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Potatoes
Potatoes have rewarded my efforts every time. 2008's crop was worth the work.

The hardy potato is remarkably easy to grow. Each year I plant eight rows of spuds. Sections of seed-potato containing viable buds are placed at the bottom of an amended trench. About 3" of loose soil goes on top. Seed potatoes are available in early Spring at local nurseries. Yukon Gold and Red Norland are my best producers, but many store-bought tubers will produce a useful crop, too. This photo from 2008 shows freshly-sprouted Red Norland potato plants in May's morning sun.

Trench-planting protects the plants from Spring's winds and conserves water.

Late June's spud-beds are captured in this photo. The gardener has just mounded several inches of loose soil over the crowns of the plants, leaving only the tops exposed. At this stage the two named varieties are exhibiting marked differences. The Red Norlands' leaves are broader, rounder, and infused with purple and red. The Yukon Gold's leaves are narrower and deeper green, and its top-growth is more resilient in June's heat.

September's first harvest yielded four pounds, all from only one row.

Like looking for Easter eggs, when you dig in a mixed row of potatoes you never know what colors your tubers will be. Here, vibrant Yukon Gold and Red Norland potatoes intermingle with the brownish fruits of an experimental store-bought Russet. Potatoes can produce and cache a sizeable crop safely underground before August's hail storms march over the area. This makes them one of the few vegetables that gardeners can grow reliably in this region.

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