Seeds

So I have my seeds picked out. I am sure I will be tempted to change by the time my paycheck comes in on Friday and I sit down to place my order, but I will not waver. I sat for 3 hours flipping through catalogues (Seeds of Change, Territorial Seeds, Fedco and Gardens Alive mostly) And I have decided that this year my garden will include:
Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes- they are heirloom, early (58 days), productive, good container plants and DETERMINATE! and apparently their leaves are kind of decorative.
Window Box Romas- as they are named, they are intended to grow in pots. If I get a few pots up on the roof this year, these will surely be up there basking in the sun! Apparently they are tasty in salad, sauce or fresh, all the ways I like tomatoes best.
Nelson carrots- Sturdy looking carrots that apparently do well even in heavy soil. Something Amy and I both have to deal with.
White Satin carrots- As the name implies, they are white. They should be crunchy, juicy and sweet. And between these, the Nelson, and the Dragon carrots from Amy, we should be eating really colorful salads this summer!
Sunset beans- I chose these because Territorial Seeds said that runner beans deal with shade better than other varieties of green beans, and seeing is I want to put them down the alley where they will have partial shade, this seemed a logical choice. Of course there are also the pretty peachy-pink blooms that will hopefully be climbing all over the trellis outside my kitchen window.
Alderman peas- I figured that I would throw my husband a bone with this one. Last year I had my sugar snap peas, this year I will grow him some fresh shelling peas... maybe I should get that Tarragon plant after all so we can eat like the French and Jacques Pepin!
Paprika Alma pepper- I was going to get a hot pepper, but then this caught my eye. Its says they are sweet with just a hint of heat and they can be eaten fresh, or I can dry them and make my own paprika! I'll have to get my Hungarian cookbook out and make goulash!
Mesclun salad mix- It includes arugula, Osaka purple mustard greens, red Russian kale, and tres fin endive. I haven't the slightest idea as to what any of that tastes like, but it should shake up our salad plates for the summer.
Pot and Patio Mix- Another salad blend, this one especially made to put in a big pot on the edge of your patio. Again, it will end up down the alley.
Lettuce leaf basil- I let my husband pick this one out to. It sounds tasty, my only fear is that the 2-3' tall plant will take over the yard. I think we will be eating a lot of pesto this summer.
Spicy globe basil- My answer to the lettuce leaf basil. This stays in a compact little plant. It's going in a window box I think.
Dark Green Italian parsley- you all know what this is.
Spearmint- again, I think you know what this is.
Brussels Winter Chervil- I just like to say 'chervil', kind of sounds like 'gerbil.' I saw a recipe calling for it, and my postage wasn't going to go up if I only picked this one more thing, so it will be living it up in the garden this summer. And if for some reason I hate it, I'm sure my guinea pig Puck, who doesn't turn anything green down, will enjoy it.
Red beard onions- little guys, kind of like scallions, only kind of pink colored. Just wanted to try something different.
I also have a bush cucumber, bush scallop squash, baby bok choi, sparkler radishes, blue pod peas, and blue Kentucky wonder beans. I will also be purchasing sage and rosemary as well as a geranium and a new guinea impatient at one of the two garden sales I go to. I like to support the community groups, and those are plants that I am not great at starting on my own.
I also had to pick out a few flowers.
Nasturtium mix- If Paul insists on flowers, I am going to insist that at least some of them are edible. These are. I am hoping to make some kind of fruity sorbet and use candied nasturtiums as garnish.
Verbena- These are container flowers that like sunshine. I hope they will produce well in front of the house where we get lots of afternoon sun. I think I am going to get the Mango mix, which has an assortment of orange to yellow to pink.
Rudbeckia- Ruby Gold- These can survive poor soil and drought. If these die in the front of the house, I will know that nothing will grow there! My mom said that Rudbeckia is a fancy name for black eyed Susans, I thought they looked familiar!

There will also be Johnny Jump ups or Violas, two of my favorite little cuties. And also marigolds. My mom has been saving seeds from a plant that was a class project and mother's day gift when I was in second grade. They are such cute little happy yellow flowers. This year I am not going to let them get lost under the wild tomatoes!
I also have bearded irises, a butterfly bush, a peony, calla lilies, and a miniature rose that should have all over wintered well.
I can hardly wait until the weekend when I can order all my seeds! And my mother and grandmother will be visiting in a few weeks and and I look forward to spending an afternoon planting seeds. I guess I better get moving on building my greenhouse!