But not so fast - I actually did some transplanting today - the rest of the Sungold, Red Brandywine, Lillian's Yellow, etc - ie the ones people like - also getting ready for our annual plant donation to non-profit gardens.  I can't seem to quit transplanting, and find it curiously therapeutic!  Still some great looking plants out there....email me!

I've also packed up a pretty sizeable order of seedlings and they are on their way to a garden pal in Georgia.  It was good practice and I did pretty well - so am ready to reach out to those few interested in having some plants shipped - will address this over the coming weeks.

So out I go - got some perennials to pot up given to us by a neighbor - don't know where to put them yet, so they are headed for temporary lodging.  Then I need to feed my own transplants - they've been in the 3.5 inch pots for quite awhile and look like they need a bit of a boost.  I am on the cusp of bleaching the big pots, loading up with potting mix and cow manure, and getting them all planted - which will certainly take most if not all of the next few weeks!

A few more pics of our persistent (thankfully!) Rose Breasted Grosbeaks - they spent the morning here again.

I am about to go and unload the truck and car and reorder the driveway - perhaps do just a bit more spot transplanting of those that you all may continue to wish for, as well as some good varieties for limited plant shipping.  I will probably no longer update the From The Vine lists, but can respond to your emails for specific varieties.  

For the upcoming week, if you wish to come here to get seedlings, here goes:  today, between 1-6 PM; tomorrow (Monday), after 1 PM until dusk; Tuesday, between 9-11 AM and from 3 PM until dusk; Wednesday, between 9-11 AM and from 3 PM until dusk; Thursday from 1 PM until dusk; Friday from 9 AM until 5 PM.  THEN - no availability from Saturday May 5 until Saturday May 12.  If the plants still look good and you want to do fill ins, there will be limited availability starting Sunday May 13.

Now, on to the Dwarf varieties.  I am going to start potting them up into individual pots today - if you are interested in trying some out, email me and come on over to our house to pick some up during the availability guidelines I set above.  

I am going to contact those of you who expressed an interest in having plants shipped starting this evening.  One large order will go out tomorrow - perhaps a smaller one as well.  After that, we shall see - preparing plants for shipping is time consuming and my goal is to get as much of my garden planted as possible this coming week.  Great ambitions..we shall see how it all turns out!

We had a really nice Friday and Saturday talking tomatoes and all sorts of other things with those of you who visited us at the market.  That's it - we are done there for 2012.  But....there are many, many plants and varieties remaining.  Please be sure to contact us - send me an email - to schedule a time to come to our house and get some more....or, if you missed us at the market, to get the plants you need for a productive and interesting garden.

I will be spending much of the upcoming week getting my own garden in, shipping some seedlings, and working out distribution of some of the experimental Dwarf tomato breeding project plants to those of you who expressed interest in being a test grower.  Stay tuned for much more information!

So, dinner done, coffee roasted, a nice Fort Collins double chocolate stout finished - just a reiteration of our heart felt thanks to all of our wonderful customers this season!  We really appreciate the trust you put in our seedlings, and we wish you the absolute best garden ever in 2012!

We are in Space 30 - very close to where we were the other two weekends of this season. It is diagonally across from the center restrooms, in the direction of the end with the bakers.  The space number is on the yellow poles at the back of the parking spaces.  It will be a great tomato weekend, as well as a nice selection of eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, some cukes, watermelon, basil, lettuce, tomatillos....pretty much everything we have - since this is it!  Of course we will have plants for several more weeks, but after this coming Friday and Saturday, we will ask you to schedule times to get them from our home.  

We will have a good supply of Cherokee Purple, Chocolate and Green, and Sungold.  We will not have Black Cherry - there are a few recently transplanted that need a week or so to settle in - they are very small.  There are lots of tomato plants and tomato varieties in their prime - I will be able to suggest all sorts of good subs if your favorite is not there.

Lettuce is just gorgeous and it is NOT too late to plant it - it is a perfect time, in fact, and you will get a month of good harvest.  Come on by and see what we have!  We get there at 8 AM, and will depart by 4 PM.....after that, it will be special orders picked up at our home...until next year (how did this go by so fast?)

See you tomorrow morning!

Not doing a new blog entry - editing yesterday's to note that it is Friday, 7 AM, and I am about to depart for the market...

We are in Space 30 - very close to where we were the other two weekends of this season. It is diagonally across from the center restrooms, in the direction of the end with the bakers.  The space number is on the yellow poles at the back of the parking spaces.  It will be a great tomato weekend, as well as a nice selection of eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, some cukes, watermelon, basil, lettuce, tomatillos....pretty much everything we have - since this is it!  Of course we will have plants for several more weeks, but after this coming Friday and Saturday, we will ask you to schedule times to get them from our home.  

