What do we have here?
Beautiful organic heirloom tomatoes, they were labeled "UglyRipe" but those are the least ugly heirlooms I'VE ever seen... packed in styrofoam?
Has everyone lost their d@mn minds?
I feel pretty badly since I was in such a hurry I threw them in the cart not even thinking that a company that shouts organic & heirloom on the same label would have such arcane packaging, when did I stop inspecting things like this? How about labeling them "Contradiction Tomatoes"?!
Now on to the things I can control :)
The tomato seedlings are really nice looking once pulled out of the seedling box and standing alone, this one is a Yellow Pear.
"Wait, wait - don't tell me...."!
Instantly recognizable by their cute mittened hands, you're right -
it's the Brandywine!
Holy moly - basil lovers, put this on your list...
"Lettuce Leaf" Basil, compare the little pot to my hand in the photo - the leaves are fantastically huge!
No outdoor stuff going on, it's cold! Well, not really cold (37ºnights, 48º days), but I'm looking for a reason to indulge myself in fabric one last time before spring begins in earnest. I started a quilt for my bed on Wednesday. This one is a fun challenge since I'm doing it from stash, there is nothing in the budget for yards of fabric but yet I really want a spring quilt to brighten up the bedroom and it will be fun to see what happens when left to my own devices and my stash, more on that later for those that are interested. It's probably a better use of my time and money to use what I have since I'm such a beginner, I'd hate to ruin nice quilt shop fabric!
I did find a way to part with $6 this morning at the local deep discount store:
$2.99 each for nice, thick hardcovers - how could I say no?
I can't believe how nice your starts look. Are you fertilizing them? My potting mix has developed a green mold on them-I've never had that before. And they look weak (the starts). Trade ya!
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your starts look great! and I'm with you about the stupid packaging. What's killing me the most is all of my friends that won't RECYCLE in the slightest.
ReplyDeleteWe had GREAT tomatoes in Mexico. I had a Caprese salad with tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, and a HUGE basil leaf. They had used an uncooked spaghetti noodle as a type of mast to stick in the tom and mozz and the basil leaf was like a sail. It was beautiful and delicious!
(And of course, I get to mention my vacation some more...cuz it's really about me ;-D)
Your tomatoes look absolutely magnificent!! I'm glad that I'm not the only one with some large tomato plants already.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that it just drives me crazy when I go to the grocery store and see all this stuff!! I saw organic potatoes wrapped in plastic and ready for the microwave!!!!! Are people really that stupid???
Are you sure it's styrofoam? There is similar product made out of corn. I'm not sure how you could tell but there must be some type of number or something on the package.
ReplyDeleteAnd if it really is styrofoam then that's a fail for the company selling organic tomatoes! Oh, and another thought I had is that the grocery storm may have packaged them and not the organic grower.
Boy your seedlings are looking great! I don't even have any started yet.
Sue, I haven't fertilized them as of the photo this morning, but I bought my seaweed solution today so I'll be spraying the underside of the foliage with that about once a week from now through outdoor transplant time. I never fertilize my seedlings in the house or in the soil. I use a seed start mixture of just plain bagged "seed starting mix" diluted more with vermiculite or peat or whatever I have on hand (I don't buy peat anymore, still have stuff on hand from 3 years ago!), and when I pot them up into the next size I use regular potting soil half and half mixed with seed starting mix, that seems to keep mold and gnats and such from happening.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, Caprese salad is my favorite thing to make in the summer!
Robin, I've seen those potatoes, how lazy LOL!
Sparkless, that is an excellent point! I don't think it was wrapped by the store since it had the brand name printed on the wrap around the whole thing. I flipped the tray over and it doesn't say anything on it, which is kind of strange - I'm thinking if I was marketing myself as a supplier of organic heirloom produce and I was using biodegradable packaging, I would have that in big print on the package as well and use it as a selling feature.
"No" should be stricken from our vocabularies ;o)
ReplyDeleteOh your plants look so wonderful! I admit I am a bit scared to start mine. Why? Dunno, keep thinking with this whacky spring a frost will come and killem' all!
I want to sew too! I can not wait to see how that comes together!
It is just cruel to show that basil. Cruel I say! I can just smell it now.....perfume to the home chef.
ReplyDeleteIf those qualify as "ugly" heirloom tomatoes, I'll eat the styrofoam tray. When I see a real misshaped heirloom, it brings back the memory of the taste of my grandpa's lumpy-bumpy tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteYour seedlings look fantastic. Wanna move up here and start a greenhouse? Hmmmm?? That basil is to die for. I want some like that. Talk about bang for your buck!
Your quilt is going to be great. Use it on your bed until you go on to do something "better" and then use it until it falls apart as a picnic blanket. It will have so many memories as your very first full-sized quilt.
I'd like to curl up tonight with those great books you got for the boys!
APG, are you going to have PigPen start them with you having to work? Better get busy :)
ReplyDeleteJane, my basil, your outdoor pizza oven - it's a date! :)
Mama Pea, I know! My heirloom tomatoes are all cracked and lumpy, it's one of the things I look for in a good tasting tomato, I tell the boys those cracks are "where the sunshine got in". Of course Loch points out that it's actually the opposite and it's too much rain... party pooper! Great idea about the quilt, I just finished pressing all the seams on the finished top, I stared at it for about a second when I realized I was going to have to sandwich that big thing and shove it through my machine and I ran screaming for the nearest bottle of wine :)
Your tomatoes look gorgeous! My broccoli is doing really well so far - I'm going to start hardening them off on Monday in hopes that I can plant them out in another two weeks or so!
ReplyDeleteWoW! That is some nice basil you got there girlfriend! It's one of my favorite staples through the summer.
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