Baker Creek Order

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed is another company that I have ordered from on and off over the years.  Last year I placed a small order and was very pleased with the service and results.  While they do charge shipping, they have a flat rate of $3.95 for seed orders.

Thursday night I placed another one of my "fun" orders with them. They have a huge selection of heirloom and very hard to find varieties.  The seeds are not cheap, but reasonable compared to most of the competition.  They do have fairly high seed counts.

Red Express Cabbage CB114 300 seed $2.25- a very early small red 

Grumolo Biondo "Golden" Chicory RC109 250 seed $1.50- does not head like radicchio 

Grumolo Rossa di Verona Chicory RC110 250 seed $1.50- does not head like radicchio  

Gentilina Lettuce LT130 150 seed $2.00- a favorite from last year 

UConn Winter Squash SQ273 30 seed $2.50- a very rare bush acorn 

Legion Of Honor Marigold FL908 150 seed $2.25- quite popular in the 1930's 

Spun Gold Marigold FL469 100 seed $2.50- a favorite from last year  

Balcony Mix Petunia FL562 800 seed $2.50- they have a great strain 

Fire Chief Petunia FL563 200 seed $2.50- a personal favorite 

Stellaris Red and White Star Petunia FL907 400 seed $2.25- been looking for a new supplier 

Bon Bon Zinnia FL827 100 seed $2.50- last year, my most photographed zinnia 

Button Box Zinnia FL837 100 seed $2.50- been looking for a good strain 

Burpee Rose Zinnia FL812 100 seed $2.00- I love giant cactus zinnias!

Pink Senorita Zinnia FL831 100 seed $2.50- my favorite cactus zinnia!

Bellvue Mixed Abutilon FL904 25 seed $2.25- it just jumped into the cart!

As you can see I did not break the bank on this order, even though I could have!!!

It's Time for Mountain Maniacs!

My new theme song for 2013...

It's time for Mountain Maniacs,

and we're lazy to the max.

Just sit back and relax,

watch Ed's bean poles collapse,

We're mountain Maniacs!

Come meet the Mountain brothers and the Mountain cousin Spot,

just for fun they around Ed's freshly planted plot.

He locks them in the bower whenever they get caught,

but they get loose, and then vamoose, right through Ed's newly seeded plot.

We are Mountain Maniacs!

We use fertilizer by the sack,

we never can relax,

Ed pays lot's of income tax.

We're Mountain Maniacs!

Come meet Ed's morning glories who want to rule the universe.

When plans come together Mother Nature zaps them with a curse.

Every day is windy, the seasons are in reverse.

We have chapped lips, Ed's disc is slipped, and now he needs a nurse.

We are Mountain Maniacs!

We have chronic, strained sore backs.

We're lazy to the max,

there's manure in our slacks.

We're Mountain Manie,

cockamamie,

not urbanie...

Mountain Maniacs...

those are the facts!

Pinetree Garden Seeds Order

I have been ordering on and off over the years since they first opened.  Pinetree's niche has always been smaller, less expensive seed packets for the home gardener.  At one point they were my main seed source.  In recent years I have ordered from them, but not consistently.  Their seed quality has not changed.  Their process are still very low.  their variety selection has increased.

The reason is shipping charges!  When they eliminated their flat rate shipping for seeds my orders and loyalty were seriously impacted.

their current shipping rates are:

up to $9.99: $2.95

$10.00- $19.99: $3.95

$20.00- $39.99: $6.95

Sorry, I just think a three dollar jump is absurd.  It would cost that much more to ship another package of seed?

The years I do place an order it is below $19.99.

This year they do have a $2.00 coupon for online orders, BUT their shipping fees go by the subtotal before the coupon!!!

That being said, I did place an order last night.  It was one of my "fun" orders. Things that I don't need, but would be fun to grow!

