When shopping for seeds there are several things I consider. First and for most I decide what I want to grow. This can be difficult for me because if I could, I would attempt to grow everything. Like everyone who gardens, how much we can grow is limited by our garden size. When deciding what to grow the two most important factors to consider are the length of your growing season and what you like to eat. Plant vegetables you like to eat and are easy to grow. Don’t waste your time on something that won’t grow to maturity or that you “might” like. Be sure to consider how much time you are able to spend in your garden. If time is limited, don’t plant too many vegetables that require a lot of maintenance and TLC.
After deciding what to grow I research the different varieties comparing characteristics such as disease resistance, temperature tolerances, dates to maturity, yield, how well they store and of course flavor.
Some varieties we grow include: spinach that is less likely to bolt in hot weather, yellow beans that grow in clusters making them easy to pick and are rust resistant, peas that have 4” pods that grow in pairs for easy picking, zucchini plants that are compact, and potatoes that are scab resistant.
Last year we grew vegetables that matured at varying rates. This year we will do the same. It was nice because we had vegetables ready at varying times of the summer and not everything was ready for harvest at the same time.
To quote a friend, “in the spring a garden is never big enough and in the fall it’s ever small enough.” How true.
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