How Did They Grow? Reviewing Five New Garden Varieties in 2013

Every year I like to pick out new garden varieties to try out for the following season.  It keeps gardening interesting and allows me to experience different vegetables and compare them to what I am already growing.  For 2012, I chose 5 different plants that I picked based on productivity, uniqueness and compactness.  You can read my original post here where I picked them - "One Way to Beat Garden Boredom."

So here were my picks with the garden packet photo on the left and my produce on the right...

 

1.  Summer Green Tiger Zucchini:  

 I chose this zucchini because it was a compact plant and because it was described as having a pleasant nutty flavor.  What was the result?  I would give this squash an A+ for productivity, compactness, disease resistance and delicious flavor!

It tasted great no matter what size it grew to and we gobbled this zucchini up all summer.  I had one plant that withstood all the fungus our wet and cool summer provided and it was faithful to give us lots of zucchini!

My small amount of beans are located in the right photo, bottom middle.

2. Dragon Tongue Wax Bush Bean:

This yellow wax bean caught my eye because of its unique markings and that fact that it was an heirloom made it a fun try in the garden.  What was the result for 2013?  I would give this bean a B - as it was a good tasting bean but it germinated very poorly even after two plantings.  Of course, some of this could be the season or it could have been the seed lot, but it was very spotty in germination and I had a lot of blank spaces in the garden.  The plants that did grow were semi productive.  This was a fun plant to try but I don't think it'll make it to the garden in 2014.

 

3. Sweet Pickle Pepper:

This little pepper plant looked adorable in the seed catalog and its little fruits were too hard to resist!  How did it grow in my garden?  Well I planted some in the garden and some in containers.  I would say they both grew equally well.  How did they fare?  I would give them a B.  They weren't as productive as the catalog photo but they did put on a decent amount for fresh eating.  I didn't get enough to can even though I grew at least 8 plants.  The taste was okay, not too sweet, the skins a little tough but not bad.  I will grow these again because I like having snack peppers to eat while working outside.  I would classify these as a novelty plant and not a heavy producer.

My Tumbling Toms got hit by late blight.

4. Tumbling Tom Yellow Tomatoes:

I grew these because I love how they are made to tumble and what fun to grow them in containers too.  The yellow variety was a nice change from the usual red tomatoes.  How did these little gems do?  These tomatoes get a C as a grade.  Unfortunately, they were difficult to germinate as well and the plants that did make it succumbed to blight and leaf spot. They managed to give me quite a few tomatoes, not as many as in the seed catalog photo, but enough to enjoy them.  Our wet cool summer wasn't a help for these tomatoes, but I am willing to try them next year hoping our summer temps next year will produce better results.  I really want to grow these as I loved growing vegetables in a vertical space.  Stay tuned to see how they work!

5. Small Wonder Hybrid Squash:
Last but not least was this smaller variety of spaghetti squash.  I grew it for its relatively compact vines but especially its smaller fruits.  It was listed to be very productive.  The result?  This one gets an A+!!  I have so many of these squash ranging in size from a softball to a small pumpkin.  They taste great and they did very well in the garden.  They held up well despite the fungal disease going on because of the wet weather and I have more than enough for winter.  I loved these and am going to include them again for 2013!  It was a rough year for many garden crops because of the weather and whatever made it through is definitely a keeper!

And that was the results of my 2013 Garden Trials.  Overall, I was very happy with my newest additions and most of them will be making a comeback in 2014.  It's great to keep a record of your garden plant varieties so you can make the best choices when it comes to planting time.  It's hard to believe, but you don't always remember what plants grew the best in your garden.

What was your favorite garden plant for 2013?

Blessings!!


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One Way to Beat Garden Boredom

Garden boredom?  This may seem like a strange topic in February, but as a "long-time" (20 year) gardener, sometimes the reality of garden work hits home.  I remember years when seed catalogs would come in and I would quickly put them somewhere out of sight so I wouldn't stress out.  Weird right?  Not really. 

It's not difficult to get burned out on the things we enjoy...especially when we feel like we HAVE to do them, anything can become a chore.  

And this brings me to my post...one way I personally beat garden boredom.  It starts now, in January/February, when I have time to think about what I liked growing last year and what I'm growing this year.

Because it's making gardening fun that keeps me coming back.  Even having a large harvest can only satisfy me creatively for a short amount of time.  

I need variety...and that's where my one boredom buster comes in...

Every year I plant different and unusual varieties of vegetables and flowers that draw me back to the soil and inspire me to explore the world of gardening again.

I know.  It's not rocket science.  Chances are you're already doing this.  And if you're new to gardening, everything plant is new.  But this principle has resurrected the love of gardening in me so many times I lost count.

So, here's a short list of some garden veggies I plan on growing this year.  New and different to me, giving me alternative colors, sizes, flavors and textures that compel me to have fun and play in the garden.

Tumbling Tom Yellow Tomatoes

 1. Tumbling Toms: Okay.  I admit I am fascinated by any weeping variety of plant.  And to think I could eat from a hanging plant is even more exciting.  Since I'm so cramped for space, this is a great way to grow a vegetable from a vertical space. I chose the yellow variety thinking the birds won't think these are strawberries and leave them alone...or something like that.  I don't think these will blow me away in the taste department, but they'll do for roasting or throwing on a salad. 

Sweet Pickle Pepper

2. Sweet Pickle Peppers: These type of ornamental peppers have been around for awhile for sure, but I have always encountered the hot variety so this sweet one has reeled me in.  It's colorful, compact and cute...in other words, this plant is perfect for my suburban yard.  I read about these peppers from another person's blog and it convinced me to give these little beauties a try.  These would be great if you have young children..they could eat these as a snack on their own.  You can also pickle the leftovers...

Summer Green Tiger Zucchini and Small Wonder Hybrid Squash

3. Space-saving Zucchini and Squash: Well, no need to go into detail here.  These are pretty mainstream veggies but the fact that they can be grown in large containers or in a small garden space make these tempting to grow in my garden this year.  The zucchini is described as having a "delicate, nutty flavor." Sounds amazing.  The spaghetti squash is great because each squash can make one meal.  I usually cut these in half and put them in a skillet filled with some water, cover, simmer gently until done.  

Dragon Tongue Wax Bush Bean

4. Fresh eating and Shell Bean: This plant just screams "Plant Me!!"  You put this in your garden and all your friends will think you're a genius and gardener extraordinaire! Another way to keep me from being bored for sure.  It's beautiful, it's an heirloom, and it's a dual purpose bean...love!
I am thinking that I will want to save some of these seeds for next year and maybe even gift some to other gardening friends...I think this one is going to be a winner!

Well, there you have it.  These are just a few of the different plants I'll be growing this year.  Some Asian greens will also be included as well.  Plant your own unusual and exciting varieties of veggies and the garden "hum-drums" will be a thing of the past.  

Colorful, flavorful and interesting... this year's garden promises to be very interesting indeed. 

What are you doing to beat any garden blues?  Growing anything different or exciting?



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