The only thing that could be more fun than being in the garden is creating the garden plan.
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This year, I am sticking with some tried and true favorites and, of course, trying out several new varieties for fun.
I am also excited to add more medicinal plants to expand my homegrown apothecary cabinet.
My garden is divided into 6 different areas:
To make the most of the garden space, I use a combination of raised beds, grow bags, as well as growing in the ground.
Most of the seeds I use are from Botanical Interests.
Some of my herbal seeds came from Strictly Medicinal Seeds. Others I saved from last year. I will add a link for each variety listed (if available).
When you purchase seeds from Botanical Interests you are helping our garden grow. Thank you for your support!
2024 Garden Plan
Inground garden
Some plants will have their own dedicated rows, while others will be grown together to make the most of the growing space. The plants I’ve put together are known to be good companions.
Sunflowers and pumpkins
- Lady Godiva Pumpkin
- Jack Be Little Pumpkin
- Sugar Pie Pumpkin
- Chocolate Cherry Sunflower
- Vanilla Ice Sunflower
Lettuce and carrots
- Buttercrunch Lettuce: Our favorite lettuce. I will grow this every year.
- Little Finger Carrot: are short and do well in our rocky soil compared to larger carrots with a longer root
Kale and broccoli
- Dinosaur Kale
- Red Russian Kale
- Blue Curled Kale
- Belstar Broccoli: I have yet to have any luck growing broccoli. I’m hoping this heat tolerant variety will grow well.
Cucumbers and peas
These grew surprisingly well together on the netted trellis last year. Though I’m installing a much sturdier willow trellis this year.
- Hokus Gherkin Cucumber: my kids love these mini cucumbers for pickling and for snacking.
- Tasty Green Cucumber: Trying this variety because it is known to be mildew resistant. I had a serious problem with mildew the last two years, and harvests suffered because of it.
- Green Arrow Shelling Pea
- Sugar Magnolia Pea: A family favorite. We love eating the pods right off the vine. The purple looks so beautiful against the green foliage.
Pole and bush beans
I like growing a combination of pole and bush beans together. The bush beans are typically ready to harvest while the pole beans are just starting to cover their trellis. They also provide good ground cover to help keep the weeds at bay.
(These were also grown on the netted trellis but were far too heavy and started to collapse the netting. A stronger trellis is a must this year.)
- Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean: Super productive plant with tender, flavorful pods.
- Blue Lake Bush Bean: A favorite we grow every year
- Royal Burgendy Bush Bean
Melons
Potatoes
I only have one row mapped out on the garden plan, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to squeeze in another row to make room for more potatoes.
- Russet: I have a bunch with eyes growing in our pantry, so why not try growing them?
- Yukon gold: These grew great in the garden last year despite an unexpected late frost that killed most of the beautiful foliage and pest invasion that ate the rest of the leaves. The plants made a comeback and gave us several pounds of potatoes considering the odds. They are also pretty low maintenance with no mounding required.
Squash
- Emerald Delight Zucchini: Resistant to powdery mildew that I always loose my plants to. That and squash bugs.
- Honeynut Butternut Squash: Resistant to powdery mildew and squash vine borer.
The Greenhouse
For years I’ve grown tomatoes and peppers in rows, and the harvest has been eh, less than stellar.
This past year I had one tomato and several pepper plants in the greenhouse, and they really thrived!
So, this year all the tomatoes and peppers will be grown in there. I’m hoping for some very happy plants with (hopefully) our largest harvest yet.
Tomatoes
- Abe Lincoln
- Oxheart: A large and great tasting paste tomato. You can also find these seeds in my Etsy Shop.
- Pineapple Beefsteak
- Sweetie Cherry
- Sun Gold Cherry
- Cherry Falls: I love growing these in hanging baskets on my porch.
Peppers
- California Wonder: garden staple
- Jimmy Nardello: Will this be the year I get to make some homegrown paprika? Last year, something came along and ate the top of my one pepper plant. I’m hoping that growing it in the greenhouse will bring me better luck.
- Jalapeño
- Cayenne
Micro Tomatoes
I could never go a year without growing micro tomatoes.
Orange Hat, Micro Tom, and Spoon Tomatoes will all be making an appearance this year.
While I usually grow the micro tomatoes in the greenhouse on the plant rack, I’m moving the rack to outside behind the greenhouse this year to make more space inside.
You can find all micro tomato seeds in my Etsy Shop. Use code 2024GARDEN for 5% off your order.
Border Plants
Last year I grew one row of chamomile and had only a small area for calendula.
This they’ll be grown together to fill the whole front and side borders of the garden.
- German Chamomile
- Zeo Lights Calendula
- Orange Calendula
- Pink Surprise Calendula
Flower Garden
I created this little area for cut flowers. I only grew Zinnias and Parsley in this space last year, but this year I’m going to add a bit more variety.
- White Swan Echinacea: I adore the snowy white blooms
- Purple Echinacea
- Lauren’s Grape Poppy
- Yarrow
- Feverfew
- Teddy Bear Sunflower: one of my favorite sunflowers
- Zinnias: a mix of zinnias that I saved from last year
Herbal Garden
Most of the herbs I’m adding will be in large pots and grow bags then spaced around the garden wherever I can find some room.
Strawberry Patch
I love this little pallet strawberry patch so much. I think it adds a little rustic character to the garden. The wood helps keep the berries off the ground to help prevent rotting.
This spring I’ll add a few more strawberry plants to fill it in.
In October I’ll add some garlic to harvest next summer.
That’s all of my plans for this year’s garden. (For now, anyway.)
Follow along on Instagram to see it all come together and so you don’t miss any last-minute additions.
Until next time –
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