Catalog season has begun!

Lindacol, you might try this website by the Master Gardeners: http://www.geocities.com/mastergardener2k/frost.html It helps ascertain your last and first frost dates (if any). Lucky you to be anticipating fresh beans from the garden! Mmmmmm. Nonna

we ordered and recieved some seeds

so excited for spring to come ....its really hard not being out in the garden i will go out if/when we get a break from the rain

happy gardening
rose

I just ordered from Baker Creek. I also like Bountiful Gardens. These are good places if you do Open Pollinated seeds.

Thanks, PinkRoses. The Bountiful Gardens website is great--I've ordered a couple packets of seeds from their "new for 2013" listing. I know, I'm probably beating my head against a wall, but will try their Cajun okra. We'll see. Nonna

My Pinetree catalog just came in. So far for me, off the top of my head:

Pinetree
High Mowing
Johnny's
Baker Creek
SESE (I think)
SSE

And I'm probably going to be placing an order @ Baker Creek (since they're the only one with all of my "must-grows" in their selection) sometime soon. I'll probably have to pare down my wishlist as I've got ~$200-worth circled/highlighted/asterisked ...and I certainly don't have the room for all those varieties.

bwaynef, Do you have another SFGardner nearby? Perhaps you could divvy up the list(s), both get half, then split the packs. And remember, you can store seed for more than one year. There are several recommendations on the best way to store seed right here on this forum! Happy growing to you. Nonna

There are also a few folks who have offered some seeds to swap or send. Look for the Seed Swap subforum.

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Thanks, PinkRoses. The Bountiful Gardens website is great--I've ordered a couple packets of seeds from their "new for 2013" listing. I know, I'm probably beating my head against a wall, but will try their Cajun okra. We'll see. Nonna

Nonna, Okra is not easy to grow. It usually grows well here in the South, we had heat, but also had too much rain. Okra does not like too much water. I'd suggest planting under black plastic to raise the heat level. If you tuck the plastic in where some of the water will be deflected, maybe that will help. I'm going to put the plastic down this yr, not so much for the heat, but to keep the mm a little dry, so maybe the okra will put on more.
I think the 'Cajun Okra' sounds like I might just have to order some too. It doesn't get so tall that I cannot reach the pods!
Jo

Kind thoughts, LittleJo, but Oregon's cool, wet springs are a challenge for a lot of things. Having said that, I did manage enough okra pods to put up 1 (I'm bragging now): 1 full pint of pickled okra. Sigh! No one, and I mean no one, gets to open that one pint on New Years' Eve but ME! Last year, six okra plants were grown in the greenhouse, and two outside in a bale bed. I'm here to tell 'ya, the bale bed was a bust. Great for squash/corn/beans, but not okra. Gonna give the Cajun a try....besides, forehead imprints on greenhouse give it character. Nonna

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Kind thoughts, LittleJo, but Oregon's cool, wet springs are a challenge for a lot of things. Having said that, I did manage enough okra pods to put up 1 (I'm bragging now): 1 full pint of pickled okra. Sigh! No one, and I mean no one, gets to open that one pint on New Years' Eve but ME! Last year, six okra plants were grown in the greenhouse, and two outside in a bale bed. I'm here to tell 'ya, the bale bed was a bust. Great for squash/corn/beans, but not okra. Gonna give the Cajun a try....besides, forehead imprints on greenhouse give it character. Nonna

Nonna, so you've tried bale beds, I'm assuming you mean straw or hay bales? I'm thinking of using them over against a hillside on one side of our driveway and planting my squash, melons and other "take over the world" kind of plants. What have you learned that I need to know?!!! Treat me as ignorant and you won't offend what little I know, LOL!

Audrey.Jeanne, we've built bale beds two years now, and both have been successful. The first year was a rectangle of 6 ancient hay bales with the center filled with home-made compost and almost 8 inches of the top pure Mel's Mix. It was very successful for the beans and squashes planted with the "three sisters planting" of corn/beans/squash. The scarlet runner beans were too enthusiastic for the corn we chose and broke the corn stalks. Both the Australian Butter and Galeux d'Eysines formed HUGE fruits (over 20 lb. each) of delectible winter baking/pie squashes. After the corn/bean/squashes were harvested, I amended the soil with a bit of bone meal and some soy meal, planted potatoes (Chieftan and Rose Finn) and had a wonderful harvest of these two (grandkids especially loved rooting around in the soil to find the Red-skinned Chieftans). Last year's bale bed (a bit smaller) was planted to things that prefer warm roots: okra, Indian cucumbers--Sikkim, baby watermelons. Only the Sikkim cucumbers delivered, and, boy, did they deliver! We ate them fresh, pickled and cooked German style. This bale bed is now devoted to garlic for 2013. A note about 2-year-old bale beds: the hay has turned into a rich soil full of earthworms. Anything else you want to know? Nonna

