2010 Seeds

Several weeks ago I received perhaps the most beautiful, mouth-watering, enticing catalog I've laid eyes on - Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds really outdid themselves on this one:


This piece of art is a good 12" x 12" large and full of color photographs, personalized descriptions of each variety, and lots of other helpful and interesting goodies for the individual who appreciates the tradition of heirloom gardening.

Based upon the success of last year's heirloom garden, I'm definitely going to be planting mostly heirlooms again this year. So this morning, in an attempt to take my mind off of the 3-4 inches of snow outside, I decided to sit down and start making a list of seeds that I want to order for this year.


What started out as a list turned into an actual order...yes, I know, it's still only January, but I wanted to make sure that none of my seeds sold out. Placing an order a month or two early isn't going to hurt anyone, now is it?

Here's the list of what I ordered:

• Tomatoes: "Mule Team", "Aunt Ruby's German Green", "Carbon", "Riesentraube", and "Sungold Select II"
  
• Beet "Golden Beet"
• Cucumber "Delikatesse"
• Eggplant "Black Beauty"
• Salad Mix "European Mesclun Salad"
• Hot Pepper "Purple Jalapeno"
• Sweet Pepper "Jimmy Nardello Italian Pepper"
• Radish "Saxa 2"
• Winter Squash "Butternut-Waltham"
• Herbs: "Genovese Basil" and "Lemon Bee Balm"
• Flowers: "Nasturtium Empress of India" and "Poppy Mother of Pearl"
  

I plan to supplement this list with quite a few of my more successful seeds from last year.

Now that I have my seeds ordered, I need to start getting serious about what type of planting set-up I'm going to go with this year. Last year I stuck with my collection of pots clustered in the yard. This year, due to deer, squirrels, and birds, I'm thinking of ordering a couple raised beds from Gardener's Supply Company. They also offer coverings for these raised beds, which would hopefully help me keep said animals from stealing my produce.

I'll have to take a tape measure to the yard once it's warmer, but I believe that their 3' x 3' raised bed would fit nicely where my pots sat last year. I might even be able to fit two of them side-by-side, giving me even more growing room. They also offer a 1.5' x 3' bed, which would be nice for herbs right outside of our kitchen side door.

When we originally bought this house, I had visions of tilling up the back yard for a nice, big garden. Tree roots and lack of adequate sunlight have forced me to become more innovative in my planning. I haven't completely made up my mind yet about the raised beds, but it seems like the best bet. I can't keep planting in these pots year after year. I'm also willing to bet my plants will yield more when their roots aren't confined so tightly.

It will give me something to think about during these gray winter months.