You’re probably tired of the cold and snow and it’s only January, that’s why we’re excited it’s seed time.
We’ve received most of our seed catalogs and will order for 2019 in upcoming weeks. Looking forward to testing some new varieties for next year. This year we will offer for sale some of the varieties tested in 2018. We will offer varieties of beans, beets, carrots, chard, cucumber, herbs, lettuce, peas, pumpkin, spinach, and squash.
Container gardening is beneficial for several reasons. It takes less space than a conventional garden – if you have a small driveway or deck, you can grow vegetables in containers. Since your plants are contained in a smaller area, weeds are not a problem because you can easily pluck them out. You save on water because only the containers receive water, unlike a garden plot where the whole thing needs water. In inclement weather (frost, heavy rain, high winds) the containers can easily be moved or covered if necessary. Disease and insects oftentimes invade plants in garden plots and can be difficult to eradicate – containers are much easier to work with because you can treat and move those with problems away from the rest of the plants.
Last summer we experienced lots of warm days – many plants love it warm so they grew very well – we’re hoping for another warm summer so we can share .
This year we want to offer something new for our Sydney’s Green Garden fans. We’re looking for researchers for a couple different vegetable seed varieties. We’ll give two or three people some seeds to plant and take care of – you can harvest and keep what you grow, or donate to local food shelves. Check back soon as we give more details of this research opportunity!
Help Mom celebrate Mother’s Day by giving her a Sydney’s Green Garden (SGG) container gardening kit, or some seeds.
SGG seeds and container gardening kits are now available online, and at the Bookstore at Fitger’s, and Engwalls in Hermantown. When you shop at our online store, your purchases are conveniently delivered to your door!
SGG containers are made of plastic that is designed to hold up for many years, so it is a gift that is useful and long-lasting. Mom will love a Mother’s Day gift of planting containers.
SGG 2018 seeds
Beans
We offer Blue Lake, Kentucky Blue, Kentucky Wonder Pole. If you prefer bush bean plants, try our Purple Queen Bush – they’re fun to grow and easy to see on the plants – and yes, they turn green when you cook them. You’ll love the pretty bluish color on the Kentucky Blues, too.
Beets
This year we have Cylindra Long Red and Chioggia Beets. The growth habit of these root vegetables make them ideal for container gardening.
Carrots
Containers are a great place to grow carrots as well. This year we offer Danver, Nantes Scarlet, Rainbow Blend and Tendersweet. Since carrots can vary in taste, try a few varieties – you’re sure to find one or two family favorites! Carrots make a tasty snack while you’re puttering in the garden – kids love ’em, too!
Swiss Chard
Sydney’s Swiss Chard Blend is easy to grow and adds some nice color to your container garden. These colorful leaves will spruce up your salad and other dishes.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are so delicious when they’re fresh – try our Bush Pickle, Bristol, and Speedway. The Bush Pickle makes great pickles, and Bristol are delicious when eaten fresh from the garden.
Herbs
Sweet Basil, Cilantro and Dill are staple herbs every gardener should grow. Grow enough basil to add to fresh salads throughout the summer and to make pesto – nothing beats fresh pesto!! Cilantro is a great addition to salads and salsa – you can actually add it to many dishes. At the end of its growing season you may get seed pods – now you have coriander – it’s the plant that keeps on giving and what a great time to give it – for Mother’s Day!
Lettuce
Our lettuces are picked with care, and therefore grow very well in containers in the Northland. Black-seeded Simpson is a great heirloom variety. We also have Salad Bowl Red, Parris Island Romaine, Super Red Romaine, and Sydney’s Loose Leaf Gourmet Salad Blend. Sydney’s Loose Leaf Gourmet Salad Blend is a delightful combinations of flavors and colors.
Peas
We have found that these peas do well in containers: Mammoth Melting Snow, Oregon Giant Snow, Sugar Ann, Super Sugar Snap, Sugar Sprint peas. Mammoth Melting and Oregon Giant are great in stir-fry. Our snap peas are delicious eaten fresh or cooked – when you choose Sugar Sprint you are enjoying a pea that has almost no strings.
