Veggies by value

Do you think artichokes would make the value list these days? If a single plant produces a dozen artichokes and the current grocery store prices are a couple of bucks each it seems that it would be a cost effective use of space.

twiggybuds,

Sounds like you're really getting into this gardening experiment. And that's what I call it. Because every year I try something new. :)

I grow everything in raised beds with loose, sandy loam. I add composted cow manure, peat moss, cotton burr compost, etc. every year. Then I sprinkle slow release fertilizer.

I sow my beans and peas pretty thickly, about 6 inches apart in all directions. I really want to try broccoli, lettuce, and snow peas this fall.

That's great about the potatoes. I have yet to get quite that much productivity out of mine. Perhaps there is some secret. :)

I've got a whole 3' x 16' bed of 10 Kiowa blackberry plants. The modern hybrid blackberries are supposed to be 2-3 times as productive as wild berries. These are upright and thorny variety which produces massive berries. We're talking bigger than a quarter. Some people call them small purple pineapples. :) On the 10 plants in my first year (planted in February in well-amended raised bed) it looks like I will get over 100 berries. Have to build a frame and lay bird netting down.

No success yet with melons. Hard to find the space to grow everything else I want to grow AND melons.

We are lucky in S.E. Texas because of access to peaches (should be starting in in the next 2-3 weeks). I can eat a 5 lb crate of peaches in 3 days.

I've only had dried currants that I buy to put in muffins. What does a fresh currant look and taste like?

CMox, your Elberta is probably more suited to Georgia than Iowa, but give it time and if it does produce, you will love it! I remember the peach trees we had in the yard back home. Most were yellow freestones, but one tree made a smallish red peach that was red clear through. It was the most delicious peach I think I've ever eaten. If anybody has an idea what it might have been, I'd love to know. Not that I think I can grow it here. Twiggybuds, apples are harder to grow here than there, I expect, though a few varieties do pretty well. I could kick myself for not planting a ton of fruit trees instead of the ficus (that died in the Big Freeze of '07) and the ridiculous eucs I planted for shade - not thinking that they'll shade the house across the street by the time they're 60' high. Oh, how well hindsight works.

CompostR, that's a hilarious story! It would never happen here; the MOTH has no idea what a potato peeler is, much less where it is. Now I wish that I had bought some Peruvian purple potatoes. I got so carried away with potato descriptions that I ordered about 6 varieties, but except for Yukon Gold, they're all white potatoes! Next year will be different. Right now, I'm thinking potatoes are not a high value crop; 99 cents for 5 pounds at the grocery is a pretty common loss leader. But I am having the best time with these plants; they are the opposite of my tomatoes in terms of worry, trouble and disappointment. At least so far. ;0)

I love lettuces and I do think varieties like mesclun are high value. (After all, it's about $6 a pound at the store.) I can't plant any of those till fall; they'd die in 60 seconds in the heat coming on. And I love greens! Chard, kale, mustard, turnips, collards, you name it. Those are probably not high value crops either, but they taste soooooo much better than the tired stuff at the store.

I have to say, I'm glad I got this discussion started. I am more motivated now than ever to turn more yard into a serious garden. You should see what I have now - a bed here, a bed there, potatoes in tires and baskets, herbs in boxes, tomatoes in tubs...
I'm heading out now to stick some more plants in the ground and pray they don't fry before I can get some shadecloth up. CMox, we haven't had a drop of rain in over two months and last year, we went over 4 months in the heat of summer without any rain.

CMox - currents are beautiful and interesting - the only ones you see around here are the ones high-end caterers use for decorations! Oh, and the dried ones. I enjoyed reading about your gooseberries, grafting... Great point - home grown has less or no pesticides and is more FUN! I personaly hate shopping anyway.

