This month, I'm doing what every gardener does in January: sitting by a sunny window watching plants grow - indoors. But that's not all. I'm counting seeds. It's an age-old tradition to see what's in the seedbox before ordering new, but also shucking shelling beans from their crackly pods. Akin to knitting, there is a comfort in using my hands to do something useful.
Seeds hold the promise of good things to come, but are also like a crystal ball -- what we choose to grow in our next garden will ultimately determine what we eat or savor. I order most of my lettuce and salad greens from Wild Garden Seeds, flowers from Select Seeds, and then fill in the rest with seeds I've carried over from the previous year.
What I like most about seed saving, is that it's all about sharing, both the knowledge and the thrill of growing something new. There are so many ways that seeds are integral to everything we do, and how gardens are a metaphor for life: like companion plants, we grow best when surrounded by friends.
Sowing, saving, and sharing seeds is at the heart of my new book, and a reminder that a book is a collection of ideas, that involve many people. The author plants the seed, yet it is all those who contribute that allow it to grow. I am excited to announce my debut book talk on February 2nd @ Northshire Bookstore, where I am joined with my book photographer Matthew Benson and the illustrator, Terry Findeison. Hope to see you there.
Tasting food pulled from the ground and twisting off a green stem at the peak of ripeness, that's the way I wish we all ate, and food gardens are more important than ever. Sending you best wishes, from my garden to yours.
As Always,
Ellen Ecker Ogden
www.ellenogden.com
Author of The Complete Kitchen Garden and The New Heirloom Garden. For Gardeners Who Love to Cook.
