Where to begin? On workshops, waterfalls, and wet unhappy seedlings!

One week ago today - actually, at this very time - I was just beginning my tomato workshop at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont NC. It is so odd - and somewhat disorienting - to reflect back on all that Sue and I experienced between then...and now. It was a truly enjoyable week with so many chapters. 

About Belmont

Speaking at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

We've enjoyed our visits to DSBG for years, always fitting it in to my tomato talking invites to Gastonia and/or Mt. Holly. It was such a pleasure to share my tomato stories with a wonderful audience, so well supported by my host, Jim Hoffman. After the talk, Sue and I perused the garden, with the orchid house a particular highlight. 

Susan and epiphytes in the Stowe Orchid House

After that, we lunched at a superb Belmont eatery, The String Bean, checked into our favorite Mt. Holly B and B, Robin's Nest, and were treated to a nice dinner with some former neighbors.

About Hendersonville - and Ella - and cats!

We had a few days set aside for exploration between my Belmont and Asheville (Mother Earth news Fair) events, and chose a wonderful airbnb, Ella's, in Hendersonville. Ella was quite remarkable in so many ways - we had great chats about movies, life - and cats (of which she had 8). We loved our dinner at West First pizza (superb), and waterfall walks at DuPont Forest and the Pisgah National Forest - and a glass of my favorite beer at Oskar Blues in Brevard. So many waterfalls....and tiny wildflowers beginning to emerge!

Top of a waterfall in DuPont Forest

Looking Glass Falls in the Pisgah National Forest

Susan surrounded by empties (not hers!) at Oskar Blues in Brevard

About Asheville and the Fair

This was my third Mother Earth News Fair - second in Asheville (last fall took place in Seven Springs PA). I had the GRIT stage on Saturday, and was so impressed at all of those who braved the cold (42 degrees) and wind (30 mph plus gusts) to hear me talk primarily about our Dwarf Tomato breeding project. Dinner, at close by Sierra Nevada, was really good - and really needed!

On the way to Asheville, on Friday, we stopped for lunch at the Well Bred bakery in Weaverville.  All I can say is, "wow!" That evening we were treated to a wonderful dinner at Salsas by my Storey editor, Carleen.

Goodies - an understatements! - at the Well Bred bakery in Weaverville

On Sunday, the weather warmed and calmed, and we took a nice walk through the NC Arboretum near by. It was just so incredibly therapeutic - we walked next to a gently flowing stream, saw more wildflowers, and enjoyed the beautiful gardens. Returning to the fair, I was delighted with a full tent for my late afternoon talk on tomato culture and stories. 

Tulips and more at the NC Arboretum in Asheville

My wonderful Sunday afternoon audience beginning to gather

Home again

We stopped on our Monday drive home in Black Mountain (Sue is addicted to the yarn shop there), and arrived home with sufficient light for me to move all of my veggie seedlings back out into the driveway. They looked quite unhappy from their week in the chilly darkness - but at least they are alive....if left outdoors, it would have been curtains for them with the frosts experienced here in our absence.

We had a nice surprise awaiting us - Sue's brother in law, Ed (whose wonderful dog Merry we've been enjoying for over two months), made a superb dinner...with an authentic, Florida made, Key Lime Pie for dessert. It is so nice to be welcomed home by kindness, and family.

And so - I wonder if my plants will look happier once the rain ends, the sun returns, and the weather warms again. Every year it is something....yet, every year things work out. 

Up next is a trip to Charlottesville to speak to the Master Gardeners group on Thursday evening. Soon to be on the road again! Just a short trip, though - on Friday, and over the weekend, my thoughts will turn to getting my garden planted.  At last!

Pre-trip odds and ends - and The Big Decision part 4. Dwarf Project tomatoes for 2016

Oh no! I look at the local (WRAL) website weather page. Then go to Accuweather. Then The Weather Channel. There is no escaping two nights either slightly above, at or below the magic (dreaded) temperature of 32 degrees F. Since we are on the cusp of a week long trip (speaking at Stowe in Belmont on Tuesday, then in Asheville at the Mother Earth News fair on Saturday and Sunday), I am flipping a mental coin.  Floating row cover....or the big relocation into the garage? Tomorrow the decision must be made. Fingers crossed for increasing low temps in the forecast.

