January 2008 ---Yea!     (Our newsletters are all copyright The Tasteful Garden 2003-2008 if you would like to reprint any of this information please let us know by email.)

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Heirloom Tomatoes, nothing beats the flavor of one of these babies ripe and sweet, still warm from the sun.  All they need is a sprinkle of salt to bring out the sweetness and, Wow!  Beyond all "grocery store" tomatoes, the flavor is complex, rich, acidic and sweet at the same time.  It's all about their flavor for us, we don't care to grow tomatoes that don't give us the "wow" factor, it is just not worth our time. Because we are gardeners and cooks ourselves, we know that the flavors of the garden are so spectacular that the grocery store is always our last resort.   

This month we want to share some growing tips to make this process of gardening easier and less work for you so you can spend more time harvesting, cooking, and eating!  Whether you try some of them or all of them, they should be helpful and inexpensive ways to improve your garden experience.  Gardening should be easy and fun!

All of our Herbs, Tomatoes, Peppers and Vegetable plants can be ordered now! Our first shipping date is scheduled for March 3rd and you may choose any shipping date you like after that.  We also have Potatoes, Garlic, Strawberries and even seeds that can ship earlier for a head start on your garden.  It is extremely helpful to us when you order your plants early so we can plant enough of each variety to assure all of them are in stock throughout the entire season. 

With 50 tomato varieties and 15 peppers we have more than enough to choose from to make your garden colorful and tasty.  Our herb plant selection is the best of the culinary world and our vegetables cover all the bases from 4 different Eggplants to colorful Zucchini and 4 Cucumber varieties, Spinach and Lettuce, Beans and more.  Check out our selection today! 

Our web site has had some upgrades and cosmetic changes which we hope will make things easier to find and ordering easier.  If you need help at any time, please call us toll free at 866-855-6344. 

Growing Tips for Easy Gardening

Gardening should be fun and easy to do and by following these tips, you can prevent some of the problems which may a chore out of even the smallest gardens. 

1.  Planting in the right location to begin with.  An open area with lots of sunshine and good soil is the best location for your garden.  Providing the proper amount of light alone will prevent so many stress problems with your plants, after all they are food making machines and need sunlight like a light bulb needs electricity!  Too little light will prevent fruiting, keep the leaves too wet and can make the plants stretch to reach the sunlight.  I know that it is nicer to garden in the shade but in reality the plants may suffer and may never produce well in shaded conditions.  Plants always prefer to be in the ground, even if you don't have "good" soil, it will most definitely be better than potting soil for the roots of your vegetables.

2.  Amending your garden to create "good" garden soil.  Most longtime gardeners will tell you that there is nothing that will make more of a difference in your vegetable garden success than adding compost, mulch and any other type of organic material to the soil.  By organic I mean that it should be a by product of nature, not a certified organic bag of dirt. Fallen leaves, peat moss, compost of any kind are all "organic materials" and will break down over time to create the "black" soil that many backyards are lacking.  You don't need to buy soil. Everyone has soil that will grow plants, the amendments will lighten up heavy soil and improve drainage, add texture to sandy soil which helps it hold water and nutrients.  For first time gardens, you should rototill as deeply as you can to loosen up compressed soil and add amendments as you till to mix them well.

3. Feeding and Watering should be done sparingly. Just because we have access to so many kinds of fertilizers, and the big box stores want to sell you sprinklers and hoses and all types of watering equipment, shouldn't mean that we try to alter natures cycles.  Yes, with vegetables it is necessary to water in periods of drought but a 5 second hosing down of the leaves doesn't actually water where the plants need it.  The roots are the natural intake for moisture and the leaves are the intake for carbon dioxide, so water the roots!  Also, instead of a short quick watering after work every day, try a long, slow watering every Saturday that gets the moisture down deep in the soil where you want the roots to go.  A dribbling soaker hose or a drip watering system run for about an hour can actually save water by putting it in the right place instead of a sprinkler that evaporates most of the moisture into the air.  Feeding should also be done in the most natural way possible.  By adding organic fertilizers, made from "organic materials", the feeding is a process of breaking down slowly and merging with the soil where the roots know how to find it.  Spraying Miracle Gro on the leaves (again, why would the plants want their food through their leaves?) can create more problems such as adding too much nitrogen, building up salts in the garden and burning the leaves.  Never mind that it is watering the wrong way which wastes water.

