"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson




Showing posts with label Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Winter Garden 2013



I am late posting photos of my winter garden plantings that took place a couple of weeks ago.  Of course had I taken the pics then there wouldn't be anything in the pictures but soil!  It doesn't look like much right now but when the little guys grow up the plot will be covered in goodies for us to eat all winter.

We are still using the area along the driveway this year and probably next year, since we used the adobe bricks from the raised beds for the labyrinth; I don't have that space to use right now.  This area gets a lot of sun and I can easily work the ground from both sides.  We used one of the tomato cages for the peas and green beans; I think this will work out pretty well and I can always add a tall fence around the cage to give the peas more room to spread and hold onto if need be.  I still have another section (past the kale) to dig up and amend the soil with compost, then I will plant more of the same things but a few weeks later. This way I am not harvesting all at once. Sucession planting!

Snow Peas and Green Beans on the cage, Easter Egg Radishes, French Breakfast Radishes and Round Black Spanish Radish.
Snow Pea shoots, in the back area there are onion seedlings.  I used the seed heads and just sprinkled them along  the parimeter of the row.  I will probably need to separate some of them as they get larger.
In this area we have a french Carrot called Parisienne  from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds that is short variety.  I also planted Cilantro, Parsley and Dill somewhere in the space. LOL
Same area, with Gourmet Baby Greens, Mesclum Sassy Salad Mix, and Arugula.
Lacinato Kale
Chioggia Beets, these are the red and white stripe beets and Gourmet Blend Beets, this mix has golden, orange, dark red and stripe beets.  I will do intermitant planting of all of the beets, onion sets and radishes, watching for areas that I missed and seeds that did not germinate. 
Last seasons Swiss Chard looking sad, but it will now do much better with the cooler nights. Also a section of onion sets in the foreground.  I planted many of these a month or so ago and then more on this day.
Bright Lights Swiss Chard and More of the Red Chard.

Mesclun and Salad Bowl Blend
Pencil Pod Yellow Beans, a bush variety.


A Girl’s Garden
Robert Frost (from Mountain Interval, 1920)

A neighbor of mine in the village
    Likes to tell how one spring
When she was a girl on the farm, she did
    A childlike thing.

One day she asked her father
    To give her a garden plot
To plant and tend and reap herself,
    And he said, “Why not?”

In casting about for a corner
    He thought of an idle bit
Of walled-off ground where a shop had stood,
    And he said, “Just it.”

And he said, “That ought to make you
    An ideal one-girl farm,
And give you a chance to put some strength
    On your slim-jim arm.”

It was not enough of a garden,
    Her father said, to plough;
So she had to work it all by hand,
    But she don’t mind now.

She wheeled the dung in the wheelbarrow
    Along a stretch of road;
But she always ran away and left
    Her not-nice load.

And hid from anyone passing.
    And then she begged the seed.
She says she thinks she planted one
    Of all things but weed.

A hill each of potatoes,
    Radishes, lettuce, peas,
Tomatoes, beets, beans, pumpkins, corn,
    And even fruit trees

 And yes, she has long mistrusted
    That a cider apple tree
In bearing there to-day is hers,
    Or at least may be.

Her crop was a miscellany
    When all was said and done,
A little bit of everything,
    A great deal of none.

Now when she sees in the village
    How village things go,
Just when it seems to come in right,
    She says, “I know!

It’s as when I was a farmer——”
    Oh, never by way of advice!
And she never sins by telling the tale
    To the same person twice.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Tomatoes for 2012 and a Full Pink Moon

 We have a full Pink Moon rising tonight.

I planted 5 more tomatoes yesterday for a total of 18.  I still have a few more to plant but need to find space for them. I would like to put in one more San Marzano, Ponderosa and Big White Pink Stripe. I have two San Marzano's in now, but only one of each of the others.
 If you click on the spreadsheet it will enlarge.

I should have made a column for the vendor but will list them here for now.  I purchased seeds from Botanical Interests, Baker Creek Heirloom   and  Seeds of Change.  I also had some seeds I saved from my tomatoes I have grown over the last six years.  

I really enjoy saving my own seeds, but I also love to add new varieties each year, now if I had just won that big lottery last week I could have bought more land to plant more tomatoes!  Oh well, one must not get greedy and we are very fortunate to have the space we do to plant. 

