I actually grabbed a notebook today and started to sketch out my initial garden plans for next year. The garden will be smaller - there will be less time to spend on it (due to activities related to my book Epic Tomatoes), and there is less good garden space available. The back half of our side yard garden is simply not sunny enough long enough to make it worthwhile to plant.

My initial plans are this:  Grow all 36 released Dwarfs in the driveway (three reasons - to provide a good supply of seed for each, to support an upcoming magazine article, and because they are really good varieties). The only other driveway tomatoes will be plants from what I hope are 4 successful crosses from last year. I hope to use a combination of large containers and straw bales for the tomatoes. Add to that a row of eggplant and a row of peppers (grow bags or containers), and that's that.  The deck will be where our Sungolds will grow (they quickly outgrow our dogs).

As far as the side yard garden, working front to back, will be a row of greens, row of beans (both in soil), then a series of straw bales hosting cukes, squash, and a few new crops for me in bales - leeks, potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes.

Those are the plans - now I need to start getting specific on dates for seed starting and preparations. My first book promotion trip is coming soon - January 24 - and time is flying!

As far as seedling sales from my driveway, I've yet to draw up my variety lists, but I can guarantee that the selection will be more focused than in previous years - again, due to time constraints.  

Stay tuned for more info!  And Happy New Year!

It's wonderful having my daughter Sara here for the Christmas holiday (she is visiting from Seattle) - one of her gifts to me is assistance with my book publicity, specifically around social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and websites/blogs.  This site - hosted on Weebly - will be focusing on my seasonal gardening efforts and spring time plant sales.  The new site - epictomatoes.com - is on a different host and will focus upon information about my book, such as my workshops and signing and promotional events, and a blog in which I will describe the whole experience, as well as touch on questions that the book raises.

Just to let you know, I am still selling signed copies of the book - email me at nctomatoman@gmail.com for details. Today we were shopping at Parker and Otis in Durham and I experienced my very first Epic Tomato book sighting...it was quite surreal and definitely memorable.  What this means is that the book is finding its way into stores. We also noticed that website retailers are moving up the availability date, and are now accepting reviews.  I really encourage those of you who already have, or will be acquiring, the book to go ahead and do a review.  Feedback is important, and will help me develop my writing skills so that my future writing experiences continue to evolve and improve.

Thanks, everyone, for your support!  Stay tuned...I hope to turn my attention to garden and seedling planning very soon!

Hey all - remember the old Ed Sullivan Show - the fellow that spun the pie plates or juggled ridiculous numbers of things?  That is how life feels over the past week or so. But...what fun!

Some have inquired about how to acquire signed copies of Epic Tomatoes soon, as wide availability seems to be a few weeks away. If you are local (driving distance), I am happy to schedule visits to my house where you can purchase a signed, personalized copy of the book for $20.  Send me an email - nctomatoman@gmail.com - for further details and to set up a time.

If you are not close by, I can mail the signed book to you for $25. Just let me know by email - payment can be check, paypal (by using the donate button on the front page of my website), and I now accept credit cards. And while you are on my front page, scroll even further down to see how my schedule of workshops is shaping up - including the book launch at Quail Ridge on Wednesday, February 4 at 7 PM.  I really hope to see lots of you there at that event - so much of what I've learned through the years has been through sharing experiences with so many of you.

I promise that this blog will return to my usual musings on gardening - what I am planning to grow, news on the Dwarf Project.  

Thanks, all, for your continued interest and support!

It was a good day - a nice breakfast (cornbread and jam and a pot of Tanzanian coffee), an hour catching up on email, some Words with Friends games - just a typical day. I then headed for lunch with my good friends Allen and Bob. 

Upon returning home, I checked the mail (hadn't been delivered yet), brought garbage can and recycle bin back into the garage. I started to settle into an afternoon of garden planning up in our bonus room, along side Sue, who was finishing up a memory quilt. 

I headed out the front door to check the mail again, when I noticed a package leaning against my porch railing. It was from Storey Publishing. I realized that this was a moment that would never be repeated - the first copy of my first book. My good day became a great day, and a very memorable one.

I was pretty speechless upon opening the package and finding the note from my editor, Carleen. The book really looks great - my sincere thanks go out to everyone at Storey who was involved, and to the photographers, Stephen, Kip and Marcie. Sue picked up the book after me, flipped slowly through it, marveling at how beautiful it came out. After years of her prodding me to write a book, the end of the journey was right there in front of us!

Or, rather, the end of the writing journey, but the beginning of another - the one that will take me here and there to share my excitement of growing tomatoes and to learn from other gardening enthusiasts along the way. I can't wait!

Just before dusk, we took our dogs on a walk. Sue mentioned something to me that came to mind as I was opening up the mailing envelope - how much of a kick my mom and dad, my grandmother and grandfather would have gotten from this. It was a most fitting thought - without the very early inspirations passed on grandfather Walter during walks through his garden, without early trips to the park to look at the flowers and those first back yard gardens - who knows if a day like today would have happened.

I never know what surprises the morning trip through the email inbox will bring. Yesterday morning's journey included a note from someone unknown to me - but clearly I was not unknown to them! It was a lovely note, asking about our newest 11 Dwarf Tomato Project varieties. Whether it was via Tomatoville, Facebook or Twitter, somehow the word got up to my newest gardening friend Jane in New Hampshire that something new was coming from our Dwarf Project.

Jane related that for the last 5 years, she started tomato seedlings for use in a library fundraiser - and I had a bit of a chuckle, because she produced those seedlings using a method well known to me - shop lights, a sunny area after transplanting, and lots of moving them in and out of the garage when the weather threatened - in other words, no greenhouse!  Jane shared her enjoyment of Dwarf Arctic Rose, Perth Pride, Rosella Purple and Sleeping Lady, and how much those who were searching for great tasting, colorful varieties that grow well in pots are now happy at last with the newly available options.

Jane's note was thrilling to receive, because it described exactly the intent behind the project in the first place. We now have 36 new ways to bring the joys of colorful, big, flavorful tomatoes to those who are limited in space, sun, or the physical ability to tame the 8 foot plus vines of indeterminate heirloom varieties.

The project continues - though in what form, and to what extent, remains to be seen for the coming season. In a few weeks, gardeners will be able to obtain those 11 new varieties, which I split among 4 great seed companies - Remy's Sample Seed Shop, Tatiana's TOMATO base, Victory Seeds and Heritage Tomato Seeds.  Watch for them...I will be providing links and updates once they've been made available.

Thanks, Jane, for your email - it made my day!