ordering seeds

big hopes in little packages

one of the most fun parts of this farming thing has been the dreaming stage; mulling over a seed catalog, imagining your space and favorite edibles. most experienced farmers, rumor has it, do this during the winter months, as early as december. dad and i, however, jumped on the bandwagon a little late, ordering at the end of february. we didn't let that discourage us from ordering wayyyy too many seeds for our own good. and when they arrived in the mail (within only a few days!), it was incredible.

old seed catalogs enveloped the seed packets

thanks to my amazing urban farmer neighbor, Super Rochelle, we ordered our seeds from a responsible, regional company called Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE). based in Virginia, this group focuses on offering open-pollinated, heirloom, and some organic varieties that grow well in the Southeast. this means you can reliably grow the same crops that have been grow in the area for decades, and save your seeds each year without Monsanto suing you. that's enough to make me do a little jig, even though i haven't learned about saving seeds...yet.

what will we be growing, you ask? everything. well, almost. the plan is to plant onions, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, melons, greens, garlic, turnips, brussels sprouts, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, peanuts, okra, squashes, beets, and maybe more. mom gave me blueberry bushes for my birthday (er--early birthday?), so i'll be planting those a la maison, along with herbs and tomatoes. one day, we'll clear out the backyard, and have a li'l home farm, maybe with some chickens. one day, many dreams from now...

next, starting seedlings!

xx a.