Found this, but, sadly no peaches are recommended for Iowa. Does say you can grow apricots.
Iowa State Suggested Pear and Stone Fruit Varieties
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1992/4-29-1992/fruit.html

twiggy and tomato - here's some general info (even though it's Australian):
Apples and Pears for Warmer Districts:
http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/acotanc/papers/campbel1.htm

And, this West Coast seller has some low-chill apples (Akane, Dorsett Golden, Aruna, Beverly Hills, Ein Shemer, Newtown Pippin and Pettingill). But I would definately consider planting these just an experiment!
http://www.pacificgroves.com/explore/fruit_trees_v.html

feldon – very interesting about the blackberries. My one Chester is doing great, but I wondered what others taste like. Supposedly the thorny ones taste better? Are the thorns really as bad as they say?

Well, folks, I’m off to start some tomato seeds – kinda late this year. Hubby says buy plants, but I am too cheap!

TF, have you tried malabar? It's supposed to take high temperatures, and produce edible leaves (when young and tender) that stand in for spinach as a green, although it's also quite ornamental. I've got one tiny little plant going as an experiment, and lots of seeds left. Dmail me if you'd like to give it a try!

$.99 for 5# of taters!! Well I'm just mystified. I ought to be able to file a discrimination suit or something. All year I've been paying $2 to $2.50 for a 5# sack and most of them have black spots inside that farmerdill says is caused by improper storage. And that's in all the stores here from Walmart to the independents. Life just isn't fair!

Feldon I've been considering the cultivated blackberries. I'd like to know how invasive they are and will be watching for a report. The wild ones are both a blessing and a curse because they want to take over the world here. I've been picking up lots of ideas and motivation. I'm not sure I'd volunteer to repeat the last 6 months but I sure regret not planting more eats on time. Right now the only thing close to harvest is some flower pot garlic that was planted around Christmas time.

Thanks for those links. I will definitely check them out.

Tomatofreak & Twiggybuds - with regard to currants, the ones that you find in the scones and muffins and things are actually Zante currants, and are a dried grape, so a type of raisin. The ones I am growing are Ribes species, nothing to do with grapes, and are a different fruit entirely. It does lead to some confusion though, because the dried ones are black in color, so people tend to think blackcurrants are the same thing. Generally they are more common in Europe. I grew up with 2 British parents so we had black and red currants quite frequently. Here in North America, they are less common. Some people know of "Creme de Cassis" which is a liqueur made with blackcurrant fruits. Cassis is French for blackcurrant. Generally blackcurrants are quite strongly flavored and most folks prefer them in jam or jelly or pies, not as fresh eating. The red currants on the other hand are nice to eat fresh, and the white are the mildest and also nice fresh. As CompostR says, the red ones are often used for garnish. You can also get Red Currant jelly at some grocery stores.

Tomatofreak - your drought sounds awful. Do you use drip line irrigation to conserve water? I use that in my tomato raised beds to prevent splashback and reduce foliar diseases. 4 months with no rain would be awful.

Oh, and I think the red peach might be what's sometimes called an "Indian blood peach" which apparently has smallish peaches that are red fleshed. Says they are popular in Georgia...

Thanks for the link CompostR! I am always pushing my zone to its limits! The Elberta was in flower when I got it from a local nursery (who grow them locally) so I thought it would work out. Maybe it only works out in exceptional years. But, I love apricots, so I will investigate that option!

Now I'm thinking about blackberries as a new fruit for me! I am also tempted to try asparagus.

DannL - I think artichokes MUST be great value to grow at home. They are pricey in the stores and often not that great in quality. Do you grow them? I have not tried...

