Losing Track

I've let six months go by without posting a single entry. I was completely consumed by school for 10 weeks last fall where in every spare moment, I was studying. The holidays came and went. The seed catalogs filled my mailbox making me pause and realize "I better get my orders in!" My seeds are now on their way to growing into starts that will be ready to plant in a couple of months.

I also managed to make it to Seattle Tilth's early spring plant sale a couple of weeks ago held at the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. I bought two blueberry shrubs and a persimmon tree to replace the one I lost two summers back. A wonderfully sunny day signaling spring has arrived!

I am looking forward to trying a few favorites from last year: Espresso Bicolor corn, Honeydrop cherry tomato and my favorite pink variety 'Odoriko' which is from the Japanese seed company Kitazawa.

Sunny days like today can fool us into thinking winter is over, but we're not out of the woods yet. According to Dave's Garden, April 6th is when we should expect out last frost date. You can search based on your zip code here.

This weekend, I'll be clearing out weeds and figuring out where to plant the first fava beans and snap peas. I have a couple of  plants to rearrange as well to make sure my blueberries are easy to water this summer.

In the meantime, I'll reflect on the great harvest we had at the end of last season.

So many good things to look forward to in 2016! 

Spring Get Away April Fool!

I'm usually much better at keeping up with posting entries. My goal is at least one per month, yet it's been almost three months since my last one.

I blame the weather...

We've had an incredible winter. It's been super mild which isn't great for our snow pack and water supply. But, it's been great for gardening. I even took the risk of seeding my lawn a few weeks ago. A bit of seasonal denial. I am fully aware at any moment we could enter a cold snap as we haven't passed our frost free date yet. And if we do freeze, I worry about every plant out there that is blooming or finished and leafing out as though it's May!

I found my invoice and letter from CR Lawn of Fedco Seeds, one of my favorite seed companies. His letter analyzed seed orders as of January 19, 2015. While seed orders have been slow, they had an increase of their tree orders (sorry, you have to be local in Maine to take advantage) by 20%. His reasoning is that people think long term and there is an increase in permaculture resulting in more tree sales.

Their biggest seller is Swiss Chard 'Bright Lights' followed by cilantro 'Caribe'. CR Lawn can't but help make a political jab connecting a poor selling spinach 'Donkey' to the GOP's motives.

This is the first year Fedco designated codes for their seed sources. It was too early to tell at the time of the letter, but it will be interesting to see if the codes affect the seed sales.

I realized today, it being the last day of March, I better get on to sowing! And...oh...wait! I forgot to place my order with Kitazawa! Argh! Maybe this is a good thing given my eyes are always bigger than my garden. It will help me narrow down my choices. Do I want to try again with winged beans and edamame? Probably not. Should I try something new like corn? Go back to growing kohlrabi? Yes and yes! I love broccoli raab but have struggled with bolting so I'm thinking of trying 'Zamboni'. Oh and of course our beloved 'Odoriko' tomato.

Hope you're all taking advantage of this weather...seasonal denial or otherwise!
 

Seed Catalog Time!

Nothing like being gone over the holidays and having a mail dump of seed catalogs waiting for me when I got home!

 

 



My usual suspects of John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, Baker Creek, Fedco, Territorial, Jung Seeds (who signed me up for that one?) arrived along with a new one for me this year: R.H. Shumway's.  

Usually late in the game, John Scheepers was early. In past years, I have received this one long after I've placed my orders.

Baker Creek is a usual favorite, but I have to be careful not to get carried away zonal denial given they are based in Missouri and California. It's easy to do with their lovely pictures tempting me with seeds they've collected around the world in much hotter places.

I'll get back to Fedco in a bit, and I'm going to skip Territorial since they have a reputation already in this region.

Jung Seeds looks like a combo of your usual seed offerings plus other edibles from vine, tree and shrub. Plus perennials and even ornamental colocasia and allocasia--which are not hardy here.