If I haven't bored you to tears yet with lists (and note to folks local to me - there will be some opportunities to try out some of the varieties I am describing in this series of blogs - I always over-plant), here is another. This at last is the list of the varieties I hope to squeeze in to further the Dwarf Tomato Breeding project.

Some of you will recall that I went a bit off the rails and attempted loads of crosses last year, with over 20 succeeding. Though I got a rough idea of what some of the new hybrids looked like, they came in either very late, or were picked green and ripened indoors to give some F2 generation seed to start with this season.

Well, I decided to get all of the new hybrids going again - at least to grow them part season, check out the fruit characteristics in the prime of the summer, and harvest lots of seed. For a bit of background - I used various dwarf plants as the female, removing the anthers from blossoms prior to fully opening. I collected pollen from some interesting indeterminate varieties and applied it to the style of the dwarf plant flowers. If a tomato developed, I marked it, since there was a good chance it was a successful cross - an F1 hybrid between the indeterminate and dwarf. I chose the dwarf as the female because proof of the success of the cross is easy - if the seed saved from the tomato that formed grew indeterminate (the dominant trait), success could be claimed.

Here are the new hybrids I hope to grow out this year - I will list the dwarf female, followed by the indeterminate pollen donor.  Yes, I gave them each names in the spirit of our project.

• Addy - Sweet Adelaide X Yellow White
• Fishy - Iditarod Red X Variegated
• Artsy - Perth Pride X Variegated
• Sandy - Sarandipity X either Egg Yolk or Variegated (I lost track of which flower was hit with which pollen)
• Acey - Dwarf Mr. Snow X Variegated
• Emmy - Dwarf Emerald Giant X either Sun Gold F1 or Mexico Midget (lost track on this one too)
• Sissy - Iditarod Red X Russo Sicilian
• Roddy - Iditarod Red X Brandywine
• Arcky - Dwarf Arctic Rose X Mullens Mortgage Lifter, pale chartreuse leaf mutation
• Leafy - Dwarf Jade Beauty X Mullens Mortgage Lifter, pale chartreuse leaf mutation
• Betty - Dwarf Jade Beauty X Yellow White
• Speckly - Dwarf Golden Heart X Speckled Roman
• Worry - Wherokowhai X Speckled Roman
• Scary - Dwarf Golden Gypsy X Sun Gold F1
• Burly - Dwarf Beryl Beauty X Sun Gold F1
• Teensy - Summertime Green X Mexico Midget
• Tiggy - Dwarf Mr. Snow X Tiger Tom
• Dummy - Bundaberg Rumball X Dester
• Priddy - Perth Pride X Mullens Mortgage Lifter, pale chartreuse leaf mutation
• Reddy - Iditarod Red X Egg Yolk

My goal in these crosses was to expand our dwarf lines to include cherry and paste tomatoes. Of course, flavor is important, as well as uniqueness. We will have fun with these going forward.

For those that I did manage to save F2 generation seed from, we can start the process of hunting for interesting dwarfs. It is just simple genetics that dictate that 25% of the F2 seed will produce dwarf offspring, and they are easy to spot pretty early on. So I will be growing dwarf plants from the following crosses done last year:

Morty (this is from two years ago - it is Summer Sunrise X Mullens Mortgage Lifter), Chocky (also from two years ago - Dwarf Mr. Snow X Cherokee Chocolate), Ruggy (from a cross done from a gardening friend Carson - Dwarf Kelly Green X Rutgers), as well as Teensy, Speckly, Scarey, Tiggy, Dummy, Priddy, Worry, Burly, Betty, Reddy, Roddy, and Sissy. I also have dwarfs from another new cross - Steamy - Dwarf Pink Passion X Sun Gold F1 - I sent a plant to a California friend - she grew out the hybrid and sent me saved seeds. I can only fit one each from the above, so will be looking for help on exploring some of these.

I did get a chocolate colored dwarf from Ruggy last year, and I have some plants of the F3 generation growing. My friend Linda also grew out four dwarfs from the Teensy line, and found cherry sized dwarfs in red, yellow, purple and green; I have a few of each up and growing.

