Isn't moderation in all things a little immoderate? I think that's where I'm at. And also I'm more than moderate in more things than I'm merely moderate in. But this year, I am trying to moderate the garden. I'm only doing moderately well.
While updating my seed chart in preparation for indoor starting next week, I noticed that between two catalog purchases and a bargain seed bin at the end of last season I have a dozen varieties planned for my greens/roots bed, and um, 5 beans and 2 peas planned for the bean bed.
It's not the most outrageous ambition I've ever had for the garden. I'm just surprised because in honor of my July wedding I'm cutting back to one variety of green bean this year. It's in honor of the wedding in two ways -
# 1, my sweetie really likes blue lake beans (as do I) and finds the other varieties I've been growing kind of blech and generally taking up space that could be growing him more blue lakes to eat.
# 2 oh yeah, the whole moderation thing: can't handle preserving, cooking, etc. the # of varieties I've often had.
But, I guess while I was busy keeping myself from buying other green bean seeds, I went out and bought favas and 2 kinds of dry bean. The fifth variety isn't my fault - my mom asked me to grow her some edamame and how can I say no to my mom who does so much for me?
Final bean topic of the day - I did save my overflow green beans last year and they are fine, particularly the blue lakes. But I can see why some beans are privileged over others as drying beans, and that's yet another reason that I'm not growing such an overabundance of varieties and quantity this year. Blue Lake, and two heirloom varieties of dry beans - Yellow Indian Woman and Manteca Prim. Of course if I find space I do have a small handfull of the Hutterite soup beans I saved from last years crop which was too meager to cook...
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