Pumpkin
Baby Pam are fun pumpkins to grow with the kids – how delicious is your fresh pumpkin straight out of the garden? Do you love pumpkin seeds? So do we! What a wonderful treat that is nutritious, too!!
Spinach
Olympia and Unipack 12 hybrid are the newest additions to our spinach lineup – we think you will enjoy them. Bolero is one of our all-time favorites, and we’re happy to say all of these spinach varieties grow well.
Over the years you may have noticed that we no longer offer certain seed varieties – perhaps it was a favorite of yours. Some years commercial growers experience crop failure of a certain variety and it is no longer available.
Squash
Two favorites, Sebring Yellow and Spineless Beauty Summer squashes are a great addition to your container gardening fun. Did you know squash blossoms are edible? They are – but if you eat a blossom that’s one less squash you’ll have at harvest (oh, it’s so worth it, though). Besides, don’t many people struggle to give away summer squash because the plants produce so many?
Mom is sure to love her Mother’s Day gifts of SGG container garden kits and seeds 🙂
Seeds are ordered and our suppliers have shipped most of them. We’ll start packaging them this week.
Sydney’s Green Garden container garden kits are perfect for small yards and decks – you’ll be amazed at how much produce you can grow in just a handful of containers.
Seeds and container gardening kits will be available by March 15.
Here at SGG we’re excited for the 2018 growing season!
Familiar and New Seeds
We’re offering many long-time favorites as well as some new** seed varieties this year.
Beans
Blue Lake
Kentucky Blue
Kentucky Wonder
Purple Queen
Beets
Chioggia
Cylindra
Carrots
Danver**
Forto**
Nantes Scarlet**
Rainbow Blend
Tendersweet
Chard, Swiss
Sydney’s Swiss Chard Blend
Cucumber
Bristol**
Bush
Speedway**
Herbs
Sweet Basil
Cilantro/Coriander
Bouquet Dill
Lettuce
Black-seeded Simpson
Parris Island
Super Red Romaine
Salad Bowl Red**
Sydney’s Gourmet Salad Blend
Peas
Mammoth Melting
Oregon Giant Snow
Sugar Ann
Sugar Snap
Super Sugar Snap
Pumpkin
Baby Pam
Spinach
Bolero Olympia**
Unipack 12
Squash
Sebring
Spineless Beauty
New for 2018**
Carrots
Danver carrots grow 6-8” long and are deep-orange, are heirloom, keep well and are heat tolerant. Grows well in different soils and has nice strong tops. 65-75 days
Forto carrots grow 8” long cylindrical roots and stores well. 62 days
Scarlet Nantes carrots grow 6” red-orange roots and are crisp and sweet – will grow in clay soil. 65 days
Cucumbers
Bristol cucumbers grow to 8.25” and are heat resistant. Great fruit quality and color, and matures early. 54 days
Speedway cucumbers grow to 8” and the uniform dark green color holds well – great for slicing. 56 days
Lettuce
Salad Bowl Red lettuce has attractive maroon-red serrate leaves that are deeply cut and finely divided. Harvest over a period of time. 50 days
Spinach
Olympia spinach grows 10” and the plain dark green, upright leaves are slow to bold. Great for cooking and use in salads. 45 days
Unipack 12 spinach has plain, even green-colored leaves that are slow to bolt. Grow in fertile well-drained, moist soil. 50 days
Help Mom celebrate Mother’s Day by giving her a Sydney’s Green Garden (SGG) container gardening kit, or some seeds.
SGG seeds and container gardening kits are now available online, and at the Bookstore at Fitger’s, and Engwalls in Hermantown. When you shop at our online store, your purchases are conveniently delivered to your door!
SGG Containers
SGG containers are made of plastic that is designed to hold up for many years, so it is a gift that is useful and long-lasting. Mom will love a Mother’s Day gift of planting containers.
SGG 2018 seeds
Beans
We offer Blue Lake, Kentucky Blue, Kentucky Wonder Pole. If you prefer bush bean plants, try our Purple Queen Bush – they’re fun to grow and easy to see on the plants – and yes, they turn green when you cook them. You’ll love the pretty bluish color on the Kentucky Blues, too.
