Because I save seed for heirlooms, I grow different varieties each year, in rotation. That means I may grow an orange tomato & a purple snap bean each year, but a different variety of that type each year. I'm also still doing new trials each year, but as my collection has grown, there's not as much room for trials as in years past.

There is a very small number of my best performers that I grow every year; one tomato (Elfin), three peppers (Beaver Dam, Greygo, Pizza), Miracle sweet corn, and Tromboncino squash.

Some stuff like tomatoes I tinker with. For some stuff like brocoli Brussels sprouts and cabbage I grow the same stuff every year because they grow well in my area. Waltham 29, early dividends for brocoli . Brussels are Jade Cross and they do well. This year cabbage maggots took down a few jade crosses so I went and found some other seedlings. New yorks or long islands or something like that and they don't do that well. They're crop is the size of peas and my remaining jade cross has dime and nickel sized sprouts. Hopefully now that it's cooling down they get into gear and produce. Only have about 30 days left

I have it pretty down pat for what I want to grow.

Yeah, those of us who enjoy heirlooms often grow the same varieties year to year. As mentioned above though, there's still room for diversity. Self-pollinating crops are less problematic, but if I want to harvest seeds, unless I protect the flowers, I have to only let one variety go to seed per year. Once I have a good amount of seeds of a variety, I can diversify in the next year. Most seeds remain viable for a 'long-enough' time to skip a year or 3 before having to refresh the supply. The other considerations for me are space, and the costs involved. I just don't have room for the many varieties I would love to give a try, and unless there's something that I have definitively decided to add, I wait for sales.

I mostly grow heirlooms, but I'm always looking for new varieties to try. I love vegetables and there are certain ones I grow every year because I enjoy eating them so much. I find some new favorites every year, which of course, leads to expanding my gardening space......you know how that goes!

What I like and does well for me, that I stick with. That is easier with open pollinated, since a single hybrid developer usually cannot pull the plug. But I will stick with a hybrid that I like as long as I can get it.

I usually grow the same varieties of veggies, except for tomatoes.

This year, I am experimenting with new-to-me varieties of eggplant, bell peppers, and pole beans, but it's so much easier to limit it to one or two varieties.

Growing tomatoes is a whole different thing because I keep reading about different varieties that I HAVE to try, and end up growing far more than I can possibly use, even though I give them away, make sauce, dehydrate them and feed them to the dogs.

Linda

Marie c: I hear you lol. Moved into this place early June 2014 and made the garden 15 x 20. This year expanded to 16 x 22. Looking to expand next year again :/ 16 X 24. Wife initially didn't want the garden to be too big on our lot which is almost an acre. But um the larger the garden is the less grass there is to mow ;) might even be larger next year. I am switching from a plastic deer fence kit to wire fence and I need 2 50 foot rolls. May as well use all 100 feet