There are few things I love as much as seeds. They come in so many wonderful shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, and produce such a wonderful variety and bounty of food and blooms. Each from just one tiny little kernel! Some people may fantasize about rolling around in a big ole pile of money, but I say ptui! I'd much rather roll around in a mountain of seeds. (Or leaves. Or chocolate. But not grubby money. Bleck!)

So I was very excited today to attend the Project Grow seed swap held at Downtown Home and Garden.

Here's the loot from the swap. You'll have to take my word when I tell you I contributed at least twice as many seeds as I took, and that I plan to share the wealth at future swaps!

Yep, people just love talking about seeds, especially in winter.

I'm really excited to try something called orach, which supposedly tastes like spinach but gets kind of viney, and a bunch of new-to-me heirloom tomatoes: 'Blondkopchen,'* 'Costoluto Genovese,' 'Coyote,' 'Garden Peach,' 'Little Lucky,' 'Pink Accordion,' 'Riesentraube,' and 'Tiger Tom.' Also scored some fennel and four o'clocks seeds.

I may also have purchased some heirloom tomato seeds from Project Grow, of varieties I tasted last summer at their tomato tasting: 'Snow White' and 'Brown Berry' cherries and 'Mrs. Benson' beefsteak.

I've grown over 15 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in each of the last two years and swore to myself (swore—you gotta go with your strengths, I guess) that, for a variety of reasons, I would grow no more than 8 varieties this year. Ha ha ha ha ha! The best laid plans and all that. 'Cause the list above doesn't even include my favorites 'Tiger-Like,' 'Japanese Black Trifele,' and 'Gajo de Melon' or the 'Black from Tula' and 'Dr. Wyches Yellow' (plus a purple tomatillo) from the lovely proprietor of the Populuxe Seed Bank.

I guess it's high time I start winter sowing this season!

I was also excited that there was free food! Downtown Home and Garden owner Mark Hodesh cooked up eggs, any style, on this wonderful 1930s stove. (Note to self: Always take more than one photo so people don't have their eyes shut. Oops. The management has been notified.)

Nommy! Soft-boiled eggs and toasted Zingerman's bread--all free! My dad and I loved eating our eggs this way, dipping the toast into the ooey, gooey yellow center. The fact that my mom thought this technique bordered somewhere between barbarian and childish only egged (ha ha) us on.

I enjoyed the sunny, seedy swap so much, it prompted a second post in under a week.

Hugs, ya'll!

*Seed originated from the Gatersleben Seed Bank in the former East Germany, for my #seedchat friends.

Ohai! Here are some things I've been talking about at my annarbor.com gardening blog:

~ Make your own suet cakes for birds
~ Survive the long winter as a gardener
~ Learn how climate change will affect our gardens
~ Rebloom your amaryllis in six easy steps
~ Try something new in your garden this year ('cuz 2011 is gonna bring it!)

Thanks for all your wonderful comments on my last post. I'm trying to keep the blog alive, thanks to some ideas many of you have given me.

This photo is gratuitous, but if you're interested in growing grass indoors for your cats, it's entirely cheap and easy, and cats love it.