Wow! How do you decide what to grow?
A triumphant end to the season!
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Thatâs a complicated question. Currently, just in the seed bank, there are over 500 varieties. Only a fraction can be planted in any one year.
Overall, the flavor is a big qualifier. Availability in stores is a consideration. I like to cook Thai dishes but have trouble getting lime leaf and galanga; so, I grow these. Though I like all vegetables and fruits, certain varieties stand out. e.g.: Floriani Polenta corn, Black Krim tomatoes, etc. With seeds, all have been entered into a database which I created to keep track of them. If a seed variety is getting old and I donât want to lose it, it gets grown. The database can be sorted by seed age or by any of the data fields.
Diseases rear their ugly heads at times. Capsicum annuum peppers, bells and their kin, have not been planted here for years, due to a soil-borne disease, which was spread by moles. Once the fungus dies out, Iâll start growing that species of pepper again. Iâm trapping the moles in the interim. This has been particularly hard, as I used to grow hundreds of C. annuum in any one year.
With perennials, trees and shrubs, there is more available space, outside the fenced garden. Iâve cut down many trees that are invasive, weedy or hazardous (highly flammable or too close to the house). This opened up space, a lot of space on a slope. Since I donât want erosion, the stumps and roots were left in place to slowly rot.
In between these stumps, shorter trees, like native hazelnuts and chinquapins are getting planted closer to the house and on the southern edges. These wonât shade taller trees and donât pose a threat to the house by falling on it or by being very flammable. Farther from the house, medium trees such as pawpaws and persimmons can be planted, some along a driveway or near a creek (pawpaws). Nut trees that get tall, such as Heartnut, Black Walnut, are planted far from the house, on the northern edge of the slope. As a bit more clearing gets done, Asian pears are planned.
The above is sort of a wildcrafted architecture, where the plants have certain features which make sense in particular locations. Since most are seed/nut-raised, thereâs no way of knowing if a particular tree has good flavored fruit. With persimmons and pawpaws, itâs possible to graft a superior type onto the roots.
Another criteria is production. I planted a lot of Honeyberries years ago, in line with blueberries so they could be easily netted. For over ten years, theyâve produced next to nothing, despite having pollinators recommended for them. Iâve hand pollinated them to no avail. I can only conclude that I was lied to about their climate tolerances. Since the species, Lonicera kamtschatica, L. caerulea, etc., comes from very northern climates, Like Siberia, it apparently goes pollen sterile here, USDA zone 6-7. Itâs advertised to zone 7, but itâs obviously something I need to rip out and replace. Lesson learned.
Last, but not least, curiosity. What does that taste like? How does it grow? Is it a challenge or something new? This last question arises often with ornamentals I find particularly beautiful, like the Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), a purple-skinned cactus (Sulcorebutia rauschii violacidermis), or Sturtâs Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa). Look these up and youâll see why I have/am growing these. Fortunately, food plants are generally easier to growâŚmostly.
Sorry! Long answer to a short question!
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That was just the kind of answer I was hoping for! I look for some of the same things, but also not more work than I am likely to do. With all that going on, you must be about 18 years old! 
I am planning to move south in a few years, and thinking about what I will want as a garden and âyardâ going forward. I have also wondered what folks looking at my current home would want, that I might take a stab at in the interim.
I am hoping to start some seeds this week for winter/spring veg, but our days are still in the 90ies and I am having trouble believing our âfall/winterâ is imminent.
BTW, I have noticed a flush of whiteflies on a few container plants here, that seems unusual for this time of year, and sorting through a list of answers to the question âwhy nowâ? Any additions are welcomed!
1- a minor flush of growth with a week of cooler temps
2- a pest control guy visited (but he usually knows not to stray from the base of the house and has been coming for what must be 20 years)
3- whiteflies are attracted to zinnias
4- they were on some 4 inch nursery herbs I bought about a month ago
5- itâs been unusually hot 
6- itâs been unusually cold
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Eggsellent!
Itâs cold here in southwestern Ontario. Today, we had a low of 4 °C / 39 ° F and a high of 11 ° C / 52 ° F.
This was what I picked yesterday.
I still have some peppers and Brussels sprouts to pick. I keep picking the chard, Rosemary, parsley, oregano and kale until it snows (prob in mid Nov).
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Whatâs your latitude? Weâre at 48°.
Amazingly we havenât had a yet! Sept. 5 has been the earliest, with the 13th being about average. I went ahead and picked the piteous small crop of San Marzanos (1/3 red, the rest green still) late last week and brought in the herbs I had in small pots on the âdeckâ. Everything else can hold on until we get a real hard freeze.
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My latitude is southwestern Ontario is 43°.
The lake effect also influences the growing season here.( I canât remember where youâre based!)
Torontoâs latitude is 43.6 °
South as in southern CA or to the southeast?
Of primary concern for any gardener is water. If the property has a well, what is the pH and what is the overall mineral content? This last one can be measured using a conductivity meter. Overly mineral-rich water has many problems. If itâs municipal water, itâs good to know these numbers and how much does it cost.
I imagine a real estate agent being slightly confused if a potential buyer starts digging holes in the yard and looking at the soil!
Iâm over 60, but in denial. Physical activity is both energizing and exhausting. The key is to push oneâs limits without breaking anything. Itâs important to be content with incremental advances towards a goal. An 18 year old could get things done quicker, but would likely make more mistakes.
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Inspirational! As a result, DH harvested some of our red Serrano peppers and yellow Datil (the latter being a gift seed from Baker Creek), and cooked up a batch of repellant. Weâre very curious to see if if helps keeps the deer off of our Dahlias.
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South East.
A well is not in my future! I have actually thought about a condo, maybe with just a patio, but not really.
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In preparation for Pumpkin Pie Season, my biggest Cindarella Pumpkin befell the knife today.
The result was about 3 quarts of roasted pumpkin puree. 
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Last of the tomatoes. Pulled the plants on the weekend as we are getting close to frost at night and cold temperatures during the day. Sad I didnât save one for a last toasted tomato sandwich, but itâs cold enough for soup, so thatâs where they are destined.
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Incredibly, I was just about to post about Cinderella pumpkins. I bought one and have no plan for it. Any advice?
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This is only the second year weâve grown them, so I havenât done a whole lot with them. Theyâre good roasted (olive oil, salt, pepper) and good for pie. Beyond that, I havenât yet explored much.
Let me know if you find something interesting, and I will do same. 
Allegedly they are French so I am hoping to find a French preparation.
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Thatâs almost a food or&y!
Tarte Ă la citrouille? 
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