With people staying home during the coronavirus outbreak and some experiencing food insecurity, there’s been a huge increase in backyard gardening and urban farming. That’s a silver lining in this epidemic, because it means more people will learn the wonderful practice of gardening and benefit from growing their own healthy food. I want to support this and support people!

So I’m starting and giving way six-packs of veggie seedlings. Below is a list of seeds that I’m planting. If you’ve already reached out and asked me for a six-pack, let me know if you have a preference when it comes to tomatoes, squash, etc. Otherwise I will pick for you. And if you haven’t already asked for a six-pack and would like one, just let me know. I’ll grow them over the next couple of weeks and them leave them out by our mailbox for you to pick up.

TOMATOES

Small (like cherry tomatoes) – the size refers to the size of the fruit, not the size of the plant. All of my tomato seeds are indeterminate, meaning they produce over a long period of time and grow very tall.

• Large Red Cherry
• Rainbow cherry mix
• Tidy Treats (well suited for patios and containers)
• Yellow Pear

Medium to Large (like peach sized or larger)

• Costoluto Genovese (deeply ribbed heirloom)
• Purple Cherokee
• San Marzano (these are more like roma size)
• Tasmanian Chocolate (well suited for patios and containers)
• Wapsipinicon Peach

SQUASH

Summer (summer squash are things like patty pan, zucchini, etc. They grow on short vines that I think of more like spines)

• Bennings Green Tint Scallop (I’ve started growing these and they are strong)
• Dunja zucchini (I’ve started growing these and they are really strong)
• Eight ball zucchini squash (smaller round squash like a baseball)
• Fordhook zucchini (I’ve started these but they seem a bit weak)
• Slick Pik yellow squash
• Yellow Scallop (patty pan/scallop squash)

Winter and Pumpkins (winter squash don’t produce as many per vine but typically last a LONG time in storage, i.e. they last through the winter)

• Jarradhale (blue-grey deeply ribbed, looks like a pumpkin)
• Pumpkin Rainbox Mix (mix of pumpkin seeds)
• Red Kuri (red ball shaped winter squash)
• Sugar Pie pumpkin (small pumpkins)

CUCUMBERS, MELONS AND PEPPERS

I also have some cucumber, melon and pepper seeds. Melons and peppers like warmer soil, so I’ve delayed starting some of these, but they can be started now.

Cucumber: Armenian, Lemon, Natsu Fushinari

Melons: Hales Best Cantaloupe, Kajari Melon

Peppers: Ancho Poblano, Cornito Giallo

Finally, I have a bunch of flower seeds if you feel like adding some beauty to your garden. You’re welcome to request a second six-pack that is flowers and I will make them available so long as I have supplies. Flowers include: Black-eyed Susan Vine, Clary Sage (clary sage mix), Cosmos (candy stripe), Dahlia (bee’s choice mix), Echinacea, Globe Amaranth (pastel mix), Marigold (crackerjack mix), Nasturtium (tom thumb mix), Queen Anne’s Lace (queen of africa), Statice (pacific mix), Sunflower mix, Yarrow (summer berries), Zinnia (benary’s giant salmon rose).

Most veggie seeds are from San Diego Seed Company and Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Most flower seeds are from Floret Flowers. Yes I’ve ordered from Baker Creek (rareseeds.com) and love their catalogs and variety, but I’ve had germination issues and so am using SDSC and Johnny’s for this project to make sure you get easy-to-grow, robust seedlings.

Let me know how your spring gardening is going!