Do you know January is Nationwide Mail Order Gardening Month? January is the right time of yr to hunt by seed, backyard, and nursery catalogs, looking for the right vegetation to develop in gardens and orchards.

I like choosing out varieties that I’ve by no means tried earlier than, as a result of—to me—experimenting with new and totally different vegetation is half the enjoyable. Listed below are three vegetation that I’m excited to develop for the primary time in 2024.

1. Apricot Tree

My orchard is stuffed with fruit timber which are hardy to northern Wisconsin winters: greater than a dozen sorts of apples, three totally different sorts of plums, three sorts of cherries and even a few pears.

However I’m additionally branching out with extra adventurous specimens. A few years in the past I planted a cold-hardy Contender Peach tree that’s doing properly. And in 2024, I intend to plant a equally cold-hardy apricot tree.

I haven’t significantly thought of planting apricots up to now as a result of I assumed they weren’t hardy sufficient for my area. However buying by catalogs this winter, it appears there are at the least a few varieties hardy to Zone 4.

Emboldened by this discovery, I’m going to provide an apricot a strive. My orchard is located on a south-facing slope, in order with my peach tree, I’ll plant my apricot on the prime of the hill (for frost safety), the place it is going to be shielded from harsh winter winds by rows of windbreak timber to the west, north and east.

By taking this method–and by mulching it totally earlier than every winter—I’m optimistic my apricot won’t solely survive, however thrive.

2. Jarrahdale Pumpkins

I generally tend to develop the identical pumpkin varieties yr after yr. Early Prince and Casperita are my two favorites. They’ve confirmed productive and constant in my raised backyard beds.

However final yr, I expanded my horizons with Huge Max pumpkins. The vegetation struggled a bit with well being points, however I did handle to develop two hefty pumpkins—one in all them the most important I’ve ever grown.

Now that I’ve conquered “massive pumpkins,” I’m going to department into rising totally different colours. I like my miniature white Casperita pumpkins, and in 2024 I’m going to plant blue Jarrahdale pumpkins.

Once I noticed them in a seed catalog, I knew I needed to give them a strive. Blue is a comparatively unusual coloration in nature, and blue pumpkins might be a delight to develop. The one tough half is the actual fact they require 100 days or extra to develop and ripen. I’ll begin them off indoors as seedlings to provide them a head begin.

3. Mongolian Big Sunflowers

I take pleasure in rising American Big sunflowers annually and can plant extra in 2024. However I’m going to strive one other selection as properly: Mongolian Big.

Evidently Mongolian Giants can develop to extraordinary measurement—greater than a dozen toes tall, with flower heads as large as 1 1/2 toes. I plan to develop them in a wealthy mattress of compost soil, giving them each likelihood to stay as much as the “Big” a part of their title. I’ll even stake just a few of them to offer additional help and see in the event that they’ll grower taller consequently.

Which vegetation are you excited to develop in 2024?