A copy of Burpee’s 2008 seed, plants and supplies catalog arrived in the mail on Christmas Eve. Next to a Christmas card sent by the Taylor family of Pasedna, Maryland, there was neatly curled a beautiful paperback book that makes warm Spring days seem just weeks away.
It is time to start seeds indoors. Crops like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants can be sown in the Northeast as early as January. Never should one pay top dollar for seedlings that have been started from seeds in commercial greenhouses. A piece of Saran wrap draped securely over egg cartons makes for an ideal planter, offering a near perfect greenhouse effect.
By March, when the plants have outgrown their egg-shaped containers, roots can be carefully squeezed free from the Styrofoam and the plants repotted in larger containers such as paper coffee cups.
What makes growing plants from seeds purchased at Burpee’s so economical is the outrageous prices for fresh produce, now that Mexicans are being shipped back home. It may once again become economical in America to raise a personal vegetable garden in the backyards of deflated mortgage ridden homes. I plan to not only buy seeds from Burpee’s but also intend to buy a few shares in the corporation. The current cost of pastel colored green peppers, grown in the shades of purple, yellow and red is almost $4.99 per pound in New York City.
Unlike other seed companies, Burpee’s introduces new hybrid seeds ever year in their exclusive catalog. “Tangerine Mama Plumb Tomatoes” will produce fruits that are of the same shade as Florida oranges. The “Perfecto Radish” (which does not require early January germination in bright windows) reaches maturity in cool April soil in just 25 days. At $4.65 for a pack of 200 tiny seeds, the potential produce should not need planting!
There are over 30 new products inside the irresistible piece of garden literature.