Some 35 years since I've tried the veggie garden. This winter had to cut down a mature tree and decided to do the lasagna thing to kill out the monkey grass around it and the stump. Built a raised garden. 11'X18'X20"s. Filled it with a mix of homemade compost and bought dirt of fine soil, garbage compost, lava sand, and Texas green sand. Wooooweee! It has taken off big time. The butternut lettuce and mesculun along with radish have been feeding us for about a week. We continue to have cool nights (50's) and some things just aren't growing as fast.
This morning checked the snow peas and they are loaded. Last week I hilled the potatoes again they have grown too tall. 2 inches of rain encouraged that. On another thread (recipes) I have the story of the swiss chard in the flower beds...talk about good. All growing like a weed is: tomatoes, bell pepper, banana pepper, onion (both bulb and clumping), 2 kinds of squash, cilantro, carrot, blackeye peas, kentucky wonder, cabbage, brussel sprouts, parsley, dill, curley parsley, rosemary, thyme, lemon thyme, greek oregano, okra, and a couple of more I can't remember. Yes, preparing the bed costs some. The bounty from it will more than make that up and will be ready for a fall crop. Originally was going to do more flowers. My beds are superb this year. I think from top dressing with the above soil. Other thing I use often is Epsom Salt (long thread on Texas forum).
I prefer to plant flower and all from seed when at all possible. Cheaper and by far a healthier plant than one fresh from a commercial greenhouse. Unexpected side effect of the raised bed----no bunnies in it---yet. Because it is all brand new---no weeds----yet. Wish I could share the salad bounty today. May have to go door to door in the neighborhood. Can't save it and sure don't want it to go to waste.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

LouC aka Christi

I - have - to - move. That garden makes me want to cry, Christi; it looks SO good. I know you put a lot of sweat - in addition to the $$ - into that but it is paying off big time. Where is Desoto, anyway? Your weather must be more moderate than mine, for sure. How hot in summer?

CMox, everything that is in long beds is on drip lines and soaker hoses, buried to cut down on evaporation. My yard is in a flood irrigation district so in summer, we get the front and back yards watered well. The trouble is that my new little garden space is out of reach of the irrigation so I need to run a line out there with some soaker hoses, too. I have some plants in tubs and half barrels that I'll have to hand water unless I can rig up drippers to them. Sorta dampens the fun in July and August. And September into October. Not only are we in a 12 year (I think that's right) drought, we have broken records for high summer temps for most of the last five years. It's predicted that we're going to get hotter - and drier, probably. Such fun.

Tomato, I live 14 miles from the heart of downtown Dallas, Texas. Nothing but caliche and clay. Everybed has to amended and amended and then amended some more. Our climate has extreme temperature swings. 20 or 110 is not unsual in the same 12 months. Until last year we had 5 years of drought. Water rationing is still in force because of the water sheds being almost empty. Starting in April of 2007 it rained 54 inches in 6 weeks and then rained some more. We had planted drought resistant plants and they all drowned. Any gardening is a gamble on God's table. Patience is not given, it is taught. Gardening is a pleasant way to learn the lesson. Helps me keep my sanity. We all do our best with what we have at hand, then it is up to Him. Keep up the cards and letters, guys. I am learning a lot from each of you.

Christi

I don't agree that English peas are low producers per amount of space. I think the fact that canned and frozen English peas are relatively cheap attest to that. Of course these are mechanically picked and shelled. This is not great English pea country, but this 4 x 70 ft plot will give 25 lbs or so of shelled peas. It took one lb of seed, 3 rows, 12 inches apart. This a short vine cultivar (Willet Wonder) a taller cultivar gown on a 4 foot tall mesh would do better, Because of the summer heat, I need quick maturing cultivars and the tall vines take longer.

twiggybuds,

I think part of why Kiowa is recommended as a blackberry is they are upright plants that require little or no trellising. However they are thorny.

Trailing varieties require a trellis, typically a T-post at each end and twine or wires back and forth between them to support the canes. The most well known of the thornless trailing varieties is Triple Crown.

All blackberries require pruning, both to top canes once they reach 4' to encourage branching, and once the fruiting season is over in July, to cut those floricanes (the canes which flowered and fruited this year) down to the ground, leaving the new canes (called primocanes) to fruit next year.

Some people grow enough blackberry bushes that they can just mow half the plants down to the ground every year or every other year, getting a small crop from the new canes on the freshly-cut half, and most of their berries from the rapidly growing thicket of the uncut half.

This message was edited Apr 27, 2008 10:34 PM

Back on the value front with fruit, I just planted a pomegranate tree this winter. Given that the durn things cost $3 each when in season, I think I'll be getting my money's worth pretty quick!