R.H.Shumway's is a new one I requested for this year. It's got an "old timey" catalog look to it so much so I'm expecting to find offers for soap or men's shave cream and brushes. I'm not sure I'll actually order from them unless there is something I must have and can't find elsewhere. They are offering a selection of new annuals like the African Sunset petunia and Candy Showers trailing snapdragon.

I left my favorite for last--Fedco. I have always been impressed with their quality and since they are based in Maine, their growing season is on par with Seattle. I also appreciate their conscientious, mindful outlook on where their seeds are coming from. Over the past several years, CR Lawn has expressed the company's dilemma of calling themselves sustainable while offering seeds from Bayer and Syngenta. While the seed is not treated, these two companies produce neonicotinoids ("neonics" for short) and Atrazine. Neonics have recently been linked as a possible cause in bee colony collapse and are being banned in Europe and the US. CR Lawn went to great lengths designating the seeds source leaving it up to the consumer to make the choice. There is also the reality if they don't offer these varieties, their customers will find them elsewhere. I know I can't imagine my small garden without Sungolds or Masai haricot vert. A dilemma indeed.

Spring Seed Sowing

Where does the time go!? I can't believe my last post was in January.  And with the summer-like weather yesterday, I'm already thinking ahead to tomatoes.

All my seeds arrived from Kitazawa, Territorial, and Fedco. And my bareroot plants from Raintree are in the ground: purple asparagus, Jewel Black raspberry, and a hedge form of serviceberry.

Out of the many seeds I ordered this season, I am most looking forward to growing the Indigo Blue Berries tomato. I've been buying these at farmers' market for a couple of years now and decided grow them myself this year. They are a small cherry type with deep bluish purple skin with hints of red, and super flavorful. The need 75 days until maturity and I've successfully grown other cherry tomatoes with similar timing so I'm hoping they'll do well.

 

 

Other veggies I'm looking forward to growing are purple pac choi, painted serpent cucumbers, and zucchini. I'm surprised that this will be my first time growing zucchini given how successful else is at growing it. This is your warning: lock your car doors!

 

Repeats of previous years that will be grown again this year are eggplant, shishito, escarole and tomato 'Odoriko.' This tomato is pink fleshed, a little larger than a roma and very flavorful. It also has a short requirement for maturity making it ideal for Seattle summers.

 

That's only about half of the seeds I ordered, and I'm already feeling a space crunch. My eyes are definitely bigger than my garden!

 

Catalog Time!

I can't believe it's been since October that I last posted something. Yikes! Where did the time go?

It's that time of year where my mailbox (and I'm sure yours) is filled with catalogs. I look forward to perusing what's being offered every year at this time and yet I'm overwhelmed.

It's possible to have too many choices. How did I narrow it down? I started with the smallest catalog which is also the most specific: Kitazawa Seed Company. Their emphasis is Asian vegetable seeds. Since I live where the growing season is short, this is a great source for tomatoes and eggplant geared for our climate. I've also had great success with their seeds in the past. I plan on ordering the Odoriko pink tomato, which matures in 75 days. It's easy and tasty as are Sungolds. With eggplant I plan on growing Money Maker #2 (which I find the name hilarious). It sets fruit early, maturing in 60 days. Kitazawa is a big hit in my book for carrying specialty veggies like gailaan (Chinese broccoli), cutting celery and shishito peppers. If my husband had his way, our entire garden would be solely shishitos. They are easy to grow and a fantastic summertime snack flash fried in olive oil and kosher salt.

I'm also partial to Fedco. Who could pass up a catalog cover featuring a comic strip with a sunflower spitting seeds into the ground?! Even though they're in Maine, they understand a short growing season. Their seed prices are super reasonable and promise no GMO material. They also are the only ones who carry Rainbow kale. I grew this a few years ago and feel like it's time to grow it again. Rainbow kale is a cross between Lacinato and Red Bor. It is gorgeous as it is yummy. I'm going to also try carrots again this year as they are bringing back the Tonda di Parigi which grow well in heavy soil. My other favorite I grew last year are the Masai haricots verts bush beans; the perfect type for lazy pickers like me. I had pods in mid-October that were still good.

