2014 planting list (so far)

I'm not sure if this is complete or not but I think it is close. This is a list of the seeds or plants that I have on hand this spring for planting or have already started plants inside of ...for my 2014 garden. I'm sure I'll buy more, I always do.

Last 3 years we have had severe droughts here in Michigan so I am changing the way I'm doing things a lot this year, starting more things inside rather than outside, cause it is so hard to keep the seedbeds wet here as they are so scatterred and so far away from the house (that happens when you do food forest gardens, they are everywhere)...also going to do a few things in containers on the deck where I can reach them to keep them watered regularly..(just my luck we'll have a wet summer).

Although I didn't write it down, most of the herbs and some other plants have already been started inside, and one of my trees ( a replacement of one that was damaged in shipment last year) has already arrived and is in a bucket on my back porch.

I have also decided (if you read my last post) to NOT use the glass sliding doors and windows that I have salvaged from my sisters as a entry enclosure on my laundry deck entry..but I'm going to use them off my garage to make a second greenhouse..so it will be about 6x12 with about a 4x8 raised bed inside and a path around it, also there can be containers on the path and hanging containers from the roof there.

Ok well here is that list of plants for 2014:


Amaranth Grain D'Or
American Redbud (2)
Anise
Artichoke green globe
Balm, Lemon
Basil, lettuce leaf
Basil, dwarf green
Basil, opal
Borage
Brussel Sprout Long Island Improved
Bush Bean Royal burgundy
Bush Bean Improved Golden  Wax
Bush Bean Blue Lake 74
Bush Bean Mellow Yellow
Pole Bean Rattlesnake

Beet, shiroz, organic
Beet heirloom mixed seed
Beneficial Insect Mix permaculture plants
Cabbage, Primo (started a few seeds today)
Camomile, roman
Cantaloupe vine peach
Caraway
Cardoon
Catnip
Chard, rhubarb
Chard, Ruby Red
Chervil
Chives, fine
Chives, garlic
Chicory
Corn, Sweet, Tuxana organic heirloom
Corn, Sweet, Festivity, heirloom
Cosmos seed pink and white saved
Crabapple, flowering (2)
Cucumber, heirloom mixed seed
Dill, Mammoth
Dill, bouquet
Dogwood, white flowering (2)
Edible flower and herb mix for container greens
Fennel,sweet
Fennel, Florence
Feverfew
Fraise des bois, strawberries
Garlic
golden rain tree (2)
Herbs (mixed hasn't arrived yet)
Hops
Horehound
Hyssop
Kale, dwarf cuirled Vates
Kale, thousand Headed
Lavender, Munstead
Lavender, Vera
Lettuce, mix, heirloom bolt resistant
Lovage
Malabar spinach
Marjoram, sweet
Melon, Haogen
Melon, heirloom mix
Mint, spearmint
Mint, Peppermint
Mitsuba,  aromatic
Mugwort
Oregano, True
Pac Choi
Parsley, flat leaf
Parsley, curly
Parsnip, Homeschooler heirloom
Peach, blushing star
Pea, Golden Sweet Snow Pea heirloom
Pennyroyal
Pepper, hot mix heirloom (some started)
Pepper, sweet carnival mix hyb.
   Orange sun, Calif wonder, golden Calif wonder, Purple Beauty, Diamond
Pepper, Tobasco
Pepper, Red chili
Pimpermil
Podding Radish
Pumpkin, winter Luxury Heirloom
Pumpkin Early Sweet sugar Pie
Pumpkin Triple Treat
Rose of Sharon
Rosemary
Rue
Sage, Garden
Safflower
Salad mix, mesclun, heirloom
Sesame
Shallots
Somerset Grape
Squash, Winter  mix heirloom
Squash Sweet Meat Oregon Winter heirloom
Squash Zapallo del Tronco, summer, bush, heirloom
Squash, Dark Star Zucchini heirloom
Squash Early Prolific Straightneck heirloomTomato, cherry mix heirloom
Stella Sweet cherry
Thyme, french
Tomato, large mix heirloom
Tomato big boy Hyb
Tomato Sweet 100 Hyb
Washington Hawthorn (2)
Watermelon, Early Moonbeam heirloom
Wormwood
Yarrow, pink
Yarrow, yellow

Almost Spring in Michigan

Well the end of next week will be Spring in Michigan (according to the calendar but definately doesn't look like Spring outside !)

I have my seed orders here and planted 86 peat pots of seeds so far, mostly herbs. A few of the seeds have even sprouted.

I ate a lot of Earthbound Farms organic greens this winter as my greens I had planted for winter fizzled out..and I saved the plastic containers and put peat pots in them..6 fit into smaller ones and 8 pots fit into larger ones..great way to start peat pots and they stacked on my frig and freezer to have a warm place to sprout.

Last year my sister gave me 2 sliding doors and 2 large windows she removed from her house..and we had planned on building an enclosure on our deck by our East laundry room door, but with Ron's surgery last year it didn't happen, so we still have them in storage..

Well, this week she gave me 3 more windows, one about 4x6 wide, and two smaller about 2x4 high..I always take things like that that are in good condition and are free IF I can figure out a use for them.

I think the larger window will go in our garage over our chop saw and radial arm saw..for some natural light in there, we have a window on the other side rear of the garage and some windows in the overhead doors, but it is really dark in there..so that will take care of one window.

The two smaller ones I think we'll put in a shed, I'm thinking one or both behind the wood furnace in our wood shed as we have to work back there cleaning it out all the time and there is no natural light behind the furnace..also they crank open and have screens so it would make good ventilation.

still plan to make an enclosure with the other 4...if no other emergencies happen.

Have an idea to put some crops in pots on my east deck this year..or larger containers. I really am not a pot person, (container planting )..as I hate watering things with hoses..and use soaker hoses for most of my beds...however IF there aren't a lot of pots I could water them with watering cans and rain catchment..and they would be SOOOOOOOOO easy to harvest just a few steps from the laundry and kitchen doors..I'm getting older and easier is always a plus.

The thoughts right now are..a few potatoes in large rubbermaid totes..some tomatoes, esp the little ones in pots or hanging baskets..herbs of course in pots would be easy and could come inside for winter..maybe some peppers in pots..maybe some peas or green beans as bending over to pick them is hard and I could put them up high enough to easily reach..

Been reading container planting books to gain some knowledge and ideas of putting things in pots as I'm not a container eficiando by any means. Have gained a lot of info by reading..but it will be a big new thing for me..wish me luck.

Also for those who have problems getting a cell signal in the country..the reason I'm back online better now is that my Son ordered me a Wilson Cellphone Signal Amplifier for large home or office..and we put it in a couple of weeks ago and now I get 4 bars on my cellphone in just about the entire house..before it was 1 or less. My cellphone is my computer modem so now I can actually get online without being dropped constantly..so I hopefully will spend a little more time on here (until I can be outside busy all the time and then you know what happens).