(taking a deep breath) - I also want to grow out all of the new Dwarf tomato releases since last summer, as well as regrowing a few that didn't perform as expected last year. This category includes Sweet Adelaide, Sweet Scarlet Dwarf, Rosella Crimson, Banksia Queen, Boronia, Chocolate Lightning, Dwarf Blazing Beauty, Dwarf Pink Passion, and Sean's Yellow Dwarf (all previous releases), and the new ones - Adelaide Festival, Dwarf Mahogany, Maralinga, Dwarf Russian Swirl, Kangaroo Paw Green, Kangaroo Paw Yellow, Kangaroo Paw Brown, Dwarf Orange Cream, Dwarf Golden Gypsy, Waratah, Sturt Desert Pea, BrandyFred, Tennessee Suited, Lucky Swirl, Tanunda Red, TastyWine, Kookaburra Cackle, Dwarf Wild Spudleaf, Loxton Lad, Loxton Lass, and Dwarf Crimson Sockeye.

Finally (really!) - are some that I want to check out since they are either nearing completion, or are early on but I want to put my two cents worth in on how they are doing.  In this category are Dwarf Caitydid, Wilpena, Dwarf Firebird Sweet, Dwarf Beauty King, Desert Start, Galen's Yellow, Bendigo Dawn, Bendigo Moon, Bendigo Rose, Bendigo Blush, Bendigo Drop, Mandurang Moon, Moliagul Moon, Marong Moon, Dwarf Velvet Night, and Saucy Mary.  Many of these are cherry types.

Pretty cool names, hey?  

So what's left? A few odds and ends, some things I am trying to work out (like a weird greenish cherry tomato that volunteered near my driveway garden but gave both potato and regular leaf plants, a Sun Gold looking tomato that volunteered at the back of my big side garden, dwarfs that appeared in Ferris Wheel seed - that sort of thing).

And I've not even gotten to the peppers and eggplant yet!

Happy Spring - hope to see some of you in Belmont, or Asheville!

My 2016 squeeze-the-plants-in challenge - part 3. More tomatoes....warning - this is a wonky blog post.

This seems to be a form of garden therapy - "yes, I know I start too many varieties and things go out of control.  Maybe if I tell you a bit about those tomatoes, you will understand...." Well, not really - only similarly obsessed tomato growers and gardeners could possibly understand the annual challenge of finding spaces for all aspirations.

In the first two parts of this 2016 garden-to-be series, I discussed the family heirlooms and the weirdo varieties to be used for breeding new varieties.  In this part, I will talk about the varieties I hope to fit in for saving fresh seed, or just their incredible deliciousness.

Something I like to do is to "test" varieties that I consider special for various reasons. I go back as far as I can to find seeds that germinate so that I can get a sense of the continued stability of those varieties.

For Cherokee Purple, I've started seed saved in 2002 (code 02-3), 2008 (08-12) and 2011 (11-51). When I received Cherokee Purple, it sent into vial 287, which is all gone. I grew that seed in 1991 - that was saved as 91-27. The 14 year old seed that is 02-3 was grown from 91-27. So, I will get to check out seed that is only two years removed from what J. D. Green sent to me. I grew some of the original - vial 287 - in 1993 - that seed, 93-2, was grown on 2008 - that, saved as 08-12 and destined for my garden this year, gives me another that is only twice removed from the original. Finally, the first time I grew Cherokee Purple (vial 287) was in 1990, saved as 90-10. I grew it in 1994 - saved as 94-108 - and that led to 11-51, which I am growing this year, and is three grow outs removed from the original. 

Cherokee Chocolate originated from one plant from 91-27 - saved as 95-47. I grew a plant from 95-47 in 2003 - that 13 year old seed, saved as 03-21, is up and growing and will be in my garden this year. I grew two plants from 95-47 in 1996, saved as 96-3 and 96-9. From 96-3 I grew a plant in 2011 - seed is in vial 11-13, and I've got that up and growing.  From 96-9 I grew a plant in 2011 - the seed, in 11-18, was germinated this year and will be in my garden. I will therefore have a chance to check out Cherokee Chocolate in three lines very near its origin.

