In the Garden- Book Review and Folk Magazine Community Journal

I'm participating in the Folk Magazine Journal Challenge.  They have a schedule of writing prompts and I'll be answering their question and joining others in submitting my answer.   Sound like fun?  Join me!

What Plants Will Be Growing In Your Garden This Year?  

Make a List of the Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs you Plan to Grow.  Do Your Research and Be Prepared to Plant Them During the Correct Time for Your Growing Zone.

My Canning Garden

I have always been entranced with the idea of living off the land.  Being able to rely on God and myself instead of others to provide for me.  As a kid I used to pretend I was a pioneer.  I would take venison jerky from our freezer and put it in a little leather pouch I had and I would go on a great trek through the wilderness.  Depending on my limited supplies and skills to survive ;)

I think part of my continued attempts at gardening are a throwback to some of those ideals.  

Last year I started making jelly and pickles and it made me even more determined to preserve more of our food.  

I visited with my grandma last fall and asked her about preserving food and how much they bought from the grocery store and she told me that they didn't buy produce from the store, even during the winter.  They used what they had canned or stored.  I am not sure if I can do that but it would be amazing to not rely on grocery stores.  

What's in My Garden? 

I ordered some seeds this year and have some leftover.  For some reason I have lots of carrot seeds. Apparently every time I see a packet of carrot seeds I am unable to pass them  by without buying them.  So I have at least 4 different varieties of carrots leftover.  I'm trying a few new things and just trying to get some of my perennials to produce!

A Helpful Resource: Seed Starting Book

Most of what I'm planning to plant will be directly sown into the garden and then I'll buy tomato seedlings and maybe peppers and such.  I have tried to start seeds indoors four different times and have ultimately failed each time.  I may have talked myself into trying it again though.  I read the book Seed Starting-The First Step to Gardening by Gary Emmett. It has the basics of starting seeds indoors.  Some of it is information I already knew but it was presented in a clear, straightforward way that made me think that I might actually be able to do it. It includes information like when to start seeds and how many weeks before they will need to be transplanted outside, all the basic equipment you need including a  thorough section on what should be in potting and seed starting soil.  And he takes you through the care your plants will need until they are safely transplanted outdoors.   So I think I'm going to make  Newspaper Seed Starting Cups and start just a few as was suggested in the book.  Not 100, like last year... 

Here's my plan for my garden:

Last Frost Dates:

Here's a helpful chart from The Old Farmer's Almanac to figure out your last frost date.  Mine is approximately May 14th.

New This Year and Preservation Methods:

These are plants I've never grown but have added in because they preserve well.

Beets- Store and Pickle

Brussels Sprouts- Freeze? 

Cucumbers-Pickle

Pumpkins-Store, Can, Freeze

Onions- Store

 Garlic- Store

Dill- Dry and use in pickles.

Tried and True and Preservation Methods:

Green Beans-Can and Freeze

Carrots- Store

Peas- Freeze

Corn- Freeze

Potatoes- Store

Herbs- Dry

Raspberries- Jam and Freeze

Rhubarb- Jelly and Freeze

Strawberries- Jam and Freeze

Grapes- Mine hasn't produced any grapes yet.  Hopefully I'll have enough to make juice and jelly.

Blueberries- Again, my plant hasn't produced yet.  Planning to freeze.

Lettuce & Spinach- Eat!  I also want to build a cold frame in order to prolong the growing season.  I found a simple idea where you use bales and a window to make cold frames that I might try.

What's going into your garden this year?

 Community Journal