gardening 101

I remember when I was growing up that my mom would plant a garden, and I seemed to take for granted how she did it. When I finally started planting on my own, I was a little in the dark about annuals versus perennials, zones, and other gardening basics. After my beloved flowers did not come up the next year, I learned the difference between an annual and a perennial. I love fresh produce, and am trying each year to get a better grasp on the green thumb, because it is my desire to grow my own food, preserve it, and provide fresh, healthy food for my family. I think there is great value in being self-reliant, and knowing the value of hard work. These are things I would like to pass on to my children.

So here are a few of those things in which I needed a refresher course:

• Annuals last only 1 year and the frost normally kills them. Most vegetables are annuals. Think petunias, geraniums, and sunflowers.
• Perennials come up every year. Think coneflowers, lilies, columbine, and hostas.
• Here in Ohio, we are in zone 5.
• Bulb depth matters here where it freezes, or your pretty flowers may not come back the next year.
• For those saving their seeds each year to plant for the next, you need to buy heirloom varieties. For example, tomato variety Mortgage Lifter is an heirloom variety that was developed in the 1930s. You can save the seeds and replant the following year. Non-heirloom varieties, or hybrids, will not reproduce. Heirlooms seeds are great for homesteaders planting each year. Check out www.heirloomseeds.com
• Sometimes you will come across the terms "determinate" and  "indeterminate" when ordering tomatoes, beans, etc. Determinate means that all the produce will be ripe at the same time...there is a determined end time. Some tomato varieties are determinate. Indeterminate means that the plant will continue to produce, either until the plant dies or there is a frost. (for Ohioans) Most bush beans are indeterminate. When a label says they will produce "all season long," they are indeterminate.
• Self-pollinating fruits trees are wonderful, because they do not need another tree to help them produce. If you buy trees that need a pollinator, make sure you get the correct match, and appropriate for your zone. We like fruit trees from Stark, as they are hardy and well grown when they arrive. www.starkbros.com

Happy planting....