Jill, who still wishes she had the space or the acidic soil for raspberries...mmmm....

http://www.isons.com/

This site really got my juice flowing. Feldon those blackberries sound do-able and at $3.75 they're certainly worth a try. Ditto for raspberries. One important thing I've learned is that there are many new varieties of almost everything for my climate. Still no cherries though. I want some apples, almond, hazelnuts, pomegranate and everything else. My trouble is that I like too many things. It came to me today that I can take out 5 large holly bushes on my east property line for more space. Hopefully I can make some wise choices by next planting season.

Farmerdill - that is one beautiful mess of peas you have there! (I just want to add how much I appreciate all your posts and photos on the web. I have read and learned!)

I am thinking the "efficiency" list was geared toward VERY small home gardens. I calculate you're gettting a pound of peas per 11.2 sq. ft. I can see where one might want to get more poundage from vegetables higher on the list if space was really tight.

(I could use 25 lbs. of peas and only planted 76 sq. ft. - guess I should plant more peas!)

I was just at the store and sugar snap peas were $4.99!!! Who says that's not a value crop?

Wow, that's highway robbery! I hope you didn't absolutely have to have some!

Something else that occurred to me today - apart from the purple potatoes I mentioned, other "fun" color veggies are a great value to grow yourself. For example, I grow the purple, yellow, white and red carrots. They are all really yummy, and cost a lot more than the orange ones in the store, if you can even find them. I haven't tried it yet, but I'd like to try the orange color cauliflower, and also the purple broccoli. Again, they are commanding a premium price in the store, but are just as easy as the "usual" color ones to grow yourself. I also grew the zephyr summer squash last summer - half pale green and half creamy yellow. Really pretty and definitely different.

Claire

TF I hope you left those peas in the store. That's just too outrageous.

CMoxon, I read on here somewhere that the yellow cauliflower was even easier to grow because it doesn't have to be blanched.

My snow peas are almost ready to harvest. First time this but really easy.

The orange caulilflower might save a little labor in tying up for those in the south, but growth patterns are same. Only a couple of cultivars tho (Cheddar which used to be called Citrus) and Orange Bouquet. Lots more choice in the purples and they are prettier. You have Graffiti, Violet Queen, Purple Cape, Sicilian, Rosalind

This is Graffiti.

Wow, it looks like an undersea coral formation. That's so beautiful! Now I really want to grow it, just for the photo op!

TF,

I think snow peas are that high here, too. Reason I am growing them. We love snow peas, but they're way too expensive to buy.

Claire,

Our stores don't have the different color veggies like that -- at all at any price. Next year I'm going to have the room to try to them.
- - -

It's not unusual for zucchini, yellow crook neck squash, and scallop squash (if you can find it) to be $1.79 a pound, big deal if it's cheaper than that. Cilantro nearly $2.00 a bunch, sometimes $2.89 a bunch. English peas never get less than $2.50 a pound. A five-pound bag of potatoes is often $5.00 for the russets -- Yukon Gold or red potatoes are higher. No other potato choices in the stores here. Rarely can even buy spinach regardless of the price. It's just not available. Green beans - $1.79 a pound or higher. Colored bell peppers - $1.99 EACH. Blackberries and blueberries - they are so high I no longer even look at them so I don't know the current prices. Strawberries are usually $2.50-2.99 for the small basket, and they're not good either. Asparagus, $2.99-$3.99/pound - occasionally on sale at $1.99/pound. Fresh produce is very high here. I think that value list is way out of date, at least for this area.

So, yes, I think that growing veggies is definitely cheaper than buying them. Also, they don't look as if they hitch-hiked to get here either.

Karen

"Also, they don't look as if they hitch-hiked to get here either."

Ain't that the truth! It's bad enough that the prices are so high but they want you to pay through the nose for wrinkly, sad, awful-tasting fruit and veggies. I saw an apple I hadn't heard of the other day - Sonja. I asked the produce guy what it tasted like and he asked if I wanted to try one. So he took one away and came back with a couple of slices. They were marked $1.69 a pound - and it was the blandest thing ever. I passed on those just like I did those peas!

