St. Clare Heirloom Seeds

  I received my order of garden seeds from St. Clare Heirloom Seeds this past week.  Seeing as how I had just ordered on April 16th, I was very surprised to receive the seeds on Monday.  That’s quick!!  Now, I cannot actually comment on the germination because they haven’t been planted, yet.  But, if looks and service say anything, these seeds are going to turn into wonderful plants.  The seed packets are cute and the quantity of seed in each is reasonable.  I found the price to be in line with what I’ve paid in the past for similar seeds and I was even able to purchase some of my favorite varieties.  Shipping is only $3 for seed orders. 

A bonus with St. Clare Heirloom Seeds is that they specialize in Non-GMO, Non-Treated, Non-Hybrid, Heirloom and Open-Pollinated Seeds.  While all these factors may be important to some folks, I was most interested in the Heirloom tomato seeds.  I have read and ‘heard’ that heirloom varieties have such good flavor.  I want to experience the difference for myself, and flavor is important when canning spaghetti sauce and freezing stewed tomatoes.

They sell books, too.  I found one that I cannot wait to receive and read … Backyard Homestead … more on that after it arrives!  If plants were available, I would definitely order.  I’ll keep you posted on how my garden grows in future posts.

Here’s a list of what I ordered:

• Green Bean – Contender
• Beet – Cylindra
• Carrot – Danvers 126
• Pea – Super Sugar Snap
• Pea – Maestro
• Summer Squash – Black Beauty
• Winter Squash – Burgess Strain Buttercup
• Lettuce – Paris Island COS
• Lettuce – Lettuce Blend #2
• Spinach – Bloomsdale Long Standing
• Tomato – Toma Verde Tomatillo
• Tomato – Tumbler (Cherry)
• Tomato – Amish Paste
• Tomato – Delicious
• Tomato – Rutgers

Of course, this isn’t all I will be planting.  I am not ordering early enough to start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, & peppers from seed!  And then, I really like English cukes, so will be looking for those seeds/plants locally.  The potatoes and corn are planted in a larger plot we share with Grandpa & Grandma Green Acres.  Grandpa already has a few rows of potatoes planted … using our own home-grown potatoes for seed.

Wordless Wednesday – Zeke’s Current Poem

Craft Basket Wednesday

This past Saturday, our family hosted our 4-H club for a rocket building/pillowcase sewing meeting.  Most of the members worked on rockets, but three chose to make pillowcases.  Angelina has no interest in rockets, so she was one of the three seamstresses who made a pillowcase.  She chose fabric from samples I had on hand (purchased when Hancock Fabrics went out of business a couple years ago).  I had wanted to make her a quilt out of these fabrics, but… we moved… and I had a baby… there’s really not much time to quilt!  Pillowcases are quicker/easier to sew and the bed-set came with linens and a pre-made quilt. On a side note, the bed-set came from my childhood room and was the wedding gift given to my maternal grandparents by my maternal great-grandparents – it’s mahogany and beautiful – this bed-set started my longing for dark cherry furniture.  Anyhoo, maybe I’ll make her a matching lap quilt to curl up in while she reads late into the winter nights.  You know the kind that lay across the the foot of the bed in pictures, but in real life are in a heap on one side of the couch!


The pattern for the pillowcases came from a kit … I just really liked the fabric combination.  Of course, the colors don’t match anything in my bedroom, but the fabric is a silky cotton that I’ll enjoy.  This pattern is quick and easy to sew – definitely under an hour.  Why do I buy pillowcases when construction is this easy??


The bold floral prints are from the kit …



The brown & pink that match Angelina’s room decor…




The full size view – hard to really appreciate the layering in the smaller photos…

 


Click here to check out other Craft Basket Wednesday posts… thanks Amy Caroline!

Monday DayLook – April 19, 2010

For Today:  April 19, 2010

Looking out from my back porch... the irony of Spring is that before I can get outside to plant anything that I LIKE, the weeds begin to grow like … well, weeds!  So, there is green, but it’s broadleaf weeds!!

