Frau Zinnie

Edible crops thriving - again - in my Eco Garden

The snap pea pods towered above me. They have been protected from garden pests. They haven't experienced any fluctuations in watering.

I couldn't wait.

I began eating them before they even made it inside the house.

When I sowed those pea seeds back on March 31, I put faith in knowing that I would eventually get to this moment.

‘Spring Blush’ snap pea from Pinetree Garden Seeds.

In typical New England fashion, spring started out on the chillier side. I was able to sow my spring crops in the Eco Garden System earlier than in my raised beds along the driveway because the soil inside the Eco Garden System had warmed up faster. That's because the Eco Garden System is elevated off the ground.

The growth of the plants was steady throughout the spring. I recently traveled to Colorado for the Garden Bloggers Fling and when I returned, I was astounded at how much my edibles in the Eco Garden System had grown. I came home to a bountiful crop of snap peas, and the carrots and beets have doubled in size, too. The lettuce is growing in the shade of the taller snap peas, and the fernleaf dill is also doing well.

‘Little Crunch’ snap pea from Renee's Garden Seeds.

Setting gardeners up for success

I've had the Eco Garden System set up in my driveway for three years now, and it has really changed my edible gardening for the better.

The first year I grew edibles in the Eco Garden System, I was happy to see how well the plants performed. I love that I can use this portion of my driveway to grow plants. (Urban settings, perhaps only with only a small patio to work with, can also benefit from the Eco Garden System.)

Because it has a built-in water reservoir at the bottom of the unit, it encourages plants to grow deep roots to reach it. On hot days, I rarely need to worry about watering the plants or coming home and finding them wilting. In this way, the Eco Garden System continually sets me up for success.

The Eco Garden System also keeps pests like groundhogs away from my plants. Recently an insatiable groundhog has been making his way through my garden. He helped himself to my grow bags and the flat of zinnia seedlings I started hardening off outside. But all the vegetables in the Eco Garden were safe from his path of destruction, because this raised garden is 39 inches off the ground.

Eco Garden System 1; Groundhog 0.

Next up: summer crops

As you know, I've already started harvesting my snap peas. I'm eagerly awaiting for the carrots and beets to be ready as well. Most of these crops will finish in the next few weeks and then it will be on to summer crops. I'll be starting those seeds under my grow lights so that way I can pop them into the Eco Garden System when it's time. (Hint: it will be an AAS Winner.)

I was provided an Eco Garden System in 2017 to try out in my Zone 6b garden. Opinions expressed here are my own.

If you are interested in purchasing your own Eco Garden System, click here to use my discount code.

Get ready to dig in and grow your best vegetables this year.

Matt Mattus' "Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening" offers growing advice for nine groups of edible plants which can be grown in your garden. The photos (some which are shown below) highlight the beauty of various edibles.

There's a lot of growing information in "Mastering," which you will find yourself absorbing quickly thanks to his conversational tone.

Mattus believes in the importance of being able to grow "quality" vegetables in the garden. This grabbed my attention right away, because he defines quality as "having the ability to choose the exact varieties we want to grow and eat, and even more importantly, having the resources, knowledge, and patience to grow them well." Mattus sets the groundwork here to introduce the various edibles he has grown — along with his tried and tested growing techniques.

I was happy to learn that his growing zone is 5b (a zone colder than mine), but he offers tips for warmer growing regions as well.

Let's succeed together — that's the overarching message I interpreted from "Mastering." I found myself referring to Mattus' book several times as I started multiple edibles from seed this spring.

For example, did you know that dill doesn't like to be transplanted? Or that chard is a nitrogen lover? How about how a warm greenhouse is a better place to start melon seeds early?

"Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening" is a great resource to help gardeners fine-tune their edible gardening ambitions.

"Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening" retails for $30.

I was provided a review copy of "Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening" from Quarto Knows. Opinions expressed in the review are mine.

Each year, I buy seeds from multiple sources. I might not plant them all in one year but I keep them as long as they are viable.

As a result, this year I have a high number of zinnia seeds in my seed stash (and recently learned that four years seems to be the cut-off date for viability). As the season has advanced, I've been constantly referring to the seed packets to see what will grow well in which spots in the garden.

For example, I recently purchased specific varieties of orange and purple daylilies for the garden. Wouldn't it look great to have orange and purple zinnias to accompany them and extend the bloom season?

But I had a problem. I had two different varieties from two different companies, but only one seed packet listed how tall the plants would grow.

It would look silly to have 3-foot purple zinnias and 14-inch orange zinnias, right?

Give me all the details

Seed companies: When I am sowing seeds, I want certain information up front, such as:

How far in advance I should start the seeds (based on the last average frost date).
How deep to sow the seeds (or to surface sow).
How big the mature plant will be (height and width).

When I'm sowing seeds, I don't want to stop what I'm doing and get out my phone to google the plant variety.

Over time, I've noticed that some companies are really good about sharing information about how to sow the seeds. And some even go beyond the basics and provide extensive information. One example is Botanical Interests. Owner Judy Seaborn* recently shared on the Cultivating Place podcast that Botanical Interests prides itself on providing extensive information on a seed packet (~7:44 mark).

They make use of the inside portion of the seed packet to provide extensive info on the seed you are planting. (Talk about setting gardeners up for success!)

High Mowing Seeds, Renee's Garden Seeds and Johnny's Seeds also provide a good amount of growing information on their seed packets as well.

This year I have noticed that Baker Creek Seeds has provided more information on their seed packets.

Shown above is the same seed variety but from different years — 2016 on the left and 2019 on the right.

In 2016, the seed packet included a brief paragraph on the back (above left). This year, I noticed more growing information provided, including average seed sprouting time, ideal temperature, seed planting depth, seed spacing, frost hardiness and sun requirements. BUT I still had to look up how tall the seeds would grow, and found that info on a different seed website. I'm happy to see this trend toward providing more information, and hope they continue to add just a little more.

Gardeners — no matter what experience level — need information readily available to help make decisions about plants in the garden. Seed packets offer a unique opportunity to provide necessary growing information to set gardeners up for success.

*Judy is also one of the organizers of this year's Garden Bloggers Fling, which the podcast focused on.

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