The Seed List for 1997

Annuals

plant name	germination listed on packet	actual germination	start seed	sowing depth	height	spread	bloom period
California Poppy	10-14 days	3 days	not specified (I used 6 weeks)	not specified (I did not cover)	20-25cm (8-10")	30-35cm (12-15")	June - Sept.
This poppy has pretty 7.5cm (3") orange blooms that open in the morning, and close up in the evenings. It is an old variety (first featured in the A.E. McKenzie Co. 1905 seed catalogue). The foliage is a feathery blue-green. It started quickly, grew well, and has been flowering all summer. This one is a keeper. According to the packet, it will self-seed if established, so maybe I won't have to start them again next year.
Evening Scented Stocks (Matthiola bicornis)	7-10 days	10 days	4-6 weeks	do not cover	45cm (18")	30-35cm (12-15")	June - frost
These plants produce a stock of light pink flowers that smell absolutely fabulous in the evenings. They really do fill the air with their scent. They aren't very showy, though, and over the summer I lost all of them to drought. They never did develop a significant root system, especially considering how large they grew, and that is likely why they died. I started these seeds in small pots of soilless potting mix, instead of pellet pots, and I wonder if they would have done better if they'd been in the pellets. The fragrance alone is worth giving them another try.
Hybrid Impatiens "Super Elfin Blue Pearl"	15-20 days	10 days	6-8 weeks	do not cover	20-25cm (8-10")	30-35cm (12-15")	June - frost
This is a really pretty impatiens, with pastel blue-pink flowers. I didn't have much luck with it, though, as the seedlings were so tiny when it came time to plant them that I put them in pots with several other plants, and they didn't compete well. I think this plant needed to be started several weeks earlier to be a decent size in time for spring. I may try it again next year.
Kale "Pigeon Red"	10-14 days	2 days	8-10 weeks	6mm (1/4")	20-25cm (8-10")	30-40cm (12-15")	June - frost
This is the ornamental cabbage that turns a deep red in the center in the late fall. This one started easily, but grew somewhat leggy at first. Once it was in the garden it filled out, and now looks just fine. The only problem is that the slugs and snails love it, so I'd recommend some protection if they are a problem.
Lobelia "Trailing Sapphire"	15-20 days	3 days	10-12 weeks	do not cover	15cm (6")(trails)	trailing	spring - frost
Nice 1/2in. deep blue flowers have bloomed well all summer in the hanging baskets I planted them in. I left 4 seedlings in each peat pellet, and pruned them back after planting, which made them bushier. They are pretty resistant to drying out, and bounce back on watering.
Hybrid Marigold "Orange Jubilee"	5-7 days	3 days	4-6 weeks	6mm (1/4")	55cm (22")	30cm (12")	June - frost
Marigolds are reputed to be easy to start from seed, and it was certainly the case for me. These beautiful orange 4" double blossoms grew into large plants, with lots of flowers. They haven't needed staking, and haven't been bothered much by the slugs. The seedlings were only a little leggy, partly from not being turned often enough in the early stages of growth, but deep planting fixed that.
Hybrid Snapdragon "Princess White with Purple Eye"	10-14 days	3 days	6-8 weeks	do not cover	35-40cm (14-16")	15-20cm (6-8")	June - frost
These snapdragons started easily, and grew to a nice size by the time I planted them in the garden. They are a pretty pink colour, and coordinated nicely with an Anthony Waterer Spirea that I planted them around. They have proven to be tolerant of some dryness.

