I fear vegetables.

C.

I fear them too-- I fear disappointment. My tomatoes, peppers and eggplant didn't do too well. I don't think I have enough sun. Are there any veggies that will do well with 5-6 hrs of sun?

Not me!

I fear the bugs.

I fear the fact that if you grow ONE stupid zucchini, they take over your life and you lose all your friends.

C.

Say veggies and my mind flashes back to the tomatoe tasting. HO yum!!! I've had my nose stuck in catalogs and Dr Caroline's book drooling over all the lucious tomatoes. So many choices and so hard to decide.
I'd also love to do pumpkins and gourds. Then I worry about the SVB's. I have lots of space but limited amounts of time and mulch so I need to make choices and limit myself.
Definately a worry about bugs. Alaska has lots of bugs but they prefer red blood to plant juice.
Picture cabbages and collards with NO aphids or cabbage moths. Tomatoes with no hornworms etc.

Oh no.. I see angst from everyone already...Ouch!!

My philosophy this year will be to deal with whatever happens with weather and insects/bugs when it happens. No sense in worrying about what hasn't happened yet. Who knows...this might just be a bumper crop year for something other than bugs and bad weather during the growing season.

I do hope everyone is enjoying their seed catalogs....
I think I might try to grow something completely different from what I have grown in the past. I need new challenges.

For now....stay warm everyone...and "think spring"
I will look forward to our swap.

Bonnie

I'm going to grow more herbs. They'll go great with all the fun veggies I buy from my friends at the farmers market. Although, those little hot peppers make fun bits of color in the border.

I plant tomatoes every year and enjoy them until the pests and diseases get the better of them. Works for me. And a couple of pots of herbs. I would love to have zucchini galore, but unless I plant it in a perennial garden there's no spot here with enough sun. Tabassam, have you tried growing tomatoes in pots on the patio? That's what I do, as it's the only area with good sun.

Me personally....I haven't decided yet because my house is up for sale, so I'll wait until we find a new house and move. No sense in planning if I may not be living here, right?!

I plant a limited amount of veggies and stick more to herbs and flowers. I don't use any chemicals and rely mainly on beneficial insects for pest control. My veggies always have some sort of critters snacking on them. It doesn't bother me much with flowers but I don't want to cut into a head of cabbage and find little green worms, blech!
Karyn

I'm going to move my tomatoes this year, and probably have them in multiple locations (since I'm involved in the dwarf project and will be growing out my share of the F2s this year). Beans once again - will restring the setup behind the strawberries. I'd love to have squash, but unfortunately the squirrels love them also!

Pests - probably this is the year I look into organic disease control for tomatoes (rather than none at all), as last year was NOT a good year for them.

Still organizing the fruits - need to cut the figs back hard, as they are out of my reach, need to establish more raspberries along the fence, need to feed/mulch/rejuvenate the strawberry beds. Fortunately I've had few disease or pest problems with those, though black aphids are still an issue with the strawberries. Any ideas?

Robin

I'm trying very hard to control myself with the seed catalogs but failing miserably (as I do every year). To make it even worse, I just learned that the oldest seed company in the US (D. Landreth) has relocated to my town -- New Freedom, PA.

Since I'm originally from Baltimore, I'm going to try an heirloom tomato called "Greater Baltimore." I also want to try "Silvery Fir Tree" and "Brandywine" tomatoes. I'll also be growing "Mortgage Lifter" and "Yellow Pear" as I do every year. My dad loves "Early White Bush Scallop" (pattypan) squash so I'll have a hill or two of that and I'm also looking for pie melon seeds (see here). I had great success with shallots last year so I'll have them again. My heading cabbage didn't do well (bugs) and my Chinese cabbage bolted but I'll have bok choi again since it did very well. I want to try pole beans this year and would also like to have some peas. A couple of rows of beets and some swiss chard plus green peppers, jalapeno peppers and eggplants will round things out. Maybe okra? Carrots? Definitely kohlrabi.

I've been laid up since late September with ankle surgery and am more anxious than usual to get out in the garden. Of course, the mild winter weather only lasted until I was finally released by the doctor for normal activity and now it's freezing and nasty. I'm going to have a lot of cleanup to do before I can plant anything this spring. Ah well, gardeners are nothing if not optimistic.

Rich

I'm going to add some raised veggie beds (an L shape, 3', by 15' x 27'), there are already some plants, roses, agastache, & quite a slope)-lttle bit of everything-tomatoes, peppers, cukes, zucchini, herbs-I originally thought about straw bales, but now I think i will just try & fence it all in w/ boards-paper bags/newspaper on the bottom, compost, shredded leaves, peat, etc. on top.

One plant that I absolutely loved last year was purple fennel, it grew like crazy!-I'm going to try & start some from seed this year...

Rich, I can share seeds of silvery fir tree if you don't already have them. I generally only plant one plant of each so I have spares.
Margeidear, I'm near Crisfield. Can't be TOO far from anyplace else on the peninsula. Good to see someone else from the shore.
BB