Seeds

As I am new to gardening, I am also new to growing from seeds. I thought it would be easy, but it can be a challenge. I' ve managed to destroy all my seedling of lettuces so far. Which doesn't make me very happy. Process of learning is to make mistakes. So here I am, making lots and lots of mistakes.

My pumpkins and tomatoes are growing well, as well as physalis, at least. And with little help of youtube and google, they will grow into strong plants.

I have order seeds from https://permaseminka.cz/, czech shop, where they cultivate and sell non-hybrid/industrial seeds. That means, once I will harvest my veggies, I should be able to keep the seeds and plant them again next year. 

So far I have mostly tomatoes variaties, pumpkins, lettuces, corn, peas, quechua and cucumbers. This year I will be also buying some seedling from shops. Because I will travel to France for almost 3 weeks in May, I will need to fill this gap. And market bought seedlings will make it easier.

Another shop where you can buy seeds in Czech republic: https://www.culinabotanica.cz/kategorie-produktu/seminka/. I have placed my order there for herbs, more pumpkins, beans, carrots, tomatoes and lettuces. 

And of course you can buy seeds almost anywhere these days, but just avoid F1 - you cannot use their seeds next year, as it is a hybrid. To know more about F1 seeds, you can read this article:

https://www.planetnatural.com/f1-hybrids/

Of course you can grow some if you feel like it, but it's always good to remember to have a variaty in your garden. 

Most of these lettuces didn't surive my pickings

Tomatoes

Sweet meat oregon pumpkin

Another attempt of saving my lettuce that didn't work

Quechua planted, gigancitc and regular one

Early spring

In most gardens, early spring would mean, that the earth is digged up, small fields are composted and ready to receive their first seeds. Not in our garden. As we were moving in winter and were dealing with some demolition around the old house, we didn´t really manage to do anything.

But new neighbor is coming to our rescue. He he has a small tractor, so hopefully next week we will have a small field ready to be cleaned from weed roots and we could plant our first vegetables of the year.

I am a gardener by an accident. Two years ago I have managed to grow some tomatoes, pumpkin, kohlrabi and few lettuces in a middle of a forest in a mini garden by our cabin. Far from good conditions or soil. And even though it was a little harvest, it made me very happy. The fact I could grab fresh veggies right from our backyard was indescribable.

Since we have a bigger garden now, bit over 2000m2, we have decided not to have sterile environment, no boring green grass and big swimming pool. We want to invite insects, polynaters, animals and to be able to provide food for our small family. And that means lots of trees, bushes, flowers and of course small field at the bottom of the garden. Our garden is home already to 10 hens, 3 adopted from my mother and 7 saved from egg-industry. And if we are lucky, next year we would like to get some bees. But that´s far ahead.
Our garden in Jakub has to be both beautiful and productive. There are already 4 plum trees, 1 apricot tree and a peach tree. Which gives us an advantage of having some fruit harvest this summer. Last week we have planted 3 apple trees, chestnut and hazelnut. And more to follow.

Right now I am occupied with planning and reading about gardening as much as I can. Getting inspired by Wolf-Dieter Storl and his gardening books (Our Bio Garden, Gardening year), and also by Alys Fowler and her Edible garden series from BBC. There is so much information on compost, how to plant, when to plan and where to plant, in which order to plant, ect. It´s not as easy if you want to eat only your veggies, let me tell you.
So this year will be a try out. We have to know our piece of land and be able to understand it. Then we can work together in harmony and harvest nice crops.