Barker Creek Heirloom Seeds...Shipped!

I love it when I get a little email letting me know my seeds have been shipped. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds did just that today. Hooray!

Before I begin the review of my Baker Creek order, I have a confession to make. I did get a little carried away with looking at the photos in this catalog. But, the price per packet is such a deal with Baker Creek that I don't feel too guilty (plus they have a flat $3 rate for shipping and handling).

Nasturtium 'Alaska Mix' is a repeat from last year. It is a great performer and I was mean to it. Days without water, baking in the sun, this annual just kept going. Eldon requested this to use the variegated leaves as little dinner plates for our fancy Thanksgiving feast. Alas, we never used the leaves because we went to Tanzania instead (more stories and another blog to come). 'Alaska Mix' is not an aggressive climber, but is more of a trailing annual. I tried to train it. It didn't work so I just let it do its thing along the edge of the veggie bed. The flower colors run the range of traditional colors: hot oranges and reds to subdued peach and cream.

I chose the French Breakfast radish. I know I can grow radishes well. I just have to be on top of thinning them out. The French Breakfast radish has an elongated shape compared to the typical globe-shaped root you see in the grocery store. Yes, that's a root you're eating! Another veggie request from Eldon for when he makes "Chilled Asparagus with Vinaigrette and Eggs Mimosa" from Thomas Keller's Bouchon cookbook. I'm hoping the radishes are as bright as they are in the photos of the catalog.

I am a sucker for edible flowers. When I saw the 'Shungiku' edible chrysanthemum, I had to try it out. Who could resist these cute white daisies with yellow centers? They will be great in summer salads. The leaves are also said to be great in salads and stir fry. At $1.50 per packet it's worth a try.

I already admitted to my two "Zonal Denial" purchases: Pepino Melon and Thai Red Roselle. For those who are not familiar with "Zonal Denial," it's when you are in total denial of what climate, or zone, you live in. The USDA categorized the country into 11 Zones, and Sunset Western Garden uses 24. The Pepino Melon is from the Andes and grows well in New Zealand. Thai Red Roselle, as the name suggests is from Thailand. Yes, I'm taking my chances. But, I can't resist the challenge. I am still dreaming of the Pepino melon's taste and texture. And the Roselle is striking and has edible flowers--I'm sold!

*The seeds were received on Jan 30th. And they threw in a free packet of European Mesclun Salad. Yippee!

Seed Order...Done!

I filled out each garden catalog form extensively and realized that my eyes were bigger than my garden. I needed to narrow down my choices. I went through my seed catalogs one by one to whittle down my lists. But, all those wonderful pictures of red-ripe tomatoes and perfect eggplant made it way too difficult to choose. And don't even get me started on the flowers!

I remembered an article my husband, Eldon, pointed out to me on Slate.com last year. Constance Casey gave free advice to the home gardener in "What to look for in gardening catalogs." After which, Eldon sent away for the catalog she said was her favorite: Kitchen Garden Seeds. Yay another one. Little did he know I had already ordered seeds for myself and friends by then, but I digress.

You'll get a glimpse of what I'm talking about just by looking at the cover of Burpee's catalog at the beginning of the article. Armfuls of tomatoes the size of grapefuits--very tempting! Constance says to go through the catalogs, fill out that order form and then tear it up.

I more or less did this. I put aside the order forms, and wrote down what I wanted to grow on a blank piece of paper.

I keep in mind these criteria as I make my wish list:

1. Can I find this in the market pretty easily and for a good price?
2. Is it aesthetically interesting?
3. Is it easy to grow?
4. How many days until harvest?

The ultimate, automatic criteria is whether Eldon requested it. Either that or he'll convert the garden into an apple orchard.

I then chose three seed companies I would go with. Kitchen Garden Seeds easily made the cut since I didn't get a chance to order from them last year. The other two were Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Cook's Garden because their seeds were good performers last year.

From Kitchen Garden Seeds I ordered Swiss Chard 'Bright Lights,' Fennel 'Fino,' Kale 'Tuscano Lacinato,' and Fava Beans 'Supersette.' Swiss Chard Bright Lights, meets all the criteria. It's pretty, easy to grow, and takes around 60 days to mature. Eldon requests this for his dried fig and squab dish he makes at Thanksgiving.

Some of you may cringe at my choice with fennel. Yes, it can be a weed, but I am hoping I can harvest the flowers for different dishes. If I harvest the flowers, it will never go to seed and I'll prevent a fennel forest from forming along my street. I also like the feathery look of fennel. I am growing it mostly for the bulb. I saw one at the store this week for $3.99. Granted it was organic, but c'mon!

'Tuscano Lacinato,' also known as Dinosaur Kale, is wonderfully sweet and nutty; not at all bitter. The dark green leaves have an rippled texture and striking light green veins. It will be a great alternative when we get burnt out on the Swiss Chard. Another crop that will take 60 days to harvest.

