Tales of the Plant Sale

The plant sale proved to be a fruitful event. However I must remember for next year that the early bird does indeed get the worm. By the time I showed up at 9:30 (the event started at 9), most of the plants were wiped out!

I did manage to fill my Tubtrug with some goodies including:

• 'Ramapo' tomato plants

Developed in 1968 by Dr. Bernard Pollack at Rutgers University, Ramapo is usually referred to as the traditional Jersey tomato. However, the Rutgers NJ Farm Fresh website says that there's no such thing. Chalk it up to the soil and climate in the Garden State that gives tomatoes their juicy flavor. See, there's more to New Jersey than just the Sopranos!

I also visited my local organic farmer and purchased a final tomato plant (otherwise I'll be giving away many tomatoes this season - or making a ton of spaghetti sauce.) It's a common heirloom variety - Mortgage Lifter. It's still a little bit cool outside here, so for now my tomato plants are living in the guest bedroom.

Also purchased:

• Indian Basil, Thyme & Rosemary

Last year I planted Rosemary in a container and it was huge. Unfortunately, we had a very dry winter and didn't survive so I'm back to square one. The elderly gentlemen I met at the farmstand had his Rosemary plant for 5 years before it met the same fate!
At my home we always seem to be cooking with Thyme & Rosemary, especially when you know you can walk outside and snip a fresh bit off. Basil is also a staple, but I wanted to try something different. Hence the decision to go with the Indian Basil. I'm also using an All Purpose Fertilizer by Perfectly Natural to make sure they're well fed too!

When it gets a little warmer, I'll be busy sowing Morning Glories (Dark Knight , Scarlet O' Hara ) and Sunflowers (Double Shine, Prado Yellow) as well. So slowly but surely the garden is coming together. How's yours doing?