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Vegetables

plant name	germination listed on packet	actual germination	start seed	sowing depth	height	seed spacing	days to harvest
Carrot "Baby Nantes"	12-20 days	5 days	sow outdoors	6-13mm (1/4 - 1/2")	20-25cm (8-10")	3-5cm (1-2")	55 days
These are a miniature Dutch strain of carrot, which the packet says have a high vitamin content and flavour. I agree with the latter assessment. They were sweet and tender, perfect for eating fresh from the garden. I was very late sowing these, and am still harvesting them right into October. With careful sowing, I didn't need to thin them until they were almost eating size.
Climbing Beans "Golden Wax"	6-10 days	2 days	sow outdoors	3cm (1")	climbing	10cm (4")	65 days
I love yellow beans, and wish I had planted more. It took a few days of collecting to get enough for one meal. That aside, these were good growers, and tasty. They didn't yield as much as the seed packet led me to believe, but since I have no experience to compare them to maybe I was expecting too much.
Climbing Beans "Kentucky Blue"	6-10 days	5 days	3 weeks or sow outdoors	4cm (1 1/2")	climbing	15-20cm (6-8")	52 days
I had far less luck with these green beans then with the yellow. Only 2 of the several seeds sprouted, and they didn't produce much. However, what they did produce was very tasty and tender.
Snow Peas "Ho Lohn Dow"	7-14 days	2 days	sow outdoors	3-5cm (1-2")	climbing	5-8cm (2-3")	68 days
Of the three climbing legumes I tried this year, this was by far the most successful. They all germinated, and grew quickly, producing lots of tender, sweet snow peas. Again, I didn't plant enough, but they were good in salads and for tasty garden snacks on their own. When the vines reached a height of about 4 feet, and seemed spent, they died back, but new growth sprouted from the base and that growth is still producing the odd pea (it's now October).
Tomato, cherry "Tiny Tim"	10-14 days	3 days	6-8 weeks	13mm (1/2")	40cm (18")	30-60cm (12-24")	45 days
These tomato plants started really well, and were a nice size when I planted them outside. Unfortunately they developed black spot after a cool, damp period in early spring. I treated it with a sulfur spray, which helped, but they ended up being quite stunted in growth. They did produce some very nice tomatoes - red, meaty, and full of flavour. Since I started so darn many of the things, I wasn't really too heartbroken when they didn't produce much - we're still up to our ears in tomatoes here.
Tomato, hybrid "Husky Gold"	12-16 days	6 days	6-8 weeks	6mm (1/4")	1m (39")	60cm (24")	70 days
These tomato plants also started really well. Unlike the cherry tomatoes, they didn't develop any black spot. This is an indeterminate plant with a high yield (they weren't kidding), and did well through a cold spring, a very hot dry summer, and are still going strong through a cool fall. It's now October 1, we've been having overnight lows of 3-10C, and they are still going strong. The fruit is very sweet and meaty, and averages 6-8cm (2-3") diameter. They are an odd yellowish colour, and at first I wasn't sure when they were ripe, but they do deepen in colour to almost orange. I tried out metal spiral supports for the first time with these, and they worked out very well. If I had kept up with pinching back the side growth I wouldn't have needed to do any tying at all (but I didn't, and they have bushed out like shrubs, yikes).

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Herbs

plant name	germination listed on packet	actual germination	start seed	sowing depth	height	spread	days to harvest
Sweet Basil "Large Leaf" (annual)	10-15 days	6 days	6-8 weeks	3mm (1/4")	20-25cm (8-10")	20-25cm (8-10")	80-85
This herb grew really well, and produced fragrant, flavourful leaves that we've been using in salads and cooking from midsummer on. They weren't affected by insects, but wilted if they dried out. I pinched them back to encourage them to bush out, which they did. I've been freezing them for winter use, following a suggestion in a magazine that they keep their flavour better that way then drying. I blanched them first by pouring boiling water over them, and froze them individually on cookie sheets first, before putting them in freezer bags.
Fernleaf Dill "Anethum graveolens" (annual)	20-25 days	7-8 days	4-6 weeks	do not cover	45cm (18")	20-30cm (8-12")	65
I just love the smell of fresh dill. It makes the garden smell wonderful, and when I bring some in to cook with or dry the whole kitchen smells marvelous. I swear it lifts the spirit better then any drug. This one is a compact plant that started easily and produced well. It also attracted hordes of bees and wasps - I guess they find the scent as irresistable as I do.
Parsley "Italian or Single" (annual)	20-30 days	7 days	not specified	6mm (1/4")	20-25cm (8-10")	30cm (12")	78
This is a very flavourful parsley, and grows like crazy. We would have had enough for summer eating and a large harvest with just 2 plants. Every time you cut some it just grows even faster. Seeds had to be soaked in warm water for 24 hours before sowing. Parsley is great in salads and most foods, and even freshens your breath.
Sage "Salvie officinalis" (perennial)	10-20 days	7 days	not specified	3mm (1/8")	20-25cm (8-10")	38-50cm (15-20")	75
You can't beat fresh sage in turkey stuffing, which is what the fragrance of this herb always reminds me of. It's also good in other cooking, of course. This herb started easily, and is doing very well. It seems pretty resistant to insects, although some leaves were nibbled on by something. I've dried quite a lot, although the seed packet recommends light harvesting the first year the plants I started grew quite big and I barely made a dent.

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