The Growing Gardener Cool Tip #1

Easy, Free and Recycled Seed Markers

Three of The Growing Gardener's favorite things. The next time you're throwing out some old mini-blinds, don't. Cut them into 4 inch pieces and use them to identify your plants. Write the name of the plant on the inner side of the curve, along with the starting date, sprouting date, harvesting date, etc. They can travel from your sprouting shed to the garden right inside your peat pots, or better
yet - homemade newspaper pots (I'll show you how to make them later).

One small mini-blind will give you and all your closest friends enough markers for about a lifetime. And if you're really frugal, you can turn the marker over and use the other end for next year's garden.

Why I Garden, Part One of Many

I remember picking a sweet pepper last summer. Big and heavy - much larger than my palm. It had shiny polished skin a dark emerald color with some patchy chocolate brown. I carried it up to the house and it was warm in my hand, warm from the sun.

I got out my favorite old knife, the one with the worn wooden handle, the one that has been sharpened so many times that the blade has taken on a new shape. The pepper was firm and crispy when I cut into it and made the most delightful crunchy sound - a sound to make your mouth water.

But the coolest part, the reason I remember this, is that when I cut the pepper it was juicy. It actually leaked water - about 1/8 cup. I picked up one of the halves and there was this amazing clear pepper juice inside it. It tasted like sweet pepper tea.

Now I've cut up a lot of store bought peppers - you have too I bet. But never one fresh enough, or rich enough, or pure enough to be juicy. That's why I garden.

Growing List

My seed order came in the mail yesterday. A few things were out of stock - get your orders in early. Here's what I'll be planting this year.

Red Seeded Asparagus Bean
McCaslin 42 Pole Bean
Chinese Red Noodle Long Bean
Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean
Envy Soybean
Crosby's Egyptian Beet
Cylindra Beet
Waltham 29 Broccoli
Brunswick Cabbage
Amarillo Yellow Carrot
Muscade Carrot
Parisienne Carrot
Japanese Long Cucumber
Diamond Eggplant
Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Serpente Di Sicilia Edible Gourd
Flamingo Pink Chard
Lolla Bionda Lettuce
Val D' Orges Lettuce
Mereveille Des Quatre Saisons Lettuce
Parris Island Cos Lettuce
Russian Red Kale
Canton Bok Pak Choy
Rouge D'Hiver Lettuce
Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce
Henderson's Black-seeded Lettuce
Dark Green Gailan Chinese Kale
Garden Cress
Arugula
De Louviers Endive
Di Firenze Fennel
Mizuna Oriental Greens
Golden Honeymoon Melon
Charentais European Melon
Yellow of Parma Onion
Giant Musselburgh Leek
Sugar Ann Snap Pea
Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea
Quadrato D' Asti Giallo Sweet Pepper
Tequila Sunrise Sweet Pepper
California Wonder Sweet Pepper
Red Marconi Sweet Pepper
Tam Jalapeno Hot Pepper
Pink Beauty Radish
White Hailstone Radish
Green Bush Vegetable Marrow Summer Squash
Bennings Green Tint Scallop Summer Squash
Yellow Scallop Summer Squash
German Red Strawberry Tomato
Tappy's Heritage Tomato
Bloody Butcher Tomato
Amish Paste Tomato
Cour Di Bue Tomato
Vegetable Spaghetti Winter Squash
Golden Delicious Winter Squash
Ground Cherry

It's going to be a busy year.

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.