It seems like just last week, when I collected beans that had grown too plump to eat, now the pods have turned dry and crackly. This month, I am slipping them open to reveal seeds, tiny gifts to save and grow again next spring. Like good sourdough bread starter, seeds can easily be shared with other gardeners. Maybe that's why I am so obsessed with heirlooms seeds.
Seed saving was once a necessity, but also a link to the past. Some of the heirloom seeds that we grow today were brought to the United States by immigrants who smuggled seeds inside the lining of coats, suitcases and hatbands, or sewn into the hems of dresses. Handed down from family to family, seeds were something small they could bring to connect them to their homeland.
New this month, I opened a store on my website to introduce you to my new garden design and writing classes. If I can't be in the garden, I might as well be teaching. It's the perfect time of year to ponder next years garden, and to write your family cookbook.
What I like most about teaching and seed saving, is that it's all about sharing, both the knowledge and the thrill of growing something new. Learn more about many of the heirloom seeds you can grow, for the best flavor and fragrance, and join me at one of my upcoming classes. 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.
