– My own private Christmas morning. –
Life seems to go completely dormant as dirt, silent as snow, pointless as pajamas, until my little packages of sunshine arrive. Seeds are happiness in a packet. They are hope by the handful. A box full of seeds means anything is possible. Soon the world will be more delicious.
– Is it spring…yet? –
I start dreaming of next year’s seeds each year around October or November. It is then that I make rational decisions. I will not plant stuff that I do not eat. I will not plant stuff that only grows in the tropics. I will space my seeds properly, even lavishly, so that everything is manageable as it grows. I will not get suckered into descriptions or reviews. I will only grow what Eliot Coleman grows. I will be wise. I will plan appropriately. I will exercise restraint.
– Sikkim Cucumbers. What the hell was I thinking? –
– Who wants another bowl of Jing Okra? –
But then December rolls around and I forget all the promises of my youth. I read an article in Mother Earth News and decide that I can’t live without Supai Red Parch Corn. Maybe I should buy a pack for a friend? Maybe we could have a little seed party? Then the glut of gorgeous seed catalogs begins rolling in with all their pretty pictures and provocative descriptions. (I hate you Baker Creek Heirlooms! You and your seductive catalogs.)
I hibernate with my reading glasses, two fingers of bourbon in a glass, and a mug full of highlighter pens. I have no restraint. Why hold back now? The kids can fix their own dinner – Can’t they see I’m WORKING! Maybe I could dig another bed?
I buy more seeds than I can plant…more than everyone I know can plant.
– Fruit dangling from archways and beans climbing teepees? A girl can dream. –
– I will not grow okra. I will not grow okra. Well, maybe a little okra. –
– Is a garden truly complete without Mexican Sour Gherkins? –
– Such a versatile…vegetable? Fruit? Whatever it is. –
– Is this even edible? –
And so, I go for it. Credit cards are a’ blazing. I am impulsive. I am delirious. I am a sucker for all of it. All the descriptors. All the pretty illustrations and photographs. The sex appeal of seeds. My hope for the future knows no bounds.
On this year’s list:
Chinese Green Luobo Radish
Tokyo Market Turnip
Hinoma Kabu Turnip
Pusa Asita Carrot
Nelson Carrots
Lutz Salad Beet
Cylindra Beet
Chiogga Beet
D’Avignon Radishes
McCaslan 42
Blue Lake
Roma
Asian Winged Beans
Monachelle Di Trevio
Jacob’s Cattle
Good Mother Stallard
Haricot Tarbais
Lincoln Peas
Sugar Snap Snap Peas
Petite Snap-Greens
Broad Windsor Fava
Catamint
Emily Basil
Wild Zaatar Oregano
Chervil
Holy Kaprao Basil
Slo-Bolt Cilantro
Parsley (Giant of Italy)
Lovage
Chamomile
Dwarf Nasturtium
Violet Bowles Black Pansy
Canton Bok Choy
Famosa Cabbage
Beira Kale
Diablo Brussels Sprout
Atlantic Broccoli
Freckles Lettuce
Surrey Greens
Green Towers
Sparx
Merlot
Little Gem
Buttercrunch
Red Romaine
Red Veined Sorrel
Celtuce
Mixed Radicchio
Mixed Escarole
Chicory Bianco
Rhodos Frisse
Purplette Onion
West Indian Burr Gherkin
Parisian Pickling
Northern Pickling
Patisson Strie MeLange
Costata Romanesco
Early Crookneck
Zucchino Rampicante
Winter Luxury Pie
Bush Buttercup
Marino di Chioggia
Sibley Squash
Hawaiian Dance Mask
Big Apple Gourd
Bule Gourd
Eagle Pass Okra
Supai Red Parch Corn
Pink Okra
Aunt Molly Ground Cherry
Agretti
– See you in a few months! –
Take your boots off before you come in here!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I totally LOVE this blog and its Author…I’m super excited to see you back in the Muddy Kitchen Jennifer…
MK brightens our gloomy days and reminds us all of the playful and joyful bounty of the earth…inspiration and hope…that’s what Muddy Kitchen cooks up with every episode!
Thank you, sweetheart. My kitchen ain’t muddy without you. <3 <3 <3
Welcome back! I’ve missed you.
Thanks, Angie! What do you think? Should I keep at this blog thing? I go back and forth.
xx
Opening the mailbox and finding the Baker Creek catalog sets my heart all aflutter. Time seems to stand still as I spend hours flipping through the pages, getting lost in the names like Hero of Lockinge, Navajo Winter, Pink Elephant and Blue Podded Blauwschokkers! Am I blushing? I think I’m blushing…
What are you growing in your dell this year? xx
Did you know that your paternal great-grandfather, Nathan Soodik, was a produce distributor in the 1920s to 1930s in Beaver County, Pennsylvania?
Its in the genes.
Aunt Rozi
Had a question about your Mexican sour gerkins….the pictures of them pickled…can they be canned like normal pickles or do you have to put them in the fridge?
Hi, Amy!
Yes indeedy, I can them like normal “canned” pickles. I also fermented them like my Jewish Pickles. Make sure you poke a ton of holes in them. Maybe cut them in half. The skin is pretty stubborn. A word of warning – they are photogenic and cute little buggers most of all. They don’t taste that great. They don’t pickle that well. They don’t stay crunchy or taste like a tiny green tomato (as they did in my imagination). And no one but you will appreciate them in the least. Good luck! Send pics!
Dreaming early about next year, haha, but trying to get my plans in order. I see that you have on your list Monachelle Di Trevio, I have just been reading about them. Wondering if you did plant some and how they did for you. Any thoughts appreciated, thank you, Carol
Hi, Carol
Yes I did plant some of the Monachelle Di Trevio! I am a sucker for a romantic seed story (and their cute little Dalmatian bean markings) and had to try them. I grew them as part of my experimental “Three Sisters” planting and have absolutely no idea how they’re doing. They have twirled their way around my Red Supai corn and the 3 other kinds of beans I have in there. I can report back in a few weeks if I can ever tell what’s what.
I can say after many years of seed-suckership, that the most romantic stories do not always make for the happiest endings. Baker Creek is not as clear as say, Johnny’s, about the growing realities and regional conditions. Asian Winged Beans, for example, seem to grow only in someone’s imagination. Pink Okra grew to about 3″ not 3′. I tend to do “test plantings” or weird stuff before I rely on them as garden staples. This year I did a bunch of bean and squash (summer and winter) tests and will share results if you’re interested.
What are your favorite things to grow? And where do you grow them? I can share some of my culled down favs!!
Happy dreaming!
LOL! I know the temptation! If we didn’t have black walnut trees and a somewhat shady garden I would have no reason for reason or restraint. Pure passion!