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Audrey.Jeanne, we've built bale beds two years now, and both have been successful. The first year was a rectangle of 6 ancient hay bales with the center filled with home-made compost and almost 8 inches of the top pure Mel's Mix. It was very successful for the beans and squashes planted with the "three sisters planting" of corn/beans/squash. The scarlet runner beans were too enthusiastic for the corn we chose and broke the corn stalks. Both the Australian Butter and Galeux d'Eysines formed HUGE fruits (over 20 lb. each) of delectible winter baking/pie squashes. After the corn/bean/squashes were harvested, I amended the soil with a bit of bone meal and some soy meal, planted potatoes (Chieftan and Rose Finn) and had a wonderful harvest of these two (grandkids especially loved rooting around in the soil to find the Red-skinned Chieftans). Last year's bale bed (a bit smaller) was planted to things that prefer warm roots: okra, Indian cucumbers--Sikkim, baby watermelons. Only the Sikkim cucumbers delivered, and, boy, did they deliver! We ate them fresh, pickled and cooked German style. This bale bed is now devoted to garlic for 2013. A note about 2-year-old bale beds: the hay has turned into a rich soil full of earthworms. Anything else you want to know? Nonna

This is so not on topic, but PHOTO PLEASE!

Sorry about pictures, Camprn, but this computer does not play well with picture uploading to the forum. Perhaps I'll be successful with the new Christmas Mac. Fingers crossed. Nonna

I purchased from Johnny's last year but leaning towards Baker's Creek or SSE. Anyone try the Hillbilly or Flame tomato? Looking for a striped and higher producing than Mr. Stripey

My Red Zebra was productive but also very delicious.

And its purty!

quiltbea wrote:My Red Zebra was productive but also very delicious.

And its purty!

That is on my list as well and you have always steared me in the right dirrection Bea

Floyd, For the first time, we're trying Hillbilly this summer, too. Perhaps we can compare results come Sept. Should be interesting to see how this variety acts in your neighborhood compared with our Pacific North Wet. Nonna

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Floyd, For the first time, we're trying Hillbilly this summer, too. Perhaps we can compare results come Sept. Should be interesting to see how this variety acts in your neighborhood compared with our Pacific North Wet. Nonna

Sounds like a plan Nonna. I liked Mr.Stirpey but it was not very prolific, perhaps due to the hot summer, but my WV 63 produced until first frost. However I did like the taste of Mr.Stipey so looking for a good bi-color tom.

Floyd, our most prolific and best tasting tomato (remember: PNW) was a variety from TomatFest called Dagma's Perfection. A beautiful, huge golden tomato with fantastic flavor....and generous! I'd never heard of it before (came as a bonus pack from TomatoFest), but we're both saving seed from it and planting from TomatoFest seed forever after! Okay, I admit, not the color usually associated with spaghetti sauce, but what a great tomato. One weighed out at nearly a full pound of deliciousness. (Is that a word?) The West Coast variety Indigo Rose produced more per-pound tomatoes, but they didn't have quite the flavor factor as Dagma's Perfection--though I did can several quarts of tomato/spaghetti sauce from the Indigo Rose (known for their antii-oxident content, though). Praise the Lord, though, we still have lots of canned tomato sauce for the upcoming winter! Nonna

I will have to check than one out nonna. Have you every heard of these tomatoes as they are from the west coast.

http://wildboarfarms.com/

Some were in the Bakers Creek catalog this year but never heard of them before?

Floyd, Wild Boar tomatoes is totally new to me. The only variety on their list that I somewhat recognize is the Indigo Apple, which probably is either a cross of Oregon State U's Indigo Rose, or a sport of same. We grew Indigo Rose last summer and got lots and lots of smallish dark purple-skinned tomatoes. Pretty good tasting, but tough skins. Looks like Indigo Apple has larger fruits. If I didn't already have too many tomato varieties to plant, the variety pack at the bottom of the list would tempt me.
Nonna

Oh yeah, I am already dreaming and already need a new 4X4’

I'm receiving catalogs from companies I have never ordered. I guess they got my address from attending the Annual Heirloom Exposition in Santa Rosa, CA.

I will, however, look at the back of each for any neat products. I mean, I DO have a birthday coming up in 10 months.

sanderson wrote:I'm receiving catalogs from companies I have never ordered.  I guess they got my address from attending the Annual Heirloom Exposition in Santa Rosa, CA.

I will, however, look at the back of each for any neat products.  I mean, I DO have a birthday coming up in 10 months.

Me too, sanderson, and I didn’t attend the expo?  I think some companies sell customer lists.  I look at all of them at least cursorily.

I love this seed company!   Good selection, great prices, free shipping, free gift every time, prompt delivery, nice packaging -- what more could anyone want?  

I may have just placed my last order for this year, but you never know.