Seeds and Plants

Now that I’m on my way to having compost, it's time to plan what to plant and where. We have a protected area in back of the house that should do well as a small garden. It’s out of the wind, gets shade part of the day (full sun all day is too much here in the Florida panhandle!), and is easy to access. I’ve ordered some heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, mint and horseradish from Tasteful Gardens, a relatively local nursery that carries varieties supposedly well-suited to our climate. From Hirt’s (Amazon.com), I ordered seeds for amaranth, cucumber, Mexican tarragon, stevia, watermelon, okra, squash, and swiss chard. From Gurney’s, I ordered a dwarf banana, ginger, and peanuts. I ordered a soil tester from Burpee’s – one that tests both PH and fertility. I still have radish and lettuce seeds from last year and some herbs that overwintered on my back porch – parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme – plus oregano, marjoram and cilantro. That’s enough to get me started!

A word about amaranth – I’ve never grown it before but it's a wonder plant and I’m hoping it will do well. The tender, young leaves can be used in salads, the older leaves can be steamed, and the seeds can be eaten as is or ground into flour. It has an attractive 'flower' and can even be used as a natural red dye. Worth a try!