Guess what we got in the mail last week! Our first garden catalogue, from T & T Seeds! What a perfect thing to find in the mailbox on those cold, blustery days! Do you have time for a quick cup of tea? Let's sit down together and take a look at what's new this year.
I opened to page three, and already I'm reaching for a pen to make a list: there's a black cherry tomato that looks intriguing. The catalogues say it "yields abundant crops of huge clusters of 1.5 cm deep purple, Seed planning underwaymahogany-brown cherry tomatoes. Beautiful to mix with other colored cherry tomatoes." I'd love to try it; I think I'm over the disappointment of the black pepper from a couple years ago (I know I shared that story with you!). In cooking magazines, I always love the look of the dark tomatoes in salads, so maybe this is something we should try.
I see that the favorite "Bright Lights" swiss chard is in the catalogue again; I love the look of it in the garden, and last year I forgot to plant it! And for some reason, my sweet hubby didn't remind me! (It's a standing joke with us: swiss chard is always at the very bottom of his list! I don't know why, it's delicious! But he remains unconvinced!)
Gardeners with small gardens or balcony or deck gardens, check out page 53, where the catalogue offers paper pots, describing them as "the strongest, lightest growing bag available. Large soil capacity of 60 litres (10 gallons) will allow for a wide range of plant material - from veggies to small shrubs." That sounds like a nice alternative to a large, heavy pot!
Hosta lovers, you'll want to read about "Empress Wu". This is a giant hosta; we saw one last year in a gardening friend's garden, and it is absolutely stunning. The catalogue describes this as "A stunning garden specimen that is one of the most sought after hostas the leaves are massive featuring 45 cm (18 inch) in width with great substance". Imagine that! This hosta was named after the only female emperor in China. She must feel honored indeed!
If we are looking for a striking plant to add to our collection, we might want to try "Snakeroot: Hillside Black Beauty". The catalogue says that this is "truly a collector's item. It forms an upright clump of striking, dark purplish-black foliage contrasted by long, white bottle-brush blooms". It sounds to me as though this is one of those "focal point" plants, where we only need one to make a statement in our gardens.
If we turn to the fruit section, there are beautiful grapes. I know many of you have great success with grapes in your yards; a very dear friend gave us her own homemade grape jelly, and it was just delicious! There are four kinds listed: Frontenac, Valiant, Kandiyohi, and Prairie Star, as well as one called "Manitoba Native" that is described as being a "hardy vine ideal for fence or trellis", but also gives fruit that "will make tasty jelly and also excellent wine." Sounds like a nice option for gardeners who want vines in part of their garden.
I see that the catalogue also contains castor bean seeds, with an amazing picture from a gardener in Winnipeg who grew such a large castor bean that it was over the roof of their house! Castor beans are one of those garden favorites that sometimes get forgotten, but they are striking plants and beautiful additions to any flowerbed.
There are so many beautiful plants; order a couple seed catalogues for yourself, and on a frigid winter day they will revive you as we look ahead to spring! Have a good week!
