Getting A Bit Seedy Around Here
I'm planning a kitchen garden. With freezing weather and snow still covering the ground, planning a garden can be a great mental escape from the winter doldrums. The opportunity arose when construction vehicles cleared a path to install a new propane tank near my house. If I remove just a few more trees near this area, I may have enough sun for the vegetable garden that I've always dreamed of having.
I admit my plans are probably bigger than my plot. But on paper, I've designed two rectangular raised beds that will be 8-foot x 4-foot each. So now comes the fun of deciding what to grow.
I started by selecting some seeds from the seed company, Hudson Valley Seed Library, that I discovered at last year's Philadelphia Flower Show. I had stopped by their booth, thinking they were selling small art and postcards. This "art" turned out to be their very unique Art Packs. Each houses a pack of heirloom seeds.
Artwork by Giselle Potter
They have about 85 different Art Packs, each designed by a different artist. However, they sell many more types of seeds than those dedicated to Art Packs. You can check out their full library of seeds at www.seedlibrary.org.
Artwork by Sarah Snow
Hudson Valley Seed Library is a small company in upstate New York that promotes heirloom seeds. They grow most of the seeds they sell on their own farm where the seeds are open-pollinated, saved and packed by hand. For me, the fact that their seeds are heirloom and also regionally adapted to the northeast may give me a greater chance of success. As a newbie vegetable gardener, I love starting with seeds and plants adapted to my area like the New Yorker Tomato.
Artwork by Rachelle Cohen
Back to the Art Packs, these beautiful packets are designed by contemporary artists using various mediums, but all art tries to convey the diversity and cultural importance of the heirloom seeds contained within. The Art Packs unfold to reveal the actual seed packet. But inside the Art Packet itself, you'll find more fun art, a note about the particular plant and a short write-up about the artist. These Art Packs would be great gifts for fellow gardeners.
Inside the Tiny Tim Tomato Art Pack
I'm excited and a bit nervous about my newly planned vegetable garden. I'm sure I will share my trials and tribulations on this blog later this summer. But if this vegetable endeavor becomes a bust, at least I'll have some nice seed packets suitable for framing.
Artwork by Florence Gidez