I'm not sure if you've grown it before or heard me mention it, but Skyphos is the BEST garden lettuce of all time. Hands down! It forms a beautiful glossy insect-free head and doesn't bolt even in hot weather. And the texture is not tough for eating.

My Stokes,Vesey's and Dominion seed orders came a couple days ago. I ordered nothing new but ordered most of my favorites. T+M and T+T seed orders are on their way and should be here soon. Dominion seeds is pretty expensive but I couldn't find Coconut Ice chrysanthemums anywhere else.It will be just a few more days and I will start some geraniums...let the season begin!

I didn't remember about the lettuce at the time I was ordering, Gil, but I'm glad to hear (again) that you had a good experience with Skyphos and that I chose a good variety. I still have seeds for Pearl lettuce (from Dam seeds), which I grew last year, and will grow again - it also stayed tender and didn't bolt.

Do you have anything growing yet in that big, beautiful greenhouse of yours, Jean?

I wont start up the wood heater in the green house until sometime in March.There is a possibility of doing some winter sowing in there next month if I can get motivated. I hope the cold spell we had last week is the last one. These milder winters are making me soft.

I'm thinking of ordering from Heritage seeds out of MB. Someone mentioned them on one thread and as I was browsing their site I noticed they have Bronze Arrowhead lettuce, grew this a couple of years ago, (got it in a trade) and have not been able to find it since. Lovely lettuce was great all summer. I don't need alot this year still have tonnes from last but there is always something about getting seeds in the mail.
Skyphos sounds interesting which company sells that? Time to pull the catalogs out again.

I ordered Skyphos from Stokes.

From Wm Dam I'm thinking of ordering Tiara Hybrid 'Lettage' - a lettuce/cabbage cross. It says 'very good tasting cabbage; crisp, tender and juicy, and is best used as lettuce., much easier to grow in the heat of summer than most lettuce' (60 day). Sounds interesting.

That does sound interesting Pudge. I just received my order from Terra Edibles and don't know if I will be ordering any more seed this year. I'll have to share what I got with the neighbours as it is. :) But that Lettage sounds interesting. Don't know how I missed that in the WD catalogue? Oh wait! Maybe cause I have way too many seeds already and I'm practicing self control...........lol

Ginny

I just placed my Stokes order too. This year I got Skyphos lettuce, lavender (not sure if it grows well here?), oregano and Portuguese hot peppers. All my other veggie seeds I collected from the garden. For flowers I ordered Cuphea ignea, Salpiglossis, blue Big Daddy tunies, nicotiana and Sweet William. Will be starting the peppers ASAP and everything else starting March 1 or later.

I've had good luck with Munstead lavender, even had an abandoned small pot of it winter above ground. I think the trick is extremely good drainage with plenty of small rocks mixed in the soil, or planted on top of a small rise in the soil. I ordered more seed this year, too. I'm thinking of planting some in the crushed rock over gravel areas in the yard.

I started some peppers yesterday, the long sweet italian type. Also some seed for Pulsatilla vulgaris that I had forgotten I harvested.

We're going on another Utah/Arizona hiking/touring trip the end of March so most of my seed starting will have to wait until early April. I will start some things earlier and move them over to mom's grow lights for the time we're gone.

That's good to know! The lavender I bought was supposed to be an English type. They weren't expensive and I'm not bothered if I have to re-plant them every year. I have very silty/drained soil here. I'm just hoping I'll get flowers in one season.

If only the people from Heritage Harvest Seeds could see the size of my garden. They'd think I'd lost my marbles.

I ordered 3 types of beans, some carrots, leeks, romaine, slowbolt loose leaf lettuce, peas, arugula, and 4 types of tomatoes. I forgot to order chives, oregano, and parsley. I'll have to call her back =:)

I dug up a new spot in the fall for my veggies, but ended up running out of time and space for all the tulip bulbs I bought, so that space got filled with tulips and garlic.

I'll have to dig up more of the lawn. Good grief ! I just can't help myself =:)

NAF, I have resigned myself to just digging up the whole yard and then figuring out where I want lawn to go......maybe........easier that way. :)

Ginny

Ginny, my DH says that's what I should do. We don't use the lawn in the back for anything, other than watering and mowing.

Take note that he doesn't say that digging out the lawn is what he should do for me, LOL !

Lol! Men are funny that way! Unfortunately, I need a backhoe for this yard! And my back yard pretty much belongs to the dogs. :)

Ginny