Herb bonanza!

Well, I've not posted much this week because I've been über busy with our Master Gardeners' sponsored Heirloom Plant and Herb Sale. Today was the big set-up day. It's amazing, actually, 11,000 plants doesn't look like that many in an enormous gymnasium. I love this sale. I shopped at it a long time before I started helping at it. It's fantastic to have access to all these unusual varieties of herbs. The one thing that wasn't there that I'm bummed about is lime basil. Was really hoping to give that one a try.

The tomato and peppers area

I also picked up my tomatoes for the year. The Master Gardeners grow all of these from seed and they are really well loved. Here's what I bought:

Caspian Pink - not an outstanding tomato, in my book, but it's consistent and produces well
Brandywine - sorry, I'm a traditionalist
Black Krim - between this and Cherokee Purple, I can't decide which is my favorite dark tomato
Green Zebra - it's pretty
Kellogg Breakfast - I didn't really realize what I was buying, but apparently it's an orange/yellow beefsteak. Oh well, I'll give it a try.
Black cherry - the one I'm most excited about this year
Ponderosa Red - another new one for me

Basil as far as the eye can see!

I also am going to try peppers for the first time, and picked up some of those, plus a few of my favorite herbs. It's too early to plant most of them, but in a week or so they'll all be in the ground!

The photos are a few shots from the set-up today. If you're in the area, come on out and buy everything you need. Doors open at 9 a.m. but people start lining up around 7 a.m. It all ends at noon. If you do come there are great gift bags and door prizes (organized by yours truly). There are a lot of really generous gardening companies out there and the best stuff goes to the first people in line (free subscription to Organic Gardening magazine anyone?)