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!
You had such lovely produce last year. I bet it will be even better this year.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thank you Janie! Wish me luck!
DeleteSuch 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
ReplyDeleteThat's a late last frost date! I'd hate to wait that long for spring to arrive!
DeleteI love the names of those tomato varieties!
ReplyDeleteAren't they fun?! Hopefully they'll be tasty, too.
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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!
DeleteYou 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.
ReplyDeleteHeirloom 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.
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteThis 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.
Nothing could be better for grief than working outside in a garden. Thank you for your kind words!
DeleteLooking forward to seeing the still lifes you create.
ReplyDeleteYou know me pretty well! I love creating still lifes with beautiful veggies, herbs, and flowers!
DeleteI'll do tomatoes again.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't be without tomatoes!
DeleteYour garden looked fabulous last year so I am sure you will do a great job this year. Hope Mother Nature cooperates with you!
ReplyDeleteWe grew the Berkeley tie-dyes one year and they were delicious! I think you have made excellent choices.
ReplyDeleteWhat 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.
ReplyDeleteSeed savers! My favorite! I remember growing Nebraska wedding too! good tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteYou grew such lovely produce last year. Even better luck this year!
ReplyDeleteSeed 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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..
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful selection you've chosen! I hope they all do very well, and look forward to photos.
ReplyDeleteEvery 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.
When I read posts like yous I miss my allotment x
ReplyDeleteMy mouth waters for summer Jennifer, especially those tiny tomatoes. Good luck with them all.
ReplyDeleteA 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.
ReplyDeleteNo 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