Seed Catalog Time
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Although the ground is still frozen in New Hampshire and in most places
white with snow, the seed catalogs begin to arrive. We dream of
gardening time and plan our seed orders for the vegetables and flowers
we'll grow this year. Browsing through seed catalogs and planning seed orders have been winter pastimes of country folks for years and years. Presidents Were GardenersEven George Washington perused seed catalogs sent to him from Britain. He often tried growing new plants and vegetables. Thomas Jefferson was another gardener, as were John Quincy Adams and that patriot Benjamin Franklin. They brought seeds back from abroad and had great interest in growing new plants.Early Seed Catalogs
David Landreth, of Philadelphia, published one of the first seed
catalogs in America. He also operated a nursery and seed shop where he
produced many of the items shown in his catalog.
Seed Catalogs of ChildhoodAs a child, I enjoyed looking at the seed catalogs that arrived at our farm. Usually we acquired more catalogs than Father needed, so we children could have the extra ones. i remember cutting out pictures of flowers and vegetables and planning gardens I'd like to have. Father ordered some seeds from catalogs. Many he purchased at the local farm supply store in the spring.All the same, it always was a delight when the colorful seed catalogs arrived...a time to equal the arrival of the new Sears and Wards "wish books" each season. Today's Seed CatalogsWe received a seed catalog in the mail the other day; it set my daughter dreaming and planning about our garden this year. We live in a three generation household and Beth and her children find the gardening tasks a fun family affair.In the catalog, we see new vegetables we may try and wonder if they'll be successful in our area. The list of vegetables and flowers to order could go on and on as we sit before the living room stove and dream and plan for spring as we did in my childhood on the farm.
This makes it seem more likely that the colder days of winter soon will
be over and we can begin digging in the soil once again.
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Summer Harvest Tea
Before the cool weather sets in, enjoy the bounty of your herb, flower and vegetable gardens by giving a Summer Harvest Tea Party. Plan your theme around the garden, invite friends and family. Don't make it a formal affair, but rather a way to celebrate everyone's gardens and share produce, flowers, seeds and advice.
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Harvesting and Using Summer Squash
Summer squash is one of my favorite vegetables. I love the yellow summer squash in particular. They should be harvested while still tender, when they have a "glossy" appearance and are still small. You will most likely need to harvest daily once they start to appear.
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