Just in case you can't read the small print on my spreadsheet here is a list of the tomatoes we are growing this year:

Anna Russian Pink
Big White Pink Striped
Black Krim
Cherokee Purple
Crimson Carmello
Flame’ Orange
German Queen Pink
Gold Medal Yellow
Green Zebra
Mortgage Lifter
Paul Robeson Black
Persimmon Orange
Ponderosa Pink
Purple Russian Purple
San Marzano (2)
Southern Night Black (2)

Still to plant
Chocolate Stripe
Dr. Wyche’s 
and maybe....more.

I purchased some seed potatoes from Ronniger Potato Farm.  I tried just three varieties; Purple Peruvian Fingerling, Sangre, and La Ratte. Most have sprouted eyes and I am hoping to get those planted this weekend. I already have a Rose Pink French Fingerling and a Yukon Gold planted in a small bed and some under one of the orange trees again. I have no idea why they grow so well under the tree but they do.  

Also planted seed for Cocozelle, an Italian zucchini and an early Crookneck Yellow Squash yesterday.  Still lots more seed packages in my basket to get in. Looks like our Easter will be playing in the dirt and not much time at the table.


 

Monday, January 16, 2012

The Seeds Are Here!

Botanical Interests
I received my two seed orders on Friday. I had just placed the order on Monday and I was surprised to see both orders in my mailbox.  If you click on my photos it will be enlarged and you will be able to read the names on the seed packages.

I know I don't have to tell all you gardeners out there how excited I get when my orders arrive, but just in case you are not a gardener and are reading my blog think of it like a long awaited Christmas gift or maybe a shopping spree at your favorite shoe or clothing store. That is how excited I get!

I read each package and then stare at the picture (if there is one) dreaming about the plant growing in my flower or vegetable garden.  I make notes on when I will plant it and where it will go. These are the first steps I take each year when planning my gardens. I envision the flower blooming in my "minds eye garden" and what plants will be planted around it.
  
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (the Black Radish in the back is actually from Botanical Interests)
Tomorrow I will begin potting up the seeds. Some of these will be direct sowed in the garden when the planting time is right,  but all the tomato seeds will be started indoors and I will also pot up the Mexican Sunflower seeds.  We generally do not get freezing temperatures in our area and if we do it will only be a day or two so I will probably be planting many of the flower seeds and of course the radish seeds directly in the ground this week. If you check back on my past posts you will see that we are harvesting radishes, and a few other greens now.  I also will be making up my annual spreadsheet of the tomatoes I will plant and post it here when I get them planted out in the garden; that should be in mid March.

A nice rain has been falling all day today. I here my plants singing out....

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Seed Catalog Order!!

I just love this time of year when all the seed catalogs arrive.  I spent last weekend visiting nurseries and browsing my seed catalogs.  I placed two orders, one from Botanical Interests and one from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. 

I ordered Southern Night, Chocolate Stripes, Gold Medal, Big White Pink Stripes, Henderson's Pink Ponderosa and Hillbilly tomatoes from Baker Creek, also a State Fair Mix Zinnia, Parisienne round Carrot and Orangeglo Watermelon.

From Botanical Interests I ordered, Organic Dill Heirloom seed, Round Black Spanish Heirloom Radish, French Breakfast Organic Heirloom Radish.  For tomatoes I ordered Black Krim Organic Heirloom, Cherokee Purple Organic Heirloom, and Green Zebra Organic.  I also ordered a Charentais Heirloom Melon, and Love in a Mist, Verbascum, Mexican Torch Sunflower flower seeds.
 I am still pondering on what to order or whether to order from Seeds from Italy. They are a bit more expensive. We'll see...
Carnival Bell Peppers, New Mexico Pepper, and Sweet Pepper Pimento and Tarragon cutting
 I spent yesterday potting up some seeds that I had and also some that I saved from last year. The Tarragon is from my plants.  I took a few cutting just in case I have problems in the next few months. I picked a bunch yesterday and have plans to make Tarragon Pesto today.
Back row: Jalapeno, yellow Crookneck Squash, Dr. Wyche's yellow tomato, San Marzano Tomato. Middle row: Patty Pan Squash, Cocozelle Squash, Cherokee Purple tomato, German Queen Tomato (rare).  Front row: Scallop White Bush squash, Rainbow Blend Cherry Tomato, Cherokee Purple Tomato, and Green Zebra Tomato.
I planted about 5 dozen spring onion sets and have all these that I will plant to replace those I pull.
Now we wait.....patiently.....

"Little January
Tapped at my door today.
And said, "Put on your winter wraps,
And come outdoors to play."
Little January
Is always full of fun;
Until the set of sun.
Little January
Will stay a month with me
And we will have such jolly times -
Just come along and see."

-  Winifred C. Marshall, January