I find this time of year to be a “tease” for gardeners in the Northeast. Other than the brief yellow bloom of Forsythia and the peering pink of Rhododendrons, herbs are only begining to sprout. Chives blossoms have not yet opened and the Lavender, Rosemary and Sage plants are still bare.
So this is a time of year when gardeners are just as excited about seeds as they are about the end product. We all discuss the types of seeds we’ll plant, where we buy them and how they’re coming along. Last year one of my editorial contributors, Liz Malone introduced me to the Seed Savers catalog where we ordered some beautiful seeds. She also scouted out The Glass Greenhouse. Unfortunately last year’s incessant rain flooded out any dreams of heirloom tomatoes. We have a community of local gardeners with whom we confer. My neighbor and gardening partner, Greenport native, Mike Ficerelli introduced me to the Long Island Cauliflower Society, licauliflower.com in Riverhead to where we headed last Saturday to buy peas, onions and some additional seeds. He also has a list of gardening tips that he learned from his uncle, a native of Italy. He is planting his tomato plants now and says I should too although my friend Phil Goldman says to never plant tomato plants before Mother’s day.
So on Sunday we planted peas and tomatoes (sorry Phil) and next week we’ll start our seeds. I am falling way behind Liz who has started her seeds and will be sharing their progress with us. She and her parents have a long tradition of family garden and she takes great photos too so stay turned!
