In years past, I would eagerly await the arrival of the new seed catalogs. Then I would sit down with my notepad, and come up with a list of things I wanted to grow in the coming year. These days by the time the catalogs arrive I already have a good start on my growout list. I get a lot of great ideas by reading about my fellow garden bloggers growing experiences. For instance, this year I plan on growing the Gingaku melon that did so well for Phuong (Kentucky Fried Garden) last year. I also want to try the Mellow Star shishito pepper that Will (Eight Gate Farm) has grown the last couple of years. I’m planning to grow Win-Win choi, thanks to Norma’s (Garden to Wok) experiments with growing it in a container. And the Portugese kale Tronchuda Beira is coming back, after seeing it show up often in Michelle’s (From Seed To Table) harvest basket.
Tronchuda Beira from 2012
Other ideas come from my own growing and eating experiences. After buying some Korean gochugaru pepper flakes, I went looking for pepper seed so I can grow it myself this year. I found a couple of candidates, Korean Hot (Refining Fire Chiles) and Lady Choi (Kitazawa). And dismal experiences recently with growing heirloom beefsteak tomatoes has led me to try the hybrid Heirloom Marriage tomatoes Cherokee Carbon, Genuwine and Big Brandy. These are hybrids created by crossing two different heirloom tomatoes, so hopefully the offspring will have not only hybrid vigor but also the good flavor of their parents. And I’m looking forward to growing more of the Artisan Seeds unreleased test varieties of tomatoes. I had a lot of fun (and ate a lot of good tomatoes) last year with the test tomatoes, as well as the other Artisan Seeds tomatoes that have already been released.
Artisan Seeds tomatoes
I always like to grow a lot of different squashes, both summer and winter kinds. This year I want to try the yellow striped zucchini called Sunstripe. And I found several winter squash to trial, including a moschata type called Tahitian Melon and an heirloom acorn type originally from Missouri called Thelma Sanders. I also want to try the Japanese hybrid Tetsukabuto that did so well for Mike (Mike’s Bean Patch). And I want to try the Dickinson Pumpkin and see how it does for me here. I plan to grow my old standbys too like White Scallop, Striata d’Italia, Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck (aka neck pumpkin) and Seminole.
Striata d’Italia zucchini and White Scallop Squash
I love to experiment with growing new things, so my growing list is always long. There are always last-minute changes to my list, but this is my current list as to what I plan on growing this year. I’ve already received a few seeds, and I will work on getting the rest ordered in the next month or so. It will be time to start seeds before you know it!
Mei Qing pac choi
Varieties I am growing for the first time are marked with an *.
Asian Greens: Carlton komatsuna, Koji tatsoi*, Mizspoona Salad Select, Mei Qing Pak Choi, Red Kingdom mustard*, Red Pac Choi, Vivid Choi, Win-Win Choi*
Basil: Italian Pesto, Italiano Classico, Licorice, Mrihani, Persian, Profuma di Genova, Queenette Thai, Rosie, Sweet Thai
Beans (bush): Derby
Beans (pole): Early Riser*, Fortex, Gold Marie, Musica, Robe Mountain, NT Half Runner*, Trionfo Violetto, Withners White Cornfield*
Broccoli: Apollo, Artwork, Bay Meadows, Blue Wind*, Diplomat, Green Magic, Gypsy, Imperial, Packman, Santee (PSB)*
Cabbage: Farao, KY Cross, Kaitlin*, Katarina, Little Jade (napa), Melissa Savoy, Minuet (napa), Pixie, Primo Vantage, Soloist (napa), Tendersweet, Tiara*, Tronchuda Beira
Cucumber: Corinto, Diva, Green Fingers, Manny, Socrates*, Summer Dance, Tasty Jade
Eggplant: Dancer, Fairy Tale, Galine, Nadia
Garlic: Basque*, German Red, Godfather’s Italian*, Idaho Silver, Killarney Red, Lorz Italian, Maiskij, Nootka Rose, Red Janice, Red Toch, Russian Red, Shilla, Siciliano, Silver White, Simonetti, Spanish Roja, Uzbek, Xian
Greens: Adagio arugula, Apollo arugula, Golden Corn Salad, Granon Corn Salad, Speedy arugula
Kale: Beedy’s Camden, Dazzling Blue, Improved Siberian, Madeley, Meadowlark, Nash’s Green*, Prizm, Purple Peacock, Red Ursa, Western Front, White Russian, Wild Garden Mix
Kohlrabi: Kolibri, Konan, Kossak, Superschmeltz
