THE SEEDS you NEED

HERE ARE THE MUST-PLANT LIST FOR THIS YEAR'S GARDEN SPACE.

- ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LISA MUNNIKSMA

"Homesteading- and communitycare-scale garden” is how I describe the 3,000 square feet where I grow what's probably too many plants for one person's avocation. My interest in food started around 2007; I started farming in 2011. Now, I'm a hobby farmer in the truest sense. While I produce enough food and flowers to sell, I just grow it for my household, to trade and to share with my community. Working more than full-time, I don’t have a lot of extra time on my hands, yet growing food is important to my physical and mental health.

I've tried growing a lot of crops in and around central Kentucky, and after all this time, I think I've sorted out what really works for me. Here, I'm sharing with you my top crops: my mustgrow fruits, vegetables and herbs. This is not a “sexiest crops” list. This list is more about reliability than it is about trends.

Note that I grow in an area that typically sees six frost-free months in zone 6b. Not every variety I love is commercially available, but I’m including these to demonstrate why I've chosen that variety.

I also realize not everyone enjoys winter squash as much as I do, which is to say not every crop I list here will work in your garden or with your palate. But from this list, you may find the inspiration you need to get your garden off to a good start.

CARMEN PEPPERS

I don't prefer peppers, but I found one variety that I savor: the sweet Italian Carmen frying peppers. I could have left this vegetable-diary entry at "sweet Italian peppers," but I've tried a few varieties and find Carmens are the most suited for my garden and my taste. I also prefer the red over the yellow, but that might be about looks more than flavor.