Planting something is better than nothing.

I'm planning out where I want to start with my seeds this year. 

It always makes my head spin a little.  

How to get organized, where to plant what when... 

There's nothing for it, but to dive in and start somewhere. 

Anywhere.

Today it started at my kitchen table.

I took my humble, but newly organized seed box, and pulled out a smattering of packets. They ended up in piles labeled:

ROOT CROPS TO PLANT NOW

• Carrots (Cosmic Purple, Muscade, Oxheart, Purple Dragon, 
• Beets (Detroit Dark Red)
• Radishes (Early Scarlet Globe and Plum Purple)

PERENNIALS TO START NOW

• Victoria Rhubarb (I'll feel like a miracle gardener if this actually turns out to be a perennial for me. More likely I'll have to replant every year.)
• Sea Kale, also labeled Beira and Tronchuda
• Comfrey

WINTER CROPS TO START NOW (includes Herbs)

• Broccoli (Summer Purple, Waltham 29, Rapini)
• Cabbage (Brunswick, Red Acre)
• Cauliflower (Chef's Choice Blend)
• Kale (Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch, Scarlet)
• Spinach (Monstrueux de Viroflay)
• Stevia (herb I'm curious about)
• Swiss Chard (Rhubarb Red)
• Tansy (herb to repel insects)
• Yarrow (herb for blueberry polyculture-Colorado Mix)

PEPPERS TO START NOW

• Ancho Gigantea (medium hot, 4" poblanos)
  *Side note - I have yet in 4 seasons to successfully grow these. Time to try, try again.
• Aurora (medium hot, small 1-1/2" fruits)
• Georgia Flame (hot, long 8" fruits)
• Jimmy Nardello's (sweet, long 10" fruits)
• Macaroni Red (sweet, long 12" fruits)
• Sheepnose Pimento (sweet, small fruits)

TOMATOES TO START NOW
Cherry Tomato Varieties

• Black Vernissage
• Jelly Bean Red & Yellow
• Igleheart Yellow Cherry
• Riesentraube
• Velvet Red

Smallish-Medium Tomato Varieties

• Nyagous (I grew this variety with fantastic success a few seasons ago. They were DELICIOUS, and I desperately want to taste them again.)
• Principe Borghese
• Speckled Roman
• Ukranian Purple

The Big Guns

• Mortgage Lifter (Halladay's)

My limited experience has been that cherry tomatoes are much easier to grow, at least around my house and in my climate. Because of this I sadly limited myself last year to only cherry tomatoes and a few plum-size varieties. This year, I've decided to be brave again and try out one large variety, the Mortgage Lifter. It's very name makes me visualize a tomato that puffs its chest and crows.

Simply organizing all of my seed packets feels so satifisying. It's not fancy. It's a salvaged cardboard box from the hardware store that used to hold edging stakes. It's roughly the right width for upright seed packets and long enough for...  holy cow, I just counted 115 seed packets. YIKES! I've bought so many freaking seeds! And WOW! I could grow so much food if I manage to plant all of this!

If you're just starting out, please allow me to give you a bit of unsolicited encouragement. 

Plant one or two things that you would love to eat. 

Even if it dies or gets eaten by a bug you didn't know existed before now, 

you will learn something and gain new skills for next time. 

Planting something is better than nothing.