Planning the 2016 Garden

     The garden planning hath begun.  Well it actually started at the end of December, but our seeds orders have arrived, and I cannot be more excited for spring this year!  The garden has been causing me a headache and sympathetic backache throughout the winter months as we try to determine what the best use of our space will be in the enlarged garden, and whether or not we will be planting anywhere else around the place (including our neglected Upper Garden, which needs a little help... note sarcasm in the major understatement I just made).

     So this is what we have so far come up with for the Main (Lower) Garden, which is our primary growing area (and the plan is generally subject to change once we actually break ground, and the mulches and cover crops are definitely subject to change).  I know, I know.  It looks like a lot, with words so small you can barely read them.  But hear me out.  A garden this size with save us money (we hope), provide us with pounds and pounds of fresh produce throughout the growing season (we pray), and will give us animal feed for the winter (we dream).

     This year, with the addition of the David Bradley, cover crops and mulching, we are hoping that the weeds will stay low or refuse to grow and maintenance will be easier in this garden, allowing us more time for other projects.  (Ha!  One can dream right?)  That's part of the reason I finally caved and took the leap of faith with my husband to increase the main garden from 2,964 square feet to 6,396 square feet.  Ask me in August if I regret the decision...

     Since reading that tiny writing might not be for all, below is a list of the crops that are going into the garden throughout our main growing season, the varieties that we've chosen, and also the suppliers we get them from.  Almost everything below is seeds unless it is stated otherwise.  

Main (Lower) Garden - 6,396 square feet 
Key: Variety (* = new variety for the year), Supplier of current seeds listed behind each variety, although we may have utilized a different supplier in years' past due to cost of the seeds. (We try to support local and also go for the best deals we can find).

Vegetables

Beans, Black Turtle - HIGH MOWING SEEDS, PINETREE SEEDS
Beans, Fordhook Limas - SAVED SEEDS; ROHRER SEEDS
Beans, Hutterite Soup - SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE
Beans, Jacob's Cattle* - PINETREE SEEDS
Beans, Pinto* - PINETREE SEEDS
Beans, Scarlet Runner - ROHRER SEEDS
Beets, Sugar* - PINETREE SEEDS
Broccoli, Green Magic - ROHRER SEEDS
Broccoli, Sun King - BURPEE  
Broom Corn, Amish Broom - SAVED SEEDS
Cabbage, Early Jersey Wakefield - BAKER CREEK; LANDIS VALLEY HEIRLOOM SEED PROJECT
Cabbage, Red Acre - LAKE VALLEY 
Carrots (we have multiple options and can't decide which to use)
Cauliflower, Winter Dream - BURPEE 
Corn, Incredible Sweet Corn - ROHRER SEEDS
Corn, Pennsylvania Dutch Butter Popcorn - LANDIS VALLEY HEIRLOOM SEED PROJECT
Corn, Roy Calais Flint* - SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE

Cucumber, Pickle Barrel Hybrid - BURPEE
Cucumber, Tendergreen Burpless* - BAKER CREEK 
Gourd, Luffa - ROHRER SEEDS
Gourd, Small Fruited Mix - ROHRER SEEDS
Kale, Blue Curled Scotch* (?) - BAKER CREEK
Lettuce, Green Ice* - ROHRER SEEDS
Lettuce, Red Romaine - BAKER CREEK
Lettuce, Salad Bowl* - ROHRER SEEDS

Onion (sets), Comred* - ROHRER SEEDS 

Onion (sets), Stutgarter* - LOCAL STORE 

Onion (sets), Yellow Globe Danvers* - ROHRER SEEDS

Parsnip, Hollow Crown - LAKE VALLEY
Pea, Early Freezer* - ROHRER SEEDS
Pepper, Golden Calwonder* - ROHRER SEEDS
Pepper, Hungarian Wax - LAKE VALLEY
Pepper, Jalapeno M - BURPEE
Pepper, Topepo Rosso - BAKER CREEK 
Pumpkin, Big Max - BURPEE
Pumpkin, Cushaw - SAVED SEEDS
Radish, Champion - ROHRER SEEDS
Shallots (sets)*- ROHRER SEEDS 
Squash, Black Beauty Zucchini - ROHRER SEEDS
Squash, Early Golden Crookneck - BURPEE
Squash, Vegetable Spaghetti - BURPEE
Squash, White Bush Scallop - BAKER CREEK
Tomato, Gilbertie Paste* - HIGH MOWING 
Tomato, Opalka* - PINETREE SEEDS
Tomato, Italian Heirloom* - SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE
Tomato, Tomatoberry - PINETREE SEEDS

