It’s January in New England, and as of this writing we’re preparing for our third winter storm in a week with another two storms headed our way. I don’t mind shoveling - it’s productive, allows for extra time outside, and keeps one physically active – though I prefer it as an intermittent activity, not a daily one. Equally, I love being inside by the fire on chilly days - crafting, reading, dreaming of all things spring while I savor the aroma of banana bread or cookies wafting in from the kitchen.

By this point in the year, we’ve already received the seed catalogs we’ll purchase from for the coming growing season. (In truth, most of them began arriving in November, but it can be difficult to get excited about the next year when there’s still so much work to be done to finish closing up the current one.) We do a quick search of new products since more than twice we’ve missed out on varieties we wanted to try because we waited too long, but otherwise they go into a drawer until it’s planning time.

There are a handful of standbys that I gladly plant each year: Martino’s Roma and White Cherry tomatoes, Yaya carrots, Bull’s Blood beets, Honeynut butternut, and Lazy Wife beans almost always make an appearance; the same can be said for Will Rogers and Purple Prince zinnias and Autumn Beauty sunflowers. We also reserve a space in order to try new crops each year, as well. Early on we tried Sunberries, also referred to as Wonderberries (Solanum burbankii), which are an annual berry and while they weren’t terrible, we didn’t find them worth replanting a second year. We’ve grown Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate (Polygonum orientale) and Love Lies Bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) which look nearly identical in bouquets but have very different growing requirements (and very different reactions when customers ask the names of the flowers they’re purchasing!) We grew Hakurei turnips which quickly became a house favorite and added to the list of plants to definitely grow again. Experimentation is one of our favorite aspects of gardening. With that in mind, we’d love to share some of the plants that we’ve grown over the last few years which we found worthy of replanting.

Alpha Calendula – This calendula was grown as a multi-purpose flower for both adding to bouquets and using in teas. It was prolific and remained largely untouched by insects and powdery mildew – both of which can be substantial problems in the northeast, particularly during wet summers. As a bonus, it retained it’s beautiful, deep orange color once it was dried. This has definitely earned a spot as our calendula of choice!

Chinese Pink Celery – We tried multiple years to grow several different types of celery, and we failed nearly every time. It was frustrating. Chinese pink celery, on the other hand, was a gamechanger. It grows relatively quickly and is smaller than other celery varieties, but it wasn’t finicky in the least. The flavor isn’t as strong and the texture isn’t quite as crisp, but it was still a wonderful addition to soups and salads.

Lemon Balm – Most people who know me can attest to my love love love relationship with lemon balm. I’ve heard it said that sometimes a plant picks a person, and for me, that plant has been lemon balm. I appreciate it for it’s calming affect that can leave one also feeling mentally alert. It’s a personal favorite for teas and tinctures, looks beautiful as greenery in bouquets, and can readily self-seed – meaning that there will be plenty to share with friends. (Lemon balm is in the mint family and can quickly take over its garden space and then some; to limit growth it can be grown as a potted plant.)

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus – Before last year I’d never grown eucalyptus, and in truth prior to that I didn’t even know it could be grown here! Eucalyptus does take a while to get started indoors prior to being planted outside after last frost, but it was so worth it to be able to watch this plant grow and change over the course of the season. It does have a long season (120-150 days) so an extra sunny, warm location would be beneficial in addition to a protective cloth if chilly fall nights creep in early. It grows well in pots, too, and would make for a great conversation starter as a statement plant in a pot arrangement.

Wild Rocket Arugula - This is a wonderful multi-purpose green! It’s relatively fast growing and is tasty in soups, salads, and smoothies. It grows well in cooler weather making it a perfect choice as an early season crop. Letting it reseed is not only great for pollinators (our bees love this as a food source in spring!) but is a great way to get a second harvest, too.

How about you? Is there a plant that you tried and found it to be a fabulous addition to your yearly planting schedule?

Until next time…

Sarah