What Are We Growing This Years



When March arrived, I was really excited to start planning the gardens.  This is only our second year of gardening witch means we are still in the learning process.  Growing our own vegetables is something we aim at becoming self sufficient, but we also know that when you're learning anything, you must be ready to fail sometimes.  Last years was a good exemple of trials and mistakes, wins and losses, but it was a 100% good learning experience.  I can't wait to see my gardening skills in 25 years!

In the past month, I've been busy sowing seeds for our gardens.  You read that right!  We have two gardens and an apple tree to take care of this year.  My mother is kind enough to let us build a huge garden in her backyard.  When I say huge, I mean HUGE (well, for us begginers, it's HUGE)  And My father wants me to take care of his apple tree in exchange for his apple harvest.  (Plus he has TONS of delicious raspberries and currants)  Am I bitting more than I can chew here?!  Maybe!?  But I honestly don't think so.  I'm very excited about the next 6 months!

Photo by Joshua Lanzarini on Unsplash

To decide what we wanted to grow, we started by fixing our objectives for this year.  We clearly do not have enough space to grow everything we eat, like cabages, potatoes, peanuts, grains and other crops that take lots of space to grow enough of for a year.  Neither don't we have space to grow fruits or nut trees.  But, we do have enough space to be self sufficient in a couple of produces and have a salad garden in our backyard for that summer crunch.



 Our objectives
1. Beans for a year
2. Carrots for a year
3. Salsa for a year
4. Pesto for a year (usually my basil dies, so we'll see about that...)
5. Herbs, fresh and dry, for a year
6. Greens for a year (kale, brussel sprouts, chard, spinach)
7. Celery for a year
8. Apples and apple sauce for a year
9. Apple cider vinegar for a year
10. Fresh flowers for the house, from may to october

Photo by Cyrus Crossan on Unsplash

Here is a complete list of every vegetables we are growing this year.

BEANS
-Pole beans Blue Lake FM1 - OSC

BRUSSEL SPROUTS
-Long Island Improved (Sow Easy) - McKenzie

CARROTS
-Nantes coreless (Heiloom) - OSC
-Mixed colors - Jardins de l'écoumène

CELERY
-Tall Utha - OSC

CHARD
-Rainbow chard - Jardins de l'écoumène
-Swiss chard Heirloom - McKenzie

CUCUMBERS
-Homemade pickles (Aimer Organics) - OSC
-Lemon cucumbers - Jardins de l'écoumène

JALAPENOS
-The seeds were gifted to my husband

KALE
-Red Ursa - Jardins de l'écoumène

LEEKS
-Blue solaise - Jardins de l'écoumène

LETTUCE
-Grand rapids - McKenzie
-Red oak - Jardins de l'écoumène
-Romaine Heirloom - McKenzie

ONIONS
-Green onions - McKenzie

PEPPERS
-Antohi Romania - Jardins de l'écoumène

RADISHES
-Easter egg II
-Melon radishes - Jardins de l'écoumène

SPINACH
-Bloomsdale Long Standing (Heirloom) - OCS

TOMATOES
-Mixed small berry tomatoes - Jardins de l'écoumène
-Roma tomatoes - From store bought tomatoes


Here is a complete list of every herbs we are growing this year.

BASIL
-Basil blend - West Coast Seeds

CHIVES
-Heirloom - McKenzie

DILL
-Garden dill - Jardins de l'écoumène
-Fernleaf (heirloom) - McKenzie

OREGANO
-Common oregano - Jardins de l'écoumène

PARSLEY
-Curly leafs - Jardins de l'écoumène

ROSEMARY
-Heirloom - McKenzie

THYM
-German thym - Jardins de l'écoumène
-Lemon thym - Bought localy last year



 Here is a complete list of every flowers we are growing this year.

ALYSSUM
-Carpet of snow - McKenzie

ASTIBLE
-Arendsii Hybrid Mix - McKenzie

CALLA LILY
-Captain Ventura white - Florissa

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

DWARF GLADIOLUS
-Glamini mix - Florissa

LILAC
-Already established for 8+ years

LILY OF THE VALLEY
-Bulbs are easy

 MARIGOLD
-Drawf french petite mixed - OSC

ROSES
-To come...

ZINNIA
-Cactus Flowered Mixed Colours - OSC
-Giants of California Mixed - OSC
-Pom Pom or Lilliput mixed - OSC
-Thumbelina mixed colours - OSC





Most of my seeds are localy grown in my province, Québec, and come from Jardins de l'écoumène at https://www.ecoumene.com/  On the same website, I also got my 2020 planting calendar for my hardinest zone (zone 5) witch indicates me the right period to sow seeds inside, when to transplant the seedlings outside or when to start the seeds directly in the garden beds.  https://www.ecoumene.com/produit/librairie/calendriers-et-affiches/calendrier-de-culture/

My other seeds  and bulbs come from other canadian companies :
OSC  https://www.oscseeds.com/
McKenzie  https://mckenzieseeds.com/
West Coast Seeds  https://www.westcoastseeds.com/
Florissa  https://www.florissa.com
Bulbs are easy http://www.bulbsareeasy.com/


Have a good growing season!
Mélanie

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