Every year I do some things a bit different. There are the old standbys that I just try to improve on and then there are things that I do now and then. Sometimes, I try something I've never tried before. That's what keeps things interesting. This year's experiment is Lima Beans. I figure I'm already really good at growing beans so I'll just add some variety.
Growing up, Lima beans were a staple at our dinner table. I've eaten a whole lot of them in my day. They were a favorite of my Dad's. His mother used to serve them with her home made Catsup, a spicy, pasty concoction that I did not fully appreciate in my youth. We dressed them with regular Heinz ketchup which isn't the same but its OK. Not really a normal condiment for beans. But then most people don't mix Miracle Whip with their cottage cheese or noodles with their chili either, so there is no accounting for regional taste!
Anyway, I figure that Lima Beans shouldn't be a too big a leap for my husband's palette, and with any luck he will actually like them and we will have another vegetable to store in the freezer and add some variety to our routine of meals.
Garden planning is right on schedule so far this year. I am one of the lucky ones who placed their seed orders early (January) because more seeds than normal are running out of stock and running out early. Some seed sites are closing down periodically to regroup and deal with the masses of orders. Some have stopped taking phone orders to reduce the need for live manpower.
Johnny's Seeds, which is one of my main suppliers, has stopped taking all orders with the exception of their commercial customer accounts. And for a time I couldn't even log in to check on the status of my potato order. When I finally got through, my potatoes were marked as Unavailable. My sweet potatoes are still coming, but I quickly found an alternative source for my chosen varieties for this year. Mainepotatolady.com
This virus has set the world on its ear. I hope we at least get good weather this year so all of the beginner gardeners will have success and continue to popularize growing food. Its like a new age Victory Garden movement.
Lima beans, eh? I think I've only been in close proximity with a lima bean once or twice in my life. If I'm correct (I should check that out) they need a bit of consistent warmth to mature? I might not be able to grow them here in our Zone 4 if I wanted to try them. I ordered my seeds early enough, too, that my order was filled and stashed away long ago. I'm happy to see so many new gardeners giving it a go this year, but hope they don't get discouraged because learning how to grow the food you want involves a bit of a learning curve, as you well know. We have friends who were taken with our gardens years ago and decided to try a small garden themselves. They both have away-from-home day jobs but have found coming home at the end of a long day and spending time in their garden is relaxing and something they look forward to. Plus, they've expanded their garden each year and now it's huge! Yay to all the new gardeners.
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