The sun is shining and I am in full Spring mode! The crocuses are blooming, tulips are on their way, and my garlic has come up. As a season of beginnings, it is also the perfect time to write about the beginning of my gardening season. I wrote about harvesting my garden in the fall, but this post is about how I actually put my garden together. I am definitely not an expert, but I’m learning as I go along, and am enjoying every minute (mostly)!
I started most of my seeds indoors in March, excluding the seeds that are direct sow, meaning you plant them directly in the garden. We usually have a large bag of Pro-Mix HP (high perlite) from Canadian Tire year round, so I use that until it runs out. My go-to “vessels” are egg cartons, red solo cups (holes poked in the bottom), and our stacks of pots that we have accumulated over the years. I also love peat pots, and you can actually get these at Dollarama. I had a table set up inside for the first few weeks, and then I moved everything into our greenhouse as soon as the temperatures stopped dropping below zero at night.
Here is my list so far!
Vegetables: Tomatoes (San Marzano, Yellow Pear, Bonnie Best, Scotia), cucumbers (Long English, Muncher, Pickling), broccoli (Gypsy), cauliflower (Freedom), red kale, Shikou eggplant, Lancelot leeks, peppers (Anaheim, Traveller, Bell), red cabbage, greens (Buttercrunch lettuce, Red Leaf lettuce, Romaine lettuce, Iceberg lettuce, arugula, microgreens… I have a greens obsession), honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon (red and yellow), zucchini, acorn squash, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, swiss chard and artichokes.
Flowers: Marigolds from my plants last year, Eskimo Marigolds, Zinnias (several varieties), Bachelor Buttons, Phlox, Shasta Daisies, Nasturtiums, Lupines, Sweet Peas, Rudbeckia, Hollyhock, Delphiniums, Aster, Sunflowers (4 varieties), Cosmos.
Herbs: Chamomile, echinacea, Sweet basil, Mammoth basil, garlic chives, cilantro, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, spearmint and parsley. If any of you have seen my garden, you know that I will never have to plant dill again. There was already dill when we moved in, and it grows rampant all over the garden. Let me know if you ever want some 🙂 I usually buy my rosemary as a plant, as I haven’t had much luck growing it from seed, but I’m hoping my plant from last year survived.
Direct Sow (not planted yet): Beans, peas, carrots, radishes, potatoes, onions, beets, turnips, parsnips, corn.
If you’re thinking, that’s a lot, I do have a really big space, so I’m trying to utilize it as best as I can. I am also very lucky that my mom is an avid gardener, and that she invites me to “shop” for seeds in her “garden store” each year. She always has a HUGE selection, and even though she is more adventurous and tries a lot more than I do, I am so grateful that she and I can share our seeds, our produce, our knowledge, etc. I have learned so much from her over the years!
My philosophy for gardening is surprisingly relaxed (not a word people generally associate me with), but I plant what I like, it’s usually messy because my kids help, and if something doesn’t work, I don’t get bogged down by it. I love fresh vegetables, and I also love canning and freezing things (again, thank you to my mom), but I also LOVE flowers. Last year I had mostly marigolds and zinnias, but I had countless bouquets all summer and fall. So this year I decided to try a variety of other flowers. They bring me SO much joy. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always wandering around, picking flowers and arranging bouquets.
Over the next few weeks, I will probably start thinking of where I want to put everything. I try to map it out on a piece of paper each year, and it really helps me visualize where everything will fit. I also move everything around each year. Here are a few tips to help you get started 🙂
Tips from a non-expert gardener:
- Write a list of what you want. Then you’ll know what seeds you already have and what seeds you need to buy. I always find that I pick up a few interesting things when I’m seed shopping that I didn’t even know I wanted.
- Start small if you’re overwhelmed. The first year I gardened, I only grew some herbs and greens, some tomatoes and some peas.
- Label your pots (you will not remember later, trust me).
- Map it out while looking at a “companion plants” chart. You can find them on pinterest, and they help you know what grows well together and what doesn’t. https://www.permaculturenews.org/2013/06/20/companion-planting-chart/
- Let your kids help 🙂 Enjoy getting your hands dirty, marvelling at the tiny sprouts that pop up and watching them grow!
- Just start, whether you know what you’re doing or not!!
The gardening cycle is so satisfying… getting to start from a seed and eventually filling my home with food that we grew together. Everything tastes better. Getting in the dirt is good for the soul and having your body ache in a good way feels amazing. I hope you learned a little something (trust me, the learning journey never ends) or simply feel inspired to get started on your own garden!