I'm going to order a few items from Territorial. I was wooed by their Royal Burgundy bush bean which has a lovely purple color. And they are the only ones carrying seeds for the Indigo tomato series. I had these for the first time a couple of years ago from Let Us Farm (they specialize in lettuce...get it?) and are super delicious. They have a purple black skin and are deep red inside. I may go with a variety closer to the 75 day maturity versus 80 to ensure I get enough ripening time. Possibly Indigo Kumquat since they are a grape type which would be a great pair with Sungold.

I'm tempted to try something new this year. Maybe a few new flowers like Territorial's Babino marigold which has golden flowers brushed with orange streaks on a compact plant, or a new compact sweet pea like Cupid Black. I've never grown zucchini before. Lock your car doors and guard your porches friends!  

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.

Seeds for 2013

Usually I'm much more on top of my game as far as ordering seeds. Within weeks of the big catalog dump in my mailbox at the beginning of the year, I have my lists figured out and my seeds arrive by the end of January or February at the latest.

Well, here it is...March. I compiled my list and received my seeds yesterday from Fedco. I really their selection, but I forgot that the seeds take awhile to arrive. I became impatient and double checked my confirmation which reminded me that they'd ship within two weeks.

Finally they arrived yesterday. What is it that they say? If you snooze, you lose! Well, that's exactly what happened. I missed out on mache and the painted serpent cucumber. I'm actually surprised about the mache. Isn't that like saying you ran out of lettuce?

I am pretty disappointed about the cucumber. Now I have to either look for starts or find another seed source. I'd rather pay the shipping for just one item.

What struck me was I didn't get a substitution as instructed in my order. Instead they sent a $2.10 refund in a seed envelope stamped with "REFUND ENCLOSED." Two $1 coins and a dime were enclosed.

I thought sending cash through the mail was illegal...

I enjoy the thoughtful letter from CR Lawn; giving his report from Maine. A little bit about the weather, which he says is more normal this year compared to more recent winters. CR continues on about sales trends (a 3% gain from last year), how people are ordering (online vs paper), and how particular varieties are favored over others.

He mentions the paper catalog is sent to the printers in November so the online catalog is more current with availability, crop failures, etc. So why does he keep producing the paper catalog? Customers can't take their computer into the bathtub nor read it lying down in bed. Hey...I agree!

It seems to me there is a political message in his letter too. This time CR Lawn mentions the Right-to-Know legislation campaign which would make Maine the first state to pass a GMO food labeling law. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

In the meantime, I'm going to hash out my planting plan for this spring. My next post will include details about what varieties I chose.

Signs of Spring

We've been lucky with a mild winter in Seattle. Even so, I could tell a few weeks ago that spring was just around the corner. I can't describe it, but it's something about the way the air smells in the morning...and I'm up pretty darn early. And it had nothing to do with my daphne blooming.

About a week after that, I noticed my rhubarb was breaking dormancy. The crown turns bright red which means leaves are soon to follow.

I'm looking forward to when I can harvest the stems to make a rhubarb sauce. I don't really follow a recipe but add cinnamon and brown sugar to taste. Sometimes I add freshly grated ginger--use a Microplane to avoid stringy-ness in the sauce. It's great on pancakes, waffles, or French toast. Maybe I'll try a quick bread this season. I'll let you know how it turns out!
 

Kitazawa has arrived!

Whoa! That was quick. I placed my order on Saturday and I had seeds in my mailbox Monday evening. I'm going to start those Poha berries tomorrow.

Now, I have to wait for Baker Creek. I'll be patient.

I realized that after I ordered my seeds, I forgot to order sorrel. Seeds of Change unfortunately has this on back order. So does Baker Creek. Am I too late for this? Why the shortage?

Luckily, with the Internet, I can quickly search Territorial, Kitchen Garden Seeds, and Renee's Garden. I also looked up City People's number to check their availability and hopefully avoid shipping.

No luck with City People's, but I did ask about their Asian pear and persimmon varieties while I had them on the phone--multitasking! They are out of Asian pears at the moment, but they do have 'Nakita's Gift' persimmon. Check it out at The Nursery at TyTy. The fruits are huge!

