Ordered Vegetable Seeds For The NEW GARDEN

Our trailer has been hauled away and we're only weeks away from moving into the new house.  Yippee!

The red clay expanse that used to be the site of the trailer will become the site of our new mini-orchard.  Somewhere I'm also going to squeeze in a vegetable garden with raised beds.  Jack wants there to be a yard somewhere, otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to just fill the entire space with a huge, rambling vegetable garden.

Since I'm not sure just how much garden space I'll end up with I tried to be realistic-but-optimistic when I decided which vegetable seeds to order.  I got a few things I normally wouldn't have space for in a small pocket garden, but also didn't get every single thing that caught my eye, either.

Hopefully I'll be able to maximize my yields from the space I do end up with by using square foot gardening techniques and trellising.

Here's what I got from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed!

Cantare Bean - "Superior producer of nice straight dark green pods for snaps. The slim 4-5-inch pods are stringless and the flavor is every bit as outstanding as the yield!"

Cherokee Trail of Tears Pole Bean - "This heirloom was brought from Tennessee by the Cherokee people as they were marched to Oklahoma by the Federal Government in 1839 over the infamous "Trail of Tears" that left so many dead and suffering. This prolific variety is good as a snap or dry bean and has shiny, black beans. Hardy, vining plants."

Purple Hull Speckled Cowpea - "Short, bush plants produce colorful, purple, 7-inch pods that are filled with medium-sized, tan peas that have dark speckles. A fine variety that is good for small gardens."

Woodle Orange Tomato - "Large, round, smooth fruit are nearly perfect in shape, being a brilliant tangerine color. A super fancy-looking variety that makes a good market tomato; it has an incredible rich and sweet complex flavor that is among the best."

Arkansas Traveler Tomato - "A medium-sized pink tomato that is smooth and a beautiful rose color. An excellent variety from Arkansas, tolerant to heat and humidity; crack and disease resistant. Good flavor, an excellent hillbilly favorite."

Ring of Fire Pepper - "Newer variety that’s an improvement over Cayenne. Similar type and similar heat (around 50,000 scovilles) but earlier and more productive. Very smooth, bright red 4-inch pods are excellent for drying."

Wild Rocket Arugula - "Has a more pungent taste than regular arugula, leaves are deeply lobed. An Italian favorite."

Butter King Lettuce - "The pale green leaves are soft and, yes, buttery; the heads are heavy and relatively compact, filled with tender inner leaves that are mellow, sweet and succulent. Slower to bolt and tolerates heat better than most butterhead (Bibb) types, making it especially valuable in the South, or wherever summer heat comes early or unpredictably."

Crisp Mint Lettuce - "Romaine type. Large, succulent, mint-green outer leaves surround crystal-white hearts: mild, sweet and crunchy in flavor. Succulent heads to 10 inches in height are a standout in the salad garden."

Early Prolific Straightneck Squash - "AAS Winner from 1938; uniform lemon-yellow, club-shaped fruit; firm flesh is of excellent quality, tasty."

Lincoln Garden Pea - "An old-time pea introduced in 1908. High-yielding and tasty, this pea does better than many in warmer weather. The tightly-filled pods ae easy to shell, and compact vines are a good choice for small gardens."

Martina Onion - "Early “yellow” type having ivory flesh and brown skin. Roots are round to slightly flattened. Recommended for spring planting in the south; worth a try for a late summer-fall crop at northern latitudes. A popular European variety."

Nantes Scarlet Carrot - "Half-long type reaching 6-7 inches in length, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Sweet, brilliant orange, blunt, cylindrical roots are very delicate and fine-grained, containing almost no core. High moisture content make this a natural for juicing; fine for bunching or storage. Originally from France but grown in this country for many decades. A good sort to try on heavier soils."

Cylindra or Formanova Beet - "A wonderful heirloom from Denmark, this one is famous for slicing with its long, cylindrical roots. Produces much more uniform slices than round beets. This tender and sweet variety is also known as “Butter Slicer” because of its wonderful texture."

Boston Pickling Cucumber - "An old heirloom dating back to 1880. Vigorous vines give large yields of smooth green fruit. It is excellent for pickles; very crisp and good quality. A very popular variety at the turn of the 20th century."

Minnesota Midget Melon - "This very small, very early heirloom was introduced in Minnesota in 1948. Measuring just 4inches across, they have sweet, orange flesh and are perfect miniature versions of the "Classic Muskmelon". Compact, 3-4-foot vines produce good yields."

New England Sugar Pie Pumpkin - "The noted small sugar pumpkin of New England. The orange fruit weigh 4-5 lbs. and have fine, sweet flesh that is superb for pies. Described by Fearing Burr in 1863."