I know. I know. Fava beans take about 100 days to mature so I may not produce a crop. But, when they're $3.99/lb at the market, I'll pay $3.50 for 50 seeds and take my chances. The description boasts white and purple flowers yielding 7-9 beans per pod. Plus, how can you argue with when the cultivar is 'Supersette'!?

Stay tuned for when I review my orders for Baker Creek Heirloom Seed and Cook's Garden.

New Year, New Plants

Right on cue, seed catalogs are clogging my mailbox. Within a few days I have received Baker Creek Heirloom Seed, Burpee Seed (I don't remember signing up for this one), The Cook's Garden (who are now Burpee), Kitchen Garden Seed, Osbourne Seed (how did they get my name?), and Johnny's Seed.

My eyes get bigger and bigger as I browse each catalogue, pen in hand to mark the ones I can't live without. The glossy photos shout at me endless possibilities! Do I want repeats of good performers? Or should I through caution to the wind and try all new crops this year?

I decided to do a little of both. I will select those crops that have shorter days for maturation. Remember my Brussels sprouts? I learned just a couple weeks ago 'Falstaff' requires 100-150 days. I live in Seattle where summer can be a gamble. I may be jipped out of another summer and would rather not be disappointed again.

However, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds tempts me with their catalogue. They are in Missouri where it's more hot and humid than the Pacific Northwest. And, they collect seed from Thailand, Mexico, and other lovely warm places. One new crop I will try this year is Pepino Melon. I tried a slice from the salsa guy at the Columbia City Farmers' Market. It was so delicious! It was like eating a pear-flavored mango: the texture of mango but the flavor of pear. I asked Amando (of Tierra Bonita: Olympia's Salsa) to write down the scientific name for me: Solanum mauricatum. It's surprisingly related to tomato, eggplant, and potato--all memebers of the Nightshade family.

The other crop I will try this year is Thai Red Roselle. Techincally a hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), it is recommended by the folks at Baker Creek for making cranberry-flavored beverages, jelly, and pie. The plant is strikingly red and they claim there are too many uses for them to list. Zonal denial has set in and I'm sold.

Over the next few weeks, I will keep you up-to-date with my wish list and from where I will be buying the seed to complete my veggie garden. I'm already dreaming of peppery radishes, purple eggplant, and ruby-red tomatoes.

Autumn Cleaning

I don't know where the idea of "Spring Cleaning" came from, but in my house and garden, I do most of my cleaning during Autumn. Clearing the chard's old leaves, composting pepper plants past their prime, and yanking out stray tomatoes are some of the many tasks for putting the garden "to bed." It makes everything look tidier, and will cut down the slime factor when that first frost hits (WARNING: forecast for November 18 in Seattle). Plus, it reminds you of the space available for spring planting.

This year I am experimenting with a crimson clover cover crop. The seeds are available in bulk from City People's Garden Store. A deal at $3.99/lb I decided to give it a try. I broadcasted the seed by hand, and had tons of little seedlings sprouting after 10 days. The seed was mainly scattered in the designated veggie plot (10x6) and another small bed (5x3). The rest of the garden is mulched with leaves from the cherry tree. I know some people like to use straw on their veggie gardens. Straw can be used in homemade compost teas since it contains beneficial amoebas. Although I like the idea of compost tea more so than synthetic fertilizer, I also want to keep my garden low maintenance as possible. I don't fertilize at all in my garden, but I don't want to deplete the soil of its beneficials. The cover crop seemed like a good means of naturally adding nitrogen to the soil.

I'm also keeping busy with the weeds. Yes, I do have a couple of those, too. Let's not dwell on those too long. I've planted my winter annuals: 'Redbor' Kale, Viola 'Penny Lane White,' Pansy 'Fama True Blue,' and Viola 'Peach Shades'. A few herbs were rescued from their containers and planted in the garden: my French tarragon and Chinese chives.

With the shorter days and longer nights, I am transitioning into an "Armchair Gardener". I'll be reflecting on the best performers from last season, dreaming of new varieties for next year, and scouring catalogues for seeds. Time for hot cocoa!

Brussels Sprouts 'Falstaff' Revisited

I just heard from my friend Jim in California who introduced me to the 'Falstaff' Brussels sprout last winter. His are stunted and buggy as well which is reassuring. There's something comforting in hearing of your fellow gardeners having the same problems. It's especially nice when they live in a place like California which seems to brag about its wonderful sunshine 24/7. He's hoping for some sustained fall weather to bring them around.

I still want a refund on my Pacific Northwest summer! So far it's been a pleasant autumn. I think someone has heard my plea.

'Falstaff' back-flipping and buggy.

Brussels Sprouts: A Lesson in Patience

I experienced a serious dose of plant envy when visiting friends in California last December. Seeing the rows of bright purple 'Falstaff' Brussels sprouts, I knew I had to have them in my garden.

