Rainy Day Blues

What to do, what to do, on a cold, rainy day, when what I really I want to do is work in my garden? It's time to plant tomatoes! So, I put on my boots, tromped through the mud, out to the greenhouse, grabbed a bag of sterilized pots, seed starting mix and my planting trays; stopped by the chicken coop/garden shed and pulled out the heating mats; and then back into the warm house to sort through my seeds from last season to find the tomato varieties that I want to plant this year.

I know, I know...they're not freshly packed for the 2011 growing season. Yes, I do keep and use my seeds from years past, but only 3 years at most. The germination rate might not be as high, but I just plant them a little thicker. Must be my upbringing, but I just can't bring myself to throw them away. I'll  still buy some new seeds, too. I like to try at least one new variety a year.

This year the chosen few are from Territorial Seeds. (http://www.territorialseed.com/). I want some tomatoes to eat fresh and I want them as early as possible, so for that I've chosen :

Oregon Spring - it's called an "extra early" because it can be planted outside a full month before the last frost.

Siletz - supposed to come in about a week before Oregon Spring. These two are called "parthenocarpic". That means "virgin fruit". The plants will form fruit without pollination. These first tomatoes won't have any seeds, at least until the bees enter the picture. (plan for the worst, hope for the best!)

Early Girl -a wonderful variety that produces well, especially if we have a cool summer, like last year's "summer-that-never-was". They will start producing even when the weather is still too cool for most other tomatoes.  I'll give them a good start and set them out maybe middle of April, surrounded by Wall-o-Water's.

I'm also running low on canned tomatoes for soups, stews, chili, and sauces, so that means I need a good mix to put into my jars next summer. So, in addition to the above,  I'll plant:

 Heinz 2653 -  a Roma-type. Not sure how it will taste, I only got a few last year. The catalog says it has a "workhorse-ability to mature loads of fruit all at the same time". I have high hopes for this one. Maybe it was the name that sold me.

Big Beef- mmmm. BLT sandwiches...and maybe some left over for canning.

And the new addition will be (drum roll, please)

Momotaro - supposed to be one of the most popular in Japan, named after a hero in Japanese folklore. Territorial describes the flavor as "an intricate and harmonious combination of sweet and tangy." Good enough for me. A little culture in the garden will be an enriching experience. And maybe the gophers won't like it. I can always hope.

6 dozen plants should be enough: 2 dozen for me, 2 dozen to donate and 2 dozen for the gophers.Yup, that should just about do it.