Garden 2024: Well-Laid Plans
There's just so much optimism at the end of January.
We’re rounding the corner on January, folks, which can only mean one thing: I am dreaming dreams about the garden. Tis the season for seed catalogues and chuckling at their lil jokes, seeing what’s left from last year, drafting up a plan, and moving forward with confident, verdant delusion.
In March, you might already be fumbling with low germination rates or leggy starts. But in January and February, your garden is still perfect. And even if the muck of real life is arguably, ultimately better than the staid and pristine world of Platonic ideals, there’s something fun, creative even, about the imaginary, theoretical garden of deep winter.
This year, I will once again, and against the better judgement of experience, attempt to start seeds. I should mention as a sort of background to this whole saga, I have terrifically black thumbs. Two. Both. Really bad. But, for whatever reason, plant husbandry has been something I refuse to give up on. I am stubborn because I want it very, very much.
So: I’m going to start some seeds, my third time doing so. The first time I put them somewhere that Marjory said was, “just really cold” (not one started, oops); the second time, Matt let me know my lights were entirely too far away, which figures because last year’s beasts were all legs (but they started!).
What’s Going To Be The Same
It’s not just chilly legs! Here are some things I’m going to do the same.
Last year I bought myself some wire shelving to house starts. I also bought some grow lights. (Not a big fan of this particular outfit, but Amazon has plenty that aren’t too expensive.)
Two years ago (the chilly year), I bought some heat pads and trays that have those little dome-ish covers over them (there’s likely a name for this, I don’t care to care about that)—to hold in humidity.
Remembering and repeating prior successes! I’m pretty close to the water and don’t usually enjoy too many scorchers (yes, even recently), so here’s what grows well here: lettuce! radishes! onion friends like scallions and leeks (chives, of course, always hanging in there)! peas! beans (shell and green)! carrots! fennel! POTATOES! The latter is in CAPS because I thought I over-planted potatoes, but I was wrong. We ate them all, didn’t save a single one. I will do this again.
This is likely obvious, but the five existing raised beds will, you know, continue to exist. Plus, some new compost.
What’s Going To Be Different
The plugs that came with my trays melted under the heat of the lights (ew?), so those are no longer in play. I want to skip the whole plug-o-sphere and plant directly into little coir pots or these exciting MANURE (!) pots. Definitely comment if you have an opinion in either direction.
I’m moving my little seed-starting rig into a dark, nearly windowless room (fun!). Last year’s starts were reaching for the sun, another reason for the legs. They really know the difference between the actual sun and your silly little grow lights, thank you.
This year, I’ll rig up my lights with kitchen twine (or should I go fully Sandy Liang and do ribbons-and-bows?), so I can lower the lights way, way down—then lift them up little by little. Matt says to get only an inch or so away to avoid leggy starts.
Less (or no?) tomatoes. Every year is different, but last year we barely had a red tomato. Meanwhile, a nearly full time job of brutally murdering hornworms. I hope to never see anymore neon green guts. Ugh.
One more big bed; maybe more?!! Last year’s plan was to invest in four more garden beds, then add one more this year, plus a fence. But, of course, now that I’m staring down this plan… I want more. We’ll see.
A fence! I have enjoyed two summers of gardening fence-free, but right at the end of the season, the deer discovered what I’ve been up to. Any nice-looking, non-MMA-resembling fence ideas are very welcome.
I desperately want a Sunbubble.
A few dreams, not necessarily for this year: Oyster shell paths and, as mentioned in this week’s Click On This, a greenhouse à la Good Life Center. (I’d also gladly take one of these. 🙃)
What is to follow is horrifying and slightly embarrassing evidence of how bananas I went on the seed catalogs in years past. This is what I have in-house, currently:
Lettuces: Buttercrunch, Speckled Buttercrunch, Amish Bibb, Gildenstern, Garnet Gem, Ritzy. And for later on: Winter Marvel, Indigo Radicchio.
Peas: Beauregarde Snow Pea, Alaska Early, Emerald Archer.
Roots: Chioggia (x3!) and Robin Beets. Easter Egg and French Breakfast Radish. Yaya and Coral Carrot. Oasis Turnip.
Green Beans: Celine Filet, Maxibel Haricot Vert, Provider.
Shell Beans: Dragon Tongue, Purple Podded, Kenearly Yellow Eye.
Cukes: Mexican Gherkin, Lemon.
Tomatoes: Sun Gold Cherry, Berkley Tie Dye (heyy), and two princes: Sweet Prince and Black Prince.
Herbs: Genovese Basil, Bouquet Dill, Zloty Lan Chamomile, Gigante d’Italia Parsley.
Some flowers: Beneficial Insect Mix, Strawflower, Dhalias, Lupines.
A few odds and sods: Rainbow Kale, Oceanside Spinach, Monarch Celeriac (more royals, sheesh), Saffron Summer Squash, Cocozelle Zucchini, Lincoln Leeks, Sugar Baby Watermelon, Perfection Fennel, Tatsoi, Dakota Tears Onion.
My favorite seed catalog to read is FEDCO because of the unbridled comedy. I also buy seeds from Territorial, Row 7, Kitazawa, Johnny’s, Hudson Valley, and Plant Good Seed. Some of the flowers are Floret. Also on my radar: Grand Prismatic (for dye plants!), Piccolo (cutie pies, good for gifts), Second Generation Seeds. Please put your favorite seed companies in the comments. (I’ll put all this in The Source!!)
Surely, this is enough. Surely, I can be at peace.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Here is my wish/list:
Potatoes, of course!! Top varieties around here are Magic Molly and Carola.
Squashes and pumpkins*
Popcorn corn!*
Momotaro tomatoes
Scallions
Strawberries*
Grapes???*
*Asterisk indicates something new that I haven’t tried before!!
Plans! Should we even make them, knowing that they’ll never be exactly as we imagined? My thought is: Yes? I think? Also: It’s something to do in January.
Now you: Making any garden plans? How are they the same/different/indifferent to previous years?
I really enjoyed looking through this old article about California’s aging communes—especially love the photography of rapidly-decaying handmade buildings. (LINK)
This glass and green marble mansion from the 90s will take your breath away. At least, it took mine. (LINK)
I really, really dislike this piece of furniture, so much so that I just needed to show it to you. (LINK)
I don’t dislike this Westfalia with only 65k miles on it, wheee! (LINK)
Late to the comment section here, probably too late to be useful, but have you considered using soil-blocks in your trays instead of plugs or pods or anything? The two inch ones are pretty useful (the mold runs at about $40)(Johnny's Selected Seeds is where I got mine), you can fit about 36-40 in a standard tray. They also need to be much wetter than regular seed starting soil in order to work so maybe they'd be good for an otherwise black thumb?
A very delayed comment but for what it’s worth tomato hornworms turn into hawk moths which are the most incredible hummingbird sized moths and are amazing pollinators. Obviously doesn’t help your tomato crop whatsoever lol but they’re absolutely awe-inspiring.
Also highly recommend Turtle Tree Seeds!! Biodynamic farm in the Hudson valley with a huge variety of veggies and flowers.
I also have to make a plug for including some natives maybe outside of your glorious sounding veggie garden! Doug Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home is a great place to start. Also Rebel Hill Farm in Liberty, ME is my absolute favorite. The owners are so sweet and the plants are gorgeous and grown organically. Happy gardening!!!!!