Choosing What to Plant

I remember getting ready for our first garden! There I was standing in front of the seed rack, reminiscing about my parents’ garden when I was a child. What usually goes in a garden!? I chose the popular choices like cucumbers and tomatoes. Those are great choices, but I didn’t have a plan or a method for my gardening madness!

Fast-forward two years since the trial and error of that first garden and I can definitely say, “We’ve come a long way baby!” We didn’t even harvest enough to get us through one week! We’re still learning, but it is our hope that we can help someone have a successful gardening season.

What’s On The Menu?

For us, we choose to plant what we like to eat!  One of our favorite staples is  beans, therefore, we will be planting a variety of beans.  We’ll also plant something for everyone.  The boys really like tomatoes, Shaun’s into peppers and one of my favs is spinach.  

We also like to mix it up a bit, planting food you can’t find in a regular grocery store.  There’s a massive amount of heirloom vegetables not readily available at our local market.

Shelf Stable 

“Shelf Stable” meaning food that can be stored for at minimum six months, whether that be through preservation or curing (i.e. squash with hard skin).  There’s a large variety of squash that are good to store away once they have hardened (cured) in the sun for 2 weeks.  This year we have sown seeds inside of butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and sugar pie pumpkin.  

I’ll also be freezing and canning beans, tomatoes, chard and hopefully, we’ll have enough watermelon to freeze.  Already sprouting is your common kitchen herbs.  These can be stored for long periods through dehydration or freezing.  Picture it:  an herb rack loaded with your homegrown collection!

For the majority of your space think long term.  Things like radishes, which I love, are not going to sustain you through the year.  Our goal is sustainability and getting our grocery bill down!  To eat healthy is expensive, so we have to garden.  Otherwise, it just doesn’t work for us.

Just for Fun

To keep things interesting and enjoyable, reserve a section for the kids.  They will be thrilled to actually eat the results of their work and most kids enjoy playing in the dirt or finding worms!  I let my kiddos choose what they want to plant.  Thus far, their choices have been watermelon and corn, but that’s what they like to eat.  They are always excited to watch the process from the tiniest sprout to the table.

Helpful Garden Tools

One of my favorite tools for gardening is a Warren hoe. I use this for weeding and making furrows! This hoe is triangle-shaped with a long handle.  The action happens at the point of the triangle and is what makes this hoe so useful.  Here is one that will last from a solid company and it is made in the USA. 

Another helpful garden tool is the trowel.  Great for digging holes when transplanting plant starts, planting bulbs, and I have found it very helpful when I happen upon a grub in the garden (eww)!  

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have the best gardening season yet!  

Please share, and subscribe.  Leave me a comment on what you’re planting this year!

Have a blessed day,

Alisha