowed again today so it's going to be a little while yet until I can get these out. I do have a nice little collections of tomatoes, peppers, leeks, Brussels sprouts, and chives stated inside now.

So of these, like the peppers and cucumbers are going to be kinda iffy up here in Alaska but I want to experiment with some soil warming techniques and container gardening so I thought I'd give them a try.

Greens:
Arugula
Mache
Butterball Lettuce
Red leaf Lettuce
Mesclun mix (I have a couple of different varieties)
Kale, Russian Red
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Bok Choy

Tomatos:
Sub-Artic 25
Polar Beauty
Early Tanana
Siberian
Yellow Pear
Tomitillo

Peppers:
Sweet baby bell
Bell
Chilli

Brussels Sprouts
Red Cabbage
Carrots, Scarlet Nantes
Beets, Early Wonder
Parsnip
Turnip, White Egg
Rutabaga
Potatoes (haven't totally decided on what yet...waiting to see what my local store gets in)
Garlic
Scallions
Leeks
Fava Beans
Green Bean, provider
Scarlet Runner
Snap Peas, Sugar Ann and Sugar Snap
Peas, Freezonian
Cucumber, modern early

Strawberries (in hanging planter)
Nasturtiums

Herbs:
Chives
Garlic chives
Basil
Dill

I just started a garden blog to act as a journal for my gardening adventures. Come follow along if you're interested in gardening in the north.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog