I love snow.  Some weeks ago, I booked a long-overdue trip to visit my mom, and my brother and his family in Florida.  So what happens?  A few hours after Southwest carries me into the sky, the biggest snow storm in ten years is supposed to take dead aim on Raleigh.  This reminds me of what happened years ago, when I had to spend much of the Blizzard of 1978 sleeping on a sofa in the Rhode Island College chemistry building, rather than at home with my family - impossibly snowed in for more than a week!  

I was looking at last year's garden notes and was alarmed to find that it is nearing seed starting time.  So all of that time I thought I had is no more, and it's time to get serious about what to grow this coming year.


As to the seedlings we will be bringing to the Farmers Market in mid April, check the link to the From The Vine page (from the Links page on this website - click the Links button on the right hand side of this page) in a few days for an update.  In general, I am downsizing on eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, and expanding tomato varieties, since this seems to be where the interest lies.


I am removing a few tomatoes from this year's offerings (mostly due to low interest or poor performance, or duplication of a particular size or color).  Amongst those I am adding (some due to requests, some because they sounded fun, and a few returns from past years) are Tommy Toe, Silvery Fir Tree, Green Doctors, Dr. Carolyn, Black Zebra, Isis, Speckled Roman, Yellow Bell, Orange Banana, Green Sausage, Costoluto Genovese, Homestead, Ben Gantz, Japanese Trifele Black, Black Prince, Earl of Edgecomb, White Queen, Carbon, Kosovo, Aunt Gertie's Gold, Orange Strawberry, Reif's Red Heart, Marianna's Peace, Stump of the World, 1884 Purple, Casey's Pure Yellow, Big Rainbow, Brad's Black Heart, Berkeley Tie Dye and Pink Berkeley Tie Dye.  There will also be a selection of seedlings from the Dwarf Breeding project, as we had last year.


But before tomato starting time comes lettuce, beets, hot peppers and eggplant, which are all slow growers.  It is like solving the Sunday NY Times Crossword puzzle each season to pull it all together....but IT IS TIME!


Oh yes - I will also be getting together with Lee to ponder this year's Tomatopalooza.  And working through the current state of the Dwarf Project.  Stay tuned for lots more!