Inspired Creatives

Last night I finally got around to ordering seeds for this year’s garden.  I promised myself I wouldn’t wait till the last minute like last year (read that as the day plants are supposed to be in the ground).  It’s pretty hard to start seedlings that late in the season and expect much success.  To some it may seem a bit soon to start thinking about gardening, but we’ve learned that die-hard gardeners start right after Christmas.  This year I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - RareSeeds.com online.  They’re a great family owned company and the catalog is coffee table quality.  All their seeds are non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented.  They do not buy seed from Monsanto-owned Seminis (ok, I don’t know who Seminis is, but I’ll look them up.  I do know and understand the evils of Monstano though).  They boycott all gene-altering companies.  They work with a network of about 50 small farmers, gardeners and seed growers and offer over 1300 varieties of seeds from 70 countries.  This is really my type of company.  Even from the start, it was nonconformist.  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds started in 1998 when 17 year old Jere Gettle sent out his first 550 seed catalogs, filling all orders himself in his bedroom.  This year Baker Creek  printed over 250,000 full color catalogs.  It’s been called the “Vogue” of seed catalogs by enthusiastic customers.  After reading nearly every description in this 120 page catalog, I ordered online last night (I’m too anxious to use the mail-in order form).  I can’t tell you how many varieties are already sold out.  The grow-your-own-food movement is really taking hold.  Hip Hip Hooray!!!!

One of the greatest things about this catalog is the seed descriptions themselves.  I’m learning things about seeds I just never knew.  Every description is a tiny time capsule of history.  Sit back and take in this description of a Granny Catrell German Red Tomato:

This meaty beefsteak-type tomato is named after Lettie Cantrell, who received seeds from a soldier returning from Germany during World War II.  She grew this tomato in the hills of eastern Kentucky for many years.  This was her favorite tomato and the only one she grew.  Each year she saved seeds from the largest tomatoes, some of which reached 2 1/2 lbs.  Our growers find it to be quite productive.  Ahh!  What a flavor!  This variety was named best tasting tomato of the year at the 2006 Heirloom Garden Show in our taste testing contest.

And now I get to enjoy this perfect bit of history in my little urban garden in Central Ohio.  I already feel such a connection!

The art of seed saving may be a dying art, but the Gettle family is certainly doing their part to revive it.  I’m so glad I found them.  And I’m so excited to have the opportunity to work with all these rare heirloom seeds this year.  I think I’ll even try my hand at seed saving myself.