Garden Seed Time

I collect packets of garden seeds like some women collect shoes.  By the middle of January no less than 10 different seed companies have sent me their catalogs. I study them all carefully and choose one or two to purchase those seeds I know won't be on the racks in any of the stores.

All through the summer and fall it seems like every store I enter has a display with garden seeds for sale. I check out every one and add a packet or two to my collection. This is not just simply hoarding little paper packets of seeds. Weather permitting I try to plant at least three main gardens a year with continuous succession planting of lettuces, spinach and other short season crops.

The first garden will hopefully be broccoli and lettuce set out in April from seeds I started in doors this weekend. Also, in early April I'll  plant peas, spinach and beets directly into the garden soil, again weather permitting.

By the end of May or first of June the soil is warm enough to plant beans, pumpkins, cucumber and set out tomato, pepper,  melon and sweet potato plants. These are long season crops and will most likely be harvested  late July through mid September. I'll also plant more lettuce, mostly romaine types or red leaf types that take summer heat well. If I want more green or wax beans I'll do a second planting of them as well.

Just after the 4th of July, I'll plant Swiss chard, more beets, direct seed fall broccoli and Chinese cabbage.  Then around the first of August, more lettuce, this time a fall blend of butter heads and other leaf types as well as romaine, and also spinach and more beets.

I keep planting lettuce right through the middle of September and will continue to harvest it with a little help from floating row cover, right through October and into November.

I have a wonderful stand of asparagus - two 50 foot rows - and get enough to freeze, eat fresh everyday for six weeks and give away.

I also have a couple dozen strawberry plants, June bearing.  All in all, the garden provides me more than enough fresh vegetable for fresh eating, freezing and canning. An added benefit is the great exercise I get from turning the soil, weeding and watering, not to mention harvesting.