What am I growing this year?
That is a question opens wide a door for hours of conversation about why I grow the varieties I’ve chosen and why I grow so many. The short version of that is simple. I believe in developing a balanced ecosystem. This means planting a wide variety of crops that attract a equally wide range of wildlife. Having balanced ecosystem means that at least one variety of my tomatoes will produce an abundant crop, even if a different one succumbs to disease. It also means I don’t have a need to use pesticides and chemicals. Not only is this a healthier way to grow your food but it also provides more diverse food for the table. Which, in turn, gives you a wider range of vitamins and minerals. Not to mention it keeps your dinner plate from becoming boring.
Below you will find what I am growing for 2019. I have no doubt I will add or subtract from this as the season progresses. Nevertheless, if they don’t make it into the soil this year, they will next year. Not all of these have I grown before and to be honest, many are new to me. This year is quickly becoming a year of exploration for me. That being said, I rarely have been disappointed with any variety I have grown in the past and if you plant diversely it shouldn’t be an issue if one beet doesn’t grow as big as the next.Â
Provider Bush
Gold Mine Bush Yellow Wax
Blue Lake F1 Pole Bean
Dragon Tongue Bush Bean |New
Urizun Japanese Winged |New
Benchmaster Runner |New
Scarlet Runner |New
Sunset Runner
Golden Sunshine Runner |New
Slippy Silks Pole Shelling |New
Cherokee Trail of Tears Pole Shelling
Good Mother Stallard Pole Shelling
Haricot Tarbais Pole Shelling |New
Masterpiece Fava |New
Kurzer’s Calico Travelers Lima |New
Christmas Pole Lima |New
Detroit Dark Red Beet
Early Wonder Beet
Rhonda F1 Beet
Touchstone Gold Beet
Bull’s Blood Beet
Shiraz Beet |New
Subeto Beet |New
Ruby Queen Beet |New
Golden Beet |New
Tokinashi Turnip |New
Navone Yellow Rutabaga |New
Champion Purple Top Rutabaga |New
Hamburg Rooted Parsley |New
Belstar Broccoli
Waltha 29 Broccoli
Covina F1 Broccoli |New
Red Rubine Brussels Sprouts
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts
Impala F1 Cabbage
Passat F1 Cabbage |New
Brunswick Cabbage
Deadon F1 Cabbage |New
Buscaro F1 Cabbage |New
Champion Collards
Blaver Speck Kohlrabi |New
Kossak F1 Kohlrabi
Azur Star Kohlrabi |New
Superschmelz Giant White Kohlrabi |New
Goodman Cauliflower
Durgesh 41 Cauliflower |New
Oxheart Carrot |New
Amarillo Carrot
Kuroda Long 8″ Carrot
Cosmic Purple Carrot
Black Nebula Carrot|New
Koral Carrot
Purple Dragon Carrot
Danvers 126 Half Long Carrot
Yaya Carrot
Kyoto Red Carrot|New
White Satin F1 Carrot
Hollow Crown Parsnip
Harris Model Parsnip |New
 Pink Passion Chard
Ruby Red Chard
Orange Chard
Shanghai Green Pac Choy
Nero Di Toscana Kale |New
Red Ursa Kale |New
Red Russian Kale
Siber-Frill Kale
Darkibor F1 Kale
Scarlet Kale
Westlander Kale
Ironman Kale Mix
Lunix Lettuce|New
Buttercrunch Lettuce|New
Landis Winter Lettuce|New
Merlot Lettuce |New
May Queen Lettuce|New
Arugula |New
Mirlo Lettuce
High Mowing DMR Blend Lettuce
Balena F1 Celeriac |New
Diamant Celeriac |New
Calypso Celery
Tall Utah Celery
Brightest Brilliant Quinoa |New
Cherry Vanilla Quinoa |New
Elena’s Rojo Amaranth
Golden Giant Amaranth
Papa’s Red Flour Corn
Mirage F1 Sweet Corn
Music Garlic |New
Zemo Garlic |New
German Extra Hardy Garlic |New
Chesnok Red Garlic |New
Genovese Basil
Lime Basil
Thai Hold Kaprao Basil |New
Licorice Basil
Lemon Basil
Bee Balm Lemon
Marvelous Mix Mint
Broad Leaf Sage
Thyme
Rosemary
Vulgare Oregano
Slo Bolt Cilantro
Giant of Italy Parsley
Bouquet Dill
Borage
Zloty Lan Chamomile
White Horehound
Roselle Red Hibiscus
Japanese Long Cucumber |New
Silver Slicer Cucumber
Tendergreen Burpless Cucumber|New
Kalunga F1 Cucumber
Richmond Green Apple Cucumber |New
Chicago Pickling Cucumber|New
Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber |New
Little Fingers Eggplant |New
Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Ping Tung Eggplant
Mitoyo Eggplant
Kajari |New
Collective Farm Woman |New
Ineya Asian Melon
Tam Dew
Petit Gris de Rennes
Charentais
Ananas D’Amerique A Chair Verte |New
Jyunpaku Okinawan White Bitter Melon
Janosik Watermelon
Strawberry Watermelon
Orangeglo Watermelon
Walla Walla Sweet Onion
Rossa di Milano Red Onion
Ailsa Craig Yellow Onion |New
Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion |New
Dakota Tears Onion
Sedona F1 Onion
Evergreen Hardy Bunching Onion |New
Conservor F1 Shallot |New
Zebrune Shallot |New
Tadorna Leek |New
Bandit Leek |New
Alto Leek |New
Autumn Giant Leek |New
Giant Musselburgh Leek |New
Magnolia Blossom Tendril Pea
Green Arrow Shelling Pea
Sugar Ann Snap Pea
Malaga |New
Purple Plum
Early Scarlet Globe
French Breakfast |New
Sichuan Red Beauty |New
Chinese Red Meat |New
Pink Beauty
Miyashige White Diakon
Adirondack Blue Potato
Katahdin Potato
Purple Viking Potato
Red Chieftain Potato
Yukon Gold Potato
Russian Banana Fingerling Potato
