Deciding what to grow
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Planted by: Jennifer Tidwell
Date: Friday December 18, 2009
Planted in: Garden Planning,Seasonal Gardening
As I sit and peruse seed catalogs, I think about several things. As an avid home gardener, I want to experiment with growing as many things as I can from seed, both in the greenhouse and through direct sowing. As a commercial gardener, I try to maximize my space and plant only things that will be a saleable stem. I also find myself looking for more flowers that are good cuts to put in my personal beds “just in case.”
When I was watering the greenhouse last night, I took note of the plants that are taking up my space. I have quite a few perennials, which are long term plants. I won’t see much return from them this year, but I’m also planning for the future. Because I got a 3-4 month head start on spring, I’m optimistic. Some of them are first year bloomers from seed provided they are started early enough.
I also have biennials that will take two years to flower and then die. I try to limit the number of these that I plant because they just take up bed space for an entire growing season with no flowers. Who can resist planting Dianthus barbatus though? Since I’ll be cutting so many of them off, they won’t have the chance to reseed unless I do it for them. I have a variety called “Sweet” growing right now that is supposed to be a first year bloomer.
I haven’t started any spring annuals yet, but I do have some winter annuals started. These are an important crop to extend my growing season and provide revenue earlier in the year. Annuals are great because they are relatively cheap, bloom quickly and bloom over a long period of time. Unlike perennials, they are a yearly investment unless you have varieties you can save seed from. My favorites are sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds and larkspur, as well as a variety of herbs and veggies.
Bulbs are really a no-brainer for me. I was skeptical about planting tulips, after all the nay-saying I’ve heard about them in the South. My mother has tulips that have come back reliably every year for several years, so I’m not terribly worried. I plan to baby them a bit, but if they don’t come back they were pretty cheap. Daffodils, lilies, muscari, crocus, snowdrops, irises, glads, callas, day lilies, and ranunculus are all planted and will provide some transitional color for most of the year.
I also have a wide range of shrubs and small trees that provide year round interest and food for wildlife. Some will be suitable for cutting material when they get bigger. Shrubs and trees are the “bones” of your garden that can provide structure and interest throughout the year. This is especially true during the winter when most everything else is dead and brown. Seeing an evergreen shrub or tree in the middle of winter is like a breath of fresh air and gets me through the darker months.
As I plan for next year, I want one of everything, but I have to be smart as well as frugal. I’ve invested a lot of money (wisely) in both my business and my personal gardens this year, so I have a good start.
What do you think about when you plan your gardens?
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