Plants that Grew Well at Our High Desert Homestead
Learning to grow food in the high desert comes with a learning curve. Our first summer out here we didn't even attempt a garden because we were getting adjusted in many other ways.
These are our volunteer pumpkins! We have a large compost pile and whatever we don't through to the chickens we put in the compost. Early into summer we noticed we had a bunch of unknown volunteer plants growing in the compost, so we dug a few plants up and planted them in the garden. What a fun surprise we all had when we discovered they were white pumpkins! Next year we plan on planting them earlier so we can harvest more than two before the freeze sets in.
Our second year our garden never made it past the seeding stage, but this year, while we had challenges and struggles with our garden, we did have a few plants that grew well, and we will be growing again, and growing much more of, next year.
We planted them in a container alongside carrots and beets. Actually, the carrots grew decently, and the beets grew really well too, sorry, I don't have a picture of those guys! The root veggies were fun to grow because my youngest son really enjoyed pulling them out of the ground and seeing what color radish or carrot would be at the end of the stem. I think next year we will try growing these guys in a garden plot, as long as we can keep the bunnies out or they will eat our sprouts as soon as they break through the dirt.
When I was a kid, I loved sunflowers! I remember getting a packet of teddy bear sunflower seeds when I was 8 or 9 years old and I planted them, but they never grew. Imagine the heartbreak I felt when I discovered my sunflowers were duds. I also remember having an open packet of teddy bear sunflower seeds that I carried around with me for years and years! Just a few years ago, maybe 5 or so, I came across the packet stored in one of my many "childhood" boxes. The funny thing is, in all that time, from 8 or 9 years old until just this year (so that's like 28 years), I never tried to grow teddy bear sunflowers. I'm not sure, but maybe, subconsciously I was afraid of the disappointment I'd feel if they didn't grow again. This year was different though, this year I was brave! I bought more seeds and planted them, and they did wonderful! I even saved the seeds for planting again next year!
Our radishes grew fast and super simple to grow!
When I was a kid, I loved sunflowers! I remember getting a packet of teddy bear sunflower seeds when I was 8 or 9 years old and I planted them, but they never grew. Imagine the heartbreak I felt when I discovered my sunflowers were duds. I also remember having an open packet of teddy bear sunflower seeds that I carried around with me for years and years! Just a few years ago, maybe 5 or so, I came across the packet stored in one of my many "childhood" boxes. The funny thing is, in all that time, from 8 or 9 years old until just this year (so that's like 28 years), I never tried to grow teddy bear sunflowers. I'm not sure, but maybe, subconsciously I was afraid of the disappointment I'd feel if they didn't grow again. This year was different though, this year I was brave! I bought more seeds and planted them, and they did wonderful! I even saved the seeds for planting again next year!
Our teddy bear sunflowers did well, although next year I think I won't plan them so close together.
These are our volunteer pumpkins! We have a large compost pile and whatever we don't through to the chickens we put in the compost. Early into summer we noticed we had a bunch of unknown volunteer plants growing in the compost, so we dug a few plants up and planted them in the garden. What a fun surprise we all had when we discovered they were white pumpkins! Next year we plan on planting them earlier so we can harvest more than two before the freeze sets in.
I love white pumpkins; they are just a small and simple thing that makes me happy.
Our potatoes were so easy to grow! We did run into a slight problem though. We planted them too close together and because I let my kids plant a few, unsupervised, they didn't cut them into eyes instead they planted the whole potato into the ground. All summer we thought we were growing HUGE potato plants, but they ended up being a bunch of small plants super close together. Next year we will know better. You live, you learn right?
What potatoes we did harvest were absolutely delicious!
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