Lettuce: Anuenue, Black Seeded Simpson, Cardinale, Hanson, Jester, Oak Leaf, Outstanding, Pele, Radichetta, Red Sails, Sierra, Simpson Elite, Slobolt, Smile, Three Heart, Total Clown, Unicum, Tango, Winter Density
Onion: Candy, I’itoi, Red Torpedo Tropea, Sierra Blanca, Yellow Potato*
Parsley: Georgian Flatleaf, Giant From Italy, Hungarian Landrace, Moss Curled, Splendid
Peas: Avalanche, Oregon Sugar Pod 2, Sugar Ann
Pepper(hot): Aji Angelo, Aji Golden, Aji Panca, Anaheim, Ancho 211, Biggie Chili, Cayenneta, Criolla Sella Chili, Emerald Fire*, Farmers Market Jalapeno*, Flaming Flare, Guajillo, Highlander*, Hot Happy Yummy, Holy Mole, Kaleidoscope, Korean Hot*, Lady Choi*, Malawi Piquante, Minero, Numex Garnet*, Numex Primavera Jalapeno*, Numex R Naky*, Senorita Jalapeno
Pepper (sweet): Cece*, Cornito Giallo, Cornito Rosso*, Doux Des Landes*, Dulce Rojo, Escamillo, Glow, Jimmy Nardello’s, Mellow Star*, Numex Sweet*, Orange Blaze, Pritavit, Sweet Happy Yummy, Topepo Rosso
Pumpkin: Dickinson*, Pepitas, Winter Luxury*
Radish: Alpine, April Cross, Summer Cross #3*, Shunkyo
Shallots: Conservor*, Dutch Yellow*
Spinach: Gigante Inverno (Giant Winter), Space, Verdil*, Viroflay
Squash(summer): Astia, Bossa Nova, Clarimore, Daize*, Enterprise, Romanesco, Sunstripe*, Striato d’Italia, Tatume, White Scallop
Squash(winter): Buffy*, Butternut Rugosa, Butterscotch, Cornell’s Bush Delicata, Early Butternut, Honeybaby*, Honeyboat Delicata, Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck, Pinata*, Seminole, Tahitian Melon*, Tetsukabuto*, Thelma Sanders*, Tromba d’Albenga
Sweet Potatoes: Beauregard, Bonita, Indiana Gold, Korean Purple, Purple, Red Japanese, Redmar
Tomatoes: Better Boy, Big Brandy*, Black Cherry, Blush, Captain Lucky, Celebrity, Champagne, Chef’s Choice Green, Chef’s Choice Orange, Chef’s Choice Pink*, Chef’s Choice Yellow*, Cherokee Carbon*, Garden Gem, Garden Treasure, Genuwine*, Golden Rave, Green Tiger, Health Kick, Jetsetter, Juliet, Lucky Tiger, Marzano Fire, Marzinera*, Mexico Midget, Orange Jazz, Purple Bumblebee, Sun Gold, Sunpeach*, Sun Sugar, Sunrise Bumblebee, Super Sweet 100, Vinson Watts, Viva Italia
Turnips: Hakurei, Nozawana, Oasis, Royal Crown, Scarlet Ohno Revival, Tsugaru Scarlet
We have been putting together orders too.
Wow! I’m not sure who has the more ambitious grow list, you or me. I’m just putting together my list and have already ordered/received quite a bit already. Now I have to go through my seeds and see what I may have purchased for last year but didn’t get around to growing, I know there’s a few of those. And then I have to decide what’s coming back and what isn’t. The heirloom tomato crosses look interesting. One of the tomatoes that I have been growing for a few years now is a cross between Brandywine and an Italian tomato. Cool weather tolerant Chianti Rose does far better than the heat loving Brandywine ever did for me here.
I just placed my seed order! After a year off from gardening (caused by yet another house sale and move), I’m ready to get going at the new place. Hopefully we stay here awhile!
I wish you good growing in your new spot Liz! I remember starting from scratch here at Happy Acres. It was fun but a lot of work.
Do you not grow carrots and beets?
I’m not a fan of beets or chard, and I am taking a break from growing carrots this year since they require more effort than many other crops and I’ve had trouble with them in the past. I’m also skipping potatoes this year, and growing more sweet potatoes in their place. It’s not on the list yet, but okra is making a comeback if I can find room for a few plants. I really like the looks of the new red Candle Fire okra.
You certainly have enough variety without beets, carrots or chard! All three grow well for me here in MT. Potatoes can be tricky here since the plants are sensitive to frost. I grew potatoes once, but the skins were scabby, I may try them again in different soil this year. I noticed you also don’t have broccoli raab on your list this year, did it not grow well for you? Where do you buy the pele and jester lettuce seed?
I really like the viroflay spinach for salads, very pretty light green color too.
The broccoli raab did well, but I decided the timing was tricky and other greens were easier to grow. I get the Pele and Jester seed from Wild Garden Seeds, and they have a great selection of lettuce varieties.