Yukon Gem Potato
Diane Sweet Potato
Carolina Ruby Sweet Potato
Centennial Sweet Potato |New
Vardaman Sweet Potato |New
Beauregard Sweet Potato
O’Henry Sweet Potato
Bonita Sweet Potato |New
Molokai Purple Sweet Potato
Okinawan Purple Sweet Potato |New
Bennings Green Tint Scallop Squash
White Scallop Squash |New
Dark Star Zucchini
Yellowfin F1 Yellow Zucchini
Costata Romanesco Zucchini |New
Zucchino Rompicante Squash |New
Waltham Butternut Winter Squash
Flat White Boer Winter Squash |New
Butternut – Orange |New
Atlantic Giant Pumpkin |New
Honey Boat Delicata Winter Squash |New
Dickinson Pumpkin |New
Musquee de Provence Winter Squash
Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin
Jarrahdale Winter Squash
Buttercup Winter Squash
Roselle Red Hibiscus |New
Borage |New
Titan Sunflower
Giant White-Seeded Sunflower
Mammoth Grey Striped Sunflower
Orange King Calendula
Tall Trailing Mix Nasturtium
Alaska Red Shades Nasturtium
Zloty Lan Chamomile
El Dorado Zinnia
Queen Lime Orange Zinnia
Queen Lime Red Zinnia
Polar Bear Zinnia
Giants of California Zinnia
Cherry Pops Bee Balm |Perennial
Solar Flare Echinacea |Perennial
Julia Echinacea |Perennial
California Wonder
King of the North
Alma Paprika
Lipstick |New
King Crimson
Ajvarski |New
Tequila Sunrise |New
Paradicsum Alaku Sarga Szentes |New
Quadrato D’Asti Rosso |New
Sweet Chocolate
Cayenne Long Thin Chili Pepper
Santa Fe Grande Chili Pepper
Craig’s Grande Jalapeno
Serrano Tampequino Chili Pepper
Tabasco Chili Pepper |New
Poblano Chili Pepper
Pasilla Bajio Chili Pepper
Seven Pot Yellow Chili Pepper |New
Fish Chili Pepper |New
Lemon Drop Chili Pepper |New
Caribbean Red Habanero Chili Pepper
Ananas Noire “Black Pineapple”
German Johnson
Hungarian Heart |New
Dad’s Sunset |New
Amish Paste
Amana Orange
Cherokee Purple |New
Hillbilly Potato Leaf |New
Raspberry Lyanna |New
Blue Beauty |New
Italian Heirloom
Paul Robeson |New
Abe Lincoln Original |New
Brandywine
Lucid Gem |New
Dr. Wyche’s Yellow |New
Supernova Cherry |New
Toronjina F1 Cherry
Isis Candy Cherry |New
Brad’s Atomic Grape Cherry
Tiger “Cherry-Roma” Mix |New
Blue Gold Berries Cherry |New
Black Cherry |New
Barry’s Crazy Cherry |New
Cherry Roma
Mura Kumo Morning Glory
Grandpa Ott’s Morning Glory
Florist Pepperbox Poppy
Pandora Poppy
Mother of Pearl Poppy
Purple Peony Poppy
Tornado Red Celosia
Kiwi Blue Honeywort
Blue Monday Sage
Night and Day Snapdragon
Bells of Ireland
Cracker Jack Mix Marigold
Old Spice Mix Sweet Peas
Nepeta |Perennial
Purrsian Blue Nepeta |Perennial
Jose Auberquine Sedum |Perennial
Little Miss Sunshine Sedum |Perennial
Autumn Fire Sedum |Perennial
Blue Elf Sedum |Perennial
PLANT STARTS AVAILABLE FOR 2019
Are you looking for those hard to find heirloom and naturally grown plants for your garden this year? Tired of growing the same old varieties? Wish you didn’t have to worry about your onions drying out too much before you plant them? I was too.
Diversity in your garden is important and part of that is having the ability to expand the types of plants you are growing. Not only will you have the joy of experiencing different the flavor profiles within each type of crop, but you will often be rewarded with a greater harvest over time.
How is this achieved?
We all live in microclimates that are specific to the area in which you are growing your food. These differences mean that I can grow a tomato in my garden, fall in love with it, receive amazing yields and be slightly more disease resistant. You could take that same type of tomato and have the complete opposite experience. Why is this? Well, you may have more/less sun, shade at a different time of day than I do, maybe you water more while I wait for rain, and the diseases your garden harbors may be different than mine. Simply the fact that your soil isn’t my soil will make a huge difference.
Having the ability to test diffferent varieties gives you the ability to expand the number you know will do well in your garden.
Why are you limiting your options to the seven varieties available at your local nursery? Now don’t get me wrong, I shop my local nursery every spring…. multiple times. Okay, if I’m honest I somehow manage to spend way more than I ever intend to. And if you saw the amount of things I start from seed at home, basically our entire garden, you would wonder how I find space for nursery plants. But, here’s the honest truth. Your local nurseries goal is to cater to the region as a whole, and rightfully so. Because of that, they are going to carry a handful of varieties that will grow fairly well for the entire area. That makes total sense, from a business stand point, but it’s not ideal for everyone.
Maybe it’s time to try something different. Expand the flavor profile of your dinner plate and those delicious sauces your preserving for winter. Eat an eggplant that is amazingly delicious instead of those bitter things you’ve had in the past.
So what are you waiting for? Check out the varieties available for the 2019 growing season.