It’s the most WONDERFUL time of the year! The sun is out,
birds are chirping, and these little guys are making a break for it.
Last year I broke up one big rhubarb plant into 7 separate crowns
and now it’s going to be rhubarb for days. Days!!
But the real joy of this time of year is planning the
garden. I have about 1000 sq ft of garden to plant this year, which
is a little bit more than most of my friends.
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| I know one 10 year old that is working on his hole digging skills! |
Here in Alberta there are some
limits to what can be grown outdoors: no tomatoes, but lots of kale, not
pumpkins but lots of Mandan squash… I aim for indigenous varieties when I can
and climate suitability otherwise. It’s time to sit down with a big jug of
coffee and browse through the magazines.
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| Ahh, the perfect day :) |
Last night my friend Sarah was asking what she could grow in
her little planter box. While small in surface area, the real challenge is the
depth, or lack thereof. And for a lot of friends in Calgary this barrier, of
limited growing area, stifles the dream of semiannual vegetable self-sufficiency.
But I wanted to share what I see as the biggest bang for buck in small growing
spaces.
Top 3 Veggies for Small Spaces
(an anecdotal list with limited evidence base)
*NOTE: this list is for the prairies and so excludes
tomatoes. Also, I only start from seed.*
Bush Zucchini.
Everyone gives zucchini a hard time, but it is one of the
most versatile vegetables you can grow. In a small space you can grow a bush
type zucchini in a pot, or grow a regular zucchini plant and train it up a
trellis. Zucchini is great for black bean chilaquile, frittata, salsa, and zucchini
relish, along with the standard chocolate cake. People joke about having too
much zucchini but I just don’t think it’s possible. Store the surplus by
chopping and freezing and adding to meals all year long. If you see flowers
dropping off rather than pollinating, you can gently pollinate them when they
open by dabbing stamen with a cotton swab and spreading pollen between them,
like a super hip zucchini love doctor. (Photo stolen from the internet)
Bush Beans.
Green beans in general are PROLIFIC and are a great to have growing if you have kids around (or enjoy snacking outside) as a help yourself treat. Also VERY popular at home are dilly beans, the delicious
pickled version. Bush beans are the same delicious green bean, but don't require the space to wander around. Green beans are great in casseroles too, and I love them flash fried
in Chinese stir fry. Ooh, and with candied walnuts and a maple glaze! Beans all
seems to come to fruit at the same time and then there is a surplus, so I am
trying to plant mine in succession this year with a few plants going in the dirt every
week. (Photo stolen from the internet)
Kale or Chard.
Kale gets a bad rap as a health food and I completely agree.
For looks and usefulness, though, it’s hard to avoid. I’ve learned to love kale
and chard by not overdoing it, not using too much, and finding out how I like
it. Finely chopped kale massaged (ew, sounds gross) with pureed garlic and
olive oil are a fantastic salad base (mm with cranberries and roast chicken on
top). And have people seen kale slaw at the grocery store lately?? And chopped kale
and be portioned and frozen and used through the year in pasta sauces, soups, stir-fries,
and casseroles. Just pick it when it’s small so it doesn’t get too woody. I
like to get a few different kinds (black, common curly, and red Russian are the
most popular) and I LOVE to grow some ornamental varieties because they get so big and colorful and stay pretty so long!
The End.
My faithful planting companion and I wish you all the best this planning and planting season!
