Hello! Well, I can honestly say that we have endured and/or enjoyed one heck of a week! You’ve heard of that musical group Twisted Sister? Well, I am beginning to see Mother Nature as one malicious Twisted Sister! What a moody witch! Snow, rain warm, frigid, calm, wicked windy! Is there no end to this sadistic winter? Cabin fever, snowitis, whatever! I think at this point there are many of us out there struggling to maintain some semblance of sanity.

Keep in mind, it is still a bit too early to start our spring seeding schedule. But – what the hey – if that is what is going to keep you going, then go for it! You might what to try seeding a few seeds. After all, when the seeds sprout there will be a little bit of green to enjoy. Keep in mind, if you want those little seedlings to survive, you have to make sure they are not only kept warm, but bathed in lots of light. Even though our North Country days are getting longer, the sun is still lower in the sky, and there is still not enough daylight to keep your seedlings from stretching toward the light. So just like an infant getting supplemental feedings, you have to give those green plant babies supplemental light feedings.

And speaking of enjoying green, let’s continue our seed catalog journey. Let’s look at a few green zucchini varieties that might put a smile on our winter weary faces! Let’s look at some green zucchini babies!

Bush Baby is a new true baby zucchini from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Bush Baby fruits are true miniatures and ready to harvest at 4-6". At this stage they are more attractive and "proportional" than full-size zucchinis used as babies in their immature little stage. And this baby vegetable thing is a relatively new fad or phenomenon. Lots of folks see baby vegetables as gourmet treats. Why don’t you see if baby veggies do it for you too? At any rate, the fruits are glossy and medium dark green with stripes. The plants are semi-open and easy to harvest.

Anton is another new F1 hybrid from Johnny’s. Anton is extra early, maturing in 47 days, and has a high yield potential and is resistant to powdery mildew. The fruits are very attractive and well proportioned when small, making them especially good for using as a baby vegetable.

Tired of green zucchini? Then try Soleil, a yellow zucchini. Get it? Soleil – the bright yellow sun! These fruits are a beautiful, bright golden-yellow, with a low frequency of fruits with green tips. Large plants are open and easy to harvest. Soleil will give you a high yield of yellow zukes over the whole growing season. It is also resistant to powdery mildew.

Still in the yellow zucchini mode – what about Floridor? This one is a bright yellow ROUND zucchini! You’ve heard of round zucchini before, right? There is the dark green Eight Ball, the light green Geode, and the white One Ball. If round turns you on, then go for a rainbow of round zucchinis.

Yes, some like it hot! Well, some like it green, some yellow, some round. Lots of those vegetables out there come in all sizes, and shapes, and colors. Which do you prefer?

So, I do hope that you got to enjoy some of that warm air that our Twisted Sister teased us with this week. Try to stay warm with warm loving thoughts of a warm loving spring garden. Read though some seed catalogs to help you through this latest cruel setback in temperatures!

Hey – Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – Bye – Talk to you soon!
D