Comments on: Sprouting Stories

By: Jenna

Jenna — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:46:50 +0000

Beautiful pictures! I must fill you with so much happiness to have these beautiful reminders of spring right in your home. It’s such fun to think about all of the fresh vegetables you’ll soon be able to enjoy. I’d like to grow a few veggies on my deck this year, I may be asking you for advice when I see you.

By: Anne Lindenfeld

Anne Lindenfeld — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:43:49 +0000

Loved this blog entry! I am a big believer in choosing the older varieties of plants, bushes, bulbs, and vegetables. For one thing, many of the super hybridized versions are designed not to reseed. (I like to propagate in my garden, for myself and others.) Also, when it comes to bulbs, those things like the triple-petal, wavy, two-color daffodil have a notorious way of blooming once and then never blooming again. It’s like they shot off everything they had that first spring and then had nothing more to give. (Once wasted 100 daffodil bulbs this way! Argh!)

Lastly, my nutritionist and holistic doctor say that part of the reason we need to take multivitamins (and the like) today is because we have literally breeded the nutrition out of our food. In other words, a leaf of spinach was more nutritious 40 years ago, than it is today. This is because we are breeding for the “pretty factor” and for bug resistance, etc — not for taste. We are also breeding food plants to stand up to shipping times, etc. Taste and nutrition come way down the list.

I absolutely go with heritage and heirloom plants and seeds. I just picked up some nice old rose plants at Costco. They might have 25% fewer blooms, but they will hold up better and with fewer pesticides, which I don’t use anyway.

By: AmyDe

AmyDe — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:03:40 +0000

Looks like a lovely start. I’m no green thumb (not even close) but maybe one of these days I’ll figure it all out and have my own fresh veggies – until then I’m a local organic market kind of girl!

I hope you’ll keep us posted on the sprouts.

By: Judy

Judy — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:09:08 +0000

We’re lucky in that we have one of the top heirloom tomato guys in the country living right here in NC and I have been buying heirloom tomato plants from him for about 10 years now. They are about the only thing that I actually grow myself. Lucky also in that we live in a large farming area and more and more of them are going into organic farming.

By: LizKnits

LizKnits — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:38:58 +0000

Those veggies are going to be terrific. I just finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this morning and am even more energized to do it local!

By: Alice

Alice — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:39:27 +0000

Gorgeous pics! It will be so exciting to have fresh veggies this summer!

I bought some very sad grape and raspberry plants from Lowe’s a few weeks ago that were cut down to the saddest stumps. I am so excited to see they are thriving with tons of leaves now! I normally have a black thumb, so I am hoping that I can keep these guys alive

By: Lin

Lin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:01:51 +0000

Lovely spring green growth there Lolly. We had lovely weather today and I was itching to get back out in the garden, too much work to do unfortunately!

By: Nell

Nell — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:32:22 +0000

Thanks for buying heirloom seeds! I think it’s a really important thing to do. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle really changed the way I look at food. And it definitely changed the way I spend my food money.

By: lucy

lucy — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:16:53 +0000

Better go and get my seedlings ready. Thanks for the reminder. I hope this year will a great one for gardening.

By: daniel

daniel — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:23:11 +0000

whhat beautiful photos! thanks for sharing!