What We’re Growing in Our 2023 Garden
March is such a busy time for gardeners! You’re getting seeds started, weeding, preparing your garden beds, and more! It’s busy but so exciting! I have started so many seeds and have even planted out a few of the frost-tolerant seedlings already! In today’s post, I am sharing everything that we’re growing in our garden this Summer! I’ve got a wide variety and am really excited to see the outcome later this Summer!
Our Summer 2023 Garden
I shared the plan for our garden and what we had started back in 2021. It’s fun to look back and see how much my seed-starting process has changed. That is the great thing about gardening, it’s a constant learning process! Here are a few of the things I have changed since then:
- I used to start all of my seeds at the same time. In the last few years, I have staggered my start dates for various plants. This year is the first year though that I have made a detailed seed starting plan. I know that I will be tweaking a few things for next year but it’s going really well!
- I started all of my seeds in the little hexagon cells from a seed tray that I bought. This year, I used the hexagon cells for just flowers. I started all of my vegetables in bio-degradable coconut pots. This allows the seedlings a little more room and it’s been so much easier to up pot the tomatoes and peppers!
- I have paired way back on the amount of tomato and pepper plants I have started. I think I had like 20 tomato plants in 2021… this year I am sitting at a solid 11 plants that I just potted up which may seem like a lot still but clearly not for me!
- This year I am not going to be buying lettuce starts from the garden center. Lettuce is so easy to grow from seed so I am confident that I won’t need the starts.
- The artichokes didn’t work out. 🙁
What I’ve Started From Seed:
Vegetables:
Peas
I haven’t grown peas in my garden ever. Which is a shame because I love peas! I got my seeds from Botanical Interests. I started a few seeds direct sowed in the garden and then started 4 additional plants indoors. Only a few outside germinated and the 4 that I started inside have been planted out.
Lettuce/Salad Greens
When I was going through my seed inventory, I realized that I had a TON of different lettuce greens in my collection. So, I started several green leaf indoors that I have already planted out in the garden. Then, because I love to grow lettuce, I started 3 rows directly sown in the garden! I have also started an entire container full of arugula and then a row of Lacinato Kale.
Radish
I have had great success with radishes in years past. This year I am growing a pink variety and a purple variety. I have directly sown 5 rows in the garden this year. In years past I have sprinkled them so they grow thick and had to be thinned but this year I was a bit more meticulous with the seed sowing and made sure they had an inch between each seed. It’s important to give root vegetables like radishes and carrots enough room to develop larger fruit so thinning or meticulous seed spacing is a must.
Carrots
It has not been my season so far for carrots. Originally I directly sowed 4 rows meticulously like I did the radishes but unfortunately none of them germinated. If you’ve seen the size of a carrot seed, you know how painful that is haha! So, I went back to my YouTube classroom and decided to go all in and sprinkle the seeds like I always have done. This year though, I am dedicated to getting in and thinning them so hopefully, we’ll get a good harvest!
Onions
I decided to dedicate some garden space to onions this season. I started some bunching onions and some bulbing red onion. While they were still inside, I gave them a little haircut when they started to droop over. This encourages more growth. I planted them out in the garden a few weeks ago and so far they’re doing alright!
Tomatoes
You may think that 11 tomato plants is a lot. You might be right but 11 is a very paired-down number for me compared to years past. Tomatoes are my favorite thing to grow and my favorite thing to eat. The more homegrown tomatoes I can fit in my garden, the better.
This year I am growing a few different varieties. I have 5 plants of various heirloom larger varieties. Then, since I love cherry tomatoes the most, I have 2 plants of a golden nugget bush variety, 2 plants of sweet cherry, and 2 plants of Sungolds. Sungold tomatoes, in my expert tomato opinion, are THE best cherry tomato variety. They are deliciously sweet and come all wrapped in a little orange package! They are prolific as well! I can’t wait!
Peppers/Chillies
This season, I stuck with some tried and true pepper varieties. We haven’t had great luck with peppers in the past but, the varieties that I have started have worked for us before. I have a few plants of bell peppers and a few of these delicious sweet banana peppers. Great in stir fry and also on pizzas or in salads.
On the hot pepper front, we have a few jalapeños and then a few starts from a variety pack of chilies. My hope this year is to can some homemade salsa using my chilies, tomatoes, and red onions. We will see how the season goes!
Pole Beans
A few years ago, I had a bountiful crop of green beans. Since then I have not had the same luck but I am hoping that this year that luck will be on my side. I will be starting the beans indoors later this month since they will not germinate in soil that is less that 60° F. I will likely put them out when I put out my squash in early May!
Cucumber
This will be the first year that I am trying to grow cucumbers. Not only that but it’s the first time I am going to try and grow them up a trellis!
Squash/Zucchini
Last Summer was a banner year for my zucchini-loving heart! I will be starting two new varieties of zucchini and then a golden nugget squash which I have heard doesn’t need a ton of space. I have some older seeds of a white patty pan squash that I am going to attempt as well! Fingers crossed we will be in squash heaven at the end of this Summer!
Herbs:
From seed this year, I have cilantro, dill, 2 varieties of basil, parsley, Italian oregano, chamomille, and sweet marjoram in the kitchen window. The chamomille is doing great and was started a few weeks ago. The others I have just recently sown but I am hopeful they will thrive before I put them outside later in the season.
Flowers:
Zinnia
I am going to freely admit that I have gone flower crazy this year! I have more zinnias started this year than ever before. It’s because they’re so beautiful and I cannot imagine a garden full of beautiful blooms without them!
Cosmos
I have only ever grown one variety of cosmos. They are incredibly tall and plants with beautiful blooms! In an attempt to mix things up this year, I have started a different variety in addition to my old faithful variety and I can’t wait to see how they come out!
Calendula
I grew calendula last year for the sole purpose of adding beauty to my garden. I don’t use it medicinally but it sure is nice to look at! This year I am growing the yellow and orange variety as well as a pink variety and I can’t wait to look out and see these beautiful blooms!
Nasturtiums
I love the bold statement these flowers add to my garden. They are pretty to look at and yummy in salads. I am growing a variety of red and gold with variegated leaves and then a beautiful dark purple variety! Can’t wait to see them in my garden again!
Marigolds
Marigolds are such an underrated flower for the garden. They are a great companion plant for your tomato plants, they are easy to grow, and they are beautiful! It brings me so much joy to look out into the garden and see little pops of reds and yellows beneath the green jungle of tomato branches! This year I have started French marigolds and then seeds that I saved from last year!
What are you growing this year? Are you starting seeds or buying starts from the garden center? I would love to see your garden journey this season, share with me over on Instagram @learning.to.bloom and @sow.little.thyme!
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