What shall I grow in my garden this season?  A difficult question for all gardeners, making this decision is difficult and confusing for a new gardener who has no record of likes and dislikes, successes and failures.  Confronted with an array of nursery catalogues claiming the biggest, the tastiest, the most colorful, the most plentiful for every seed offering, wgere to start?  Here are a few suggestions to begin sorting through the options:

1. What vegetables do you enjoy eating now?  If you haven’t prepared a dish with zucchini in the last year, don’t grow it in your garden.  If you like fresh tomatoes, but not cooked ones, choose medium, flavorful tomato varieties with bright skins rather than the huge, juicy varieties best for canning and sauces.

2.  Think about how long your growing season is.  In the north, varieties that take over a hundred days to mature may be damaged or killed by frost before you can enjoy a harvest.

3.  Think about space.  Vining plants like tomatoes and squash are big and sprawling, taking much more space than root crops like carrots  or beets, or Brassica family plants like broccoli or cabbage.

4.  Do you want the vegetables for fresh preparation or do you hope to can or freeze some?  The best canners and freezers will be identified that way in the catalogue.

5.  Don’t forget to have some fun!  Grow some purple potatoes or yard-long beans just for laughs or a new culinary experience.

As long as you keep good records for future seasons, you can’t really make a mistake.  Even if a certain variety does poorly, you’ll have learned something that makes your choices easier next year.