Now is the time to be planning Spring and Summer gardens. Once you inventory your seed collection you may ask yourself what seeds you may need to order. First, it's worth asking if your current seeds are still good? Were they stored properly? How long do seeds last? Check out the short video below that may help you determine if your seeds are still good or if you should order new fresh seeds.
And if you are planning out your garden and fairly new to the process what seeds should you order?, one of everything? probably not. As we say in permaculture, plant small and harvest small mistakes, go big....? yeah you get it.
So with that in mind what should definitely have for your garden? Click the hyperlinked veggie name to go to our seed selection fort that crop.
1) Radish - the fastest easiest to grow vegetable, 30-40 days until harvest
2) Cilantro - the fastest to mature culinary herb, that brings any meal to another level
3) Arugula - brings a spicy panache' to any meal & super fast to mature. You can be harvesting leaves 30-40 days from a direct sowing and responds well to a cut and come again approach.
4) Lettuce - a salad is the most basic foray into the realm of vegetables and when we say salad, most folks think first of lettuce, however, the initiated know that a salad can be made from a great many things.Grow for a salad mix of crisp heads.
5) Summer squash - when we reflect back on gardens past, often overgrown zucchinis come to mind. This exuberant and rapid growth makes summer squash both a rewardsing joy and something to keep an eye on.
6) Kale - a garden mainstay that calms any guilt that you aren't eating healthy. If you are eating kale regularly you have most certainly checked the dark leafy greens box!
7) Green Beans - a close runner up to the rambunctious growth of zucchini would have to be green beans. Once they get going they reward the diligent gardener with abundant flushes of tender pods and similarly punish the lazy gardener with tough overgrown pods. Keep an eye on them....
8) Cherry Tomatoes - some vegetables simply cannot hold a candle to homegrown and cherry tomatoes are near the top of that list. The best wy to enjoy them is barefoot, in the sunshine, picking them and popping them directly into your mouth in an ecstatic explosion of liquid sunshine sweetness!
9) Basil - another plant that must be grown to truly be enjoyed. It is so delicate that it does not fare well in the journey from field to supermarket. Pesto anyone?
10) Cucumbers - an abundance of fresh cucumbers is the original antidote to summer heat, and they are delicious and incredibly productive.
11) Peas - They should probably be higher on this list for the sheer joy of gorging on fresh snap peas in the early summer garden, however they do require a bit more focus and skill to plant them early enough and protect their tender shoots from pests to have successful crops.
12) Broccoli - a versatile, cold hardy vegetable that really brings many dishes to another level. Growing broccoli from seed does require some skill and patience, but it is well worth it for gorgeous well domed heads, and the profusion of side shoot florets that are a yield unique to gardeners.
We suggest that you start here with these 12 crops that are easy and rewarding before moving onto more difficult crops. Please consult this chart for a relative comparison between easy, medium and difficult crops to grow:
Comments (2)
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Caroline
I totally agree with Farmer Don : )
While planning what to sow, something from each of these groups always make it into the garden. They are pretty easy to grow and there are several varieties within some of these groups to extend the season to overwinter. I would also add dill for the pollinators and of course leaves for making great tasting salads or veg dishes.
Becky
Thanks so much for this video! SO helpful! I’ve always wondered about seed viability – and now I actually understand so much more. It really helps me see better how to sort and decide as I go through my seeds. I do have a question about dark, cool and dry – is there an optimal temperature range for cool? I have a little dresser I use to store all my seed – it’s in a cooler area of my house – so most likely the highest temps are in the 70’s sometimes but mostly in the 60’s. Our garage is not insulated, so in summer it gets toasty in there – at least for now that won’t work. Also, if you keep seeds in the refrigerator to keep them chilled can you seal them in plastic to avoid drying out or too much moisture (depending on the conditions)?
We love your seeds and being in Oregon we really appreciate having a local source for great trusted seeds. Thanks so much!