LOOKING TOWARD SPRING

I decided that this year's garden would be full of as many heirloom varieties as possible. I feel that heirloom varieties are essential to a sustainable life. Heirlooms are open-pollinated varieties. This means that if the seeds produced from the plant are properly saved, they will produce the same variety year after year. This cannot be done with hybrids, which are a cross between two separate varieties, as the seed produced from those plants will either be sterile, or start to revert back to the parent plants. I think it's important to preserve the plants'diveristy. Heirlooms usually taste better too. Hybrids often have the flavor bred out of them in the name of productivity and disease resistence. I also like the idea that heirlooms have been grown for generations. I like the idea that I am growing the same variety as someone's grandmother did in the old country (or in America during the Civil War!). This year will be an experiment. Frankly, it might be our last year in this house so I'd like to try out these seeds now and determine what works and what doesn't. I've got books coming to my library on growing heirlooms. Because they don't have the same resistence to pests as hybrids, I'm sure there are some additional measures I should take to have a successful heirloom garden. But obviously it can be done.

I suppose it was a bit of an expense for all these seeds at one time. Especially when I consider that I needed no new seed for this year. Then again, I would have purchased some plant starts anyway. This year I'd like to go back to starting all my own plants, including tomatoes. We will also be growing chard and kale for the first time. Not worried about those. Greens and the like always do well here. And when organic was offered in the variety I wanted, I chose it. That's important too. In case you are wondering what I will be tending this year, here is the order that I placed tonight. Exciting and scary at the same time. I completely forgot broccoli and cabbage so I will have to make due with hybrids again this year.

BLUE LAKE POLE BEAN
OLD HOMESTEAD POLE BEAN - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
ROMANO POLE BEAN
SCARLET RUNNER BEAN
CHINESE CABBAGE - PAK CHOI
BOOTHBY`S BLONDE CUCUMBER - CERTIFIED ORGANIC,
LEMON CUCUMBER - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
BASIL, GENOVESE
BASIL, LEMON
BASIL, SWEET
MARJORAM, SWEET
PARSLEY, DARK GREEN ITALIAN
THYME, ENGLISH
BABY OAKLEAF LETTUCE
BUTTERCRUNCH LETTUCE - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
FLAME LETTUCE
KAGRANER SUMMER LETTUCE
SALAD BOWL LETTUCE
TENNIS BALL LETTUCE
BRITISH WONDER PEA - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
THOMAS LAXTON PEA
BULL`S BLOOD BEET - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
CHOGGIA BEET - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
DETROIT DARK RED BEET - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
AMSTERDAM MINICOR CARROT
CHANTENAY ROYAL CARROT
OXHEART CARROT
WINTER RED KALE - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
DWARF BLUE CURLED KALE
BLACK ZUCCHINI
EARLY PROLIFIC STRAIGHTNECK SQUASH
ROUND ZUCCHINI
SWEET POTATO SQUASH
BUTTERNUT SQUASH - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
RAINBOW SWISS CHARD - CERTIFIED ORGANIC
BANANA LEGS TOMATO
BLACK KRIM TOMATO
BLOODY BUTCHER TOMATO
FIRST PICK TOMATO