Garden Planning 2014

A recent article in Organic Gardening about the Rodale Institutes (Organic Gardening Article) 30 years of trial testing brought to mind that it is that time of year when the best plants of the year from 2013 are being posted and talked about in gardening circles. Many University Extensions, seed companies and public gardens have trial gardens where plants are tested for a variety of growing conditions. They plant thousands of cultivars and watch and evaluate them for the next season or in some cases for several years before they can rate them for the home gardener, commercial grower or in the case of some public gardens their own grounds.

While planning your garden you will want to evaluate your own successes, failures and growing mistakes to plan for this years gardens. Will you put the same cultivars in the garden or try something new or a combination? Did you grow the right plant in the right place or was there an oversight in your planning? How can I change to make my garden better? Is there a better variety of annual or perennial for the light or watering conditions in my garden? So many questions.

So fellow gardeners, I want to point you to several reads for your gardening planning pleasure.
It will start you on your journey for the 2014 growing season, and don't forget to read your journal from last year before choosing yours seeds or plants. By now we have probably forgotten all of the little things that happened.

George Weigel of Penn live blog.pennlive….best_new_edible_plants_of_2014.html.
He also has written an Annual and Perennial Best of blog found on the bottom of the edible blog.

Being a tomato person, I will definitely try a few different varieties this year including the beautiful Indigo Sun and the Chef's Orange mentioned in the pennlive blog.

Basils of different varieties are also a must in the summer. Last year was lemon and it was perfect in drinks as well as in salads and recipes. This year who knows.



Other links to browse and find how edibles, annuals and perennials are tested to be sold on the market.

all-america selections

ngb.org

trialgardenspsu.com

And of course any of your favorite seed companies have a wealth of information on their websites.