Make a list of your family's favorite vegetables, ranked in order of preference. This will be a useful guide in deciding how much of each vegetable to plant. Successive plantings of certain crops, such as beans, can be harvested over a longer period of time and increase your yield. As you plan, list recommended varieties and planting dates. If you plan to can, freeze, dry or store part of the produce, this will be a factor not only in planning the size of the garden but also in selecting varieties.
Some varieties have much better keeping quality than others.
Care should be used in choosing the seeds, making sure the varieties you select are adapted to your area and intended use. Do not plant more garden than you need. Draw a map showing arrangement and spacing of crops. If you wish to keep the garden growing all season, you may need a spring, summer and fall garden plan. Plan the garden and order seeds by January or February.