Plant something new in your garden
A couple years ago, I created a tiny potato patch off to the side of my garden just to see if I could grow them. I cut up a few store-bought potatoes — I don’t even remember what kind they were — making sure each piece had an eye to sprout.
At harvest time, I anxiously used a potato fork to gently dig up the tubers and was surprised at the number and sizes of them. But the best surprise of all was how good they tasted. Nothing I had ever bought at a grocery store began to taste as good as those home-grown potatoes. Nothing.
Each spring, although I fill my garden with plants I know and prefer, I make it a point to grow something that I’ve never grown before. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sweet potatoes worked. Leeks didn’t. Petunias worked beautifully. Foxglove didn’t.
This year, I’m trying something totally different: Zinger Hibiscus from Renee’s Garden seeds (reneesgarden.com) I ordered them last year and didn’t, for some reason, plant them. So this year, I’ve planted a few seeds and some hibiscus seedlings are well on their way. With some careful tending, I’m hoping to get a few cups of red zinger tea from the plants. I love Celestial Seasonings’ Red Zinger Tea; wouldn’t it be great if I could produce my own?
Try something new in your garden this year; all it costs is a pack of seeds. You may find a new vegetable or flower to love, or you may find that veggies you thought you didn’t like taste really good when you grow it yourself.
What will you try this year?
Renee's Garden Zinger Hibiscus seed packet
My zinger hibiscus seedings are coming right along.
I also bought a packet of these seeds from Renee. I started mine on the 7th of March and am just now getting a few seedlings sprouting. I love how large the leaves are on these compared to my other seedlings. I also am looking forward to making tea :)
What else have you planted this year?
Hi, Nicole! We’ll have to compare notes later this summer and see how the tea turned out. Well, I’ve got quite a few seeds started because I’m considering selling in our local Farmers’ Market this spring. So far, I’ve planted several kinds of tomatoes, several kinds of peppers, cucumbers, sage, basil, spinach, giant zinnias, moss rose, and several other different kinds of flowers. I’m just getting started, because I plan to plant corn, watermelon, lots of tomatoes, lots of cucumbers and much more for my own garden. I’m really excited about some milkweed and butterfly bush seed I just ordered and received. I’m creating a little pocket garden tucked away in a corner of my yard just for butterflies. Hey, maybe that should be the subject of an upcoming blog post! Thank you for reading!