Most years, I’m a scatterbrain when it comes to planning my garden. I usually grow what I think is pretty and don’t put too much thought into the layout of the garden until the last minute. This past year, I actually took the time to do companion planting and sketch the layout. This will hopefully prevent me from standing in the middle of the garden, staring aimlessly out into space, overwhelmed by the sheer number of plants and where to put them (an annual tradition of mine).
Pink Beauty radish
Pantano Romanesco tomatoes
Early Wonder beets
German Pink tomato
Quadrato D’Asti Rosso, Lady Bell, Purple Beauty and Emerald Giant peppers
Purple Teepee bush bean
Mortgage Lifter tomato
Purple Viking potatoes
Buttercrunch lettuce
Pearly Pink tomatoes
White eggplant
Brandywine tomatoes
Last year, with my garden expansion, I got a little carried away with the amount of different varieties I planted. This year, I’m going to try and contain myself and only plant my favorites, which I’ve found to be great producers and easy to grow (and pretty, too). As you see, I do have a slight obsession with purple vegetables (again, because they’re pretty), and I love to grow tomatoes (even though I rarely eat them).
Tomatoes
- Mortgage Lifter
- Brandywine
- Pantano Romanesco* (slow growing; last tomato to ripen)
- German Pink
- Pearly Pink
- Celebrity
- Blue Beauty
- Morado* (temperamental, stunted plants)
- Black Krim* (low production; most rotten on vine)
- Fox cherry* (low production)
- Super Sweet cherry
- Chocolate cherry
Root Veggies
- Cosmic Purple carrot
- Muscade carrot
- Kuroda Long 8 carrot
- Scarlet Nantes carrot
- Atomic Red carrot
- Early Wonder beet
- Pink Beauty radish
- Malaga radish
Potatoes
- Purple Viking potato
- Kennebec potato
- Beauregard sweet potato
- Georgia jet sweet potato
Cucumbers
- National Pickling
- Early Fortune
- Chicago Pickling
- Delikatesse
- Boston Pickling
- Muncher
Garlic (all new varieties)
- Music
- Susanville
- Italian Late
- Mount Hood
- Siberian
- Inchelium
- Duganski
- Polish
Peppers
- Purple Beauty
- Lady Bell
- Emerald Giant
- Quadrato D’Asti Rosso* (extremely slow growing; low production)
- Topepo Rosso
Bush Beans
- Contender bush bean
- Purple Teepee bush bean
- Blue Lake bush bean
Everything Else
- Lungo Bianco zucchinni
- Fordhook zucchinni
- Table Dainty squash
- Lebanese White Bush Marrow squash
- Rosa Bianca eggplant
- New York Improved eggplant
- White eggplant
- Early White Vienna kohlrabi
- Sugar Snap pea
- Sugar Ann Snap pea
- Buttercrunch lettuce
- Rocky Top lettuce mix
- Italian Basil
Munching on beet tops
Never mind, I lied. The postman just delivered the new Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog as I was sitting here typing. Run! Save yourselves!! It’s too late for me.
Oh, look! More purple tomatoes…
The Farmers in the Dell 
Wonderful images and produce! I am only grown 2 varieties of toms, they got blight last year. I have my fingers crossed. Have you tried Cherokees? Delicious ..
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I had trouble with blight last year too. I’ve never tried the Cherokee purple tomato. I just might have to make some more room in the garden this year. Thanks for indulging my purple tomato obsession!
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That is some healthy looking produce! Have fun with your new seed catalogue, and happy garden dreaming.
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In my head, I’m going to “plan.” Then I will probably buy whatever is pretty. It might be a condition
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You’re right. I think it is definitely some sort of medical condition (that sounds better than me just being completely disorganized and distracted by pretty vegetables). I’m going to look it up on webmd.com
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