Karen, I can't believe those prices! Cilantro here is often 4 bunches for a dollar, or at the worst, 2 for a buck. The stuff is a weed, really; it takes nothing to grow it. The problem is that it bolts quickly in the heat. Try planting it when your weather cools off. I just bought asparagus for $1.88/pound and it was pretty good. Fresh and unwrinkled! I have to say I've given up any store loyalty I ever had - and that wasn't much. I've learned which stores routinely have the best prices on produce and I'll shop there first for the items I know they'll generally have for less. I was buying those fancy little Green Giant red-skinned 'golds', 5 pounds for $1.99. Peppers are usually 2/$1.00 - red or yellow; 3 or 4/$1 - green. Strawberries have been as low as $1.50 for a pint but they taste terrible and I don't bother. I don't know how long they'll maintain those prices with the cost of fuel skyrocketing but I suspect they'll manage to undercut their competition by charging more for other categories of groceries.

CMox, I think you've really ID's some value crops - those fancy and colorful veggies you can't find anywhere - or if you do, you need to take out a mortgage to buy 'em. Farmerdill, that's about the prettiest head of cauliflower I've ever seen. What color is it when cooked? Which brings up another point: I'll bet kids are more likely to eat something interesting and colorful than the dull stuff they usually get. Does that add value?

Friends of mine once said they didn't bother to grow vegetables, because, by the time they come in, that's when they are cheapest at the store and it didn't pay. I so do not agree.

Even in peak season, I don't think store-bought is cheaper than home-grown, but I guess you do have to consider the timing when it comes to value.

Then there are weird price drops - Strawberries (really very excellent) from California were $1.99 for a two pound box! OK, that's a loss leader for sure ! My strawberries are just starting to bloom.

When I lived in So. CA, I could buy cilantro and other fresh herbs for 10 cents a bunch. Fruits - peaches, pears, apples, etc. were usually $0.59-0.69/pound. Bananas 4 lbs/$1.00. Ten pound bag of russets/$0.99. Tomatoes on the vine were usually $1.99/pound. One pound bag of carrots - 2 for $1.00. Green peppers usually $0.99/pound, colored ones sometimes on sale for $0.99/pound when the green ones were on sale for $0.49/pound, but usually $1.99/pound. Corn - 10/$1.00. I lived in the San Fernando Valley. My daughter lived in Ventura. We would get fresh strawberries $10.00-12.00/flat (12 pint boxes). Those strawberries are so good that if you've ever eaten them you'll never be satisfied with supermarket berries.

However, here in AL apparently people don't eat veggies much or if they do they don't buy the fresh. So, a lot of the produce is held too long because of slow sales on it and some of the price goes toward paying for spoilage, too. When we moved here in the fall of 2004, I was astonished at the prices for fresh produce and appalled at the lack of quality. The only place here that has really good quality produce is in Birmingham (50 mi.) at Whole Foods. Of course, their prices are even higher than what I quoted in my other post. I just can't afford WF most of the time and gas is too high ($3.50+/gal.) to drive to Birmingham for casual shopping anyway.

Sweet potatoes are fairly cheap here, but where the heck did they get them? They are awful, no taste at all. So, this week I planted nearly three dozen sweet potato plants.

When we moved to our own property a year ago, I planted a garden as soon as I could. I've enlarged my garden area a lot this year. One of the problems I'm having with my daughter is that she is not used to eating the produce when it needs to be eaten, because she's used to buying it from the store whenever she wants/needs it. But she is learning. We have a storm cellar that I am going to try using as an overflow storage for veggies.

For Christmas I bought my son a Portobello mushroom kit and had it mailed to him. The kit was about $30.00+shipping. He had three huge harvests and one smaller one from the kit. Was that a savings over buying them? I don't know, but it was a gift so that doesn't really count. One of the projects I'm looking at for this fall or next year is to get some hardwood logs and buy the mushroom spawn plugs for them. The spawn is really, really cheap on the internet. I believe that will be a big savings over buying them in the market, especially the varieties other than the white button ones.

