Anticipation!

Hello again!

"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides."  from The Passing Show, W.E. Johns, 1937

On a rainy, cool Sunday in early March, our cherry tree buds are getting ready to blossom.

Anticipation...that's what  the garden is all about for us this week. One of the fun parts of anticipation is trying the "unknown" (at least unknown to us).... things we've never grown before. Last year we tried butternut squash for the first time. The surprise for us with the butternut was the very large amount of space it requires. I'm sure some of the vines were at the very least twenty feet long and spread in all directions. It swamped the cucumbers and grew over the zucchinis. The zukes didn't seem to mind, but the cucumbers died as a result. The butternut was quite successful, however. The one plant produced 33 pounds of fruit, most of it in the 2  pound range. Fruit way out at the end of the vines was late getting started and never ripened. Due to space considerations, we will not grow butternut again. (Beside that, it's cheap, cheap, cheap here in  Amish farm country come September!)

This year we will be trying three new plants: Epazote, Chianti Rose heirloom tomatoes, and Rattlesnake & Purple heirloom pole beans. (Disclaimer: I'm just showing you what we're doing. I do not accept money or gifts to show these or any other products. I'm sure many other seed merchants would have these exact same items.)

Epazote is a "widely used herb...in Mexican recipes" according to the package. We both really enjoy "Mexican"!  I'll be starting the seeds indoors this week. It grows well in average soil and will grow to 24" to 36" in height.  When I take it outside, I'll probably put it in containers, rather than the main garden. Leaves can be used fresh or dried in cooking.

Chianti Rose tomatoes and the pole beans below will be the first heirloom varieties we've tried. The tomatoes are a beefsteak size and grow from 5 to 7 feet tall. Transplant  "to harvest" is approximately 80 days. I'll be starting the seeds indoors in a few weeks and transplant in late April or early May, depending on temperatures.

  We'll grow the pole beans on trellises in roughly the same spot occupied by last year's butternut.  Seeds will be sown directly in the ground in early May. According to the package, "they make delicious fresh snap beans" or dried in the pods for later use in bean dishes. 62 - 65 days to harvest.

Garden anticipation.....it's a year 'round phenomena.

Note: Anticipation continues with waiting for the lettuce seeds planted last week to come up.

I hope to see you again in a day or two!  Thanks for stopping by!