This year, despite my best hopes, has become yet another year of intense learning about how best to grow things in my home garden. There are worse things, I know, but I am looking forward to eventually having a calm, uneventful spring in which I already know exactly what I like to grow and how to do so. That day, however, as Aragorn says, is not this day.

I posted on a Facebook garden group I joined a while back about all of the different varieties I had planted just by March of this year. Most members, also addicted to gardening, cheered me on, but a few were shocked. And I thought maybe the amount of plants–about half of which are new to me–may be a tad on the high side.

Part of my rush into gardening comes from the fact that, at 44 years old, I had bought a house and could finally do the amount of gardening I’d been dreaming of. Prior to this I had been living in the Bay Area of California, and despite CA being a lovely place to live, it is also extremely expensive, and I knew that I’d never be able to afford the type of house and yard that I wanted. So now I did finally have land–a good-sized yard (.15 total acre for the plot, 2/3s of which is lawn and garden)– in a nice older neighborhood in my hometown. And, boy howdy, was I ready to garden!

Another factor in my gardening obsession is, of course, Covid. I was locked at home for the better part of two years, and even now have the luxury of continuing to work from home. And Covid also brought with it intermittent food shortages and general societal and consumer anxiety, and like many others during this time, I found gardening helped to ease some of that anxiety.

Finally, an unexpected knee surgery in February 2021 literally made me sit down and do nothing for six weeks right before gardening season. I was bored, in pain, and itching with irritation at missing seed starting season again. (We had moved into our house Memorial Day weekend the year before, so that year’s garden started late as well.) So I made up for it by watching approximately a million Youtube videos and buying tons of packets of seeds and canning equipment. Thus the world of commercial flower farming, farmer’s market gardening, and, in particular, homesteading was opened up to me. For over six weeks, I spent most of my waking hours sitting at home watching my videos, and created the most massively detailed, multi-tabbed Excel spreadsheet to help me organize all my gardening plans. As you do.

All that said, here’s a list of new-to-me varieties that I’ve successfully sown this year so far–all 118 of them. All grown from seed unless otherwise noted. Note that these are not all of the varieties I’ve sown, just ones that are new to me this year. Some of the seeds were ones I bought last year but didn’t have any luck with or didn’t get around to sowing. The rest are new this year.

Herbs:

Basil, Emerald Towers

Basil, Cinnamon

Basil, Thai Sweet

Borage, ‘Alba’

Chamomile, Zloty Lan

Cilantro, Santo

Comfrey (from root cutting)

Dill, Bouquet

Dill, Mammoth

Fennel, Dragon F1

Fennel, Florence

Lavender, Munstead (from seed! finally)

Mint, Catnip

Thyme, Garden

Yarrow, White

Flowers:

Alyssum, Dwarf Rainbow Mix

Aster, Salmon Janina

Baby’s Breath

Bachelor’s Button, Classic Romantic

Dianthus, Sweet William

Gomphrena, Salmon Pastel

Gomphrena, Carmine

Hibiscus, Red Mahagony

Nicotiana, Jasmine Scented

Pampas Grass, Plume Mix

Phlox, Lavender Beauty

Poppy, Iceland–Pastel Meadows

Rudbeckia, Indian Summer (yellow)

Rudbeckia, Gloriosa Daisy Prairie Sun

Rudbeckia, Goldilocks

Snapdragons, Rocket Mix

Snapdragon, Black Prince

Snapdragon, Tequila Sunrise

Snapdragon, Night and Day

Snapdragon, Magic Carpet Blend

Strawflower, Apricot

Stock, Anytime Mix

Stock, Sissi “Shades of Blue” Mix

Sweet Pea, Bouquet Blend

Sweet Pea, High Scent

Sweet Pea, Knee-Hi Blend

Sweet Pea, Little Sweetheart

Sweet Pea, Perfume Delight

Sweet Pea, Royal Blend

Tulip, Darwin Hybrid Blushing Apeldorn

Viola, Brush Strokes

Viola, Cool Summer Breeze

Zinnia, Queen Lime Red

Zinnia, Queen Lime Lime

Brassicas:

Broccoli, Burgundy

Brussel Sprouts,  Silvia

Chijimisai

Radish, French Breakfast

Radish, Miyashige White Daikon

Turnip, Tokinashi

Legumes:

Bean, Borlotto Del Valdarno

Fava, Aquadulce

Fava, Broad Windsor

Snap Pea, Magnolia Blossom Tendril

Cucumbers & Watermelons:

Cucumber, Salad Bush

Cucumber, Chelsea

Melon, Savor F1

Nightshades:

Tomato, Black Strawberry

Tomato, Cherry Fountain

Tomato, Hugarian Heart

Tomato, Purple Reign

Tomato, Tappy’s Heritage

Curcurbita (Summer Squash):

Summer Squash, “Avocado”

Summer Squash, Center Cut

Curcurbita (Winter Squash):

Pumpkin, Snowball F1

Winter Squash, Crown Prince (c. pepo)

Winter Squash, Squash 898 (experimental)

Winter Squash, Honeynut (hybrid, moschata/maxima)

Winter Squash, Marina di Chioggia (c. maxima)

ASTERACEAE:

Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson

Lettuce, Little Gem

Lettuce, Marvel of Four Seasons Butterhead

Lettuce, Nancy

Lettuce, Parris Island Cos (Romaine)

Lettuce, Prizehead

Lettuce, Winter Density

CHENOPODIACEAE:

Beet, Detroit Golden

Spinach, Aurochs

Spinach, Gigante d’ Inverno

Swiss Chard, Verde De Taglio

Swiss Chard, Bietola a Costa Fine

Swiss Chard, Bright Lights Mix

Alliums:

Asparagus, Spartacus (from crowns)

Chives, Common

Garlic, Lorz Italian Heirloom (softneck) (from cloves)

Garlic, Music (hardneck) (from cloves)

Garlic, German Extra Hardy (hardneck) (from cloves)

Leek, Lancelot (starts)

Onion, Alisa Craig

Onion, Sierra Blanca F1

Onion, Rossa di Milano

Onion, Yellow of Parma

Onion, Red Long of Tropea

Onion, Stirling (starts)

Onion, Zebrune Shallot

Umbellifers:

Carrot, Shin Kuroda

Carrot, Sugarsnax 54 (pelleted)

Carrot, Tendersweet

Carrot, Gold Nugget

Carrot, Napoli

Celery, Chinese Pink Cutting

Fruits (bare root or small plants):

Raspberry, Double Gold

Raspberry, Caroline

Strawberry, Sparkle

Blackberry, Prime Ark® Freedom

Blueberry, Patriot (early season, highbush)

Blueberry, Northland (midseason, highbush)

Blueberry,  Jersey (late season; largest species)

Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes (from seed potatoes):

Potatoes, Red Gold

Potatoes, Purple Viking

Potatoes, Russian Banana

Trees/Bushes (Bare root):

Apple, Fuji Dwarf (Reachables, dwarf)

Peach, Contender (Reachables, dwarf)