warm weather veggies are planted!!

Maybe it seems silly to be planting more veggies before we've enjoying any of the cold weather batch but IT'S TIME! Last night we planted zucchini and butternut squash from seed. I have heard that zucchini might need something to climb on so we're prepared to add structure if needed down the line. We also planted tomatoes and peppers from transplant. We ordered them from Seed Savers Exchange (in Iowa) and let them send us a variety of their choice. We love to cook with new ingredients and we're experimenting with the garden this year as it as so it seemed like a great choice. Yesterday was like Christmas as I opened the box to see what kind of food I'd be growing (although admittedly, it was a little scary to not have control. . . but the benefits outweighed my fears).

Pictures will come later but here is the info, including catalog descriptions.

TOMATOES

~Cherokee Purple - 80 days
"our favorite large purple tomato. unique dusty rose color. flavor rivals brandywine, extremely sweet. productive plants, large crops of 12oz fruits."
~Velvet Red - 75-80 days (horray!! i was hoping we'd get a cherry tomato plant!!)
"unique, silvery gray dusty miller type foliage. heavy yields of 1" cherry tomatoes, excellent sweet flavor. occasionally a non-silvery plant will appear."
~Amish Paste - 85 days
"produces 6-8oz red fruits that are oxheart to almost teardrop-shaped. Meaty fruits are juicy and have outstanding flavor, good for sauce or fresh eating."
~Gold Medal - 90 days
"large, yellow streaked red, firm and smooth. very little acid. the sweetest tomato you ever tasted. a gourmet's joy when sliced."
~Brandywine Sudduth's Strain - 90 days
"large pink beefsteak fruits to 2 pounds. incredibly rich, delightfully intense tomato flavor."
~German Pink - 85 days
"bavarian variety. potato-leaf plants produce large 1-2 pound meaty fruits with few seeds, very little cracking or blossom scars. full sweet flavor. excellent for canning, freezing, and slicing."

PEPPERS
~(Sweet) King of the North - 70 days
"arguably the best red bell pepper for northern gardeners where the seasons are cool and short. nice blocky fruits, great sweet flavor."
~(Sweet) Jimmy Nardello's - 80-90 days
"one of the best for frying. productive 24" plants are loaded with 10-12" long peppers."
~(Hot) Wenk's Yellow Hots - 75-80 days
"medium hot fruit with thick, waxy yellow walls, ripening to bright orange and then to red. 2-4" long, blunt tipped fruits. great variety for canning and pickling."
~(Sweet) Orange Bell - 60-90 days *I think they are green and therefore edible in 60 days but orange and extra yummy in 90*
"the best tasting orange bell pepper we have grown. blocky 4" by 3.5" fruits are 3-4 lobed, extremely thick fleshed with excellent sweet flavor, and heavy yields."
~(Sweet) Buran - 90 days
"extremely sweet and productive polish heirloom. great flavor! medium-sized plants grow 18-24" tall. fruits are 3 lobed and measure 4" long by 3". fruits are almost equally sweet when green or red. sure to be a favorite"
~(Sweet) Tolli's Sweet Italian - 75-80 days
"this sweet red italian heirloom is one of our all around favorites for fresh eating and canning recipes. great added to tomato sauces. large dependable yields of 4-5" tapered fruits.

pictures to come soon, the weekend has only just begun. . . .