Theory and Practice: coloring outside the lines

I don't know about any of you, but I was never happy with the drawings in the coloring books unless I had added some extras, its just my nature, I have to add something. Couple in my aforementioned and oft repeated tendency to worry, and it means I can't stick to a garden plan I know was not specifically designed for my spot. So here it is, my decision to go off the map, specifically the garden map in "How to grow...".

Its not that I haven't been happy with the results thus far, its just that there are some timing considerations. Mainly the schedule of some of the successions. My "growing season" (as traditionally defined) is shorter than what is perscribed in the book, and I thought that by picking the earliest varieties I could rush some of the successions. Despite the advertisement of some seed packets not every variety of seed is on target for the number of days to maturity. In the future (and thats what this is all about isn't it?) I'm going to start some spring plantings earlier (beets, broccoli, and heck I'll even try transplanting carrots again).

So back to the here and now. What to do? I have an open spot where the radishes were, the lettuce is starting to get bitter, the cabbage is almost ready (kimchi here I come). That leaves broccoli, peas, carrots, and onions with what I estimate is a good bit of time left. Now according to the plan, I am supposed to follow this crop with a block of early corn and a block of bush beans. One of the sections of the book describes intercropping exactly those two plants so I had planed on one large mixed block. After perusing some sources I was able to confirm that with the exception of onions, the rest of the stragglers are indifferent to corn and beans (some being actually on good terms). Since the onions don't get along well with beans I'll start with corn in that area. The result will be two groups of corn and beans, one going in soon, and one in a couple weeks when the others are done. The corn seedlings wont immediately shade out the stragglers, and having two groups of corn means we stretch the harvest. And when the first of the corn comes out it will give shade for the lettuce and spinach which is going to follow it before winter.

As for the other bed (zone 2 I think I called it) a longer season corn is going to follow the potatoes...which have already started to flower. Potatoes get along well with corn and beans so I am going to thin them a few weeks after they stop flowering and use the earlies for salt potatoes, then give the remaining ones the space to grow larger tubers, though not too much longer. Corn and beans go in sparsely in the holes, and I dont want to dig too late and disturb the corn's roots, nor do I want the spuds competing with the corn. After the spuds come out I haven't decided if I want to fill with more corn and beans or something else. Its a popcorn variety and despite the fact that green beans are probably the number one consumed vegetable in the household and I do intend to can a good deal of them, the variety I am using is known for being prolific.

So there we have it, I'd like to hear some thoughts from people. If someone feels I'm making a huge mistake here, please, stop me.