Looking back on last year’s garden means we have learned a lot since then. We went from buying and killing potted plants from the store, to building our first garden plot, planting seeds, and harvested a lot more than we expected!
So, what did we grow and how did we do it?
Seeds and Starters We Purchased
First, let’s share a list of all the seeds that were purchased and attempted to grow. We purchased our seeds from three different sources: Veseys, West Coast Seeds, Dollar Tree, and randoms from the local grocery store. We also had odds and ends from relatives.
From Veseys, we purchased:
Glad to be Canadian Gladiolus Blend $12.00
Kirov Parrot Gladiolus $6.00
Yellow Custard Beans $5.25
Organic Defiant Tomato $8.95
Albion Everbearing Strawberries 15.00
Chives $4.95
Cilantro
Oneida Onion $4.50
Talon Onion $4.25
Parade Onion $3.25
York Rutabaga $3.25
Red Karmen Onion Sets $3.00
Sturon Onion Sets $3.00
Our West Coast Seeds included:
Buttercrunch Lettuce
Merlot Lettuce
Spinach
Pole Beans
Dragon Tongue Bush Beans
Green Bush Beans
* Most packs were $3.99 each.
Dollar Tree had packs of seeds that were 4 for $1.25.
Cilantro
Basil
Parsley
Lettuce
Other starters and various things we purchased and received included:
5 blueberry plants, 3 years old at this point (Patriot, Reka, Bluecrop, Duke, Eliot varieties)
Rainbow swiss chard
Black seedless grapes
2 Chilli pepper plants
Arugula
Russet potato
leaf lettuce from the store (still had root attached)
Top of a yellow onion
Starting Seeds Indoors – Timeline
March 14, 2021
We purchased potting soil from the grocery store and filled up our egg cartons and lettuce containers with soil. We planted tomatoes, chives, parsley, cilantro, lettuce, and spinach. We used a spray bottle with a fine mist to water them, and covered with saran wrap to create a mini greenhouse effect. The parsley and cilantro did not make it.
April 4, 2021
Planted new batch of tomatoes, lettuce, and spinach. All seemed to do just fine.
April 17, 2021
Purchased our 3 year old blueberry plants. Transplanted them into larger pots.
May 2, 2021
Planted some various Glads that were given to us, Canadian Glads, and Parrot Glads. The older glads did not work at all, but the other two did great in later months.
May 9, 2021
Planted 4 types of beans directly into the garden. Transplanted lettuce and spinach. Planted strawberries into pots. Directly sowed more lettuce and spinach into the garden bed where the original seedlings were transplanted.
May 11, 2021
I cut up an organic russet potato and let it dry on a rock for a few days. I planted two chunks into two different pots. Also planted wildflowers in the garden bed. White dahlias were planted under the Santa Rosa plum tree.
May 14, 2021
Planted chard starters into garden.
May 18, 2021
We had a big storm. Beans popped up out of the ground. The strawberries began to develop buds.
May 27, 2021
Tried to harden off tomatoes, but another rainstorm hit. They flooded because we did not make drainage holes in the yogurt containers we had them in. After draining them off and transplanting into dryer soil, most survived.
June 21, 2021
Heatwave time. Highest temperature was 42C. Spinach bolted. Planted more beans.
July 7, 2021
New beans popped up. Older set of beans are flowering. Tomatoes have flowers and are about 2 feet high and bushy. The wildflowers are in full bloom. Have harvested plenty of lettuce and chard at this point.
The next day we planted more yellow custard beans, as the first crop is flowering but looks a bit sparse. Planted more buttercrunch lettuce, sprinkled basil seeds by the tomatoes. The bachelor buttons and poppies in the wildflower mix are attracting the most bees. Both beans and tomatoes are flowering right now.
July 12, 2021
We took the bottom leaves off the tomatoes to try to prevent fungal growth or diease. We have counted 6 tomatoes so far and over 30 beans. Wildflowers are still blooming. Planted green, yellow, and red onions, with york rutabaga. Soil is a bit thin, so not sure how they will do. Red and yellow onions planted as baby bulbs, while the green onions and rutabaga were directly sown seeds. Chard has gone to seed.
July 15, 2021
Glads are teasing us – spotted a red spot on one of them. They haven’t bloomed yet. Shane spread some red soil over the tomatoes that he dug up from digging fence post holes. We also have about 13 green tomatoes. Yellow and dragon beans are starting to develop. The basil and buttercrunch lettuce have sprouted.
July 25, 2021
Harvested bush green beans, dragon beans, yellow custard beans. Canadian glads opened after some were eaten by deer. They are red and white so far. Tomatoes are still green. Lost one to a critter, saw some teeth marks. Wildflowers are still blooming. Chilli plants got eaten by the deer. Might still be able to harvest more chard, it keeps growing.
Aug 4, 2021
All glads have bloomed. The rutabaga growing near the tomatoes and onions are doing better than the ones by the wildflowers and chard. The deer keep eating everything. We have a net covering the garden, but they can still get their mouths threw some of the holes it seems. Pole beans are now flowering. Tomatoes are large and just starting to change yellow.
Sept 17, 2021
Yesterday picked the potatoes. Got about a handful of baby nuggets. The deer ate all the tops so I felt like we had nothing to lose, so we dug them up. Tomatoes are producing well. Made some marinara sauce and 2 bruschetta snack plates. A random cherry tomato plant grew in our soil and we have picked about 10-15 of those so far. Another storm has hit us as well.
Mid-October 2021
Dug up dahlias. They just started to bloom then a frost hit. Pretty much packed in the garden at this point.