After procrastinating in favor of books for about three weeks, I finally got around to getting seeds started this year. Nothing like a sunny 70 degree day on the porch during a world pandemic to kick you into gear.
If WordPress weren’t being such a persnickety old maid this evening, you’d see an artfully edited and filtered photo of three flats of plants. You’ll just have to envision the scene, carried aloft on the magic carpet of my descriptive powers. I started three trays of seeds tonight, each containing 36 cells. The six-pack cell is what you generally see at the greenhouses.
In the first tray, I did 12 cells each of Calabrese broccoli, Self-Blanche cauliflower, and Long Island Brussels sprouts. In the second tray, I did six cells each of Opalka, San Marzano, Amish Paste, and Roma, all heirloom sauce tomatoes, along with Yellow Pear cocktail tomatoes and Gardener’s Delight cherry tomatoes. The third tray is also divided into six cells for each type of heirloom slicer tomatoes: Green Zebra, Red Zebra, Ace 55, Trip-L-Crop, Chocolate Stripes, and Vintage Wine.
I grew most of these last year and what the deer, birds, squirrels, and blossom end rot didn’t take were damned delicious. I’m forewarned this year, which as I understand it is forearmed, so I expect to be eating more tomatoes.
I also started to porch pots of basil, because really, what suits tomatoes better than basil? I chose large leaf Italian basil and the classic Genovese basil. I use so much in cooking that I’m hoping to harvest from these pots all summer.
Is anyone else ready to garden as a means to get out of the house? Stir crazy much, as we shelter in place from Covid19?
The Amy Experience 
Oooo. I’m excited to follow your adventures and learn! I’m pretty good at growing flowers. Not so great with veggies. It gets soooooooo hot here though that I’ve found anything that says full sun, actually needs some shade.
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Yeah, New Orleans full sun is like surface of the sun full! Michigan is zone 6a and much more temperate! I do perennial flowers along my front sidewalk, and that stretch is always full of various pollinators and birds. I love my yarden!
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As I’ve already mentioned we are not doing a big garden this year. Baby girl did plant basil, purple basil, rosemary, dill & organo. She also has aboutt 4 different kinds of lettuce. Unfortunately they will go with her in a couple weeks to Utah. We did plant 3 patio tomatoes so maybe we will at least get some salsa & a tomato sandwich. Always enjoy your newsletter. Be safe & enjoy this weather
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There is nothing on earth better than a tomato sandwich in the middle of summer. I’m sad you won’t have the big garden, but I hope your tomatoes are plentiful. I had the seed trays on the steps today as it was gorgeous and sunny, but, being Michigan, it’s going to snow this weekend. Crazy.
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