Random Seeds

I have no trouble removing a plant from my garden when I grow tired of it and want to replace it with something more exciting. Part of my job was to dispose of extra plants when space was scarce or when we geared up for the next season. I also learned my most coveted plants either died or became infested with pests, resulting in me developing a sense of detachment early with my gardening world.

So why is it I can't get rid of seeds? Maybe because I can easily tuck them into the butter drawer of my fridge. They don't take up much space at all. What's the harm in keeping them?

What started as a small envelope a couple of years ago evolved into a small manila envelope--a little ridiculous. I forced myself to go through the extra seed I had. Even after trying to tell myself that any seed more than a year old should be tossed, I couldn't help holding onto the all the different marigolds I have.

I did sow a bunch of the leftovers. If I wasn't allowing myself to save them, might as well start them. I'm hoping I'm not too late like I was last year with my eggplant 'Diamond' from Adaptive Seeds. I had a few last year that didn't do well, but I think it was because my timing was off.

I also started the rest of 'Russian Hunger Gap' kale. This kale has a jagged, feathery leaf. I'm not growing it so much for the leaves as for when it bolts. The flower stalks can be harvested before it actually flowers for "kale raab." I tried this last year at the farmers' market and was kicking myself for not letting my kale bolt. This year, I'm prepared!

Another random seed packet I sowed a couple of weeks ago was from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. The Seattle Times handed out packets of "mixed herbs" which include Italian Large Leaf' basil, sweet majoram, winter thyme, parsley, dill 'Bouquet,' and summer savory. It's amazing that these little seedlings are already so fragrant!

Meanwhile, it looks like the frost is gone for good. Time to sow all the seed that can be done directly in the garden.

More tomatoes

All my worrying over my tomato crop was for nothing. I'm happy to say that I have a decent amount this year even though it's September. Better late than never!

I tried several new types this year including Estonian Yellow Cherry (EYC) and the Columbianum Wild Form (CWF). I found these through Adaptive Seeds.

The EYC have a sunny yellow color and have almost a citrus undertone to their flavor. After enjoying Sun Golds during lunch today, these lack depth in tomato flavor.

I gathered at least 30 of the CWF's. My son was helping me and said "We have enough tomatoes!" Unfortunately, I sliced and roasted them before I remembered to take their picture. Hey...I was hungry and it was dinner time! Straight off the vine, these are a tad mealy. It may be that I have skimped on water, but I've been stingy with watering other tomatoes before (ie: Black Cherry) and haven't had a problem. I acutally like stressing out tomatoes because it brings out their flavor.

Of course, I'm already thinking about what tomatoes I'll grow next year. I've enjoyed the Indigo Rose tomato from Let Us Farm. They grow the most gorgeous lettuce you've ever seen and have amazing tomatoes, too.

And it's been brought to my attention (and I should had known this--thank you readers!) that Sun Gold are a hybrid so the seed from the tomatoes will not come true. Read more on this forum. That's all the convincing I needed to gobble up all the ripe ones off the vine earlier today. Yum!

The dangerous seed catalogue

Some may say their eyes are bigger than their stomachs. Well, my eyes are bigger than my garden.

I just discovered Adaptive Seeds through another fantastic blog Greensparrow Gardens. Joseph mentioned this seed company as a "crazy source for crazy cool veggies." That's a description that's right up my alley.

Although I've been partial to Fedco Seeds for several years now, I'm leaning towards Adaptive Seeds for a majority of what I would like to try this year. First, they are practically next door in Sweet Home, OR compared to Waterville, ME. Don't get me wrong. I have liked Fedco since they are in Maine which has a similar growing season as we do. And I have enjoyed their range of cultivars that I haven't seen anywhere else. But, it's time to branch out and give someone else a try.

Reviewing my initial wish list, I think I may have to make some major edits. I've decided this year I'm going to try growing my own lettuce. While I love supporting Let Us Farm at the Columbia City Farmers' Market, I'd like to harvest my own straight from the garden, minutes before I'm ready to assemble a summertime salad. Adaptive Seeds have so many to choose from and are organized by romaine, leaf, and head. I want to try at least one of each.

There's a romaine type called 'Red Flamingo' which I will try this season for several reasons. First, I love any purple-tinged edible for my garden. Second, my son loves flamingos--his favorite animal at the zoo. He even has a small flamingo stuffed animal that goes everywhere with him. My third reason also involves my son who dislikes eating anything green He's willing to eat purple lettuce so I'm hoping this will do the trick of getting him to eat more vegetables.

Of the leaf selections, I chose 'White Seeded Samara' purely on its looks. It looks like a butterhead with a lovely-shaped rosette, bright green with hints of pink. It's described to stand up in cold, wet weather and probably originated in Samara along the Volga River in Russia.

I was wooed by the butterhead 'Rolando' for it's bright green leaves to contrast the other two lettuces, and because all my edibles can't be purple. It's recommended for early spring harvest and seems like I won't need to put out row covers. I'm just too lazy for such a task.

The other lettuce I would like to try, but fear my eyes are getting bigger than my garden at this point is another green romaine called 'Winter Density'. It's described as a serious lettuce classic and a cross between a romaine and a butterhead. Who can pass up that description? Adaptive seeds says they don't carry common varieties, but when they do it's because they really love it. It's also cold and heat tolerant. It may be a good idea just to have some seed on hand in case one of the others I try fail. Another good reason is it came from Abundant Life Seed Company in Port Townsend, WA who's offices and seed collection were destroyed in a fire back in 2003.

Whew! I think I've narrowed down the lettuces. Next group to tackle: tomatoes!