Saturday, February 4, 2023

Seed order

Oh, how I love a seed catalog in the depths of winter! This year I got two paper catalogs in the mail to pore over and plan my 2023 garden with: Seed Savers Exchange Heirloom Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Today I finalized my plans and placed orders with both companies. It's hard to believe, but in a couple of weeks it will be time to start tomato and pepper seeds. I want them to reach a good size for planting out around mid-April. Things that can be started earlier will be sown directly in the soil (like lettuce, spinach, and radishes) and cucumbers can be started later in the spring. This year I'm planning to start cucumber seeds twice, ripping out the first plants when they're done producing and then replacing them with new seedlings. I want a large crop of cucumbers so I can try my hand at making pickles--I love pickles, both dill and sweet. And of course I'm dreaming of salsas and sauces with my peppers and tomatoes!

Here are the tomatoes I've decided on for this year:

Nebraska Wedding



Eva Purple Ball



Rosso Sicilian



Berkeley Tie Dye


Hillbilly Potato Leaf



Ingleheart Yellow Cherry



Mexico Midget Cherry



As for peppers, I ordered three kinds:

Zapotec Jalapeno


Datil Hot Pepper


Sheepnose Pimento



I also reordered the wonderful "Marvel of the Four Seasons" lettuce that I enjoyed so much last year, and for cucumbers I decided to get the "Boston Pickling" variety which have always grown well for me. 

Here's hoping for a great 2023 growing season!

28 comments:

  1. You had such lovely produce last year. I bet it will be even better this year.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such exotic choices!! It is exciting to anticipate the growing season. Alas, tomatoes absolutely don’t get put in the ground outside until after the 24th of May where I am. - Jenn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a late last frost date! I'd hate to wait that long for spring to arrive!

      Delete
  3. I love the names of those tomato varieties!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't they fun?! Hopefully they'll be tasty, too.

      Delete
  4. I bought a packet of Cavolo Nero seeds yesterday. I shall sow them next week, then plant them out in front of the house on a narrow strip of empty land, and hope that when we return from France in September we shall have a nice crop. It remains to be seen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had to google Cavolo Nero...so, kale? I'm not much of a kale eater even though I like other greens. I wish you luck with your crop!

      Delete
  5. You are so ambitious with your veg growing. I think if we lived in a hotter climate we'd do tomatoes, but we haven't had much luck with them here -- it just doesn't get hot enough. (That's Dave's theory, anyway.) I'm pretty much skipping seeds this year, I think, though we have some plants that seem to have re-seeded themselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite thing to grow. Of course, it gets SO hot here that if they're not planted out early the excess heat will curtail fruit production. I guess there are challenges no matter where a gardener lives.

      Delete
  6. I love the idea of you sitting down in your cosy house in winter with the seed catalogues and planning your garden! Your choices look fantastic, and I hope you will keep us posted.
    This year, my sister will do more in her allotment, now that she is not friend R‘s main carer anymore. The work will be bittersweet, but also therapeutic for her, and I shall help when I can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nothing could be better for grief than working outside in a garden. Thank you for your kind words!

      Delete
  7. Looking forward to seeing the still lifes you create.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know me pretty well! I love creating still lifes with beautiful veggies, herbs, and flowers!

      Delete
  8. Your garden looked fabulous last year so I am sure you will do a great job this year. Hope Mother Nature cooperates with you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. We grew the Berkeley tie-dyes one year and they were delicious! I think you have made excellent choices.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a gorgeous selection. I sort of wish I had greener fingers as they say ,and yet I know I don't have the time or inclination. For now I'll keep then stuck to the keyboard rather than the compost... But happy growing - and eating too I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Seed savers! My favorite! I remember growing Nebraska wedding too! good tomatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You grew such lovely produce last year. Even better luck this year!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Seed catalogs are such delights to dream on and then order from. The tomatoes you chose are gorgeous and such great names, Nebraska Wedding, etc. I always plant tomatoes and rainbow chard and zucchini.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think I'm going to plant eggplant and squash in my big pots...we have a limit to how many pots we can have on our porch..

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a wonderful selection you've chosen! I hope they all do very well, and look forward to photos.
    Every year I think I'll grow a few salad plants - lettuce, tomatoes, radishes etc., but that's as far as it goes - just thinking about it. There is nowhere to grow anything without a major re-hash of much of the garden. It's made over from the time we had three dogs and my husband hated mowing lawns or any gardening! Now I look out over tiles and gravel - but easy to maintain as the years advance.

    ReplyDelete
  16. When I read posts like yous I miss my allotment x

    ReplyDelete
  17. My mouth waters for summer Jennifer, especially those tiny tomatoes. Good luck with them all.

    ReplyDelete
  18. A lovely selection of tomatoes and peppers and I wish you all the best with them during the growing season. Your part of South Carolina seems to have an excellent climate for vegetable and fruit growing.

    ReplyDelete
  19. No better way to spend a winter's afternoon than to peruse a seed catalogue. I have my tomato seeds already and like you I start them off this month. I don't have a green house here in this bungalow but I have 2 south facing windows so perfect for seeds.

    ReplyDelete