Life is a Conundrum: December 2008

I'm trying to stay on a scheduled TO DO list today. I have twenty minutes to figure out which seeds I need to order, and get them ordered!! Luckily I already knew which tomatoes and eggplants I wanted to order. [I added the links to the product and the description later in the evening.]

Here's what I'm ordering (from Pinetree Seeds):

Product #: 260-TALL TELEPHONE PEA (68 days)
HEIRLOOM 1891 Another good choice for the space efficient garden because of the long vine length. Climbing 4 to 5 feet up a trellis, they bear big, easy to see and pick pods. Late maturing, they handle heat very well and produce huge peas which are sweet and buttery tasting.
Price: $1.35

Product #: 257-MR BIG PEA
The virtues are giant pod size, ease of shelling, large numbers of peas per pod, exceptionally sweet flavor, outstanding yields, continuous production, ease of harvest, and disease resistance. Mr. Big was the All America Award winner for the year 2000. Vines can grow to 6 feet in length so it needs support. Good for freezing. 150 seeds per packet due to large size.
Price: $1.65

Product #: 33001-GIANT NOBLE SPINACH
HEIRLOOM 1926 Also known as Long Standing Gaudry. According to James Vick seeds 1936 catalog, "Grows about 10 inches high. Large deep green leaves, thick and tender, with rounded tips. A good sort for the home garden."
Price: $0.95

Product #: 62-POINT ONE CABBAGE (hybrid 48 days)
A pointed head cabbage. We were very impressed with the earliness and holding capacity of this unique variety. Point One is bred for resistance to a number of diseases. Plants are a yellowish green and very attractive. A great addition to any garden.
Price: $1.35

Product #: 48-EARLY DIVIDEND BROCCOLI SG (F1 hybrid 43 days)
The first year we trialed this, we were impressed by its quality, taste, and earliness. The second year, spring weather was wetter, but we still got a good crop. Loose heads are a nice blue-green color, averaging 4-5", and after they are cut, plenty of side-shoots continue to grow, some of which are 3-4" heads themselves! Early Dividend's nice mild flavor and succulent texture further distinguish it.
Price: $1.35

Product #: 33-CROSBY EGYPTIAN BEET (45 days)
HEIRLOOM 1880 This heirloom beet originated in Germany and is reputed to be the most widely grown beet in the world. The large, flattened beets are grown primarily above the soil but the skins don't get the toughness of the upper portions of some beets. Beets are very sweet and early without any "earthy" taste.
Price: $1.10

Product #: 42701-BIG RAINBOW TOMATO (80 days)
HEIRLOOM Indeterminate. A beautiful, delicious bi-color beefsteak. The golden shades dominate but the red shade accents the color of both the flesh and skin. Plants are fiercely fruitful with tomatoes coming in between 1 and 2 pounds. Big rainbow is a bit acidic, but if you like that, you'll love big rainbow.
Price: $1.10

Drat!! How did I order the Big Rainbow? I don't normally order beefsteak tomatoes because they take too long.

Product #: 427-ANNA RUSSIAN TOMATO (65 days)
Russian HEIRLOOM Indeterminate. This variety came to the Us with Russian immigrants. Fast growing plants produce quanties of 1 pound, teardrop shaped fruit in clusters of 2 or 3. Flavor is very sweet, non as acid as many heirloom tomatoes and is quite early. Color ranges from dark pink to red.
Price: $1.10

Product #: 41703-BLACK KRIM TOMATO (69 days)
HEIRLOOM Ukraine. Indeterminate. The deep red fruit appear to be a shiney black while the interior is a reddish green. Surprisingly, this very old, very sweet, fairly large tomato is also very early.
Price: $1.30

Product #: 15901-RAVEENA EGGPLANT (F1 Hybrid 70 days)
An uncommon color among eggplants - light green, with a delicious, mild flavor. The long slender fruits hang in clusters on a compact plant, which can be grown in containers with great yields. Harvest as small as 3 inches for extremely tender gourmet fruit or up to 10 inches, which is perfect for 1 serving. This is a thornless plant and very heavy producer that grows well in the North.
Price: $1.15

Product #: 158-LAVENDER TOUCH EGGPLANT (F1 hybrid 66 days)
The flavor is mild and sweet, the fruits could be described as beautiful, and the yield is great. Fruits are cylindrical and best at about 8 inches in length. They are white with a light lavender blush. Coat halves with Italian dressing and throw them on the grill for a nutritious and delicious summer feast.
Price: $1.35

Product #: 154-PINGTUNG LONG EGGPLANT (66 days)
Asian HEIRLOOM An open-pollinated oriental eggplant variety, imported from Taiwan. Fruits are elongated and slender, averaging 10" long and 1 1/2" to 2" across with a lovely, lavender-purple colored skin and white interior flesh. This variety has been bred to be resistant to many diseases, as well as tolerant to wet and hot conditions. A good yielder, with fruit weighing about 1/2 lb. each.
Price: $1.35

Product #: 94-BRIGHT LIGHTS SWISS CHARD (50 days)
A 1998 All-America Award Winner. Bright Lights is almost neon in appearance and was the talk of our trial gardens. The leaves are green, moderately savoyed with veins of vibrant color, red, orange, or yellow running through them. The contrast is outstanding. Use young raw leaves in a salad (30 days) or briefly cook mature leaves (50 days) to maintain their color. If started indoors 5-6 weeks before setting out they can be planted by color for effect in an ornamental edible garden. Developed by Johnnys Selected Seeds.
Price: $1.35

Product #: 408-PRUDENS PURPLE TOMATO (72 days)
HEIRLOOM Indeterminate This heirloom tomato is our favorite. It is exceptionally early for a large tomato. Pruden's Purple is outstanding from every aspect. The average fruit weighs 1 pound, is 4 inches across and 3 inches high. There are distinctive ridges like the ribs of a cantaloupe which gird the fruit longitudinally. The color is more of a distinctive pink than a true purple. While there are occasional misshapen tomatoes, it never cracks, yet the skin is not thick. Flesh is firm and meaty and the flavor is wonderful. Remarkably, Pruden's Purple contain very few seeds.
Price: $1.15

Product #: 395-CLUSTER GRANDE TOMATO (F1 hybrid 63 days)
F1 & 2T Indeterminate. You've probably noticed the cluster tomatoes, sold 5 or 6 on a vine in the supermarkets. Most of these are imports. A prominent US Grower has bred an alternative with an American twist, the fruits, at 5 ounces, are about an ounce bigger than the supermarket types. The clusters ripen uniformly to an intense red color. The flavor is good and yields of this very early variety are high.
Price: $1.35

Product Total: $18.95
Shipping: $3.75
Order Total: $22.70

Until next time!!