There’s nothing quite like the beginning of a new year to make everything feel possible.
Grow a hundred pounds of tomatoes? Absolutely!
Plant a hundred dahlia tubers? Why not!
January has a way of convincing me I can do all the things.
But before optimism could sweep me off my feet, I went back and reread my Garden Notes from 2025. (Where I look back at what worked, what didn’t, and realized I quietly burned myself out.) That reflection influences how I’m approaching the 2026 garden.
If you haven’t read my reflections on last season yet, this plan may make more sense after you do. You may also want to check out my rankings of my best and worst cut flower bouquets of 2025.
We’re a couple of weeks into the new year now, and some of that naïve enthusiasm has worn off… in a good way. What’s left feels more realistic.
I will warn you, though: there are a lot of tomatoes ahead.
And if I can scrounge up a few more bucks for the budget… more dahlias, too.
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What I’m Prioritizing in 2026
As I mentioned in my December planning post, if I had to choose a word for this garden year, it would be simplicity.
That doesn’t mean growing less—it means growing with more intention.
Last year, I hit a bit of burnout. Some of it came from the garden, some from life outside of it, and together they made me realize something important: I don’t need to grow everything every year.
There were moments when rest mattered more than one more harvest. That’s okay.
So for 2026, I’m simplifying in a few key ways:
- Growing fewer brand-new varieties
- Relying on tried-and-true favorites
- Starting fewer plants overall (maybe, lol)
Buuuut… I also want to expand my raised bed garden. I’m adding a few more raised beds along the side line.
After recently writing about raised beds versus in-ground gardening and having to explain why raised beds are so great, I realized I wanted a few more raised beds!
These new beds will give me flexibility for mid-season succession planting, and I already have plans to fill one up with just strawberries.
Simplifying seed starting and planting allows me take on additional growing space. I’m very excited about it.
Seeds I’m Starting Again (Because They’ve Proven Themselves)
These are the seeds I’m starting again because they performed well, fit into our routines, or earned their place through sheer reliability.
If you’re new to seed starting, reliable repeats matter more than novelty.
Flowers
- Mission Giant Yellow Marigold – A standout in bouquets last year and in 2024
- Elena’s Zinnias – Saved from my daughter’s garden; soft pink and beautiful
- Queeny Lime Red Zinnia – My first zinnia love; still unbeatable
- Apricotta Cosmos – A favorite peachy pink flower
- Fama Deep Blue Scabiosa – Exactly the shade of periwinkle blue I’ve been needing in a flower
See my top 10 easy-to-grow cut flowers for beginners in this post.
Vegetables & Herbs
- Walla Walla Onions – Big, juicy, sweet, and easy to grow from seed
- King of the North Bell Pepper – Even better now that I save my own seed
- Sugar Rush Peach Habanero – A star from last year (explained in my previous Garden Notes)
- Silver Slicer Cucumber – A forever favorite
- Suyo Long Cucumber – Mild, productive, and easy to save seed from
- Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans – Others haven’t lived up to it
- That Mysterious Lowe’s Broccoli – If it’s there again, I’m buying it
- Everleaf Emerald Towers Basil – Bushy, productive, and slow to flower
- Tuscan Blue Kale – Skipped last year and missed dearly
- Summer Savory – Great scent; loved putting it in wreaths and bouquets
Tomatoes (Don’t worry there’s more below)
- Amish Paste – A good paste tomato; I have just a few precious seeds left from 2021
- Sungold Cherry – A classic favorite at Not Quite a Homestead
Need some guidance as you start seeds indoors? I wrote about my whole process for starting seeds in this post. Plus there’s a link to a free Google Sheets garden planner in there.
Seeds I’m Trying for the First Time
I’m still experimenting, just limiting myself to new varieties of my favorite plants. Mostly.