283 PURPLE CAYENNE PEPPER 1 $1.35- a fun color for a cayenne pepper 

35 RUBY QUEEN BEET 1 $0.95- a leading variety 

502 MAGICAL MICHAEL BASIL 1 $0.95- supposed to be very ornamental 

51102 RED LETTUCE LEAF BASIL 1 $1.15- an interesting new twist 

65001 FRUITY MIX MARIGOLD 1 $1.25- a 24" citrus colored mix with white 

67707 STARBURST BLAZE SUNFLOWER 1 $1.35- a double red! 

708 PRETTY BONNETS AQUILEGIA 1 $1.60- double picotee blooms 

83601 BURGUNDY FRILLYTUNIA PETUNIA 1 $1.35- very frilled 

85701 MULTIBLOOM SALMON GERANIUM 1 $1.95- an amazing price 

85702 MULTIBLOOM WHITE GERANIUM 1 $1.95- an amazing price 

98 SEA FOAM SWISS CHARD 1 $1.35- more refined taste than older varieties 

W240 PAONAZZA D EGITTO BEET 1 $1.35- a flat, purple Italian beet 

W25702 SPIGARIELLO LISCIA GREENS 1 $1.25- Italian green with broccoli flavored leaves 

W468 BUNCHING ONION CRIMSON FOREST 1 $1.35- a deep red scallion 

Total: $19.15    

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they are as fun as imagine them to be...

Fedco Order Placed!!!

Like Daphne, one of my favorite places to order from is Fedco.  They are a New England Co-Op, but their selections have always done well for me in the Mid-Atlantic.  They carry a varied selection of unusual varieties bred by breeders from smaller companies such as Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed.  The selections marked with an * are bred by Frank Morton.  His lettuces are amazing.  I'm hoping that the endive and kale are equally good.     

The second thing I love about Fedco is their prices.  They are very reasonable to down right cheap,  and they do not charge shipping over $30.00.  What's not to love?

214 - Greencrop Bush Green Bean

251 - Concador Yellow Haricots Verts

254 - Velour Haricots Verts

896 - Opal Creek Snap Pea OG

1460 - Tromboncino Summer Squash

2073 - Shin Kuroda 5" Carrot

2136 - Chioggia Beet

2441 - Prisma Shallots

2446 - Red Marble Onion

2477 - Borrettana Cipollini Onion

2485 - Rossa Lunga di Tropea Onion

2490 - Rossa di Milano Onion

2722 - Salad Bowl Lettuce

2767 - Les Oreilles du Diable Lettuce OG (Devils Ears)*

2768 - Lingua di Canarino Lettuce OG (Canary Tongue)

2781 - Merlox Red Oak Lettuce OG*

2805 - Bronze Mignonette Lettuce

2811 - Buttercrunch Lettuce

2836 - Red-Eared Butterheart Lettuce OG*

2984 - Freedom Lettuce Mix OG*

3047 - Italiko Rosso Chicory

3075 - Speckled Friz Chickendive OG*

3158 - Gigante dItalia Parsley

3236 - Red Giant Mustard OG

3444 - Variegated Collards ECO

3466 - Rainbow Lacinato Kale OG*

3999 - Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)

4254 - Sweet Treats Cherry Tomato

4449 - Sweet Dani Lemon Basil

4461 - Purple Ruffles Basil

4536 - Fernleaf Dill

5235 - Sparky Mix French Dwarf Double Marigold

5539 - Selma Suns Mix Sunflower OG

5748 - Jazzy Mix Zinnia

6437 - Genovese Lemons Basil

6441 - Tigers Eye Sunflower OG

Subtotal: = $58.40

The haricot verts I'll be sharing with Granny.  It is a large order, but I needed to replenish my supply on some favorites. 

Now I just need to narrow down my Geo Seed order...



First Seed Order of the Season

The first seed order of the season was placed with Victory Seed Co..  They are a smaller company that deals primarily in Heirloom vegetable seed.

I was finally able to get my hands on 'Potomoc' pole bean.  Not the black seeded variety I've been growing for years, but the white seeded variety.  This pole bean was introduced in 1942 and won an All America Selections bronze medal the same year.  It was a popular variety in the Victory Gardens of that time period.  It disappeared sometime in the 1980's.  They have a great article on how they rediscovered it.

