Garden planning

What else is there to do in the deep snow of winter except dream? I have finally put a good working plan down on paper for my gardens this coming spring. I have 2 established beds and am planning on adding a couple more.

The one bed is directly behind the garage and is 30"x16'. In the bed I plan on planting: 8 cauliflower, 12 broccoli, 6 cabbage, 2' of kohlrabi and 1' of rutabaga (not sure how many per sq ft yet). Against the garage on a trellis I will have a row consisting of peas and pole beans. Sprinkled between the larger crops there will be radish, chard, turnips, celery, beets, carrots, leeks, lettuce and spinach...these can be harvested before the larger crops need the room and later replanted in late summer.

In my already existing bed of 4'x24' I plan on planting: 16 peppers (4'x4'), 4'x4' of bush beans, 2 (2'x4') zucchini, 4'x4' of herbs and 2'x8' of potatoes with the same of sunflowers behind them.

A new 4'x24' bed will be added containing 22 tomato plants with a 2'x24' row of corn behind them...stagger planted of course to extend the harvest.

Not sure where yet, but I will be adding a narrow strip (probably along the other side of the garage) for vining/climbing crops of cucumbers and melons.

A 4'x4' box will be made in the middle of the yard for my granddaughter's giant pumpkin which will be allowed to sprawl across the lawn (sorry dh but you won't know what hit ya until it is too late lol).

I will be adding a trellis along one side of the fence for a grapevine and down the line further my 2 blueberries under planted with lignon berries.

A new bed of 2'x50' will go along the back fence behind the existing 4'x24' bed. This will leave a walkway of 2' between them. The long, narrow box will be home to permanent plantings consisting of asparagus, herbs, rhubarb, strawberries and a few flowers to attract bees. I am also adding a box of 3'x8' in an out of the way spot for raspberries.

There is also a really ugly corner with an even uglier telephone pole right in plain view. I will plant some kind of climbing flower on the pole and then fill the corner with beneficial, bee attracting flowers.

In total, the planting area will take up a solid 1/3 of my back yard. I'll have to see how my husband reacts to this as he is "not a farmer" and doesn't understand my desire to become more self-sufficient and my love of gardening. I figure by next year, he will have time to accept this and I can squeeze out a few more feet for more beds.

Oh yeah, I have tons of pots which, of course, will be filled with edibles. Happy planning, Kim.