Seeds

Winter flu can take the fun out of seed catalog browsing. The catalogs sat on the bed, next to the Kleenex, but I just couldn’t bring my fuzzy stuffed brain to process all those lovely descriptions and photographs.

Fortunately, as gardeners have learned, all things run their course. My pile of seed catalogs has been devoured and thoroughly cross referenced, a parsimonious process starting with a compilation of a wish list of special seeds followed by checking their availability in the Pinetree catalog, a source of smaller and less expensive seed packets.

Not that I don’t order some from other companies. My seed orders this year include Pinetree, Cook’s, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Tomatofest, Territorial Seeds, Parks, Golden Harvest Organic and Milk Ranch Specialty Potatoes . How do I justify the expense of many different shipping costs? It is a circuitous rationalization beginning with a calculation of how much I would spend if, for example, I were a downhill skier and bought a season pass. Cost of said pass is $399. I’d say that the few dollars in shipping is chump change by comparison. In fact, one can creatively pursue this faulty logic to justify all means of exorbitance - “I have saved so much by not buying that ski pass. Now what shall I do with all that money?”

Just kidding.

Still, I view my gardening expenses as relatively modest when compared to many other hobbies/obsessions.

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Each year I love to try some new (to me) heirloom tomatoes plus a few new plants. I’ll save the rather lengthy tomato list for another day, but here are some other interesting finds for this year:

'Purple Ribbon' lavender from Pinetree, a Lavandula stoechas subsp. pedunculata that blooms the first year from seed.

Asparagus fern, a mix of Asparagus densiflorus 'Meyersii' and A.densiflorus 'Sprengeri', also from Pinetree.

Whopper Lighthouse, a Salvia splendens from Parks, described as reaching 30”

Giant Exhibition Coleus collection, also from Parks. I have grown Palisandra and Limelight from this series and was happy to discover this collection. It also includes Tartan, Copper Queen and Scarlet II.

Diva cucumber, a Beit Alpha cuke with mid eastern heritage and parthenocarpic to boot.

Several mâche varieties from Cook’s. After reading a fascinating article in the Food Issue of the New Yorker last fall I am compelled to at least try to grow this gourmet green myself.