Another great find was three tomatoes from the "Dwarf Tomato Project".  These are all from three to four feet tall with thick rugose foliage.  I bought 'Dwarf Mr. Snow' which is a light ivory, weighing six to ten ounces. 'Rosella Purple' which is deep purple-pink and weighing six to twelve ounces.  The third is 'Tasmanian Chocolate' deep mahogany and weighing from five to twelve ounces.  These will go very well with 'Coastal Pride Orange' and 'New Big Dwarf'.

The complete order:

Bean, Pole Potomac 52 seed $2.65 3030941

Corn Orchard Baby 80 seed $3.75 3140191

Lettuce Ruby 500 seed $1.85 3240251

Pea Freezonian 1oz $1.95 3300131

Radish Comet 240 seed $1.55 3330141

Tomato Burpee's Globe 20 seed $1.95 3400881

Tomato, Dwarf Rosella Purple 10 seed $2.25 3402491

Tomato, Dwarf Dwarf Mr. Snow 10 seed $2.25 3402381

Tomato, Dwarf New Big Dwarf 20 seed $2.25 3401531

Tomato, Dwarf Tasmanian Chocolate 10 seed $2.25 3402481

The sweet corn is a dwarf variety that is only three feet tall.  I'm leaning towards trying it in some big tubs rather than taking up ground space.

Now if I can only narrow down my Fedco order...

Now I Can Start My Christmas List!

My Fedco catalog arrived today along with Baker Creed Seed.

Of course I had to stop what I was doing and have a quick look. 

Fedco now carries Granny's favorite 'Velour' beans as well as a lot of other interesting new things.

I already now I'm going to up very late tonight.

2012 Garden in Review- Beans

This passed year was a very good year for beans, both pole and bush.

Pole Bean:

Cherokee Trail of Tears- Seed from Granny.  Three plants were grown.  They were planted rather late, at the end of June.  One plant was decapitate early on and started to pod later.  From two plants I was able to harvest 9ozs of dried beans.  From one plant I harvested 7ozs of shell beans.  I consider this a great harvest due to the late planting and the small number of plants grown.  I will be planting again in 2013.

Lazy Wife Greasy- Seed from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.  From 6 plants I Was able to get an enormous harvest of green beans.  the vines are rampant and the pods are small.  The sheer number of them compensates for the small size.  The one caveat is that you have to pick them daily.  skip a day and they from green bean to shell bean.  The fuzz less pod does take some getting used to appearance wise.  I will be planting again in 2013.

Blue Coco- Home saved seed.  Rampant vines that exploded with pods once the temps cooled down.  The pods are a rich purple and average about 7",  A nice texture and good flavor complete the picture.  I will be planting again in 2013.

Cornetto Largo Verde- Home saved seed.  A very hard to find Romano type.  Like Blue Coco, the vines exploded with pods when the temps cooled down.  The pods can grow to 10" and still remain tender.  This is my earliest pole bean, almost rivalling the bush beans.  I will be planting again in 2013.

"Blush Potomac" F2- A natural cross of Potomac and Trionfo Violetto.  It was fascinating to see how the genes shuffled for this generation.  Last year pods were green blushed purple.  This year they sorted out to green, purple, green with purple strops and green blushed purple. Rampant vines and good productivity.  I'll probably be ending this experiment here.  They are just not different enough from their parents.

Cranberry- Seed from Granny.  I only grew one plant.  It was in to much shade and only produced a few pods.  It is worth it to grow for the beauty of the seed alone, buff mottled with cranberry.  in 2013 they will be getting a better location and I will plant a decent number of seed.

Bush Bean:

Greencrop, Cherokee and Velour- All produced well and were of good quality. If I grow bush beans next year, I will plant all of these varieties. While they are earlier, pole beans are much more prolific and are much more versatile.