Garden Seeds for the 2021 Season

Last year after experiencing months of empty grocery shelves caused by the lockdown, my garden plan was simple: take no chances and stick with what works. This year - no way.  It's time to try everything new and have fun.  Back in the middle of December, I began ordering seeds early to avoid empty inventories like 2020.  However, it was too late, many were already gone and so, fear gripped my heart.  I began ordering anything I could get and then later, much to my surprise, emails began arriving stating my favorites were back in stock.  I ordered more.

Seeds'n Such was the first order placed since I have never used them before.  

They have a unique system: "Mix 'n Match" to get lower prices.  The more you order, the better the deal.  Normally, I save my seeds and don't need much but this year is different. It isn't about what is needed, but what is wanted. 

If you order 20 packets, the price drops to $1.99 each. They were selling Fordhook Lima Beans which I have wanted to grow for years but haven't found anywhere. They were definitely on the must-have list.  All that was needed was to choose 19 more to get the price break.  

Choosing enough seeds to buy has never been a problem.

However, realize I got what I paid for - do read the fine print.  The Zahara Zinnias had only ten seeds. One extra was generously added making it eleven in the package. They were upfront about it in the catalog.

Every year my Sugar Beet seeds come from Pinetree. No one else sells them and they are another must-have.  Saving their seeds has not worked so if I am going to pay postage, might as well buy more.

Everything purchased was new to me except for Juan Canary Melon and the Casaba Golden Beauty Melon.

The Casaba Golden Beauty Melon will store long into the winter and the flavor sweetens over time. It is one of the sweetest melons I have ever tasted.  Waiting and not eating it while it sweetens in the pantry is the hard part. 

Then I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds...oh my.  I went wild.

All I needed were two things: the Natsu Fushinari Cucumbers and the Louisiana 16 Inch Long Pod Okra.  The cucumbers are disease resistant and were prolific last year.  The okra pods grow long and don't have to be picked every other day.  Both were sold out in December, were put on backorder but I was able to get them later.  However, it was too late, I had already seen all the other pictures in the catalog.

The temptation to splurge was overwhelming and I succumbed to the ease of credit card swiping. There were too many new foods to try.

Their marketing department knows how to woo a gardener during the bleak days of winter.  Warning - persuasive sales pitches ahead:

  

Chinese Python Snake Bean - Our new favorite vegetable! It tastes much like green beans, except even more delicious. (More delicious than green beans...are they exaggerating?) We could give up a lot of other vegetables before we would not grow this queen of garden crops (a queen of the garden?), known for its divine taste (I can almost taste it now - oh, so tempting) and snake-like beauty (note to the marketing department: lost me on that one. Never seen a beautiful snake). So snake-like that it has terrified garden visitors (now that would be fun. Who doesn't want to terrify their company?). It is almost completely absent in U.S. markets (I would be the first in my neighborhood to have one and could brag. Please take my $3.00!)

Heavy Hitter Okra - New! Amazing production! This is the most productive okra we have ever seen, producing as much as 250 pods per plant in a season and 44 young, tender pods in a single day. (They even show a hopefully unedited picture of a plant with about 14 pods...can anyone really eat that much okra?  So what, I had to get it. Please take my $3.50.)

While unable to find seeds during December, I wailed, moaned, and complained to Mom on the phone.  She was still locked down,  bored, lonely, and would listen to anyone. She offered a sympathetic ear and then shared my woes with my brother.  Upon happenstance, he entered a dollar store and spied a fully stocked shelf with 25-cent seeds.  He bought one of each. He is rich and can do that.

Then he went to the hardware store and they were fully stocked also. He bought more seeds and mailed them to me! I danced around the room when the seeds fell out of the package.  He has been known to play jokes (like the time he sent a large box of styrofoam peanuts to the boys when they were small.  It was scattered over the carpet as they searched for the prize inside.  The gift was the peanuts.  They had a blast, I was irritated).  Evidently, everyone is buying online instead of going to the stores. 

These are the most exciting he sent and are being planted first: 

A Money Plant - obviously money doesn't grow on trees but instead on a plant.  Who knew?

Wax Green Beans - Is a yellow green bean still a green bean? Will they taste green or yellow?

Baby Bubba Okra - dwarf okra.  There might not be enough okra this year so this must be planted.

Mixed Colors Swiss Chard - All my chards are green, so boring. This will be exciting.

Cayenne pepper - My brother loves hot peppers.  These will be dried and returned to him perhaps in the mail with an official label "IRS AUDIT DEPARTMENT: OPEN IMMEDIATELY."

Never say whining doesn't get you what you want.    

This year I am excited about the garden and can't wait to start planting.  It's going to be fun!

April's Depressing Garden Plan (2020)

Seed Catalogs, My Book Report