What to get?

It is hard to explain how the seed selection process works.

First, we get all the catalogues and are filled with optimism at the possibilities. We flip through them casually, again and again, reading descriptions to each other. Marveling at what is available.

Then reality starts to hit. We have a list of items from previous years we know we need to grow...

• Matt's Wild Cherry Tomatoes - an unbelievably long producer of cherry tomatoes.
• Pink Brandywines - which even through we have had mixed luck with we almost HAVE to grow if we say we grow heirlooms!
• Padron peppers - which we feel there HAS to be a local market for.
• Santa Fe Grande peppers - which I need for my jelly.
• Mexican Gerkin Cucumbers - which are just fun!
• The list goes on on and on...

Then there are items which we did not grow last year and miss! This list is maybe 4 or 5 things long.

Then we have the "staple" items. We need 2 or 3 varieties of green beans, of beets, of turnips, of radish, of lettuce, of lots of stuff.

Then there are items we are still looking for the best in. What is the best variety of green pepper, of jalapenos, of zucchini?

When we are done with all of this sometime in the next couple weeks our list will be too long. It is a guarantee! Then the hard work of cutting begins. We will only grow 4 types of radishes! We only need 10 types of tomatoes. 3 hot peppers and 2 sweet.

The pea shown above is SO cool. It is an edible yellow pod pea from Seed Savers exchange. But it will not make the cut. The plants require trellising (we are avoiding trellising peas this year) and grow 6 feet tall. And we already have 3 types of peas on the list!

Eventually we will have a list of somewhere near 100 items that we will grow. The list always creeps a little, but a goal is good! So seed varieties, here we come!