More Seeds

I've been remiss on thanking people for their seeds. I did one post earlier on what came in but more have been coming in over the last couple of weeks. I have a little container I've been collecting them in so they don't get lost before I sorted them out. Today was the day to do that. They are now all labeled with who they were from. Here is what I've received in this second wave.

Jane from A Kitchen Garden in Kehei Maui sent me some French Breakfast Radishes and some New Zealand Spinach. My mom used to grow New Zealand Spinach when I was young. I don't remember much about it. I know I didn't like it as much as the real thing (spinach and Brussels sprouts were my favorite vegetables when I was young), but I don't remember disliking it either. I'm going to try it again and see if I like it, though it will be hard to beat chard as a summer green.

Jody from the Paw Paw Patch sent me two types of lettuce: Dazzle Romaine and Bath Cos. Also she described one of her beloved vegetables, German beer radishes. I just had to try them. I've never had a radish with butter and salt, but it seems like a excuse to drink beer so I'll try it. The seeds she sent were saved from her garden.

Stefaneener from the Sicilian Sisters Grow sent me her favorite lettuce, Tom Thumb. I've never grown a small headed lettuce before. This year I will.

Annie's Granny from Annie's Kitchen Garden got thanked last time around, but then she decided to send me more. Now I have Purple Haze carrots to try. Most of my carrots will be SugarSnax or Mokum, but I really love the look of the colored ones so I'm trying again on another variety.

Miss M from The Informal Gardner sent two kinds of leeks for me to try, Hannibal and Malabar. I've also bought a third, so I'll have a nice little leek trial going on. Last year my leeks were pretty mediocre. I'm hoping for a better show this year.

Emily from Greens and Jeans sent me Freckles Romaine. I was going to order this from Fedco under the name of Forellenschluss. I think Freckles is a prettier name. Or at least easier to pronounce. It is a very old heirloom (1793) so had gotten more than one name over the years. Another name is Trout Back. Again I think I'll stick to Freckles.

Michelle from From Seed To Table sent me Senposai seed. She noticed it on my Fedco order and said she had plenty to share with me. She says it is very prolific. I hope so. I wonder if it will out grow Komatsuna.

My biggest surprise was from Mac at High Desert Garden. I was sent a massive quantity of mostly Asian greens, including some that I had almost bought but decided I'd wait another year for them. There were many different seeds some of which I won't grow (cauliflower is not a favorite of mine and watermelon is hard to grow here because of the short cool summers). Others I will most likely grow: Tokyo Market Turnip, Napa Cabbage (no variety given), Michihili Chinese Cabbage, Chinese Kale, Choy Sum, Shanghai Bok Choy, white stem bok choy (no variety given), Roselle, Anuenue Lettuce, Manoa Lettuce, Korean Lettuce, Hawaiian Chili, Sweet Cherry Pepper. Roselle really intrigues me. I'll have to research it and see if it will grow here. Hibiscus are not usually northern plants. I hadn't a clue that there was a variety that was edible.

So a big thanks to everyone that sent seed. I've already placed my Fedco order and it ought to show up soon. When it does I'll have to make my seed chart and figure out exactly what and when it all needs to be started. I'm really starting to get excited about spring, but I've got two more months to wait until the ground is unfrozen.