Cherokee Green showed up in my garden in 1997 (seed of which was saved as 97-10) out of a sample of Cherokee Chocolate returned to me from a friend - I likely sent him 95-47 seed. I grew it quite often in 1998 and 1999, but sadly, none of those samples germinated. I did get one seeding from 16 year old seed - vial 00-51 (which came from 99-47, which came from 98-71, which came from 97-10 - so I will at least get to sample something three "generations" removed from when it first appeared. I also have one plant of 06-104, which is two removed from 00-51. 

Brandywine - how I love this variety when the weather suits it. I received it in 1987, and still find it to be one of the most delicious tomatoes I've experienced. I have three sample of Brandywine to squeeze in this year - two are 5 years removed from that original sample, and one is 6 years removed.

Lucky Cross is another favorite, because it is the only yellow/red swirled bicolor type that I find absolutely delicious - in fact, very much like it's "daddy", Brandywine. I really like to go back and explore the uniformity of the selection, and I have 5 different "lines" growing - four of them are F9 generation and one if F10 (years removed from when I discovered the accidental cross).

Aside from the above, I hope to grow the following for fresh seed and/or great eating - Lillian's Yellow Heirloom, Mexico Midget, Sun Gold, Egg Yolk, Aker's West Virginia, Andrew Rahart's Jumbo Red, Opalka, Dester, Eva Purple Ball and Gallo Plum.

I will not be using large containers for all of these indeterminate varieties. Last year, I found that 5 gallon grow bags and use of topping and extreme pruning work just fine to get a few clusters of fruit - certainly enough to examine, taste and use for seed saving.

Below are a few plants of Mullens Mortgage Lifter, which always show a few of the chartreuse leaf mutation.

Let's continue...more 2016 garden candidates - my Rubik's cube part 2

THIS - this - is the time of year that I love the best. Wherever I look there is a garden task to be done - planting, transplanting, labeling, planning, mowing (well, I don't love mowing) - but you get the idea. I can dabble. My wife Susan is really disciplined - that is why she is such a good quilter and knitter. I like to work on something for half an hour, the move on to something different, eventually accomplishing what I need, but in a rather scattered way.

Yesterday I listed the family heirloom tomatoes that I will be fortunate to try this year. Now comes the list of varieties that will be used as pollen to cross with some of the dwarf varieties to introduce some unique and interesting characteristics. I did lots of crosses last year and had a success rate of about 25% - but that also meant 25 new hybrids (that list will come next).

Here are the true garden oddities, and some perhaps not so odd but carrying something interesting and valuable, that are up and growing, soon to donate their pollen to my own particular brand of garden science.

• Stick - this is the true weirdo of the tomato world, with foliage that is like bunched kale along the stem. aka the "poodle" tomato. The tomatoes are medium small, round and red.
• Rose Quartz - this pink cherry has multiflora characteristics - sprays of hundreds of blossoms, not all of which, but many, set fruit.
• Variegated (both my accession, and one from a gardening friend Belinda) - the foliage is variegated green and white, the tomatoes medium small, round and red.
• Honor Bright (aka Lutescent, one from Victory, one from the USDA). This 1890s Livingston variety appeared as a mutation; the foliage is a yellowish color, the unripe fruit go green to white, to orange to red. It lasted in catalogs for a surprisingly long time.
• Surprise - this appeared in a variety from a seed saver named Turkey Chomp some years ago. It has potato leaf foliage that turns yellowish, just like Honor Bright - the fruit, which are large and oblate, go from green to white, then orange, then red.  
• Carrot Like (aka Silvery Fir Tree) - this Russian variety that I got to see growing at the Seed Savers garden my first visit there in the early 1990s, is a determinate variety with small to medium red fruit and finely divided, "carrot-like" foliage.
• Blue P20 (the original high anthocynanin variety) - though the fruit don't taste very good, where exposed to the sun the tomato is blackish blue.
• Red Robin - this is the first of the micro dwarfs, growing a foot tall and producing red cherry tomatoes.
• Everglades (from a friend Melissa in Florida) - supposedly very successful in hot, humid Florida, it seems perfect to cross with dwarfs to see if we can get some that survive well there.