Okay, so back to the seeds. Who will be the winner? Territorial has French sorrel which I didn't know even existed. It's supposed to be low in acid, but high in flavor. The for 1/4 gram of seed, it will be $2.05, but the shipping will cost $7.95!

Renee's Garden does not carry sorrel so my last hope was with Kitchen Garden Seeds. The seed costs $2.95 per packet and it's $4 for shipping. I couldn't bring myself to order the seed at a total of almost $7. I might as well try and find a start instead at my local nursery.

I decided to call City People's again and ask about starts. The gal I spoke to said they have a full flat of French sorrel in 4" pots at $2.99 each. Tah-dah! Even though I find it satisfying to start my veggies from seeds, for the price I was going to pay for one seed packet, I could by two plants. Since they can be relatively decent in size, I don't need a whole lot of them. And, it's saving me some work in the end.

Why the intense search for sorrel? The magazine, edibleSeattle (part of the Edible Communities), had a great sorrel pesto recipe in their first publication last spring. I discovered sorrel soon after at my local farmer's market in Columbia City. The bright, lemony flavor of this herb is just what us Seattlites need after a long winter. The pesto was great on just about everything: pasta, sandwiches, crackers, potatoes. And, it's a perennial so hopefully it will last through next winter. It's such an easy recipe, I would just substitute out the basil for sorrel in your favorite pesto and see how it comes out. Bon apetit!

2009 Seeds

It took awhile for me to figure out what to plant this year. I had my usual catalogue favorites arrive in the mail: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, Seeds of Change, and Kitazawa Seeds.

I am easily distracted by color photos and irresistible descriptions as I peruse each catalogue. And Seeds of Change has sent me a couple already making it really hard to decide what to grow.

Kitazawa saved me this year. The simple, yet informative catalogue, with a few sketches of selected veggies helped me decide what seeds I'll be starting this season. I also made a promise to myself to not grow anything that requires more than 75 days of maturity.

Of course, I made a few exceptions. Plus, promised are meant to be broken, right? I had success with Odoriko tomatoes a couple of years ago and they were so tasty that I decided to grow them again. And I bought my seed from Kitazawa then as well.

When traveling in Hong Kong in December, I came across the Giant Cape Gooseberry, or Poha Berry. These fruits are orange-yellow, the size of a large grape, and topped with a papery husk. They taste like a mixture of pineapple and strawberry. Unfortunately, they will take 75 days to mature AFTER flowering. I'm going to get a start on them the day the seed arrives! I'm always up for a challenge, so when I saw the seed I had to order them.

Another veggie I came across during my Hong Kong trip was a winged bean. We didn't know at the time what it was we were eating, but knew it was sweet like a bean yet had four sides to it. I was convinced the veggie was some sort of sweet broccoli. I made the connection when I read the description in the seed catalogue. It says it does well in humid climates, but I'm hoping for a super warm summer.

I was also suckered into a packet of beetberry seeds from Baker Creek. The pictures show vibrant red fruits nestled in between dark green leaves that would look great cascading over my rock wall. Good thing that they only take up to 60 days to mature! Zonal denial has been avoided!

This last weekend, I was at the last Flower and Garden Show at the Washington State Convention Center. I didn't have the willpower to pull myself away from Ravenna Gardens' racks filled with Renee's Garden Seeds. Though I was disciplined since I knew Kitazawa would receive most of my business this year. Only three packets were purchased: scarlet runner beans, container cucumber 'Bush Slicer', and 'Bright Lights' Swiss chard.

The other display I couldn't resist was Franchi Old World Italian Seeds since the focus of my garden is edibles. Farmer John was so friendly (he is the mayor of Half Moon Bay, CA) and was taken by me being over eight months pregnant and Eldon being a Bay Area native. He gave us a deal on our 'Fino' basil and broccoli raab seeds and threw in a packet of forget-me-knots. "That'll turn you into a real gardener!" he said, patting me heartily on the back. We promised to bring the new baby to the Pumpkin Festival in the near future.

