Happy New Year! I am so pleased to introduce our 2019 list of open-pollinated and heirloom tomatoes and vegetable/herb plants. We’re offering more than ever before, with 33 cultivars of tomatoes, 15 cultivars of peppers, and a nice selection of cucumbers, squash, and herbs. I think you’ll find this year’s selections unique — from your tried-and-true favorites to a few truly “exotic” varieties! See New for 2019 below.
If you’ve not purchased plants from us, I invite you to learn more about how we source our seed and start our plants. My passion is growing open pollinated and heirloom tomatoes — and we specialize in varieties that you won’t find for sale anywhere else. Of course, they must also thrive and produce well for our region!
Growing in Northern Idaho Workshop
Gardening really is an occupation of trial and error and enduring optimism. As one of my favorite gardening quotes points out: There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments!
With that in mind, I invite you to participate in the UI Extension Kootenai Co., Idaho Master Gardener’s Growing in Northern Idaho Workshop on March 23th and 24th. This two-day class covers all aspects of growing a successful garden in our region. I’ll be presenting the vegetable section: how to select and grow veg, along with harvesting tips. Learn more or register at the Kootenai Co. UI Extension website.
More Gardening Articles…YES!!
As I continue to learn and grow (pun intended!) as a Certified Master Gardener, I am committed to share my knowledge with you. To that end, this coming year you will see more gardening content in your inbox from The Coeur d’Alene Coop. My goal is to deliver two articles per month with topics and tips timely for the season. (I promise not to spam you). I invite you to share these articles with your gardening friends!
What’s New for 2019
Heirloom and Open-Pollinated Tomatoes
Wow. We are selling 33 types of tomatoes this year!! Here are a few of the unique offerings:
From tomato breeder Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms, we offer two stunning tomatoes: Cherokee Rose and Painted Lady. According to Gates, Cherokee Rose is a unique variation of the heirloom, Cherokee Purple. The fruit is a dusty-rose color with a fuzzy texture! Large 6 to 8 oz fruit are meaty and richly sweet — true to it’s Cherokee Purple roots. Ain’t that a peach! (Well no, it’s a tomato.)
Also from Wild Boar Farms, comes Painted Lady. This stunner is a potato leaf variety with variegated leaves. A gorgeous plant with meaty, medium sized, heart-shaped fruit that ripens to pink with gold stripes. This will be a great compliment to the variegated leaf Fish pepper!
We’ve added two long-standing heirlooms to our list as well. White Tomesol: a creamy white beefsteak, with large, 8 oz fruit that are sweet and meaty. And, Pineapple: a large, sweet (some say tropical flavored) beefsteak that ripens in multi-colored hues of red and gold.
In the Cherry category, you’ll be lucky indeed when you grow Lucky Tiger! This small, elongated green gem ripens to a blush pink. It gets high marks for flavor — in fact, the folks at Snake River Seeds say this tomato is “G.D. delicous!” Finally, if you’re a fan of the super-sweet hybrid, Sungold, you’ll love Sungella. It’s a dehybridization of Sungold that is a bit larger, super sweet, and you can save the seeds!!
Heirloom and OP Peppers
We’re also offering more pepper cultivars this year— 10 varieties of sweet peppers and 5 hot peppers. New sweet peppers include Lipstick, a tapered, red pimento type; Marconi Red, a large (12 inch!) Italian pepper great for frying; and the sweet (and early) Tequila Sunrise, with deep golden fruit when ripe.
Our hot peppers include an Oaxaca, Mexico mole pepper, Chilhacule Negro, with dark chocolate colored fruit with purple flesh perfect for roasting; and Early Thai, super hot for all the gourmets into making Thai chili sauce!
How to Purchase
It’s not uncommon for us to sell out of certain varieties early. In fact last season, we sold out of all stock before the end of May. To avoid disappointment and to ensure you get the plants you want, we offer an online plant deposit form. You can “reserve” your order now with a small deposit, and pay in full when you pickup your plants in May. Details can be found here.
Beginning in May, you can purchase plants directly from our garden in midtown Coeur d’Alene. We’ll also be at the Idaho Master Gardener’s Sod Buster Sale on May 4th, and at the Saturday and Wednesday Kootenai County Farmers’ Markets until our stock is sold out.
Thanks for your continued patronage of the Coeur d’Alene Coop! I wish you a very happy and successful 2019 in the garden and beyond. ~ Candace
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