Today I received the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog and it started me thinking in earnest about my 2010 garden. What will I plant that can be used in a regular food offering at Sea Greens Live this summer? This catalog has moved from the my living room, to the kitchen, to the bathroom and now it is here beside me in the bedroom. It is a color catalog with a very personable letter from Jere and Emilee , owners of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog. I am so stoked by the images that I want to order everything. How does one choose from 7 types of spinach ranging from Giant Noble ( introduced in 1926) to Monstrueux de Viroflay ( a gourmet French heirloom). There are little-known tidbits beside color photos to make you think, such as "The ancient Egyptians esteemed lettuce so highly as to paint it in their tombs." The entire catalog seems designed to make you think. It even has an anecdotal letter (to the owner ) from a man who refers to himself as an Iraqi friend now living in the UK. The Baker Creek Heirloom owner, it seems, traded heirloom seeds with this guy in the 1990's. I know this because the writer expressed nostalgia for the heirloom way of life that was possible in Iraq before the US occupation. Not something you tend to think about when shopping for food. There is even a recipe for butternut curry and lots of seeds for flowers. I just love this catalog because it successfully captures a way of life, from the color photos I have mentioned to the books, flowers and announcements of upcoming Spring festivals.
The one thing I am definitely going to get is a garden planner this year. But what I am wondering is which seed catalog is your favorite for winter reading?
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