As we walked away, I thought, "Great! I just got rid of all the forget-me-knots from the garden! I've gotta find someone to take these seeds off my hands!"

Hard Economic Times--Grow Your Own!

Politics aren't a regular theme here, but 'tis the season with the election four days away.

When this country was faced with crisis, and the economy was failing, we were told to go shopping. It will help business.

With the tumultuous ride our economy has been through in the last month, and experts saying the worse is yet to come, what should we do? GDP is at a 40 year low. Should we go shopping?

No. We should start planting.

The reality is food is not getting any cheaper. I don't want to say it's getting any safer either, but it's best to know where exactly your food comes from. What better way than to plant a garden with easy-to-care-for veggies that you can grow organically?

I read an article recently that complained about how difficult it is to raise one's own vegetables. Really? I'm surprised. I was pretty busy this summer (as you can tell from the lack of posts) with our remodel, and yet I managed to have a fine turn out of radishes, beets, Purple Cherokee and Lady Bug tomatoes, Swiss chard, celery, fava beans, onions, a couple eggplant and a couple carrots, mini yellow and red peppers, and San Marzano sauce tomatoes. I have a constant supply of rosemary, oregano, cilantro, mini basil, chives, thyme, lemon verbena, and the ubiquitous mint.

Now, it wasn't enough where I had to start canning for the winter. But my yields were high enough that I could pass up the $3.99/lb tomatoes at the farmers' market every week. I think each tomato weighed around a pound, so that would add up fast.

Many of you may ask, "Where do I start? It seems all so over whelming!"

Herbs. Fresh herbs are much tastier than dried. And, have you ever bought fresh herbs at the store? Cha-ching! A small plastic container will run you at least $3. And by the time you get them home, they've lost their taste. You could buy then at the farmers' market in season, but wouldn't you prefer the easy access from your garden or balcony?

Herbs are the easiest thing to start with, and no space is too small for a few pots of the ones you most frequently use. Try thyme and oregano. Once you're successful with those two, add rosemary and mint. If you have the space, you can grow them in the ground in quick draining soil. I would keep the mint in a pot or else it will take over. Check the bottom of the pot at least once a season to make sure it's not fully rooting itself from the drain hole.

Felling adventurous in planting out your first true crop? I would start with Swiss chard. This crop has never failed me and takes a lot of abuse. I even transplanted one that was at least a foot tall in the middle of summer and it looks great. 'Bright Lights' has a vibrant assortment of colors so there is no need to plant other annuals for a little punch. They don't have to be planted in rows like a formal vegetable garden. Stick them next to your perennials and shrubs that take full sun. And they do well with minimal fertilizer. I spread compost out in the spring and call it good; never giving them a liquid feed. That method goes for my entire garden. A packet of seeds will cost you close to, or less, than the one organic bunch at Whole Foods or PCC. One will give you chard from late spring through fall. The other lasts maybe two meals.
javascript:void(0)
No excuses. You have plently of time to start planning. The weather is getting cooler, the rain a little more frequent. I suspect those seed catalogs will start showing up any day now!

Radishes, Beets, and Carrots

There's no better way to welcome spring than by dining in the garden. It's even better when you can invite your guests to help plant seeds.

I'll admit I've been carrying around the same 4 packets of seeds for a couple of weeks. The fennel was finally planted early last week, but the radish, beet, and carrot seeds were still in their packets until Sunday.

Part of my problem I'm going to blame on the weather. Now I know I can plant these when the "danger of frost has passed" as it says on the seed packet. But won't they have a better chance of germinating if I wait a little longer? It was still feeling chilly out there last week so why push it?

The other part was letting go of last year's chard. They were starting to bolt and twist into some crazy looking stalks. I usually don't get too attached to my plants, but then Eldon noted how cool they looked. I had a little patch of Dr. Seuss in my garden. I held on.

When I made this lunch date with my friends, we were expecting rain and planned on indoor crafts. The sun was shining and the garden was warm--the perfect time to sow seeds so out went the chard. Unfortunately, I didn't take their photos. It was time to get to work.

