"Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful,' and sitting in the shade." — Rudyard Kipling
The growing season never ends, especially in one's mind. Dreaming of good things to come is both a blessing and a curse for the gardener. When I should be focused on the present moment, grateful for those winter vegetables roasting in the oven, instead my mind skips ahead to that new garden design and before I know it, I am online ordering seeds.
On the one hand, seed catalogs are vessels of the practical information; what's new, when to plant, days to maturity, and yield. Yet amongst this vast complexity, the narratives never tell me enough. I tend to choose heirloom varieties, yet calling a vegetable an heirloom is akin to calling a rock band or movie "indie", it doesn't tell me the whole story. Who first grew this seed, where did it come from, and why was it saved? The stories vary.
Not everyone cares to know all this, yet as a gardener who loves seeds, starting from seed is not only the best environmental choice, but there is a deep satisfaction in being able to say, "I grew this from seed!" It's a challenge that I enjoy, even though I am not always successful.
I'm fascinated by the new seed entrepreneurs, who are taking heirlooms to a new level. Read more on the Culinary Breeding Network and the Open Source Seed Initiative websites. It's a whole new world of seed breeders who grow and share seeds with a community of farmers and gardeners.
While I'll have to wait a few more months for warm weather, I'll sing praises to the growers who bring winter food to the farmers markets where I load up on onions, winter squash, and cold hardy greens. Rejoice in winter food, and open your shopping bag wide to embrace (and endure) the next few months until spring.
As Always,
Ellen Ecker Ogden
Author and Lecturer
www.ellenogden.com
The Complete Kitchen Garden and other books.