Once these get some size to them, I will post some pictures of their unusual growth characteristics.

I've not completely thought through what I will be doing as far as crosses. But pondering dwarf varieties with variegated foliage, the weird poodle type leaf shape of Stick, the ferny foliage of Carrot Like, the yellow foliage of Honor Bright and Surprise, the blue tinted fruit from the P20, and multiflora fruiting characteristics for higher yield are all of interest to me. I suspect some of these are in progress by other amateur plant breeders; that's OK - I love to follow my own path and see things for myself.

Once we have dwarfs with some of these peculiar traits, we can then combine them - for example, a ferny potato leaf dwarf with yellowish foliage that has multiflora characteristics, and striped fruit - and let's throw in variegated foliage...why not!  Of course, we are talking years of crosses and research. That's fine - I want to be playing with this type of project for as long as I can garden.

Just a few pics to show what things look like in the driveway, and in the garage.

The Rubik's cube that will become my 2016 garden - part 1. Family Heirloom tomatoes

I've got a real problem. My garden area is shrinking, and my wish-to-grow list is..well, growing. The side yard plot that I hand dug the summer that we moved in - 30 X 50 feet of rocky red clay, circa 1992 - doesn't work so well any longer. The trees on our property are growing, meaning the sun exposure is decreasing. The front part still works fairly well for greens and beets, perhaps beans and squash - but potential success is scuttled by some stubborn critters. 

We are also finally in need of replacing our deck, so the days of big containers of Sun Gold and Egg Yolk and Mexico Midget are likely over. 

This leaves me with the edge garden of the back yard (our male chocolate lab Buddy did a number on our perennial flowers, but the sun is ample enough, so grow bags and straw bales will reside there this summer. Of course, there is that driveway that is no longer a driveway - at least during growing season.

Still, though normal people would find it plenty large enough, crazy me finds it wanting (though I am thankful for it!). This means looking at what I want to grow, what I germinated, and what can reasonably fit. I've not figured it out yet, and there will be squeezing and staggering and some too-close planting in too-small containers.

I've actually got categories for my growing targets. These are: Dwarf Tomato project plants, family heirloom tomatoes given to me over the past years, flavor favorites, the need for fresh seed, and tomatoes for pollen for more breeding. Oh yes - also some tomato mysteries - and I've not even gotten to eggplant and peppers yet.

It's a long season, so there will be plenty of time to cover each of these (especially if I get my act together and start to blog regularly again). I wanted to start on the family heirlooms, since this is the vector that first seduced me into my many years dabbling in heirloom tomatoes.

Here are the varieties in the family heirloom category that I will be sure to fit into my garden (seedlings of all of these are up and growing):  Uncle Joe, Aunt Edna, Maris family, Yusopov, Abraham Brown (which is potato leaf), Walt Swokla heirloom, Springston Heirloom, and Mama's Huge Orange. I will be sure to report on all of these over the summer - and deeply appreciate being given these cherished seeds through the mail or at events this year.

A peek into my spring time addled brain....

Since it's been quite awhile between blogs, I thought it would be good to share why this is, and what sorts of things are floating around my somewhat overwhelmed head. Part of it is that this feels like an adjustment phase for me....a typical (pre-tomato book spring) would see me transplanting, preparing for seedling sales, digging in the garden, enjoying all of the suddenly appearing spring flowers. 

Last year, and especially this year, it feels quite different. Though I try to be organized (to-do lists are a favorite thing of mine, though it seems that more items enter than leave), maintaining energy level is proving to be a bit of a struggle. Without large scale seedling sales, there should be more time and energy to get things done. Yet, my speaking schedule feels busier than last year, and is taking us further away. It takes me some time to bounce back after throwing myself into a talk, climbing the emotional ladder, deeply enjoying the event, and the letdown that follows.

I've also added several writing assignments, which I really enjoy. Some are complete, some underway, a few yet to start. My skill as a procrastinator has also been reinforced. It seems to be impossible to get some of these done well in advance - it is the pressure of an imminent deadline that tends to motivate me, which is not exactly a recipe for relaxation and calmness.