I am thinking about… gardening.  The seed packets I ordered last week arrived today.  I purchased onion sets over the weekend.  Started plants will need to wait until May, but I am soooo itching to plant.  The square foot gardens just need a little compost/soil to top them off and they’ll be ready for seeds.

 I am thankful for... Spring-time, sunny days, babies, washing machines, and simple joy-filled moments scattered throughout the day.

I am reading…StAR magazine from March/April 2010.  The focus of this issue is G.K. Chesterton: Fidei Defensor.  Very, very good reading.  Am also reading my latest Cooking Light magazine and finished reading the Winter 2010 issue of mater et magistra … probably just in time for the next issue to arrive.

I am hoping... for a bit of rain later this week to settle the dust and get the newly planted fields growing.

I am hearing... Baby Louis jumping away in the Jumperoo, shrieks of joy included!

I am wearing…jeans, a brown long-sleeve t-shirt, white socks & my favorite pair of beige Sketchers

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… the boys worked on rockets this week.  Angelina has been working on her quilt and she finished up her pillowcase.  All will be exhibited as 4-H projects.

From the school room... last week was a challenge.  Nice weather means we’d all rather be doing something else!  So, I doubled up Dash’s assignments in a couple subjects; he protested at first, but after trying it realized that he could handle the small amount of extra work and still finish decent time.

From the kitchen... it was a SWEETS week.  I tried out Maple Pecan Scones (***** = gone), Angelina made Mini-Chocolate Chip Scones (*****= samples & then frozen) and brownies (another ***** = saved for 4-H meeting)!  I also mixed up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but they were a bit of a flop.  They’re being eaten, but they spread too much and aren’t very attractive.   This week, I’m going to search for egg recipes.  Whenever we made Angel-food cake (uses 12 egg whites), my mom would make 12 egg-yoke cookies … I’m searching for the recipe.

State of the house… the cook-top is in desperate need of attention, but the rest of the house should be good for a week.

A successful moment… I remembered to call and register the kids for the 4-H Communication Arts contest this morning – today was the deadline.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Dance class for Angelina & a library visit.

Tuesday-Friday: Plan and prepare for the weekend.  Spring’s work and planting begin this week.  Work on 4-H projects.

Saturday:  Dash’s 13th Birthday & Niece Elizabeth’s Baptism tonight.  I plan to meet up with my mom and sister for our annual women’s fraternity reunion.

Sunday:   Dash and his dad leave to attend 4-H Aerospace Camp. 

A Picture Memory…

 

My attempt at outdoor decor … old grapevine wreath with silk flowers tucked in the branches…

Angelina & Zeke planted onion sets today… it’s a bit early, but the worst that can happen is it’ll freeze & we’ll have to replant.  If it’s a go, they can show onions (although small) at 4-H Achievement Days in late June!

 

Graham was the lucky boy today!  He’s the first boy to ride in the tractor with dad this year.  He was super excited … water bottle & Scooby-Doo lunchbox filled with goodies in hand and Dad carried his toys (a bag of old Legos that I said could be scattered to the four corners of the field!).

 

Laundry experiment day…

If a fabric laundry hamper is full and the clothes need to be washed, can they all fit in one load??  Why, yes, they can fit. 

But, can the washer run??  Why yes, the washer can run. 

But, can it run without burning out the motor?? 

Thank goodness my little scientist didn’t get that far into the experiment before I heard the poor machine –she was groaning with the weight of water & clothes- and called for the load to be halved. 

Lifesaver

Zeke, coming in from visiting the momma and baby kittens:  “I basically saved Teeny’s life”.

Teeny is the momma cat.

Me:  “Really?!?  What did you do?” while thinking, ‘I hope she’s okay because Grandma Green Acres already had to nurse one batch of kittens last year and we really don’t need to do THAT again.’

Zeke: “I pulled a tick off her.”