Seed Ordering

I got home last night to what was left of a beautiful day. I sat outside in my t-shirt and watched a fantastic sunset. I heard the first spring peepers of the season and saw my first bat. Now it will surely get cold and wintery again, but I got the message loud and clear - order your seeds.

I get most of my seeds from Baker Creek. They offer organic heirloom varieties and are close by (about an hour), so they are in the same growing zone. I've been to several of their festivals and you should too, you'll learn a lot. Another source, and where I get my garlic, is Seed Savers. Potatoes and onion starts and anything I forget I get from the local MFA.

Seed ordering is a ritual of joy, followed closely by denial and negotiation. The first step is the funnest and shortest. Sit down with your catalogs and pick out every single vegetable on every single page of every single catalog because this one is - stunning and unique, very sweet and fruity; good yields. And that one is - a rare heirloom grown for centuries in northern Japan. This one is - one of the best tasting; superb flavor, rich and meaty. And that one - has been a favorite in the old country for many years before immigrating to this country sewn into the hem of some ancestor's coat, but then lost to antiquity until - recently rediscovered!

Next comes the realization that I have neither the time, nor the space, nor the energy to grow and tend to that many vegetables. And I could never eat them all if i did.

Which leads to denial and negotiation.

• I'll grow this one early in the spring, and that one in the fall
  
• It says space 18 inches apart, but I could get away with 12 if I give it some extra lovin'
• 20 tomato varieties is not too many if I just grow 1 or 2 of each
• I'll save space if I grow all my winter squash on trellis

Right, a twenty foot pumpkin vine growing straight up in the air.

The hardest part of this process is next - realistically determining what I can grow. I'm not very good at this part. The list in the photo above is the back of the order form. 45 varieties in all. Plus the seeds I have left over from last year, plus the potatoes I'll get from MFA, plus my three year old asparagus bed, plus blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and grapes.

Probably more than I can grow, so if you need some seeds, let me know. Because the best part about growing a garden is passing on what you've got, even if what you've got are unrealistic expectations.