Preserving Our Heritage

Every Year around February I start receiving all of my seed catalogs in the mail. I flip through the hundreds of pages devouring each seed's profile. I meticulously mark each seed I plan to purchase to add to my repertoire. It is crazy, I almost salivate when reading the story each seed has to tell. I usually favor the seeds that are rare and produce veggies which are not found at our local supermarket. I guess that is the challenge. I mean, why can't we get more of a variety of produce? Are they really more difficult to grow? One of my favorite seed supply companies is Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. For example, check out this description for the Mayflower Bean taken from the Baker Creek Heirloom seeds web site.

This is the bean (mayflower) that is said to have come to America with the Pilgrims in 1620. This old cutshort green bean has great flavor and the red/white beans are quite tasty. A long-time staple in the Carolinas.

I can see myself eating this delightful little bean and imagining myself on a large ship in 1620 traveling to a new and exotic place.

I purchased this bean and planted them three weeks ago. After three weeks of no sprouts I impatiently checked the soil for any sign of growth. When I dug a down a bit I came across a soggy blob I presume was my Mayflower seed. Usually I have great success with germinating seeds. What did I do wrong??? After a little research I found out I would have had better luck if I soaked the seeds in water for two hours before planting and kept the soil dryer than my other seeds. So, I have decided to go for round two with the Mayflower seed. I think I will start another batch of them tomorrow.