I have a few rows of crops scattered here and there--my fava beans are in rows along the bamboo trellis as are the sweet peas, and I have rows of well spaced Walla Walla onions. But rows can be extremely boring. I drew out my plan on a piece of paper, and decided the seeds would be sown in crescents. The radishes, sown by Teresa, are in the longest one. There are two smaller crescents of beets; I sowed one and Kerstin the other. Sarah sowed the carrots in a swirl between the two.

As we planted, we talked about the increase in food prices, and how it may be the catalyst for people to start growing their own fruits and veggies. I know it's difficult for many to take up part of their yard or balcony and dedicate it to urban farming. But maybe it will make us at least think about reconnecting with our land no matter how big or small.

Seed Stash

Admit it. I know you have one. Those seed packets you've saved over the years thinking that you'll plant them next year. Maybe you have a small paper bag in the basement or refrigerator.

I just found a packet of forget-me-nots in my sock drawer. How did that get there?

Seed packets accumulate just like any other clutter around the house. Somehow, I feel less guilty about not cleaning out my seed stash. I could grow something from these seeds. You can grow anything from dust and paper clutter except maybe more dust.

But, being the responsible gardener that I am--or at least try to be--I am going through my seed stash right now. With you!

Packet #1 Haricot verts (green beans in French) collected in fall 2006 from a friend who collected them off a few vines I gave him that summer. We concluded these may actually be Bush Beans. I have a planter box that is mounted to the fence that these can go in. Definitely worth a shot.

Packet #2 Cucumbers from 2005. No idea where I got these. They still look good. Worth a try? Sure!

Packet #3 San Marzano tomatoes. These I grew in the summer of 2005 and 2006. I bought the seed in Venice, Italy from a florist. There aren't any nurseries in Venice like we have here. Instead, you find racks of seed packets outside flower shops. I've been rationing out the seed. They get bottom brown rot if they're not watered enough during the season. But it's worth the extra effort since they make such a great sauce.

Packet #4 Poppy. These are a black, double flowering form that is quite striking. Poppies are easy to just scatter the seed and watch them come up so I'll hold onto these, too.

Packet #5 Beets 'Winter Keeper' from Ed Hume. These I acquired in the "free to a good home" seed pile when I worked at the Center for Urban Horticulture. I'm such a sucker. That was 2004 and I still haven't planted these. I had planned on sowing them late summer, for the last 4 years. But I've either forgetten, or I've run out of room. I promise I'll sow them this year! Promise!

Packet #6 Corn Salad from Ed Hume acquired with the packet of beet seeds. Hmmm...Its germination rate tends to be low according to the directions on the packet. Anything remotely salad-like will get slugs. This one is going in the garbage.

I was given several packets of seeds by way of a friend's mom from Heirloom Seeds in W Elizabeth, PA. They're from 2006.



I meant to plant them out last year, but once again I ran out of time and room. There were 20 packets. I narrowed it down to:

Walla Walla Onion--these take 100-125 days, but I can sow them directly in spring.

Mini Red and Mini Yellow Bell Peppers--I can grow these in containers.

Sweet Banana Pepper--I don’t have high hopes for these, but since I'm growing the minis, I'll give these a try, too

Certified Organic Utah Celery--the cutting celery was a success and these germinate in 21 days; hard to pass up.

'Cherokee Purple' Tomato--these are one of Eldon's favorites. Plus, it's less work than adding another apple tree to the yard.

I need to find my shoehorn before spring arrives. Otherwise, I'm going to have a hard time finding space for all these crops!

First Season's Veggie

Underneath the greens and half burried in the soil, something round and red caught my eye. The first radish of the season! Picturing its perfect shape, I snapped off the tip as I quickly pulled it out. No big deal...how does it taste? Hot and peppery with bright magenta red skin over white flesh.

Tasting the first radish of the season pales in comparison to your first tomato or nectarine. Still, it is satisfying to scratch the soil, scatter the seeds and watch them sprout. Even more so when you've beaten the slugs (my method is to hope they'll just go away!) and can enjoy your harvest.