Friday, February 25, 2011

Little Packages

_MG_3326.jpgWe started planning our garden. If you're in the Denver area, Rocky Mountain Seed Company is having a big sale on their seed packets, just $.50 a packet. We had planned on getting just a few packets, for things we need to start early, then Jared came home with all of this. Rocky Mountain Seed Company is a great place. They really know their stuff. There are so many varieties of everything out there, so it's hard to figure out what is best to plant around here. They can tell you exactly what grows well for where you live and the kind of soil you have.
_MG_3329.jpgWe've never grown peppers before, so I'm excited to try this year. I love sweet red peppers and jalapenos. I recently came across a recipe for sweet cherry pepper jam. I really hope those peppers take off.
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It's just about time to plant lettuce and peas too. My husband tracks the soil temperature around here. It looks like we could be planting some lettuce in our backyard soon!
_MG_3332.jpgI've never grown asparagus either. It seems to be a vegetable that has grown on me. This past summer we wrapped it in bacon and stuck it on the grill. Oh, how I can't wait for summer to arrive. I want to try pickling some too. Since it's a perennial, I'm hoping that this does really well and doesn't require a lot of care.
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It seems like we go through a lot of carrots and celery around here. They both make great snacks!
_MG_3335.jpgThough corn takes up a ton of space, it seems like we can't get enough of it. Everyone loves it here and I seem to use quite a bit in soup and chili in the winter, and on the grill in the summer.
_MG_3331.jpgWe also love green beans! I love them fresh in the summer and the kids love canned beans in the winter. They seemed to grow quite well here. We actually got a bumper crop last year. 
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Eggplant has become a favorite of mine, so last year I really wanted to grow my own. That didn't work out so well. While it produced beautiful green leaves, it never produced anything else. So, from the help of the Rocky Mountain Seed Co. hopefully I will be more successful this year. It can't get worse, right?
_MG_3337.jpgNow cantaloupe was a little tricky for us. They seemed to grow a little slow and late. Only a few had good flavor. We bought a different variety this year, so hopefully that will help. 

That looks to be the beginning of our garden. Jared has a gardening friend that lives near our church. He's our connection to tomatoes this year. Tomatoes are huge around here. We love them. The kids pick them straight off the vine and just eat them in the summer. We're also planning to plant cucumbers, squash, potoates, and zucchini. I've also got to get my herbs together. There are just so many to grow! Are you planting a garden this year? What are you planning to grow? I'd love to hear about it. I fear I may have missed a few important vegetables! Have any of you grown artichokes? I thought about trying this year, but changed my mind.

7 comments:

Dan & Brenda said...

asparagus will take a few years before you harvest, at least here it does. It needs to develop the roots first. At least that's what Dan tells me. Looks like it'll be a good garden! I'm jealous that you can plant seeds. Our high today was 31. No planting for us for quite awhile.

Unknown said...

I've heard that about asparagus. We'll see how long we live in this house. We are only planting seeds that need to be transplanted later. We start them inside and then transplant them after the last frost with the exception of peas and lettuce. You have to go by soil temperature, not what the temperature outside is. If we went by that we'd never plant anything. It's a lot colder here, than it is in Washington. I think it was 20 or so and snowing here today.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on being a winner this week! I am SO happy for you! I loved that picture the moment I saw it. Her excitement is palpable. Adorable as can be!

Wishing you all the best with your garden!

maren said...

I'm a new follower coming over from I heart faces (my husband's also a pastor and wants a lot of kids...though we're only on #2). I loved the picture you entered in addition to all your other pics! Can't wait to read more!

So I say...Living Life to the Fullest said...

I'm your newest follower, and I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Jenny Lake said...

Peppers do really well here Jan. I started some jalepenos indoors last year and had so many at the end of the growing season, I didn't know what to do with them.

Unknown said...

Jennifer, if you decide to grow some this year, call me if you don't know what to do with them. ;) I'm excited and hope they'll grow!