Fruits
Blueberries, Bonus* - PINETREE SEEDS (ON ORDER) 
Watermelon, Sugar Baby - ROHRER SEEDS

Herbs

Note: Generally we only plant transplants of the herbs, and do not start from seed as we haven't had luck in the past.  This year we are trying our hand at seeds again (since we already have them), although I foresee transplants in our future. 

Basil, African Blue (if I can find the plant again) - LAST YEAR: PLANT FROM ZIMMERMAN'S "ZIMMIE'S" GREENHOUSE NEAR SCHAEFFERSTOWN, PA
Basil, Purple - ROHRER SEEDS
Basil, Summerlong - BURPEE 
Chives, Common (if it survives the winter!) - PLANT FROM FRIEND'S GARDEN 
Chives, Common (if it survives the winter!)
Cilantro - BURPEE
Dill - BURPEE
Garlic* - GROCERY STORE
Horseradish, Marliner Kren* - GROCERY STORE 
Oregano, Mediterranean - BURPEE
Parsley, Big Italy (Flat Leaf) - BURPEE
Rosemary (if it survives the winter!)
Soapwort (if it survives the winter!) - PLANT FROM LANDIS VALLEY HEIRLOOM SEED SALE
Thyme, Common - BURPEE
Thyme (if it survives the winter!)
True Lavender - BURPEE

Flowers
Calendula, Pink Surprise - LAKE VALLEY

Note: helps to repel nematodes, tomato hornworms; can be used for cuttings 

Cosmos, Sensation Mixed Colors - ROHRER SEEDS

Note: helps to repel corn earworm; can be used for cuttings

Dahila, Unwin's Mixed Colors - ROHRER SEEDS

Note: can be used for cuttings 

Marigold, Burpee's Best Mix* - BURPEE

Note: helps to repel aphids, cabbage maggot, Colorado potato beetle, corn earworm, cucumber beetle, Mexican bean beetle, nematodes, rabbits, tomato hornworms, and whitefly

Marigold, Petite Mix - BAKER CREEK 

Note: helps to repel aphids, cabbage maggot, Colorado potato beetle, corn earworm, cucumber beetle, Mexican bean beetle, nematodes, rabbits, tomato hornworms, and whitefly

Nasturtium, Tall Trailing Mixed Colors* - LAKE VALLEY SEED

Note: helps to repel aphids, cabbage looper, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, imported cabbageworm, squash bugs, and striped pumpkin beetle; also edible

Nasturtium, Whirlybird Mix - ROHRER SEEDS 

Note: helps to repel aphids, cabbage looper, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, imported cabbageworm, squash bugs, and striped pumpkin beetle; also edible

Zinnia, Persian Carpet* - BAKER CREEK 

Cover Crops // Animal Feed // Grains
Beets, Giant Yellow Eckendorf (Mangels)* - BAKER CREEK 
Buckwheat - ROHRER SEEDS
Field Peas/Oats Mix* - HIGH MOWING 
Hulless Oats* - SOUTHERN EXPOSURE 
Sunflower, Beach* - SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
Wheat, Turkey Red Hard Winter* - SOUTHERN EXPOSURE 

     As I previously mentioned, there are other places to plant around here as well including the Upper Garden, greenhouse (which is located in the Main Garden), and area surrounding / inside the chicken runs and enclosed pastures.  This is the PLAN that we hope to use for the upcoming growing season; however, with the uncertainty of life and Mother Nature, we will have to see what our in-ground garden will truly become for 2016.