You'll find me in the garden.
Hello, again!
Recently, I was out evaluating ‘The Acre’ - the area where I grow dozens of tomato and pepper plants, squash and my 150 feet of asparagus. After some reflection, I’ve decided it’s time to take a new approach for The Acre 2025. Here’s the plan; we’ll see how well I stick to it:
- Plant fewer tomato and pepper plants. I’ll still grow my favorite tomato varieties: ‘Jet Star’ (hybrid), ‘Cherokee Purple’ (heirloom beefsteak), ‘Sweet Million’ (cherry), and ‘Roma’ (paste). For peppers, I’ll plant ‘Mucho Nacho’ jalapeño (nicely spicy), ‘Fooled You’ jalapeño (not spicy!), habanero (hot), ghost (very hot) and my newest favorite - shishito (mild/spicy roulette!)
- Grow more specialty and heirloom vegetables. I’m adding unique varieties of carrots, beans, beets and Swiss chard to bring diversity and flavor to the garden. Choose bush-type vine crops. This year I’ll focus on bush varieties of cucumbers and melons, including watermelon and cantaloupe - easier to manage in limited space.
- Reduce the total garden footprint. I’m planning to use less space overall, which will allow me to rotate crops and rest half of the area every other year.
- Expand container gardening. I’ve had great success with Smart Pots and EarthBoxes on the patio. There’s something special about harvesting fresh tomatoes and peppers right before cooking. Herbs like basil, oregano and cilantro thrive in containers too.
- Try something new - raised beds from Vego Garden. New to our stores this year, Vego Garden raised beds are designed like farm watering troughs. The 17” tall x 42” round bed is perfect for compact veggie patches. The circular shape makes it easy to plant and maintain, ideal for patios with herbs, onions, strawberries and even dwarf fruit trees. The 17” tall modular kit offers flexible configurations - 4’ x 8’, 2’5” x 9’5”, 6’ x 6’ and more - so you can customize it to your space. It’s a great way to expand your growing area without expanding workload.
Soil matters. Good soil preparation is key to gardening success. Adding organic compost to in-ground beds enriches the soil with nutrients that plants can use right away. For containers, I recommend premium potting mixes like ferti-lome Ultimate Potting Mix or FoxFarm Ocean Forest - both offer excellent drainage and support healthy root development.
Fertilizing makes a difference. For in-ground vegetables, I rely on ferti-lome Gardener's Special. For containers, ferti-lome Start-N-Grow combined with ferti-lome Blooming and Rooting really boosts performance.
Our stores are stocked and ready to help you plant your garden, big or small. Harvesting from your own backyard or patio garden is so satisfying. I hope you’ll join me in trying a few new things this year!
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
