2008 vegetable garden line-up!

Now that the regular season for Major League Baseball has officially begun, I guess it is time to introduce The 2008 GardenDesk Growers Baseball team!

Okay, I know a garden is not a baseball team, but just like in spring training, I have spent a lot of time figuring out which vegetable varieties will make the cut this year. In addition to which particular varieties I will plant, I had to decide which vegetables needed to be cut (I just don't have enough room on the field!). Last year my total area for the veg garden was 25'x40', all in raised beds. This year I am expanding it to 40'x48'but the outside 15' will be planted in old fashioned rows. I have painstakenly tried to fit everything in using graph paper but I still don't have enough space.

Sorry, I know you can't read the names listed on the graph paper. Just like last year, I have divided up the list into the following categories: Tomatoes, Cool Season, Main Season, Herbs, Decorations and Fruit. First I need to mention the veggies that I would like to grow but didn't make the cut.

This year's honorable mentions are: sweet potatoes, okra, leeks, beets and field pumpkins.

Now, the 2008 starting lineup

Introducing the GardenDesk Heirloom Tomatoes:

Aunt Ruby's German Green

Black Cherry

Black Krim

Brandywine

Brandywine (Glick's strain)

Caspian Pink

Delicious

Dixie Golden Giant

Egg Yolk

Furry Yellow Hog

Great White

Green Moldovan

Green Zebra

Kellogg's Breakfast

Kentucky Beefsteak

Pink Flamingo Ukranian

Principe Borghese

Prudens Purple

White Tomesol

The GardenDesk Hybrid Tomatoes:

4th of July

Burpee's Supersteak

Celebrity

Early Girl

Golden Girl

La Rossa

Lemon Boy

New Girl

Orange Blossom

Park's Whopper

Roma

Siletz

Sub Artic

Introducing the GardenDesk Cool Season Players (many are already on the field!):

Potato Onions

Garlic

Peas

Broccoli-Green Goliath

Purple Cauliflower-Violet Queen

Radish-Cherry Belle, Easter Egg

Carrot-Short-n-Sweet, , Easter Egg

Swiss Chard-Five Color Silverbeet

Spinich-Space Hybrid, Melody Hybrid, Bloomsdale Long Standing

Head Lettuce-Summertime, Tom Thumb

Leaf Lettuce- Simpson Elite, Buttercrunch, Prizeleaf, Royal Oak Leaf, Lollo Rossa, Salad Bowl, Red Salad Bowl, Black Seeded Simpson, Mesclun Sweet Salad Mix, Pinetree Lettuce Mix

Oriental Greens-Komatsuma Tendergreen

Cabbage

And now for your Main Season GardenDeskers:

Corn-Mirai 301BC

Bush Green Beans-Tender Pick, Blue Lake Bush 274

Pole Beans-Kentucky Wonder

Cucumber-Park's Whopper, Straight 8, Burpee Bush

Squash-Vegetable Spaghetti

Zucchini-Ambassador, Longo Bianco

Onion-Red, White, Yellow Spanish

Potato-Kennebec, Russet Burbank

Bell Pepper-Park's Colossal Hybrid

Give it up for the GardenDesk Herbs:

Basil

Purple Basil

Oregeno

Chives

Thyme

Mint

Nasturtium

Horseradish

Next up, the GardenDesk Decoration Dudes:

Pumpkin-Jack Be Little

Gourds-Bird House Mix, Penguin, Assorted Gourd Mix

Sunflowers

And last but not least, the fruit selections:

Watermelon-Sugar Baby

Cantalope-Ambrosia

Strawberries-Cavendish and others

Blueberries-Jersey and others

Grapes (new)

Apples-Red Delicious, Golden Delicioius

Peaches

There will also be many annual flowers planted in the vegetable garden. This is my daughter's area and she has not given me her line-up card yet. I know there will be plenty of marigolds, cosmos, zinnias and morning glories.

And there you have it ... The comprehensive list of players for GardenDesk 2008! Several players are already on the field. Many players have begun warming up inside under grow lights. More will soon join them. Stay tuned for more updates on the pending season and players! Will they all actually get in the game? Will they hit a homerun, or will some strike out? Many questions will soon be answered.

What does your 2008 "player list" consist of? What vegetables will you be growing that I have left off my list? Are you as anxious to get started as I am?

Dum dum da dum da dum .... CHARGE!