I've updated the From The Vine plant availability list as best I can - note that many varieties are nearly gone.  But there are always great alternates I can help you choose!

And we will have some special orders for both Fri and Sat AM - we tend to arrive at 8 AM - on Fridays the market is very quiet until 9 or 10, but on Saturdays it can get pretty crazy pretty early.  Leaving time is usually dependent upon business, but by 3 PM on Friday and by 4 PM on Saturday is typical.

See you there!

Much more as the planning proceeds - we have the date (July 28) and the location (Efland, NC).  The rest and best is yet to come.

Waiting for warmer, dryer weather to plant, to ship a few orders - the only thing this weather is good for is lettuce/greens and transplanting!

More later.....

For the many of you who attended Tomatopalooza when we held it out in Efland a few years ago and (like us!) found it to be such a perfect location for such an event....Jimmy and Fred, our hosts, have graciously accepted my request do so again for this year's very special celebration.  We are working on the specific date at this time - but Saturdays July 21 or 28 seem to make the most sense, based on the season, when people are planting, and when we have the best chance of the largest array of tomatoes ready to be tasted.  There will be much, much more to come...there is lots of planning to do.  And we realize that it is a bit of a drive for those living from Raleigh east - but it will be worth it, we promise!

So that leaves two unresolved matters - plants for those who wish to test a few unreleased Dwarfs to help us out in the project with opinions and seeds....and shipping.  With the heavy rain we've just had, I am going to wait a bit to go in and divide Dwarfs into individual pots for distribution - anyone who expressed interest will get an email from me tonight or tomorrow to provide further details on when/how to get your test plants and which ones you will get (be sure you sent me a preference or two!).

As far as shipping - we are going very, very small on it this year, as our plants have all pretty much vanished as they've reached shippable size.  I am going to contact the very few of  you who emailed a desire for shipped plants so we can be clear on what to expect and when. Aside from those who have already contacted us, if you are interested in the released Dwarf varieties, you can email me if you would like to purchase some plants that we will send you - we can work out details individually over email.  

I switch back to transplanting mode today....the garden is too wet to dig, but my goal is to get ALL of my garden planted over the next two weeks and have everything in by Friday May 4.  Let's see if I can meet my own challenge!

Enjoy the reemerged sun, everyone!

Here is a picture for you - someone new who visited our feeders yesterday.

I've not been out to look at my driveway of seedlings (which have been nicely watered) or my two rows of greens and lettuce and beets in the garden (which haven't yet washed away or been deer-nibbled) - so it's all good!  With the cold and gray and raininess outdoors, we are firing up the stove and oven.  (somewhat healthy) peanut butter cookies and a nice lentil/rice/onion dish for lunch are finished.  Next comes English Muffins, Black Bean burgers, and tonight for dinner, Farro Jambalaya.  It's a perfect way to spend a day of non-gardening!

We are around if anyone wants to tread through the raindrops and pick out seedlings....for the coming week, Monday after 1 PM, Tuesday and Thursday after 9 AM, and Wednesday after 3 PM are the times - as well as Friday or Saturday after 5 (by which time I will have returned from the Market).

Keep dry, everyone....and Happy Earth Day!

Susan and I just returned from a busy, interesting, very enjoyable day at Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville.  We spent from 9 AM until just before noon selling some of our heirloom tomato plants to enthusiastic gardeners (thanks, all, for bringing some of our babies into your care!).  Then we headed up into the mail building, where I spoke for an hour on the culinary and flavor aspects of tomatoes, with a good sprinkling of heirloom tomato history and general tomato culture.  Things wrapped up at around 2 PM, and here we sit, chased indoors by some big, fat raindrops (falling from what seemed to be only a lightly cloudy sky!).  Good thing, though - my driveway seedlings need a good watering, so bring on the rain!

Sue and I would like to thank Jen, Carol and all of the staff at CFBG for their hospitality - and for the invitation and opportunity to sell our plants there.  Speaking there is always a favorite experience of mine, and today was no exception.  So, glass of Pinot Noir close by, our dogs well fed, and the Red Sox on TV, it's a really good day!

To anyone looking for us at the Raleigh State Farmers Market, we will be back next Friday and Saturday, at a location to be determined some time on Thursday (I will be sure to blog where we will be set up).  The plants will look just fine, and the selection will be very, very good.

For the upcoming week, we will be around tomorrow after 1 PM, between 1 - 7 on Monday,  between 9 AM and 7 PM on Tuesday and Thursday, between 2 - 7 on Wednesday, and between 5 - 7 PM on Friday and Saturday if you wish to purchase from our driveway.  Email me to arrange a time.  These times could change, and watch my daily blog here for any changes to that schedule.