In this bitter cold, I am thinking more about my
garden, counting the days until the ground will thaw and I can play in the dirt
once again. In the meantime, I am consoling myself with seed catalogues, which
offer hope for spring.
Every year, the catalogues begin arriving in my
mailbox before Thanksgiving. Somehow they
know that I’m an avid gardener, and that the coming winter cold will have me
hoping for and dreaming of spring. The seed sellers know that I need a
diversion from the holiday festivities, and that my green thumb will start
itching in January.
I must admit that I have great fun leafing through
the catalogues and my leisure, looking at the new varieties and contemplating
which old favorites I will grow again this year. Jimmy
Nardello and Yummy peppers are on
my list, as are Juliette and Golden Jubilee tomatoes. I’m trying a
new tomato variety this year – Genuwine
– a cross between Brandywine and Costoluto Genovese - from Totally
Tomatoes. I will grow Ping Tung Long Asian eggplants, and Bride, a white variety I grew some time
ago. After growing Tokyo Cross turnips last fall, I will try Shogoin turnips this spring. These are two lovely Asian turnips,
producing plump, tender white roots, ranging from the size of large marbles to golf
balls. I also plan to grow a variety of spring greens – Swiss chard in many
colors, red mustard, and two types of kale.
My order from Pinetree Garden Seeds arrived last
week, keeping hope alive. In the next week or two, I will start my winter
greens indoors, in a special spot in my basement. That’s a topic for another blog.
It’s time to order seeds, if you haven’t already done
so. You can grow vegetables by seed that you could never purchase in a garden center or plant sale - unless you plan to spend all of your gardening time running from sale to sale. You may discover some favorite varieties. If you are a seasoned gardener, please let us know what you like to grow...
