Heirloom Seeds & Garden Planning

February is here, and although winter may still have its grip on the land here in Upstate New York, it's the perfect time to start dreaming and planning for your garden. We know that this time of year can feel slow, but now is the moment to get ahead—organizing, sketching, and preparing for the beauty and bounty that will soon blossom.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, we’re here to help you craft the garden of your dreams. Let’s dive into two exciting aspects of gardening this month: planning your garden layout and shopping for heirloom seeds.

1. Planning Your Garden Layout: Getting the Basics Down

The secret to a successful garden is in the planning! February is the perfect time to map out your space and start making decisions about what to plant. Here are some tips to get you started:

Assess Your Space: Start by taking stock of your garden's location. What kind of sunlight does it receive? How much space do you have for planting? Take note of any areas that may be particularly windy or prone to shade, as this will help you decide which crops will thrive where.

Create a Garden Layout: Drawing out a rough plan is a fun way to visualize your dream garden. Consider whether you'd like to plant in rows, raised beds, or containers. If you're growing vegetables, try to group plants that have similar water, light, and soil needs together. Feeling bold? Throw out spacing guidelines and fill your beds! 

Crop Rotation: If you’ve been gardening for a while, you know that rotating crops is essential for keeping soil healthy. This is a great time to look back at last year’s harvest and consider what to plant in each space this year.

Plan for Companion Planting: Some plants thrive when they’re planted near others (like tomatoes and basil), while others might stunt each other’s growth (like potatoes and peppers). Learn more here! 

Consider Your Harvest Dates: Planning out when you’ll plant, when you'll harvest, and what crops will be ready at the same time will help you avoid too much overlap or an under- or overwhelming harvest.

Read more about about garden planning here! 

Okay, you've got your layout sorted...now what?...You need seeds!

2. Shopping for Heirloom Seeds

Seeds are the heart of your garden, and if you’re looking for the most flavorful, unique, and sustainable crops, heirloom varieties are the way to go. At Sweet Farm, we’re passionate about heirloom seeds, and here’s why you should consider adding them to your garden this year:

Flavor and Quality: Heirloom varieties are often known for their incredible flavor and resilience. These seeds are passed down through generations, each one carefully selected for its taste, texture, and productivity. From vibrant tomatoes to crunchy carrots, heirloom crops offer a level of flavor that the more common hybrid varieties can’t match.

Biodiversity: By choosing heirloom seeds, you're helping to preserve genetic diversity in the world of plants. Unlike many modern hybrids, heirlooms can be saved and replanted year after year, contributing to the sustainability of our food systems. Biodiversity is how we build climate resilience!

Supporting Small-Scale Farmers: When you purchase heirloom seeds, you’re often supporting small, family-owned businesses, which work hard to preserve these rare and valuable plant varieties. Not only do you get unique crops, but you help strengthen the local agricultural community.

A More Sustainable Garden: Plants grown from heirloom seeds are often well-adapted to the specific climate and soil conditions of your area, making them hardier and more resilient. Because they’re often open-pollinated, you can save seeds from year to year and develop a garden that is uniquely suited to your growing environment! 

Some Favorite Heirlooms We're Growing This Year!

If you're looking for some heirloom seed inspiration, here are a few of our favorites for 2025:

"Silver Slicer" Cucumber: If we grew no other cucumbers at all (gasp!), we would grow this one! Mild and thin almost-white skin, delicious sweet and fresh cucumber taste, and makes a beautiful pickle! We have very humid summers here in the Finger Lakes of NY, and these cukes almost never get powdery mildew!

"Chioggia" Beet: With its striking red-and-white striped pattern, Chioggia beets are as beautiful as they are tasty. The flavor is mild and sweet, and they can be roasted, pickled, or eaten raw in salads. A favorite of Gizmo, our Hereford steer!

"Candy Cane" Peppers: A small and sweet pepper, the plant bears lots and lots of small striped fruits and can be used as an ornamental as well! The mini bells are deliciously crisp and sweet, and can be eaten at any stage of ripeness. 

"Big Rainbow" Tomato: Huge, golden, delicious fruits weighing up to 2 lbs! They are striped throughout, making for a truly impressive sliced tomato. 

You can purchase starts for your garden of all of these gorgeous veggies in our annual Plant Sale Fundraiser this coming May! 

What we are doing in the garden in February:

Cataloguing seeds

Ordering onion starts and perennial plants 

Planning companion planting

Mapping out beds

Calculating space needs

Seed starting: early cool weather crops (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, snapdragons, stock, chard, cabbage)

Looking Ahead: What’s Next in Your Garden Journey?

Once you’ve got your seeds ordered and your garden planned, it won’t be long before you’re preparing your soil and planting those beautiful, heirloom varieties. Not starting your garden from seed? No problem! Our annual plant sale in May will have thousands of starts for your garden! 

In the meantime, we’d love to hear about your garden goals for the upcoming season! What heirloom varieties are you excited to try? What are your top garden plans for 2025? Feel free to share your thoughts with us on social media or drop us a line.

Thank you for being part of our Sweet Farm community, and here's to a year of beautiful, productive gardens!

Happy gardening!