Grow What You Love to Eat (All Year Long)
Last winter, I stood in front of my pantry with a notebook in hand—not to admire it but to interrogate it. Shelves full of good food I’d grown and preserved myself…
And yet I already knew which jars I’d reach for first, the freezer fare I was already rationing, and which items I’d quietly avoided-- telling myself I just didn’t ‘feel’ like eating that right now. “I’ll use it later!” ...but later never came!
That moment changed how I approach planning my garden and preservation efforts.
Most gardeners plan next year’s garden in winter—seed catalogs open, coffee in hand, dreaming ahead. But before you decide what to grow next, it’s worth taking an honest look at what you already grew. And what you've learned...
Your pantry is a record of your REAL preferences— not your aspirational ones.
This is an invitation to plan your garden from the inside out: starting with what you actually eat, crave, relish, and run out of… not what someone on the outside 'told you' you should grow.
Hidatsa Red, Nodak Pinto, and Black Turtle dry beans.
Start With the Pantry, Not the Seed Rack
Open the cupboards and run your fingers along the jars on your canning shelves. Check the freezer. Peek into the root cellar.
Dehydrated vegetables. Freeze‑dried meals. Jars lined up shoulder to shoulder. Vacuum‑sealed bags. Cartons of frozen veggies. Potatoes, carrots, and beets in storage. Squash tucked in corners.
Notice the colors, textures, and labels— these preserved foods are a roadmap to your tastes, habits, and next season’s garden. What’s there? What's not?
And what is it telling you? Ask a few simple but revealing questions.
Use It or Lose It: What Needs Attention Now?
Some foods quietly slide toward the back of the shelf until they’re past their prime.
• Jars that should be eaten this winter
• Herbs that have lost their punch
• Frozen vegetables with freezer burn creeping in
These aren’t failures—they’re information. If something routinely reaches a “use it or lose it” stage, it may not deserve as much garden space next year. (OR maybe it’s a matter of more intention— We'll take that on in next week's edition!)
What Do You Have Too Much Of?
Every experienced gardener has that crop. The one you preserved with pride… and then didn’t reach for. Maybe it’s:
• A vegetable you like in theory but not in practice
• A preservation method that just doesn’t fit your cooking habits
• A crop that ripened all at once and overwhelmed you in the preservation, leaving you with WAY more work-- and end product than you bargained for!
Abundance without joy is still a signal. Growing less of something can be a form of success.
Can't have too many jars of tomato juice!
What Are You Running Out Of Too Soon?
These are the quiet winners.
• The tomato juice you rationed by February
• The onions that ran out before spring
• The frozen peas you wish you’d doubled
• The squash you saved for Valentine’s Day and will miss when it’s gone!
If you’re already stretching a food to make it last until the next harvest, that’s your cue: grow more, preserve more, or preserve it differently.
Washing carrots for winter storage! Get your Nash's Best carrot seed!
What Don't You Have?
What do you wish you’d grown or preserved? This question often carries regret—and clarity. Especially when planning for this year's garden.
• “I wish I’d planted more storage carrots.”
• “I didn’t realize how much we’d miss that one herb.”
• “Next year, I want more winter vegetables we can cook fresh.”
• "Next year, I need more onions and cilantro!"
Let this guide your seed choices. Gardens don’t need to be experimental every year; they need to be supportive. Our gardens evolve with us—if we are willing to notice changing eating habits, personal preferences and tastes, along with that of the mouths our gardens feed.
Have the rest of your family dive into this research with you! Ask them these questions!
Remember, people support what they help to create! Give them the opportunity to participate in the planning and the seed selection-- don't be surprised when they get excited about planting their selections! And then eating what they helped grow!
Surprise Favorites: Follow the Joy!
Sometimes a seed variety surprises you! A crop you grew on a whim becomes a staple. A preserved dish disappears faster than expected. A simple recipe turns into family comfort food.
These are your true north. Gardens that nourish us—physically and emotionally—are built around these favorites. And therein lies family traditions-- the making of priceless memories and family garden heirlooms!
Grow for All Seasons, Not Just Summer
Eating from the garden isn’t only about peak-season freshness-- albeit so important. It’s about continuity. A thoughtful garden feeds you:
• Fresh in summer! What do you dream of welcoming back to your plate when it comes back into season?
• Stored through fall! What seasonal favorite do you want to eat fresh as long as possible?
• Preserved for winter! What are you making notes on to make sure next winter’s fare is even better?
• Remembered while planning for spring! What do you need to remember to remember-- what you don't wanna be without?
When you grow what you love to eat—and preserve it in ways that match your real life—you create a food system that works with you-- and for you and your family!
Sweet Dakota Rose watermelon, Uncle David's Dakota Dessert squash,
Dakota Black Pop popcorn, and Dakota Sport tomato
Let This Shape Next Year’s Garden
Before ordering seeds, take stock:
• Grow more of what you miss
• Grow less of what lingers
• Preserve foods in forms you actually cook
• Make room for the dishes you crave-- those family favs!
Your pantry already knows what your garden should become in 2026. It’s waiting for you to ask it for it’s wisdom.
Listen to it.
And then—plan, purchase and plant accordingly.
I'm here to help you choose varieties that store well, preserve beautifully, and fit how you actually eat! I hope these simple questions help you grow with intention. 🌱
Your garden coach,
Theresa
PS. Next week we’ll address how to cook with intention! 😋