For Cut Flowers
- Salmon Pastel Gomphrena – I love Audray White and want to branch out
- Ballerina Zinnia – A new Johnny’s introduction in the softest pink
- Agave Zinnia – Another new release with shaggy heads
- Astra Rose Cream Sunflower – Fluffy sunflower in muted tones
- Historic Florist Mix Pansy – I’ve always wanted to try pansies in cut flower bouquets
- Pink Pokers Statice – Saw this in someone’s garden and put it on my try list
- Madame Butterfly Bronze with White Snapdragons – I’ve always admired the Madame Butterfly series
- Cannes Lavender Snapdragons – Love me a light purple flower
- Blue Globe Thistle – Also saw this in someone’s garden
- Red Shiso – I’ve grown green, but not this beautiful maroon color
Tomatoes (Yes, There Are a Lot)
I know, I know.. Simplify… simplify…
- Vintage Wine Tomato – Red with gold streaks; the pretty ones always get me
- Giant Belgium Tomato – A giant tomato? How giant?
- Dr. Wyche’s Tomato – I’m out of Kellogg’s Breakfast so I thought I’d try this
- Napoli Tomato – Promising for sauce
- SuperSauce Hybrid – Seedless, need I say more?
- San Marzano – A classic paste tomato
If you’re sensing a theme… yes. Sauce season is the goal.
Last But Not Least
- Black Magic Jalapeño – Ever had to deseed 20 little jalapenos? Yeah, that’s why.
- Cucuzzi Squash – I’m hoping it tastes like the Opo squash my uncle used to grow when I was little
- Aswad Eggplant – I’ve grown Ping Tung for 5 years and wanted to try something new
Where I Buy My Seeds
If you’re curious where these seeds are coming from this year, I got some from big box stores, and some are from these seed companies.
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds
- MI Gardener
- High Mowing Organic Seeds
- Botanical Interests
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
- Alchemy Plants (Etsy Seller)
Seeds I’m Skipping (On Purpose)
Not growing something can be just as intentional as growing it. By skipping seeds, I make room for even better ones.
- Amsterdam Cutting Celery – You didn’t earn your space
- Cucamelons – Cute, but we’re over it
- Cascadia Snap Peas – Not sweet enough compared to Sugar Daddy
- Black Strawberry Tomatoes – Tried twice now; still not for me
- Sweet Genovese Basil – Too many flowers that I forget to clip off
No regrets.
New Experiments (With Low Expectations)
This year, I want to experiment with hot beds—a compost heap buried beneath a small raised bed to generate heat and extend the growing season.
I love that this method does two things at once:
- Uses the abundance of green waste our garden produces
- Makes it possible to grow earlier (or later) without more infrastructure
Once the beds finish producing, I’ll plant squash directly into the decomposing compost. Squash love rich soil and don’t mind that it’s “chunky”.
At the end of the season, that compost will be spread across other beds and the cycle begins again.
Our compost bins are always filled to the brim at the end of the season. Rather than build more bins, I want to use what we already have, even before it’s fully finished. Hot beds could be the way.
I’m still researching, and I’m keeping expectations low. If I can generate enough heat to start cool-season crops even a few weeks early, that would feel like a success.
Planning Your Own Garden This Year?
If you’re planning your garden right now, I hope this gives you permission to:
- Grow what you already know you love
- Let go of what didn’t work
- Try something new without expecting perfection
Gardens change because we change.
If you want to follow along this season, you can subscribe to my fortnightly newsletter below or say hello on social media. (Facebook) (Instagram)
Starting a new garden? Take the next step and plan a great garden with this post.
And if you’re planning your own garden, I’d love to know… what are you most excited to grow this year?
Read my February 2026 Garden Notes next.
About NQH Garden Notes
Gardening is a lifelong practice. One that changes as we do.
NQH Garden Notes are my seasonal and yearly reflections on what actually works in my garden. Plants, combinations, systems—everything I don’t want to forget. They aren’t meant to be perfect plans or rules, just notes from a real garden, shared so you can borrow what works.
If you enjoy this kind of reflective, real-life gardening, you can find all of my Garden Notes here.