Vegetables

Newer Different Vegetables

There are some newer different vegetables that are notable for this year. If they have not made it into your seed selection yet, you may want to add them.

Equinox Spinach


Many have planted spinach to be disappointed when its bolts (sending seed stalks) in a short time. Most spinach is sensitive to daylight over 14 hours causing to want to send the flower stalk up. Therefore, spinach is better grown in the fall than in spring. If you want a variety to grow in spring, try “Equinox”, a slow bolting variety maturing in under a month. (Johnny’s Seed)

Abigail Tomato

In my opinion, heirloom tomatoes taste better than hybrids, however, are much more disease susceptible. “Abigail” tomato is an heirloom that has been around for several years but is resistant to late blight. The pink fruit maturing date is 75 days from planting. (Johnny’s Seed)

Sweet Slaw Cabbage
Sweet Thang Cabbage


Two types of cabbages are new. “Sweet Slaw” has a cone-shaped head that will not crack. The cabbage has higher sugar content making it good for sauerkraut and coleslaw. “Sweet Thang” is a non-heading cabbage with sweet-tasting leaves. Use like kale or chard in cooked or salads. (Burpee)

Twister Cauliflower


“Twister” cauliflower produces large heads in hot weather. A self-blanch type, however, I would still tie the heads. (Harris)If you want a yellow straight-neck summer squash that is more productive, try “Supersonic” hybrid summer squash. Matures in under 40 days. Pick when 4 to 6 inches long. (Gurneys)

Orange Jazz Tomato


“Orange Jazz” tomato is a yellowish orange with fruits weighing up to 1 pound. The plants show tolerance for fungus diseases. (Gurneys)

Armageddon Hot Pepper

The pepper “Armageddon” is being called the world’s hottest chili pepper. At 1.2 million Scoville units, it is extremely hot. (Burpee)


These are a few of the new varieties that suck out for me. Many seed companies are getting out of stock quickly because of the pandemic in 2020.

Home Improvement

Farmhouse Style of Decorating

You heard of the farmhouse style of decorating. I was a farmhouse decorator before it was a thing. In this area, it is the go-to style of décor whether intentional or unintentional. It is the country type that is cozy and relaxing full of warmth. The older style of furniture and flea market finds that prevail. The décor can be mixed up which provides the charm of this style. Think of the nostalgia of your grandmother’s country home.


The use of old barn wood added to the walls or floor adds history. Vintage dining room or kitchen tables are a must. Everything is functional.


Any type of old paintings and anything with barnyard animals’ decorations add to the farmhouse style. My mother decorated the kitchen with anything of Holstein milk cows.


Paint colors tend to be vintage, earthly colors. Remember the green living room and yellow kitchen. Off-white is a good go-to color.

Starting seeds indoors

Light System to Raise the Plants

If you want to start a few garden vegetables or flowers indoors this year, you will need some form of light system to raise the plants until you are ready to set them outdoors. If you start plants in March, you just can not reliably put the new seedling outdoors. It will be too cold, and the days are still too short. But you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a light system.

Diy Plant Rack


The simplest way to use a four-foot utility light over the small plants on a table or floor. You can make a light tray with multiple levels and hang the lights on the different levels. On a four-level tray rack, you can have over 32 square feet of growing area on a 2’ X 4’ floor space.


The utility lights come with cool white, fluorescent light tubes which are fine for starting and growing seedlings. I like to use the special grow lights made for growing plants. They cost more than the regular fluorescent tubes, but I think the plants do better in the long run. Make sure the grow lights will fit into your utility light fixture, the light ends could be different.

Grow Light Setup

The lights should be placed from 2 to 3 inches from the top of the seedlings and ran for 15 hours a day. I use a light timer. I use a chain to raise and lower the light fixture as the plants grow. Rotate the seed trays to make sure all the plants get adequate light. Also, a cool room around 60 to 65 degrees is fine for most plants. In doing these procedures, you will not get leggy plants that fall over.

LED Grow Lights

I use LED tubes for starting the garden and flower plants. They provide a higher quality of light with lower energy requirements. The actual grow lights have more of the red and blue spectrum of light which growing plants need. Since LEDs are brighter in the blue and red hues, have them 6 inches above the plant tops.