My seeds have arrived. Some are just in time for planting and some are kind-of late but manageable. Just to be clear I have done a first batch of seeds. This is a second, last-minute batch. They are all heirloom varieties purchased from Seed Savers. I’m very excited! I’ve already opened every packet and inspected all the seeds. I suspect most gardeners do this as a result of the pure excitment of it all. However, I will admit that at times I’ve purchased seeds just to see what they looked like, with no intention of growing them. That might be slightly more than a gardening quirk.

Here’s what I purchased:

• Beets ‘Bull’s Blood’
• Peas ‘Tom Thumb’
• Carrots ‘Dragon’
• Corn ‘Blue Jade’: Isn’t the blue of the kernals against the jade green foliage gorgeous?
• Corn ‘Two Inch Strawberry’
• Corn ‘Oaxacan Green’

: I’m not certain I will have space for this but I just couldn’t resist.

• Okra ‘Red Burgundy’: The flowers are beautiful but the deep red okra just add another level.
• Lettuce ‘Red Velvet’
• Lettuce Mixture

Based on the look of the seed alone, the corn are the most exciting. The other seeds basically look like what you’d expect of seeds of that type of plant. Being of heirloom varieties doesn’t have an effect on their appearance. The ‘Two Inch Strawberry’ corn seeds are so cute and red I want to pop them all right now just to see what they look like as popcorn. The idea of waiting four months to see what they become is frustrating.