Now that it seems that the last of the snow has occurred here in Portland, I can finally take my car to the windshield guy and get a new one. I have had two enormous cracks running the entire length of my windshield since December. What is the point of getting it changed if you know you are going to get more snow and your new windshield would not last the week with the amount of gravel we put on the roads over here. Besides, I think it has been kinda fun watching the cracks travel so far. Now that I have that taken care of I can move on two my two new obsessions this week; 1) Starting my seeds for spring and 2) Plant Nerd Night with Mike Darcy. OK, maybe there is a third thing; more of a burning question really, like how is it possible that 8 chairs leave the manufacturer at one time, on the same truck and with the same tracking numbers and just two days later, only three of the eight actually arrive? Why? I guess it will remain a mystery for the ages. 
Within the last 2 weeks I have received about 20, OK maybe 10 seed and plant catalogs in the mail. Not catalogs so much as plant porn. With the help of these so called catalogs, my current seed obsession is for a new tomato called "Orange Paruche". Isn’t an orange tomato kind of an oxymoron? This variety has super flavorful and sweet 1½” fruit on a compact and vigorous plant and is available through Territorial Seed Co.(http://www.territorialseed.com/). I am also starting a beautiful all white radish called "Icicle Short Top". It is a very mild 4-5" radish that is ready to harvest in 20 days! I love a nice quick growing vegetable, talk about immediate gratification. You should really peruse tier catalog, there is so much good stuff - even quite a bit I bet you have never heard of! The best part of using seeds from Territorial is that they are local company here in the Northwest and I love to be able to shop local when I can.
You don’t need a greenhouse to start your seeds; a sunny windowsill will do nicely; but you are going to need a few supplies to get started. I am sure you have all seen the little seed starting peat pellets at your local nursery. I personally have not had any luck with starting seeds in that manner, so I use Black Gold seed starting mix and trays of 2” peat pots. With the pots, you actually fill them with the soil and a few seeds and voila! Water like mad and after the seeds reach about 2 inches, thin then out and give individual plants their own pots. When the plants get to about 7 – 9” and the weather outside is well past frost, the peat pots are ready to be planted outside. Mid April is usually about the right time. If you choose tomatoes, pick a site with PLENTY of sun, give them lost of water and good staking and watch them go! YIPPEE! Fresh tomatoes! This year I am going to start sugar snap peas, tomatoes and eggplant!
Last on my list today is the absolutely geekiest plant event of the year in Portland, but Dear God I LOVE IT! For those of you that are not total plant geeks like me and/or those who don't have a chance to be in Portland this weekend, please turn on your Portland filter now. This Friday is Plant Nerd Night with Mike Darcy and KXL Radio. What? You have never been? Well then mark your calendar for Friday, March 6th at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 2000 Country Club Road, Lake Oswego, Oregon (across from Lake Oswego High School). This is a free event, doors open at 6 and the event starts at 7 pm. Get there early as this is an incredibly popular event and it fills up quickly. Plant Nerd Night is a plant geeks’ dream! A place to see and be seen, your host, Mike Darcy invites local plant vendors to give a brief presentation about what is new and hot in their nurseries this year. After our usual gray winters, it is a spark of light and fresh ideas for the upcoming planting season. The participating vendors bring a ton of their best plants for sale between 6-7. This years vendors/presenters are Xera Plants (LOVE LOVE), Dancing Oaks Nursery, Terra Nova Nursery, One Green World (edibles only nursery)Thompson’s Nursery, (killer rhodies)and Hydrangeas Plus. There are door prizes of killer plants half-time entertainment from the Chorus of the Goddess Flora, a singing group made up of Hardy Plant Society members signing garden inspired lyrics to well recognized melodies – it is a total kick! So come on down to Plant Nerd night and prepare to be entertained! That’s it for now so Cheers! Here’s to dirt under your nails!
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