The first one arrived the day before Thanksgiving. Since that day a new seed catalog arrives every two to three days. Some are new and unknown, perused and easily discarded. Some like old friends are welcomed across the threshold and read from cover to cover. A few treasured catalogs have yet to be seen: Baker Creek and Sand Hill where are you? I do not need additional seed. We have an ample stock for the year, more than we could ever grow. Included in that hoard is a gifted large selection of vegetable seed from Siberia to use in some trials. And I’m anxious to see how they grow. But, I read, consider and always purchase new finds.
As the winter continues its unusually warm path I keep finding myself in the garden looking at the spaces and beginning to layout, in my mind, the coming year’s garden. Books get pulled down, stacks of which topple every evening onto the floor next to our bed. Wisdom of the ages is to be found if you know where to look.
My favorite find: Sir Thomas Elyot, in his popular book on health and life, had this warning about turnips in 1539: “it augmenteth the seed of man and provoketh carnal lust”.
This is a warning? Where did I put that pound of turnip seed?