At least here even growing the more common veggies is a big value in savings. Growing the less common ones or lesser known varieties is a huge savings. This next winter I'll have my cold frames and hot beds in place to grow my own transplants outside.

CompostR,

I so do not agree with your friends. Either produce is a lot cheaper in PA than here or they've not really added it up. No doubt you are correct in that the strawberries are a loss leader, but that's not going to happen all the time or even a lot of the time.

Karen

Karen, I think your portobello kit paid off big time. Those mushrooms are usually $4.99 a pound loose or 2.99 for a 6 ounce cell pack. I love those things; I think I'll buy a kit of my own. Mind if I ask where you got yours?

When I worked in SoCal, I'd try to get over to Ontario as often as possible in strawberry season and buy them at roadside stands. I haven't been there in a long time and all those fields are probably under condos by now but those berries were incredible! So often the ones I buy in stores are hard, sour and barely taste like strawberries. That's one plant I would grow bunches of if I were in a different climate.

My garden guide says I can still plant sweet potatoes so I'll be doing that this week. I've never planted one; how do you start?

When you find a GREAT deal, they know things are about to spoil and do what they can to move them. I jumped on 2-for-$3 (quarts) of strawberries last week -- only 3 berries had to be composted of the 5 quarts I bought, and I have 10 pints of strawberry jam for altogether a $10 outlay. I certainly won't do that when they're $5 a quart, and mine aren't producing in quantity yet. So you take advantage when you can.

I see the point as being that occasionally you can buy them for less than what you can produce them for. But I for one don't think it's worth it! Flavor alone makes up the difference, to say nothing of more nutrients and knowing what, if any, chemicals went into the production.

And a question for our beloved Farmerdill: When to plant that lovely cauliflower in zone 8b, hot and humid Texas piney woods? I direct sowed Cheddar in March, but it's pretty obvious I'll get nothing from it. :(

tf, I know I've seen a thread on SP slips but can't find it. I'll keep looking and post it here if and when I do. (Also a recipe for those who think they'll never like SPs.)

At this stage of the game TF, buy plants, lay off rows, fertilize, list up the rows ( list should be about 4inches high and 12 inches wide) set the plants about 16 inches apart, water. cultivate to keep weeds down. Dig them out in October. In loose soil, the list is not absolutely necessary, but it helps keep the potatoes under the main plant. Heavy soil it is necessary to provide a loose place for the roots to grow.

I too am planting sweet potatoes this week with these.

I have two sons in Rancho Cucamonga and some of those strawberry fields are still there. Even the seconds are wonderful.

Brigidlily. I start plants in a cold frame in January and transplant around the first of March. You are bit warmer. At any rate, start about six weeks or so before transplant date. You can transplant as long as the average lows for the date are 25 degrees or better. The plants can take short intervals in the low 20's, but I have had some permanent damage at 22 degrees. Cheddar takes about two months from transplant and can't take heat in the upper 90's.

There are some entries over on the beginner veggie forum regarding sweet potatoes. The subject is: Going to try to grow sweet potatoes this year

I've printed that out, Farmerdill. Thanks!

Rtl, how long did it take your SP to sprout?

Farmerdill, where would I buy plants? Around here, all they have in the nurseries are ornamentals. Thanks for telling me how to do it!

Brigidlily, I can't imagine anyone not liking SP's but I'll take a recipe anyway! I just served some up with lunch yesterday.

I started them in March. On April 10 I posted a picture of them on your tatos in a tire thread. You can see how fast they have grown. I believe we can plant SP's through May and George Brookbank say to plant them in June here.

I have NEVER liked SPs. I think it's because I have this thing about vegetables should be savory, and FRUITS should be sweet. But I loooooooooooooove these --

Boil the SPs until tender. Mash with butter, a TINY bit of sugar (I put maybe a tsp. into 6 SPs), and a gentle slug of vanilla. Top with toasted pecan pieces. MMMMMMmmmmmm. It's my version of the way they make them at Outback (Tuesdays only), where I first had them. SO good.

