My dad stopped by this afternoon and tilled the garden patch for me and I'm ready to start planting things in it.
I even have everything plotted out where I want it.
And I've decided to buy all my seeds from Landreth's this year. I'm very excited to try some of these. They're really not that expensive and they carry LOTS of heirloom seeds. The Landreth Seed Com. (since 1784) is the fifth oldest corporation in America and they've sold seeds to every president from George Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt. They've even sold seeds to Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Joseph. And if their seeds are good enough for Napoleon's brother, I'm sure they'll be good enough for me. (See more of their history here.)
Here are some of their seeds I want to try:
Fairy Tale Eggplant:
2005 All America Selections Winner. This is an eggplant like no other in the world. An eggplant has not won the All America award since 1939 and this one was bred to be the perfect container plant. The beautiful dwarf plants, 18-24 in., have soft green foliage and bright lavender flowers and produce eggplants in 55 days. The fruits grow in clusters of 3-5 and should be harvested when about 4 in. by 1 1/2 in.. The fruits are elongated with lavender skin streaked with white stripes. They are quite sweet and bitter free.
Sparkler White Tip Radish:
Also known as Scarlet Turnip White Tip, bright scarlet skin with white bottom. Sweet and juicy.
West India Burr Gherkin Cucumber:
This cucumber is actually a separate species, but it is the original gherkin for pickles and relishes. Introduced into the US from Jamaica in 1793, it probably originated in Africa. Vines produce ovoid, shiny green, 2 3 in. long fruit covered with large, prickly burrs. Taste is very distinctive.
Rattlesnake Pole Bean:
Dark green pods mottled with purple. Fine flavor. Seeds are tan with dark brown, coloring similar to a rattlesnake. Vines grow to 10 ft. Pods are 7-8 in.
Tom Thumb Lettuce:
Sometimes confused with Tennis Ball. Introduced in 1830, this lettuce is an English heirloom. Heads are very small, approximately 5 in., with crinkled green leaves. Flavor is sweet.
And also these ones:
Danvers Half Long Carrots
Royal Oak Leaf Lettuce
Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach
Feverfew (for my headaches)
Chioggia Striped Beets
Parisian Pickling Cucumber
...and they sell Vintage Flower and Vegetable Seed Packets.
I can't wait to order some!
(Carrie, if you're out there and are reading this... Let me know if you want me to order some seeds for you when I order mine. They have some fantastic Hubbard Squash!)
And I've already got the strawberries back in their patch.
I'll be dreaming of compost tonight.
T
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4 comments:
oooooooo!!!!!! That is a great seed company! We might try building our raised beds this weekend if the weather holds out. :) Yay for gardening! Things will finally settle down for us after march so we'll have to come over soon. Night!
Your place is perfect for raised beds, and then you can terrace them. I kinda want to put the strawberries in some sort of fenced in boxed thing. They tend to get out of hand. Best of luck!
Night!
T
Oh, my goodness! How cool! I didn't do anything that interesting. I just went and bought some seeds... How lame is that? :o) You are going to be TONS of fun at the seed swap!!! LOL
Followed from the backyard farmer wife...I must say Fairytale eggplant is even prettier in person than in a picture, I almost didn't want to eat them last year!
Glad to 'meet' another gardener/blogger from the rainy NW! Kim
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