Great Lakes Foodie

Gloomy weekends in January have me thinking of one thing:  What am I going to plant in the garden this year?   My thoughts on gardening today were sparked by an email I received from Gardener’s Supply Co. They sent me a “happy anniversary” email for having been a customer for the past six years.  I was excited to open the email as I was expecting a great coupon code.  Nope!  Just a brief note to let me know that today was my anniversary and that my business was appreciated.  Oh well, one can dream.

I stopped on the Gardener’s Supply website as I needed to purchase some replacement parts for my seed starting systems.  I’ve found that the capillary mats used to maintain a constant level of moisture usually get woven up with long roots.  I like to keep my seed-starting as sterile as possible…so I replace the mats each year.  The site has a great raised bed gardening section.  The section gives some great ideas on what to plant in your garden and when to do it.  I have four 3′x6′ raised beds in my yard.  Using some of their ideas, I put together my vegetable and herb garden plans this morning.  Being the planner, I’ve also identified when and where I need to start in order to be up and running by Memorial Day.  Unfortunately, here in Wisconsin, we’re at a delayed last frost.  I had to replace tomatoes, peppers, and basil three times last year!!!  I’ll be using netting and protecting my crops this time around.

Shown below is my plan for this year.  I’ve divided the beds into 18 1′x1′ squares.  Each square is numbered and identified with a planting below.  My bed and planting positions are made with care.  I’ve learned to rotate peppers, tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables each year to avoid diseases.  I’m a huge fan of basil and love to make a large amount of pesto at the end of the growing season.  We also love spring peas for soups and salads.  I’ve substituted a few cilantro plants for peas.  Cilantro isn’t our favorite…but a necessity in certain salsas.  If you’re one of those “cilantro tastes like soap” people, we understand your situation.  Dale has that affliction and I have to be very careful in my cilantro usage.  I, on the other hand, do like the fresh taste. Note:  “Location” below is where to start the seeds/plants.

Technorati Tags: Gardening, Herbs, Raised Bed, Vegetables