My DM always opened a can of them and added marshmallows, raisins, and sugar. Yegh. Makes me shudder to think of it. But prepared as above, I'll devote an entire raised bed to them!

TF:

I got my sweet potato plants from George's Plant Farm in Martin TN. http://www.tatorman.com./ They are beautiful well-rooted plants. They even sent extra ones, total of 30 plants. I ordered the Mixed Variety - 24 plants for $16.00 which includes Priority Mail shipping. I don't think they take credit cards, but they have a telephone number that you can call. They have tons of info on the site and 10 different varieties. I planted them Sunday afternoon. Looked out there a little while ago and they're already putting on new leaves. I got the Beauregard, which is a vine type and supposed to be a heavy producer, and the Vardeman, which is a bush type and supposed to be excellent taste with no strings. Both are the dark orange varieties as I prefer the dark ones.

I absolutely love a good sweet potato, but the ones in the store here are tasteless. Awful! I did buy a Garnet sweet potato when I was in Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago. It was very good but I can't drive 50 miles for a sweet potato. LOL.

Here is where I got the mushroom kit. http://www.mushroomadventures.com/index.html I ordered from these guys because I wanted Portobello and most don't have those in kits. It came with full instructions, and you keep it in the house. He told me he got three huge crops and he thought the next one would be smaller. He was very pleased with it. Check out the price of the dowel spawn. Dirt cheap, just bring your own log.
Here's another source of mushroom kits: http://www.gmushrooms.com/POTS.HTM I think these are smaller kits, but you can have two different types this way. If you want to try growing your own morels:
http://www.psychedelic.com/morel_index.htm

I tried both cauliflower and broccoli this spring. I bought the plants too late. They didn't produce. So, I'm going to set up a cold frame for next winter and grow my own transplants. Also going to do a hot bed for peppers and tomatoes. Yes, indeedy.

I planted four blueberry bushes last year. This year they are producing very nicely. We are going to have fresh blueberries! Next year I'll have fresh blackberries as well. My strawberries didn't do much last year but they are in full swing this year. I have already picked several pints. They are not quite as good as the CA berries, but they're sure way better than the ones in the produce section here. Since strawberry plants have to be replaced every two or three years, a fellow here on DG showed me how he propagates them so he doesn't have to buy new plants.

brigidlily:

Sure agree with you on the canned sweet potatoes. My mom made them that way, too. In fact, I found out after I grew up that I liked a lot of veggies I didn't think I did. The problem was my mom was a lousy cook. Your way sounds great. I just bake my sweet potato, open it, and put butter on it. Sometimes I add a little brown sugar. The problem is not all sweet potatoes have good flavor, some are just like cardboard.

Karen

Karen, I'm sure your mother thought she could cook. MINE DID! Bless her heart. "Fresh vegetables" meant she had just then opened the can. There are MANY I thought I didn't like until I tasted them fresh and properly prepared.

Thanks for the links.

brigidlily,

Oh, yes, she thought she was a good cook. She wasn't. If she used both salt and pepper in something then it was "highly" seasoned. Since mom was raised on a farm, she often used fresh vegetables, but she cooked them to death. Growing up I HATED banana squash. She baked it, and it was always terrible,dry and stringy. But I found that if you peel it, cut it into chunks, and boil it like potatoes, then mash it with butter and seasonings it's really delicious and no strings.

Karen

Karen, thanks for those links! That's great. Now I need to find about 4 people who want some SP plants; I can't think where I'd put 24. But I'm ahead of myself; I haven't even been to the site yet.

Thanks for all those canned veggie chuckles! Isn't it funny how we develop tastes and hold onto 'em even though we've never had the real thing. As good a gardener as my mom was, she never grew asparagus and all I ever had was canned. Mushy, army green stuff. Yuck. It's a wonder I ever got up the courage to eat fresh asparagus.