The ice is here, and the rain chain tells the story. Birds fly from the bird feeder stations to the rain chain for water.
After watching them for awhile, what else is there to do but order seeds?
Then, the phone rings. My non-gardening best friend (NGBF), Aimee, calls and says “What’cha doin’?” Normally she’s at work by this time, but they were told the roads were too bad and not to come in.
I tear my eyes away from the computer screen and try to concentrate. “Uhm, I’m buying seeds. There are so many choices I have a headache, and I’m only looking at three catalogs. Make that four.”
She starts to laugh. It’s not that funny, I think. I probably have eleven catalogs from which to choose.
“So, what will you grow this year?” she asks, but I know she doesn’t really care. Her dad was an herb farmer, and she got plenty of experience, but little desire in the garden department.
“I’ve spent too much,” I say, sounding frantic, “I must consolidate orders. I need to check for any seeds given to me by friends and companies for duplication. I’m about to tear my hair out if you want to know the truth. Too much choice. Too many decisions.”
She continues to laugh. Then, she, who is a director of refugee re-settlement, talks about her poor refugees stuck in the Ft. Lauderdale Airport due to bad weather. I try to listen, but my eyes keep looking back at the screen as if I were a teen boy playing a video game. Finally, realizing what I’m doing, I minimize the screen to avoid distraction. The tabs are open to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Botanical Interests (the company with the best seed packets) and R.H. Shumway’s (check out their Land of the Giants Kids Garden). Never mind that I was going to buy fewer heirlooms. I really want that ‘Dragon Tongue’ bush bean. I must have the ‘Chinese Red Meat’ radish.
I listen. Aimee finishes telling me about her day, and then she hangs up still laughing. Although it was a nice break, she knows I can’t wait to get back to the seeds.
Because it’s an ice/snow day at school, one by one, my children walk in. Should they have a caesar salad for lunch? What’s for breakfast? The first is from my almost eleven year old who got up at 7:30 a.m. The second is my teen boy just rising. I ask Bear what she wants to grow this year. She says “Watermelons.” (Dang, watermelons are sometimes hard, but I say O.K.) “Pumpkins.” (They take up a lot of room and need lots of compost, I think, but again, O.K.) “Radishes.” I tell her about the ‘Chinese Red Meat’ radishes.
She says “cool-i-o”, her new favorite word. I hit buy and fill out the information.
Then, I get off the computer and start being a mom again.
The seeds can wait.
I haven’t ever seen a rain chain until I found your blog. I’m very interested in one of these for my moms garden, and possibly myself. Are they in high demand or just low production because I can’t find them any where!
-Sylvia
Hi Sylvia, if you search for “buy rain chain” under Google, you will find them from lots of places. Mine is made of copper and was kind of expensive, but I saw some at Target under the Smith & Hawken brand which weren’t that bad. I just did the search and a page showed up with some even on sale. Good luck. I think rain cahins are beautiful.~~Dee
Just checked out all 4 of your seed websites- Baker Creek, Botanical Interest, Shumway, & Southern Exposure -and found all Sorts of things I never knew about & now MUST plant! (Poor me with only my Burpee & Park’s catalog had NO idea what I was missing! LOL) I’d been looking for Vietnamese greens & herbs & finally found some! YAY Thank you! I want those red meat radishes, too! And Wonderberry! 🙂
Glad I could help, Elisse! You should also check out Renee’s Garden Seeds. Great, unusual varieties and mixes.~~Dee
Oh Dee.
I like this post very much.
There’s so much truth to it — those peksy distractions — a friend who needs a listening ear distracts a gardener from her seed-brousing — the the seeds distract a friend from listening to her caller — hungry children, not interested in future food from today’s seeds what to know what is in the fridge now, Now, NOW!.
Your choices reflect the seeds of wisdom of Sister Elizabeth Molina —
“Life is relationships. Everything else is just moving furniture..”
Stay warm.
Janell
I hear you about the seed ordering. This weekend is the weekend to finish and get them in for sure. I’m starting to worry I won’t get what I want!
I’ve ordered some of my seeds, still have many, many more to order. I hope I can finish ordering them this weekend. Stay warm, stay safe!
Hi, Dee;
Saw on the nat’l news that you’re being hit with quite a storm. Hope you are cozy and warm and grinning from ear to ear over your seed purchase. Now that I read the Radish comment about how it likes cool weather I wonder if it might be good for my garden as well. Will definitely check it — and not just because of it’s really weird name! 🙂
I loved reading this, Dee! So like me! I hear you guys are getting some terrible weather. Have you tried Renee’s Heirlooms Seeds? I ordered some from there and they’re just waiting for warm earth to be planted. Be careful out there!
Brenda
I love the look of the icy rain chain! I haven’t bought a single seed packet this year. I bought way too many for the last two years. I did collect some seeds at the end of the season though. I think I’ll be a little more selective this year.
Sounds like a great way to spend some time to me! The rain chain photo made me smile too.
Um… if you’re a freak, you’re in good company — mine! I spent too much and got overwhelmed, too, and ordered from two out of the four you listed. 😉
Plus an additional two… Sigh.
If you haven’t heard it already, you MUST listen to Stephanie Davis singing her “Harvestime Talkin’ Blues”. Here are the lyrics: http://www.stephaniedavis.net/harvesttime.htm
And you can listen to a sample here:
http://www.amazon.com/Talkin-Harvest-Time-Blues/dp/B000QKYZX2
DH & I thought of you when the weather report warned of inches-thick ice covering Oklahoma – it’s good to know you and the offspring are safe and warm and eating interesting things. The rain chain photo is terrific!
What the heck, Dee – you have a big garden and planting seeds has much better odds of winning something than heading for the casinos…even if all you get is a watermelon!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
U have to buy the Chinese Red Meat Radish. Only thing, it doesn’t do well once the summer heat starts. But it does well planted in early spring or late summer for a fall crop. It could be different in ur zone but that’s how it is for us and Red Meat.
Oh, Kitty, I bought it all right, along with a bunch of other stuff. Thanks for the referral. I’ll plant it early spring.~~Dee