Seed selection and garden plans for 2023

[Sally PB]

My neighbor and I are thinking of getting bees in the spring. She mentioned it, I said I had thought about it, and why don't we split the cost? Especially since the upfront expenses can be high.

I'm also thinking about putting pollinator friendly plants around/in my garden.

@Solanacae, Thanks for any info you can share! I know how VITAL bees (and other pollinators) are to the food chain.

 

[Solanacae]

My neighbor and I are thinking of getting bees in the spring. She mentioned it, I said I had thought about it, and why don't we split the cost? Especially since the upfront expenses can be high.

I'm also thinking about putting pollinator friendly plants around/in my garden.

@Solanacae, Thanks for any info you can share! I know how VITAL bees (and other pollinators) are to the food chain.

Splitting the cost is a nice way to go. A package of bees from a local beekeeper is definitely the way to go! They’re better acclimated to the climate than if you get something that’s been shipped in from California. (Unless you live in California . . . ) I’ve gotten some from IFA, which is a farm store around here, and they have been pretty good too. I’ve had better success overwintering my hives when they’re from local stock.

You can also look to see if there are any beekeepers associations around where you live. They can help you with finding local breeders and possibly a mentor. It’s really helpful to have someone more experienced mentor you and do a couple of hive checks so you can learn what to look for. Short of that, YouTube has tons of videos, though it’s not quite the same as in person.

It’s also really nice to have someone there to do hive checks with. An extra pair of hands and eyes comes in handy. My son has helped me a few times this last year, and he found it very interesting as well as being helpful to me.

My new yard had four trees and a whole lotta grass when we moved in. It will take me years to get everything landscaped the way I’d like, but it was encouraging to see the amount of pollinator activity I saw with just one flowerbed and a garden put in last year. Every little bit helps!

 

[Acre4Me]

On the subject of apiaries, your state or local govt might require registration. @Sally PB, for example:

Ohio, where I am located requires it, but very low cost. They offer classes and have a local (per county?) inspector. The only other thing to note is home owners insurances can vary on this topic, so check to make sure it’s acceptable to them with current policy, or if policy needs anything additional.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Well I just put in my order at Baker Creek... a whole whopping 3 packets of seed haha. Biggest expense for the year will be getting a bucket of amendment to mix into the beds before I top it off with compost and "chicken run" compost.

 

[Callender Girl]

I was excited last week when my Seed Savers catalog showed up in the mail box -- until I got indoors and sorted mail. Turns out my postal carrier delivered the COVER of my catalog. All the innards were missing.

Last year's garden was fairly disappointing. The drought didn't do it any favors.

I am not very successful starting seed indoors, and last year, it was tough to find many of my favorite plants -- although I did snag a Cherokee purple, my all-time favorite tomato.

I put in a new strawberry bed last year, added a blueberry bush (on clearance, it was the last one available at the feed store) and four red raspberry bushes. Hoping to be "berry" successful this year (yeah, I know it was a dumb pun).

 

[Solanacae]

On the subject of apiaries, your state or local govt might require registration. @Sally PB, for example:

View attachment 3364950

Ohio, where I am located requires it, but very low cost. They offer classes and have a local (per county?) inspector. The only other thing to note is home owners insurances can vary on this topic, so check to make sure it’s acceptable to them with current policy, or if policy needs anything additional.

This is excellent advice. City ordinances may also have some limits as to where/how many hives can be placed on a property. The city I used to live in had a formula based on lot size, my current one is just a flat number. Utah requires that hives have movable parts to facilitate inspections, which would be Langstroth, Warre, top bar, etc type hives. Skeps and the like are not allowed. You also need to register, I think it’s $10 for a year if you have less than 25 hives.

 

[Solanacae]

I was excited last week when my Seed Savers catalog showed up in the mail box -- until I got indoors and sorted mail. Turns out my postal carrier delivered the COVER of my catalog. All the innards were missing.

Last year's garden was fairly disappointing. The drought didn't do it any favors.

I am not very successful starting seed indoors, and last year, it was tough to find many of my favorite plants -- although I did snag a Cherokee purple, my all-time favorite tomato.

I put in a new strawberry bed last year, added a blueberry bush (on clearance, it was the last one available at the feed store) and four red raspberry bushes. Hoping to be "berry" successful this year (yeah, I know it was a dumb pun).

Have you tried using rain barrels? I live in a very dry area and I was surprised how much water I collected. Obviously it didn’t replace the need to water, but it helped lower how much water I had to pay for.

I like Cherokee Purple but they’ve never been particularly productive for me. I’ll get 3-4 times as many tomatoes from a Brandywine or Black from Tula. It just wasn’t worth the garden space for me.

 

[Callender Girl]

I bought a rain barrel, but like so many other 2022 projects, I didn't get it installed. Good suggestion; I'll try again this year.

 

[Solanacae]

I bought a rain barrel, but like so many other 2022 projects, I didn't get it installed. Good suggestion; I'll try again this year.

Haha, I got 3 but only managed to install 2! I hear you.

 

[saysfaa]

I just placed my order...
Sioux tomatoes
DiCiccio broccoli
White Sweet Spanish Onions
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts
Hamburg Rooted Parsley
Dukat Dill
Ping Tung Long Eggplant

Hm, I never noticed Brussels Sprouts have an s on the end of Brussel.

Everything other than this order will be from seed saved from the garden or from previous years' seed purchases. And, probably, some different kinds of peppers from the store or as an add on to my sister's seed order. And, maybe, up to six tomato plants and some marigolds from the nursery. Marigolds are easy to start from seed but I didn't keep the varieties separate. I like the color the nursery has much better than what I have in seed packets. I get only single blossoms for the bees.

Oh, and I'll probably some certified seed potatoes from the feed store. Along with seeds for the "pancake patches" I want to try - wheat, oats, and barley.

Broccoli was an outstanding success last year after failing completely the year before. I had it far, far too close together the year before (my first year with it).

Over the past year, we discovered we like Brussels sprouts after thinking they were awful for many years. I'm not sure if our tastes have changed or if we found better recipes. Probably both.

Egg plants and rooted parsley will be totally new to us.

Last year we put in all the fruit trees that we can fit onto our yard. For small fruits, I have strawberries and black raspberries and tried one jostaberry plant last year. I'm considering a few more jostaberry plants.