This Year's Crop List

The downside about moving into a new home in late July is that we'll be missing out on a good chunk of the growing season. The upside, however, is that there's still time! With all of the work that goes into breaking sod and building fences (in addition to having a full-time job and parenting), I don't expect that we'll be able to get much into the ground before early August. Hence, this year's growing list will be limited to the traditional fall crops with maybe a few exceptions. I'll also plant a green manure on any unused space in preparation for next year. Since this will be my first backyard veggie garden, I'm sure I'll make many mistakes and experience all kinds of trials and tribulations. But to me, much of the fun lies in the drama of it all!

For a long time, I imagined that my vegetable garden would be filled with strange and unique heirloom varieties. That was before I went to the grocery store a couple of weeks ago and found that the last of this year's seeds were on sale (I just couldn't resist!). Needless to say that this year, I'll be growing mostly hybrids. The heirloom tomatoes will have to wait until next year. Here is my crop list for this year so far:

From the supermarket (Burpee)

• pea - dark seeded early perfection
• bush bean - burpee's stringless greed pod
• beet - chicago red hybrid
• carrot- nantes half long
• broccoli - george's favorite blend
• summer squash - burpee's fordhook zucchini
• lettuce blend - prizeleaf, royal oak leaf, salad bowl, red salad bowl and ashley
• mesclun - black seeded simpson, red salad bowl, lollo rossa, royal oak leaf, arugula rocket and radicchio red verona

From Johnny's Selected Seeds

• tatsoi
• turnip - hakurei
• yu choy sum (flowering brassica) - green lance
• pac choy - bonsai
• radish - round red altaglobe
• carrot - napoli
• fall green manure mix
  

I'm sure this list will grow as we get closer to the fall and winter. I haven't quit figured out exact sowing dates for most of these seeds yet but I'm hoping to start some in flats also purchased from Johnny's (more on that later) within the next few days!