Seed Dreaming
By Eve Reshetnik Brawner
“Every day, millions upon millions of seeds lift their two green wings” (Janisse Ray)
(Okay, if it’s a ‘monocot’, it only lifts one green wing, but we can allow a bit of poetic license)
I love seeds. They’ve fascinated me since early childhood. Some of my earliest memories involve examining maple samaras, sycamore balls, acorns and pine cones, and planting peas and Sweet Alyssum and lima beans in cut-off milk cartons on the kitchen windowsill. I am still in awe of the power packed into a seed. That a 300-foot tall Eucalyptus grows from a dust-like seed you can barely see seems impossible, but the magic of life is unendingly mind-blowing!
Last summer and fall, we were collecting seed from our own plantings as well as collecting from native plants in the wild. And I’ve been happily buried in listings and catalogs for the last month or so, finding seed sources for many of the plants we grow at Harlequin’s Gardens. Every year it’s a treasure hunt, with new and exciting finds awaiting at the turn of a page. This year we plan to have many new native plants, as well as other irresistible perennial, annual, herb, and vegetable varieties to offer. Here’s a tiny taste of new plants we’re excited to offer:
Prairie Turnip (Pediomelum esculentum) edible native
Buffalo Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) native
Biscuit Root (Lomatium triternatum) edible/medicinal native
Astragalus tridactylicus from Boulder County – native
Golden Candles (Thermopsis lupinoides) – drought-tolerant, non-spreading Golden Banner – Plant Select!
Cherry Tomato ‘Aosta Valley’
Tomato ‘Siberian Pink Honey’ –delicious heirloom ‘beefsteak’
Cilician Parsley – thrives in shade!
Pipicha (Porophyllum tagetoides) – attractive herb for authentic Mexican fare
Nicotiana glutinosa ‘Peach Screamer’ – beautiful new annual!
Nasturtium ‘Orchid Flame’, ‘Orchid Cream’ and ‘Phoenix’ – stunning new colors, markings, shapes!
You’re probably planning for and getting excited about your garden, too! Well, we will have a large and carefully curated selection of vegetable and flower seeds for you when we open on March 5th. We choose varieties that we know will be the most successful and rewarding in your Front Range garden, with offerings from our own local favorites Botanical Interests Seeds and Beauty Beyond Belief (BBB) Seeds, as well as the non-profit Seed Savers Exchange, doing important work in preserving heirloom varieties.
Wishing you sweet garden dreams!