I’m having a harder time than I thought I would with writing about each and every theoretical component of the new Home Economics, so let’s just skip to what’s actually occupying my mind right now, shall we?

I’m trying to maximize space here, so I am hoping that spending all this time in preparations is going to help me get more out of the garden this year. In case you’re wondering, the big rectangle on the upper right of the garden is a chimney. Here’s my planting plan as of right now:

Vegetable	Start seed indoors	Plant (or sew seed) outdoors	Partners with…	Position in garden
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts	March 15	4/15 (seed) or 6/1 (plant)	nothing	C
Black valentine bush beans	N/A	May 15	Kale	A
Long Red Florence Onion	March 15	April 15	?	???
Oregon Giant Pea	N/A	April 10	Bunch o’ herbs	B
French Breakfast radishes	N/A	April 10	Parsnips	E
Hidatsa Shield Figure bean	N/A	May 15	N/A	In pot, climbing trellis
Black Beauty Zucchini	N/A	May 15	N/A	In pot, climbing trellis
Boothby Blonde Cucumbers	April 15	May 15	N/A	In pot, climbing trellis
Red Russian Kale	N/A	By July 15	green beans	A
Mesclun lettuce	N/A	April 15	peppers	D
Florence Fennel	April 15	May 15	N/A	In flower bed (tolerates partial shade)
Triple Curled Parsley	N/A	April 15	N/A	In flower bed (tolerates partial shade)
Grandma Einck’s Dill	N/A	April 15	peas	B
Cilantro	N/A	May 15	peas	B

I am leaning towards just buying a few pepper and tomato plants since I am only planting 3-4 plants total of each. Also, this plan relies on the plan we had of building a trellis over our backyard deck (which was going to support the cukes, zucchini, and pole beans). I don’t know if we’re actually going to get around to that or not, so I may have to do a bit of re-thinking of Ye Olde Garden Planne.

I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota so this is a plan that is tailored to USDA Hardiness Zone 4a. And BARELY 4a. We regularly do hit -30 here (and we did, this winter), but fortunately I am also right in the inner city so I have a tiny heat island advantage over my suburban neighbors, even some to the south.

Because this is only my second year of having a vegetable garden, I have no idea whatsoever whether this plan will work or not. Stay tuned; I’ll report my findings as we go.

Oh, and in other exciting news we are also adding 3 blueberry bushes (mixed in with our front-yard flower garden), an asparagus patch, and a rhubarb patch this year. And by “patch” I mean a very small space indeed. Soon all grass will be BANISHED from my yard!