Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Choosing my "garden staples"

I have certain "garden staples" that I usually buy each year due to lack of space in the garden. Since I have plenty of space now I intend to not only grow what I bought but to grow other varieties. These are produce that require little or no processing to get them in the pantry. Hubby could handle it if I went down with Crohn's without worry about losing produce.

This year I am planting 3 sisters... well actually 4 sisters.

Japanese hulless popcorn (sister 1)
Lazy housewife beans (dry soup bean) (sister 2)
Boston marrow winter squash (squashes are sister 3)
Jack be little pumpkins
Butternut winter squash
Delicata winter squash
Sweet dumpling winter squash
and Bee balm which some would consider sister 4

In other places I will be planting what will be dry beans, basic, plant, keep weeded, and allow to dry on the vine and shell (which I have done once the garden is all in and I need something to do while watching the news)
Pinto beans
Navy beans
Small red beans
Cherokee Trail of Tears black beans
Charlevoix dark red kidney beans
Cannelino beans
Cannellini lingot beans

I will also grow these winter squashes... winter squash I allow the rind to be hard , then rinse in bleach water and dry out of sunlight before putting in storage of a cool dark place AKA loft.

Burges buttercup winter squash
Honeybear acorn winter squash
Cha cha kaboocha winter squash
Red Kuri ( one variety is called Hubbard the other one is Japanese)
Spaghetti winter squash.