The Holidays are finally over and so is 2008. We are looking forward to 2009 with optimism and hope for a successful and happy new year. During the winter months we are busy planning for spring, planting seeds and gearing up our website for lots of visitors. Our Growing Tips page has had an overhaul and we hope that we made it easy to find the growing information you need. Visit anytime to look it over, I am sure you will find something you haven't seen before!

New to The Tasteful Garden are videos from Gardenfork.tv which are entertaining to watch as well as educational. Check them out from our Growing Tips page.

Orange Russian 117 has got to be one of the most beautiful tomatoes we grow and the flavor is complex as with many of the gold and red streaked varieties. The red streaks bring in acidity and the golden flesh is sweet and full flavored and we just say "Wow" when we eat one. The texture of these old heirlooms is so tender and soft, never mealy or grainy and on the plate, there is nothing prettier. Along with Pineapple, Kellogg's Breakfast, Persimmon and Marvel Stripe, you just can't go wrong growing them in your garden.

Carmen peppers are actually sweet, even though they look like a hot pepper, and are considered an Italian roasting type pepper. Carmen make the best roasted peppers because they have very little core to them and they have a richness of flavor that you will not believe. The red is so heavy it comes off on your fingers and they are fantastic when used fresh in salads or cooked. They grow to about 5-6" long and have thinner walls than most bell peppers. An "All American" award winner, we highly recommend this pepper for all gardens since they generally are more productive than bell peppers.

This year, for the first time, we are offering a quantity discount on our tomato plants. Order 10 plants for a 5% discount, order 20 and get a 7.5% discount, and 40 or more will get a 10% discount. Keep in mind that when you place an order for 1 to 6 plants shipping costs stay about the same because of carrier minimum prices. For additional plants, the shipping goes up only slightly based upon weight. If you want to see your estimated shipping charges, just click on the link in the shopping cart view.

Our Culinary Herb set of 12 gives you a great discount on herbs when you let us choose the varieties. We will send you a complete herb garden with some really fun and fragrant varieties that you are sure to love. They normally include 2 Basils, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme and Chives with some other additions such as Lemon Verbena, Chocolate Mint, or Sweet Marjoram. Order 11 plants and get the 12th one free!

Our Favorite Artichoke Dipping sauce - for dipping the artichoke leaves after steaming them for about 45 minutes. Yum!

1/2 cup good mayonnaise (or homemade)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine
juice of 1 lemon
(optional) 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Asparagus with Prosciutto

* 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 6 to 8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool until able to handle.

Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece (about 1/2 a slice) of prosciutto. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature. For a nice first course salad, add a bit of the Artichoke sauce on top of the asparagus.

Try growing something completely different this year and have the harvest year after year. Both of these wonderful plants are perennials and with the right care will produce loads of vegetables every season! You can read more about growing these plants by visiting our Growing Tips page. Plants will be shipping for Asparagus in February for those in the south and Artichokes will be shipping during the month of March.

It's time to start gardening...Here are some tools you might need! Our garden tote bag is roomy and sturdy enough for lots of trips to the garden and has lots of pockets for carrying tools. This gardeners folding seat gives you a place to sit while working in your raised beds. Our potting tray keeps all your soil in one place instead of all over the kitchen!

View these items and more in our catalog