Seed Porn

Woo hoo!  I'm getting closer and closer to getting my garden planted!  My husband mounted the shop light above the kitchen counter that I'll be using to start seedlings and I have all my seeds either on hand or on order!  Since I garden on such a small scale, I usually have lots of seeds to save from year to year, so I save the leftovers in an airtight plastic container in the refrigerator. I still have basil, squash, green beans, pumpkin, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumbers from last year.  I've made arrangements with a fellow gardener to share seeds, so she'll be giving me some broccoli, green pepper, and cabbage seeds.  I decided to not bother with shells peas or potatoes again this year, because I think with this huge garden expansion, it would be too much work for those two things since I'd have to build my potato growing area and I can get them elsewhere.  I also decided not to add more berry bushes or dwarf fruit trees at this point, until I can learn more about growing them in containers or we move onto some more permanent property--although I'll probably change my mind on that in a couple months.

I just placed my seed order last night.  I'm quite pleased that I got to order from the Seed Savers Exchange this year, so I have some extra awesome plants planned from there.  Here's what I ordered (pictures and blurbs taken from SSE website.  Clicking on the pictures will take you to the site to order them.):

Scarlet Nantes Carrots:  (Daucus carota) (aka Early Coreless) Dates to the 1850s; original seed developed by Vilmorin in France. Cylindrical roots are 7" long with blunt tips. Fine-grained bright red-orange flesh is nearly coreless. Great flavor, sweet and brittle. Good when used as baby carrots. Excellent for freezing and juicing. Widely adapted, stores well. 65-75 days.

Blue Jade Corn: (Zea mays) Miniature plants (up to 3 feet) bear 3-6 ears with sweet steel-blue kernels that turn jade-blue when boiled. One of the only sweet corns that can be grown in containers. 70-80 days.

Oaxacan Green Dent Corn: (Zea mays) Grown for centuries by the Zapotec Indians of southern Mexico where it is used to make green flour tamales. Traditionally grown with squash and beans which climb up the corn stalks. Drought resistant, sturdy, 7' plants produce emerald green kernels on 10" ears. 75-100 days.

 Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry: (Physalis pruinosa) Native of eastern and central North America. Outstanding Polish variety prized for its unique flavor. Easy to grow, prolific, and super sweet. Can be used for preserves, pies, over ice cream, or in fresh fruit salads. The ½-¾" fruits are encased in a papery husk that turns brown when the fruits ripen. Stores 3-4 weeks in the husk. Productive plants have a sprawling habit. 70 days from transplant.

 Amish Snap Peas: (Pisum sativum) Superb snap pea reportedly grown in the Amish community long before present snap pea types. Vines grow 5-6' tall and are covered in 2" translucent green pods. Yields over a 6-week period if kept picked. Delicate and sweet even when the seeds develop. Snap, 60-70 days.

Black Beauty Zucchini: (Cucurbita pepo) The standard summer squash, introduced to U.S. markets in the 1920s. Compact everbearing bush plants are loaded with glossy green-black fruits with firm white flesh. Best eaten when under 8" long. Excellent variety for freezing. 1957 All America Selections. 45-65 days.

Rostov Sunflower:  (Helianthus annuus) Classic Russian sunflower. Heads grow up to 12" in diameter on 6' stalks. Large plants are sturdy and withstand wind. Very good variety for edible seed production. Annual, 70 days.


Now I just have to wait as patiently as I can for my seeds to arrive and figure out how soon I can start planting!