I started them in late winterm, and they germinated pretty quickly. In a few weeks, I had a handful of promising starts. I planted them amongst the Swiss Chard 'Bright Lights' for an instant rainbow effect in my veggie patch. They stood proud like little soldiers in the soil.

Brussels sprouts behind the Swiss chard


Brussels sprouts are named for the country in which they originated and are related to mustard. For those who have never seen Brussels sprouts growing in the field or an entire stalk in the market, the starts look like a loose cabbage on a stem. As the main stalk grows and new leaves form on top, the stems of the older leaves (petioles) are angled out at a 45-degree angle. In between the petiole and main stalk is where the sprout forms starting out as small as a pea.

Now I am getting impatient with my crop. The sprouts are the size of almonds, but I should already have full-sized sprouts ready for cooking. I've been growing these plants for what seems like forever. The time for maturity for Brussels sprouts is around 100 days, so I guess my crop is doing okay given the lack of summer sun. It's easy to blame the weather when things aren't going your way, right? I feel no shame in bringing up how the Pacific Northwest was gypped out of summer this year.

Plus, mine have are struggling with slugs, snails, and grey aphids, yet seem to be plugging along. However, some of them are not standing so proudly anymore. Instead they're doing back flips. Maybe I should have staked them? Yesterday I found bright green caterpillars feasting on the leaves. Arg! I plucked them off and tossed them over the fence--this is my method of pest management.

I am really tempted to put them out of their misery and till them under. I'll then spread more cover crop seed to enrich the soil for next year. In the meantime, I'll buy them at Pike Place Market where they're advertised as "Little Green Blobs of Death." Brussels sprouts are a great side dish. The trick is to buy fresh and not to overcook them. Eldon prepares delicious Brussels sprouts using a recipe from the Bouchon cookbook (Bouchon is Thomas Keller's bistro next to The French Laundry near Napa, CA) featuring creme fraiche, mustard, and bacon.

Will I try them growing Brussels sprouts again next year? I like a challenge and I'm a sucker for purple plants so I most likely will. I may plant them against a wall for more warmth especially if we have (hopefully not!) a similar summer next year.

Forbidden Fig

"Have you ever had a fresh fig?" my professor asked while driving through the orchards in Davis, CA.

"The only figs I've had are in Fig Newtons," I replied.

"Fresh figs are totally different. There's nothing like them."

That autumn, I courageously bought a pint of Mission figs at the Co-Op and swooned at their honey-yet-jammy-like flavor. He was right.

Since moving into my house three summers ago, I have been looking forward to enjoying just one ripe fig from my tree. The first year, the tree didn't bear much fruit. Last year, we had a better crop, but the birds beat me to it. I had lots of green figs towards the end of the season which never fully ripened. I managed to snag a few semi-ripe figs. They were pithy and turned my mouth inside out. My craving for ripe figs overcame me. I bought a pint of overpriced organic Mission and Brown Turkey figs at Whole Foods. Twice. I ate them like they were going out of style.

This summer I was determined to eat one ripe fig darn it! I made sure to give the tree a few deep waterings during the summer to ensure less pithy fruit. At the end of August, I dabbed the ends of the figs with a little olive oil. I heard that this helps with ripening. Soon green was replaced by purple and the birds immediately honed in on them. I would come home to half eaten figs dangling on the trees as though they were checking whether they were ready or not. The least they could do was finish them. So I decided to do the same and tasted a couple that felt ripe enough. The flavor was more figgy, sweet, and less pithy, but not quite ready.

While I'm drinking coffeein my cozy living room on this cool grey Saturday morning, THEY descend on my fig tree: hundreds of starlings twittering about like crazy. I call for Mudsy, my German Wirehair Pointer/Boarder Collie mix, hoping his appearance in the window will scare them away. No such luck. These birds are feasting on all of the figs even if they have just the slightest tinge of purple. They're having a party, and I'm not invited.

Then it's silent. I see them flying away. "Good," I think, "maybe they've spared a few." Five minutes later, the twittering resumes, and 5 minutes later it's silent again.

"They couldn't have done that much damage, right?" I'm saying to myself as I go check on the crop. Yeah right. I shake my head at the sight of my tree adorned with dangling half-eaten figs. Wasteful birds! Couldn't they share amongst themselves if they can't finish one by themselves?!

Wait. They have spared one closest to the house that I can reach from the front porch. It's purple skin peaking from behind a leaf. I pull it from the tree and take a bite. The fig is sweet, gooey, and tastes like honey. I finally have my one fully-ripe fig of the season from my very own tree.

Will I take measures against the starlings next year? Should I tie mesh bags around the fruit to deter the "wildlife"? Hang flashing tape or CD's from the tree to scare them away? Or will doing this make way for the clever crow? The jury is still out on this one.

The Not-So-Ripe Fig. No evidence is left of the ripe one.