There are so many things I’m excited to grow this year it’s hard to pick only a few favourites!
Broccoli
Broccoli is a new one for me. But since it’s my kids’ favourite vegetable, I think I should figure out how to get high yields sooner rather than later. We typically enjoy steamed or roasted broccoli in the colder months, but in the summer prefer it raw, dipped in hummus, or in a salad. I only hope that I get to taste it instead of my kids eating every last bit.
Summer squash
Mmmm…grilled summer squash! Or cut into salads, added to a galette or tart – there are so many delicious ways to enjoy this yellow summer squash. I have had luck growing it in the ground and pots, but this year, I have a whole bed dedicated to summer and winter squash.
Eggplant
Last year, my aunt gave me an eggplant start. It was a breed developed for the Ottawa climate by a local seed producer – small and globe-like and wonderful to grow. It added such a beautiful colour to the garden, especially when surrounded by strong green leaves. It was best enjoyed grilled and I look forward to growing it again this year.
Kohlrabi
I’m not a big fan of kohlrabi, but my husband loves it and I love anything different. I also know that my neighbours enjoy it, so if we have too much, it will be easy to pawn off. The main reason I’m growing kohlrabi, is because I can seed it continuously the whole growing season. Since kohlrabi is part of the cabbage family, it should do well in soil higher in bacterial biomass. A new bed I created last year is still low in fungi, so it should do just fine!
Other things I’m trying, that I hope will be successful.
Rutabaga
This is another family favourite and one favours colder weather. When the earlier vegetables, spring plantings, such as lettuce, are ready to be pulled, rutabagas can be planted in that space. With sufficient mulching, I should be able to leave them in the ground until we’re through the brunt of the fall harvest. Since this will be the first time planting rutabagas, I expect there will be a learning curve. Unfortunately, I don’t typically have luck with roots like beets, carrots and radishes and I’m not confident rutabage will do well either. The only way to know for sure, is to try.
Cabbage
I dream of big heads of cabbage from the garden and making big jars of sauerkraut. I tried growing cabbage last year but it didn’t get very big. The leaves were thin and the head was small. Hopefully giving the seeds a head start indoors this year will help.
What are you excited to grow this year?