And so I find myself here - sitting in the waiting room while Sue has a physical therapy session for her surgically repaired shoulder. Here is where things are in the garden:

The garage floor is covered with transplanted seedlings. Since we are due for a frost tonight, tomorrow is the day that they have their post-transplanted debut in the driveway and in the sunshine.

Additional seedlings are germinating in my office window, and I've a few more recently received seeds to plant.

I want to blog next about some of the interesting varieties that will be grown this year - some new family heirlooms received from audience members at talks here and there, some new work on the dwarf project, and a few back ups for a friend for her next book. No pressure!

It is time to think of planting the greens and beets that are growing so well following their transplanting. It is time to order some straw bales and start their preparation. It is time to decide on exactly what I want to grow, and where, and how - the unique mix of peppers, eggplant and tomatoes that will populate our driveway this summer.

My next speaking events will take us to Belmont (the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, on April 5), and then Asheville (the Mother Earth News Fair, on April 9-10). That will open a fairly busy April that will mix events with garden planting. 

I am really fortunate to work on so many aspects of my favorite hobby - gardening - spending lots of time with my favorite person - my wife, Susan. From experience, I know that an intimidating mass of future activities will spread out over time, and all will get done when needed. But I've also learned that this feeling of being a bit overwhelmed is as consistent for me as spring itself.

Stories from the road - joy in Seattle and Chicago

It seems like yesterday that I was trying to remember to think in terms of 2016 - somehow, the calendar flipped. Life as a gardener/writer is turning out to be quite different from my former, get-in-the-car-each-morning, drive to the office version. Rather than years with beginnings and endings, this feels more like a continuum. 

And so my January planning flowed seamlessly into February seed planting and local workshops, followed by packing and airports and exciting, varied, satisfying trips to Seattle and Chicago. With Virginia and transplanting staring me in the face, I am thankful for a day where I can collect my thoughts and memories and experiences. That is exactly what I will attempt to do in this blog post. 

Family and Flower show in Seattle

We fell in love with Seattle when we lived there in 1983, a young, living-on-the-financial-edge couple with a small child doing a post-doc and working as a nurse. We love it no less in 2016, especially with that small child now a wife and mother - meaning Sue and I are grandparents. 

A chance to speak at the Northwest Flower and Garden show is what brought us there in mid February. After some quality time (far too little, but we appreciate whatever we can get) with Sara, Adam, Aaron and Aiden, Sue and I relocated to downtown. My talks on Saturday and Sunday - both on tomatoes, of course - were thrilling experiences for me. The audiences provided attention and energy. On Sunday I was so pleased to share the stage with Brad Halm and Charlie Nardozzi in a unique three part, rapid fire workshop. The only regret was that both of my books sold out on Saturday, leaving me with a book-less signing session on Sunday.

In between workshops Sue and I got to peruse the gorgeous flower show, and seek out wonderful beer, Indian food and pizza for our various meals. Being in a hustling, bustling city with so many opportunities to walk to so many interesting places is a delight.

I am already receiving emails from the various gardening friends from the show - some familiar, many new. Seeds and stories are being shared, questions asked and answered. This is as it should be, and it is one of the aspects of my new journey that I really enjoy.

The space in between 

There was a bit of drama spanning the return from Seattle and departure to Chicago. Sue had her scheduled shoulder surgery on Thursday (which went well). Unfortunately, the morning after had a bit of a bump; clearly working all of the "stuff" that they gave her out of her system was a bit challenging. This necessitated a delay of one day; fortunately this was possible (I do wish I had a recording of the chat I had with Kristie, my Chicago host - let's just say there was some angst transmitted when my ability to attend was touch and go).

Warmth at the Chicago Botanic Garden - the weather, and the people

This trip represented a bit of a marathon that tested my endurance and ability to sustain energy levels. With Sue's shoulder and recovery on my mind, an early morning flight to Chicago set off a remarkable, memorable 24 hours which I easily survived - and immensely enjoyed.