Beets
This year we have Cylindra Long Red and Chioggia Beets. The growth habit of these root vegetables make them ideal for container gardening.
Carrots
Containers are a great place to grow carrots as well. This year we offer Danver, Nantes Scarlet, Rainbow Blend and Tendersweet. Since carrots can vary in taste, try a few varieties – you’re sure to find one or two family favorites! Carrots make a tasty snack while you’re puttering in the garden – kids love ’em, too!
Swiss Chard
Sydney’s Swiss Chard Blend is easy to grow and adds some nice color to your container garden. These colorful leaves will spruce up your salad and other dishes.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are so delicious when they’re fresh – try our Bush Pickle, Bristol, and Speedway. The Bush Pickle makes great pickles, and Bristol are delicious when eaten fresh from the garden.
Herbs
Sweet Basil, Cilantro and Dill are staple herbs every gardener should grow. Grow enough basil to add to fresh salads throughout the summer and to make pesto – nothing beats fresh pesto!! Cilantro is a great addition to salads and salsa – you can actually add it to many dishes. At the end of its growing season you may get seed pods – now you have coriander – it’s the plant that keeps on giving and what a great time to give it – for Mother’s Day!
Lettuce
Our lettuces are picked with care, and therefore grow very well in containers in the Northland. Black-seeded Simpson is a great heirloom variety. We also have Salad Bowl Red, Parris Island Romaine, Super Red Romaine, and Sydney’s Loose Leaf Gourmet Salad Blend. Sydney’s Loose Leaf Gourmet Salad Blend is a delightful combinations of flavors and colors.
Peas
We have found that these peas do well in containers: Mammoth Melting Snow, Oregon Giant Snow, Sugar Ann, Super Sugar Snap, Sugar Sprint peas. Mammoth Melting and Oregon Giant are great in stir-fry. Our snap peas are delicious eaten fresh or cooked – when you choose Sugar Sprint you are enjoying a pea that has almost no strings.
Pumpkin
Baby Pam are fun pumpkins to grow with the kids – how delicious is your fresh pumpkin straight out of the garden? Do you love pumpkin seeds? So do we! What a wonderful treat that is nutritious, too!!
Spinach
Olympia and Unipack 12 hybrid are the newest additions to our spinach lineup – we think you will enjoy them. Bolero is one of our all-time favorites, and we’re happy to say all of these spinach varieties grow well.
Over the years you may have noticed that we no longer offer certain seed varieties – perhaps it was a favorite of yours. Some years commercial growers experience crop failure of a certain variety and it is no longer available.
Squash
Two favorites, Sebring Yellow and Spineless Beauty Summer squashes are a great addition to your container gardening fun. Did you know squash blossoms are edible? They are – but if you eat a blossom that’s one less squash you’ll have at harvest (oh, it’s so worth it, though). Besides, don’t many people struggle to give away summer squash because the plants produce so many?
Mom is sure to love her Mother’s Day gifts of SGG container garden kits and seeds 🙂
Memorial Day weekend is here. Be sure to stock up on SGG container garden kits and seeds. After a hectic day at work, what better way to wind down than to do some gardening? Besides, warmer and longer days make us want to be outdoors.
As you know, ease and convenience are key components of Sydney’s Green Garden products. After the initial work prepping for planting, container gardens are relatively maintenance free, with the exception of regular feeding and watering during dry spells.
Our seeds and kits are available online and at three Duluth locations: Mount Royal Market, Engwall’s Greenhouse in Hermantown, and at the Bookstore at Fitger’s. If you attended any of Scott’s vegetable container gardening workshops you can redeem your percent off coupon at the Bookstore at Fitger’s. Do consider taking a workshop next spring to get a percent off coupon, if you didn’t get to one this year.
After Memorial Day, Scott will plant the vegetable containers just outside of Midi Restaurant right here at Fitger’s – be sure to check it out if you shop or dine here. We’re just a short climb up the stairs from the Lakewalk if you’re out and about and have a few minutes to stop by.
As always, we welcome your questions and comments either here on the blog, or at: grow@sydneysgreengarden.com