New Year, New Decisions... what will I plant this year???

I've been gardening for quite a few years and my passion over the past couple years has grown into somewhat of a veg fettish. Can't get enough of 'em! I snuggle up with my stack of seed catalogs and won't be seen for days... oh the beans, carrots, corn, tomatoes...lions & spiders & bears OH MY!

I grow all the veg any normal gardener does, only mine have fun & unique characteristics... purple pole beans & purple artichokes, yellow & green crescent beans, white tomatoes. I always grow something new in my garden each year.

Pea, "Golden Sweet"
(Pisum sativum)

Last year it was a pole pea called "Golden Sweet". An heirloom from India, it was amazing! The most beautiful 6' chartruse vines with two-toned purple blossoms and beautiful lemon-yellow colored peas... (hungry yet?)  The shocker came when I planted them in the late summer for fall harvest and were hit by a light frost - that REALLY brought out the nutty flavour in the pea. Definately growing it again this year.

I also tried a new (to me) tomato called Taylor Lacey Leaf, one of the few white tomatoes on the market. I will try it again this year as it failed miserably last year - along with the rest of my garden - due to the wierdly hot/cold/hot/cold weather. Ironically, I did get a decent crop of icebox watermelon... go figure!

Anyway, I plant heirlooms (mostly), it's importlant to keep these heirloom seed lines going and preserve them for future generations! K - there's my pitch, and you'll hear it again later... but still can't steer away from the F1 Sun Gold cherry tomato!

I have drawers FULL of veg seed and grow my own. I get such a kick out of watching them grow up! (The only veg I didn't grow myself were those given to me later in the growing season.) I haven't yet planned out my gardens this year, but the nicer weather is inspiring me to plant... I did that last year - got my snap peas planted Jan 23rd, threw on some row cover to keep the soil a bit warmer, and I started harvesting the last weekend of April. It was AMAZING!

Will keep you posted what the garden plan has in store for 2011... should be fun!

~GP