Awaken...shower...airport.  Coffee...muffin...flight - ride to the Chicago Botanic Garden (a most wonderful place). Kristie - brief tour, a seat - power point for last minute tweaks (I always change my talks at the last second).  At 11:30 or so - Action!

The blogger lunch was superb.  And far too brief. Alongside my fellow garden writers, gardeners and bloggers were helpful, friendly staff that help make the CBG and its events run smoothly. After a delicious meal, we spent well over an hour talking our passions - gardening in all its aspects, with a bit of a focus on tomatoes (imagine that!). Seeds of lasting friendships were planted that day, and I am so grateful to now know such a talented group of people.

Somehow my talk was then just a few minutes away. The room was not only buzzing, but full....and my heartbeat jumped a bit (as it always does before a talk). Kristie introduced me and we were off - I told stories, we shared information, it went by in the blink of an eye. I appreciate all those who attended, and look forward to hearing from those who wish to ask questions, or just stay in touch.

I was then whisked off (there were several moments of being whisked off during the day - which is fine...I am fully whisk-able!) to the library to sign books and begin some wonderful conversations with fellow tomato enthusiasts. Alas, the books ran short here as well (I believe that we may have gotten caught between 2nd and 3rd printing, which is a bit staggering in itself). 

Off to the seed swap we went - I brought well over 200 seed samples with me and they were gone in the blink of an eye. Our tomato question table was busy, and busy means that time flies. Before I knew it, the day was done, and it was time to finally head for the hotel to check in - and time to allow myself for the first time that day to realize that I was perhaps just a bit tired.

One thing about being the speaker at events is an inability to take lots of pictures. I've got a few - and sprinkled them about above. Words will have to suffice.

Here is a great overview of the day created by Gloria of the CBG

Thanks to so many!

Finally as to who to thank, once I start, it would not only be a very long blog post in itself, but I would run the risk of leaving off important names; I will therefore focus on just a few names.

In Seattle, Janet Endsley, master of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, Anna Micklin of the University Bookstore, my cohorts for the Sunday talk and fellow authors and gardeners Charlie Nardozzi and Brad Halm....and everyone who came to my talks, bought books, shared their own gardening stories with me.

In Chicago, the CBG folks - Kristie Webber, my main contact and host (and who I was delighted to meet after my Sunday talk in Seattle), Gloria Ciaccio, creator of the blogger lunch and provider of throat lozenges, and Lisa Hilgenberg, plant expert extraordinaire with whom I could talk gardening and tomatoes for hours....and then, of course, my fellow bloggers who generously shared their time with me at our lunch - Meg, Jane, Cassandra, Nina, Carol, Mike, Beth, Ramon, Marcy, Shawna, Diana, Katje and Lamanda...and everyone from CBG who helped out at the swap and who shared kind words with me during the day.

And one more name - my wife's friend, Susan Depew, who pinch hit for me while I was away, and eased my mind greatly, allowing me to fully throw myself into the experience.

Watch for a special section soon on my website where I list full names and blogs or pages for all of the bloggers that I was so fortunate to meet on that special Sunday in surprisingly warm (but, yes, windy!) Chicago.

We are here, my seedlings are there. Everything is planted. Germination anxiety!

We are so excited to be in Seattle - we get to see Sara, her husband, Adam, and our two grand kids, Aaron and Aiden. Being 3000 miles away we now hold these opportunities so dear. As a bonus, I get to speak at the Northwest Flower and Garden show on Saturday and Sunday.  I think that I will talk about tomatoes!

Before we departed, I managed to squeeze in planting most of the seeds that will become our 2016 garden. 

One flat has eggplant and peppers (that's the one I planted a week ago, now nearest the window, and showing life in half of its cells). The other four have tomatoes - indeterminate varieties, dwarf varieties, and various varieties planted for come new crosses.

Caitlin is of course in charge of keeping things happy and healthy when we are away. No pressure at all, Caitlin!

Once things start to pop up, I will begin to talk about the varieties I planted...and why. Each year is a mix of different gardening adventures. I think I've bitten off a bit too much - but what else is new!

So, what's growing so far? First Seedling update for 2016

blogging interrupted...by Pico

Our three cats don't care for February and March. My office provides a nice, warm place for them to nap during these wintry days. In fact, here's Pico now, doing his best to get in the way of this blog.

