Starting My Garden: The First Seeds of the Year

This year marks the beginning of my gardening journey, and I’ve just bought my first batch of seeds! I’ve carefully selected a mix of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that I hope will thrive in my garden. Here’s what I’m starting with:

My Seed Selection for a Small Garden

My Planting Plan for a Small Garden

I will start my planting indoors, gradually introducing different plants at the right time:

• Mid-February: I’ll begin with bush tomatoes and chili peppers. Since these need a longer growing season, I want to give them a good head start.
• End of March: Time for oregano! Back home, I was used to seeing it growing wild, but here, I haven’t found it naturally. Since oregano is a perennial, I plan to plant it like a flower along the garden edges. We used to dry it in bouquets and drink it as tea all year round—it’s incredibly flavorful! At the same time, I’ll also plant echinacea (eastern purple coneflower), which I see sold as a syrup in pharmacies. I don’t yet know how to make herbal medicine from it, but I’m excited to learn. Brussels sprouts and possibly purpletop vervain will go in the soil as well. Brussels sprouts take time to mature, so it’s best to start early.
• April: The remaining plants, including marigolds and cucumbers, will be started indoors. Marigolds are said to help with pest control—I’m not sure if it’s true, but I’m willing to try! Cucumbers are essential for pickling, which we love. We even pickle other vegetables when they’re in season, and I’d love to share that process later in the year!

Tracking My Small Garden for Success

Since this is my first real gardening season, I want to track everything properly. I plan to use Google Sheets to keep a record of my planting dates, locations, germination rates, and harvests. This way, I’ll have valuable data to improve next year’s garden.

I’m excited to see how this experiment unfolds! If you’ve grown any of these plants, I’d love to hear your tips. Let’s grow together! 🌱✨