I’m starting a vegetable garden! Tried my best to pick mostly heritage seeds. These are seeds that have been passed down generation after generation of plant, completely GMO free and perfectly adapted to the climate where I live. Food for thought!

Pictured above, photo evidence I’ve taken step one and planted some seeds. Left: Zucchini and Butternut Squash (both heritage seeds). Right: Basil!

Yum. Also on the go, just germinating as we speak, Sweet Red Peppers (heritage seed!), Jalapenos (GMO-free seed!), Purple Cone flowers (not a vegetable but good for pollinators), and Eggplant (heritage seed!).

I’m also planning climbing cucumber, snap peas, and green beans (scarlet runner variety – heritage seed!). I have a 7′ X 13′ plot where I will be planting artichoke, carrots, grand rapids lettuce (heritage seed!), prize head lettuce (heritage seed!), arugula, spinach (heritage seed!), cilantro, garlic and sweet corn.

For pollinators, my backyard is FULL of lilies, but I’m also going to plant some nasturtiums. Beautiful edible flowers, perfect for adding to a summer salad.

A note on growing your own garlic – you’re supposed to plant in September for germination over the winter. However, Canadian Tire has a bunch of bagged garlic available right now, so I thought, screw the rules, let’s see how it goes! Considering the snowfall southern Ontario had last week, and the predicted snow fall we are going to have on Monday, I’m hoping my little garlics will do just fine. I didn’t check the weather and planted them the weekend before the last snow. I thought this would kill them, but I checked today and there are some delicious little garlicy buds popping up already.

I’m excited to eat fresh garlic, yes, but MORE excited to eat garlic scapes. You would never see them in grocery stores, but they have the most delicious and delicate garlic flavour. Great when sauteed with some butter. I had the opportunity to try some from my friend’s farm last summer, and my mouth has been watering ever since.

Garlic is apparently really easy to grow, but I’m worried about my artichoke. Very temperamental things, apparently. I dumped it out today because there hasn’t been a bud in two weeks, but lo-and-behold, the seed was sprouting! I quickly repotted and watered. Their roots don’t like being disturbed, so I hope it will continue to grow.

It will also be interesting to see how the corn does. I’m only going to plant about six – seven… I read in 1001 Weird Facts for Canadian Gardeners that squash, corn and beans grow exceptionally well together, and were dubbed “The Three Sisters” by early Canadian settlers. All three are heritage seeds, but I didn’t find heritage corn at Terra. Regardless, planting the three together keep the soil pH well balanced upon rotation each season. Gotta keep your soil healthy as well, apparently. I’m a first time gardener so this was interesting to me. I never thought about soil pH or content before. Bought a soil testing kit and everything. My cousin’s partner, a botanist, told me to not worry and just buy some top soil and till it in with the earth in my plot. Probably will do the test anyways just out of curiosity.

That’s all for now! I will update as my little seeds begin to grow into seedlings! Eeee!