I was thinking of leaving the office door open, but one of our felines got curious and left paw prints in 20 of the 50 cells in the pepper and eggplant tray.  Oh well...

The greens, beets, kale and chard that I planted on February 1 are a bit mixed. Some of the lettuce is suffering from damping off, but replanting won't be an issue. For the most part, all is well - there is simply so much going on that I am finding it hard to pay full attention to my seedlings (yet).

I am seeing signs of life in the Feb 6 planting of peppers and eggplant. I've been asked for the variety list, so here it is:

Hot peppers - Billy Goat, Bird, Datil, Fish, Lemon Drop, NuMex Vacquero, Padron, Peter, Pinata, and a variety given to me from my friend Bob that is highly lobed (and unclear as to whether hot or sweet).

Sweet peppers - Alma, Amethyst, Bianca F2, Bishop's Crown, Brazilian Orchid, Candy Corn, Chocolate Bell, Corno di Toro, Fire Opal, Garden Sunshine, Gusto, Kalman Hungarian, Lydia, Orange Bell, Pritiman, Royal Purple, Rubinova and White Gold.

Eggplant - Midnight Lightning, Twilight Lightning, Skinny Twilight, and a number of green skinned with purple blush findings that I am working on for a new variety, Mardi Gras, as well as a pure pale green selection, Green Ghost - as well as a purple and a white from Greece sent to me by a gardening friend.

I also planted ground cherry Goldie.

Today is day 5, and there is life in the Bianca and Brazilian Orchid cells - which is great. It will be interesting to see how the paw print cells do (fortunately, the plastic wrap was covering the trays, so no seeds were dislodged).

For the most part, my selections for this year are either old seed regeneration or various research projects to create new varieties, typically from hybrids.  I will cover this in greater depth as the season progresses.

Speaking in Morehead City - much More than a warm up!

Time does funny things. We often use a calendar to set boundaries. The year ends, another begins, there are nice breaks in which to rest up and recover and prepare for what is to come.

For gardeners - and garden writers and speakers, I am quickly learning - the boundaries are really imaginary. Our lives are more of a continuum, with no real endings or beginnings, but, instead, phases that we pass quickly through. 

When I think of the garden, harvest and preserving is followed by clean up, assessment - then right into planning, ordering, making decisions, and, before I know it, planting. September and October blur forward and it is February. It makes my head spin. 

The same applies to blogging, writing, preparing for and providing workshops. Though I did take a bit of a sigh of relief last November, there was no real break; plans were being made for events in 2016, quickly followed by creating new workshops. Don't for a second think that I am complaining about any of this; on the contrary, I am really enjoying this new, continually busy and satisfying "career".

We are just a few days back from a really special 28 hours. Susan and I packed our car and departed for Morehead City on February 3 (intermittent rain falling, and trying to keep in front of a nasty squall line marching eastward). We are so fortunate to have been hosted by a friend from the past, Lynn Brugnolotti (our daughters played in a youth orchestra together in their high school years) and her husband, Dominick. Our arrival evening dinner was delicious, the hospitality warm and comforting. 

The next morning we headed for Crystal Coast Civic Center (during some really serious rain!), where I was warmly greeted by Master Gardeners Sara Watson, Shawn Banks, and Susan Suggs, just to name a few of the many friendly folks we got to meet. I led the audience (over 140 in number) through my own particular journey with tomatoes. 

Following some excellent questions, I was so fortunate to meet many attendees during a book signing for both Epic Tomatoes and Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales. It was gratifying, fun, and, to me, just a very special event.

We said our goodbyes to all, and as a bonus, gave Dominick a lift back to Cary; our far-ranging conversation made the rain-soaked ride go by in a flash. 

So now, with wonderful events in Apex and Morehead City, NC as pleasant memories, Sue and I set our sights on Seattle. Of course speaking at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show will be great.  But better still will be spending time with our daughter, Sara, and her husband, Adam - and our grand kids Aiden and Aaron. We can't wait!

Here, thanks to Susan Suggs, are a few pics from our Morehead City trip.