4. Space the plants so they have room to grow.  If you have never grown a particular vegetable before, you may not be aware of how large some plants get.  I have seen a squash plant that is 6 feet around.  Needless to say, if you have a 6 X 10 foot garden, that may not be the best thing to grow.  If tomatoes are planted too close together, they may have problems drying off their leaves and this can promote disease and also make it impossible to find the tomatoes!  For estimated plant sizes and spacing please see our Kitchen Gardening Tips and Plans page.

5. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch.  Recently featured on the TV show It's not easy being green we saw where the garden beds were laid out and then covered with brown Kraft paper to keep the moisture in the soil, shade out weeds, and keeping other top mulch from breaking down too quickly.  Around here, it is the best way to recycle newspapers and many folks use them in a thick layer to accomplish the same objective.  I have seen old towels, carpet and lots of other things "recycled" in the garden as mulch.  There are really no rules except that they should be easy to use, protect the roots of the plants from the hot sun, and block weeds.  Just be careful not to use anything treated with toxic chemicals of course.  If you want to use rolls of Kraft paper, this item is available in our catalog as a special order item.

6. If you do need to grow in containers, make sure that you use large pots, good potting soil mixed with some compost, (about a third).  Water deeply and regularly, fertilize regularly (about every 6 weeks), Mulch the top of the dirt, and give them plenty of sun.

More New Tomato Selections for 2008

Neves Azorean Red is a strange name for a tomato but we think you will be quite pleased with this taste test winner.  This terrific red tomato was developed by Anthony Neves, who brought seeds from the Azores. There he kept selecting for larger size, while still keeping flavor as priority, resulting in a huge, beautiful beefsteak with 1 to 3 lb. deep red fruit bursting with rich, full flavor. This very big and acidic tomato is perfect for a tomato sandwich or a fantastic Caprese salad.

Kellogg's Breakfast is one of the best known heirlooms for its juicy sweet flavor and bright color exactly like orange juice.  Smooth texture and full taste make this one definitely worth growing.  Orange tomatoes are somewhat low acid but very sweet and this one will melt in your mouth.  Large fruits weigh in at about 1 lb.

Marianna's Peace is well known for its old fashioned heirloom flavor. We grew them a couple of years ago when the seed was very hard to find so we discontinued it and now the seeds are back so we can offer it again this year. It is an absolutely delicious, nice sized pinkish beefsteak with a sweet, full tomato flavor in a perfect shape for slicing on sandwiches. Vigorous potato-leaved vines are also relatively productive for an heirloom plant. You will not be disappointed in these tomatoes. 

Sweet Mini Bell Peppers are a fun new variety that grows those tiny sweet peppers that are great for salads or stuffing.  They have nice sweet flesh and ripen quickly too.  Only 2" in diameter and prolific plants.

Can't decide? Check out our Combos for easy ordering.

Our catalog listings have changed format which we hope it makes it easier for you to browse and find what you need.  Click here to View our new tomato varieties as well as our all of the peppers and vegetables in our catalog.  Pre-ordering helps us tremendously to calculate how many of each plant to grow and plan our season and guarantees that your plants will be in stock and ready to ship when you want them for your garden.  You can also send plants as a gift to be shipped at a later date when it is safe to plant.

This year, because we had such severe weather and we know others have too, we are integrating our new Tomato Rating System which indicates how easy the varieties will grow in your garden.  If you are looking for the best container tomato, the easiest for beginners or just the most productive, flavorful tomatoes, our 3 star varieties are the best for you.  If you want to try something different, are looking for some interesting flavors, or just want to wow your neighbors with size or colors, choose our 2 or 1 star varieties.  A single star doesn't mean that the tomato doesn't taste fantastic, just that you may get limited quantities from a single plant.

2007 ANNUAL TOMATO SURVEY

We asked for your opinion on several of our tomato varieties and your survey responses are listed on our website and can be viewed by clicking here:

New items in our catalog:

Our Organic Gardening Supply Kit

Everything you need to grow organically except the plants! This kit contains Worm Castings for planting, Serenade Organic Fungicide, Neem II pesticide, All Purpose Organic Plant Food, and Garden Lime. Also, a Garden Trake tool and a pair of gardening gloves. You also get a free roll of Stretch Garden Tie Tape. This kit will set you up for several years of organic gardening!

Garden Tote Seat

It's a tote! It's a seat! It's great! What else can we say. Very sturdy as well as lightweight.

We are looking forward to a happy and healthy new year in 2008.  We hope your year is prosperous and your goals are achieved in all aspects of your life.  Remember that eating healthy vegetables and fruits can make us all live longer and feel better all the way through.  Vegetable Gardening is one of the most rewarding healthy activities which also has the added benefit of the harvest!

Contact Us toll free 866-855-6344