Starting from Seed

Most of the plants in my garden are grown from seed. This year I started to wonder about the possibility of saving seeds from these plants and using them next year. I know that some plants are hybrids and that the seeds from those may not be able to germinate. I'm hoping the good folks at Burpee can let me know if I can save seeds from this year's Cherry Belle Radish.

I let just one of them "go to seed." I got impatient over the weekend and asked my father when the seeds would show up. He said after the flowers died off. If nothing else the flowers were lovely. Lo and behold, this morning I was rewarded with what appear to be seed pods! Next I have to figure out when to harvest the seeds, how to dry and save them.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

In mere months, I intend to turn this adorable little seedling into a 50+ pound pumpkin. I have promised stepson a pumpkin that weighs more than he does. Thank goodness he's a teeny guy, so it won't be that hard to deliver.

Burpee's Prizewinner promises a huge pumpkin. Most customer reviews state an average 60 pounds. It's supposed to be possible to get over 100 pounds. But I'm setting my sights a little lower. After all, last year's pumpkins turned out to be one green gourd smaller than a football.

The seedlings came up in less than 7 days. Three of the five have sprouted (and the other two may still), with this one looking like the clear winner. I've got so many tips I've heard over the years. I've even heard some folks inject milk directly into the vine! But here's basics from the folks at Organic Gardening.

Ch-ch-changes...

Welcome to Reservoir Gardens version 2.1!

See that trellis back there? I built it. Of course my husband had to one up me by asking why I didn't just tie it to the posts with twine instead of my brilliant idea of using his drill, some 2 inch screws and the world's longest extension cord to put it together. Whatever. Just because I already had the twine out to string between the bamboo poles where the green beans are going to grow...

So, yes, it's true, the green beans are planted. They will still have plenty of time to come up. Sixty days from planting will put me at harvest in mid-August right into early fall. No problem.

Behind the peppers we have 3 rows of celery. I planted those seeds today. Okay, I realize that is REALLY late, but I had killed all my seedlings when I started them earlier. I thought I used the entire seed pack when I started indoors, but they just magically turned up yesterday.

Up along the three sections of my beautiful trellis we have eggplant (those seedlings didn't die), butternut squash, and cucumber. I'm okay with it if we don't get the cucumbers. They're just for the husband and even he can't eat that many salads.

Out in front, next to the black, plastic wrapped sections I planted my sugar pumpkins and the giant pumpkins that I promised my stepson. Both varieties are already sprouted in less than a week! More on those tomorrow.

Today I also transplanted some sage to nestle in with the peppers and some garlic into the corner to the right of the trellis. They weren't doing so well over in the herb bed by the house, just a couple rows next to the house weren't getting enough water.

I think I'm finally set with the garden the way it is. So many plans on how to do it better (mostly just do it all SOONER!) next year.

A little big?

I've always wanted to put a flag up in the holder screwed to the front of the house. I just never got around to buying one until this weekend. Looks a little big, though...

But don't you love the huechera and azaleas out front? I'm so glad my husband is always willing to dig and move plants on my whim--those azaleas were a little deeper than I could get to.

My Garden Grows...

...glass. Yes, glass. I wish I had a picture of all I found while I was "pre-weeding" the garden. Pretty sure the yard was a hangout for beer-drinking teens during the 18 months the house was empty before we moved in.

Decided that next year I will pre-weed before I burn...so hard to find the little buggers when they're not sprouting! Pre-weeding finished on Saturday morning and by noon all the pathways and 3'x3' squares were cordoned off with twine.

Onion sets are down, peas are down (so late with those!), radish, carrots and spinach are down. The garlic cloves are down in the herb garden.

What else does my garden grow? Here's the complete listing for this year...

16 Vegetables, 22 Varietals
Spacemaster Cucumber
Big Mama Tomatoes
Health Kick Tomatoes
Purple Rain Eggplant (if I say Prince eats these, do you think my husband will?)
Bush Blue Lake 47 Green Beans
Beananza Green Beans
Tall Utah Celery
Blockbuster Peppers
Godfather Peppers
Cherry Belle Radish
Danvers Half-Long Carrots (a local favorite?)
Sugar Snax Carrots
Baby Leaf Spinach
RSVPea Peas
Butterbush Squash
Hollow Crown Parsnip
Onions - Red, White, and Yellow
Heirloom Small Sugar Pumpkin
Prizewinner Hybrid Pumpkin
Rhubarb

Yep. The rhubarb's the only original item left in the bed. Though I wouldn't be surprised if a few of those strawberries snuck back in, they sure were hard to dig up. The asparagus? That scary looking root octopus now resides in my folks' backyard. I wish him well.

I've made big plans this year. I've ordered quality seeds from Burpee instead of the 3 for $1 packs at the discount store that are leftover from last year's stock. I'm planting a lot more items and keeping things a little closer together (faux square foot gardening), because the weeding last year was ridiculous.

Think I'm overdoing it? Yeah, me, too. I've never grown half of these things before and I don't even like some of them. No idea what I'm doing. Between the Burpee site and a copy of Month-by-Month Gardening in New England (thanks KM!) I hope I can learn enough to make all this work worth it.