On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 10:20:05 GMT, Heather wrote:

In article ,
Janice wrote:


I have a 50 x 150 foot lot, house and shed take up 1200 square feet or
thereabouts, then the sidewalks, and paths at the sides of the yard
part of the driveway is polluted with oil, all else is fair game to
plant. I used to have it all planted to food, flowers, herbs.
Unfortunately, I'm unable to garden directly myself, as I generally
don't go out there without someone to be a chair bearer.

I used to start a great number of plants, and I'd plant 2 of each
variety of tomato, and stick in any others aI could, and often planted
40 tomatoes here and there. Some along the front sidewalk, some in
the back. Some hybrid, some not they all bore about the same amounts.
But yes some of the old heirlooms can't stand up to my yard as there
is anthracnose around.

I prefer saving seed though to buying any more than necessary. With
the prices I'm seeing on seed, I think if I were just planting a
garden to produce food and as much as possible, I'd buy transplants
from the green house as it doesn't sound like you're planting a large
number of tomatoes. I'd pick up 4 or 5 kind, and a cherry tomato, and
if the nursery was adventurous, a currant tomato that "holds" onto the
plant. I'd likely buy peppers too, big bertha or similar. Kennebec
and Pontiac potatoes for production, size and flavor.


Well, I never said *EVERYTHING* would come from seed. The seeds I do
want to purchase via mail order (which does not have to mean I'm getting
everything I will ever grow in the garden from stokes) will probably
come from stokes, who have a stellar reputation for mail order. Before
I can save any seed, I have to have a garden first. This is our first
year on this property. BTW, you have more room than we do. So,
obviously, according to you, I'm just doing everything wrong. I'll just
have to suffer that way I suppose. Feel free to continue telling me
how wrong everything I'm doing is and I'll continue to blindly go along
my merry way.


Heather H.

ummm .. I don't think you're doing anything *wrong* and I wasn't
suggesting that you *should* do anything my way or any way, just was
sharing what I used to do, and what I might do in your situation.

As to stokes, I have this year's catalog here.. two of them even, I
know they've been in business for years, and I've bought seed from
them in the past, I was just a little disappointed that nearly
everything I've looked at so far has been an F1 Hybrid. If I liked
something enough, I guess I could try to go through the steps
necessary to make it open pollinated and adapt it to my yard's
climate, but hey that's just something *I* would do, not suggesting
you do it.

I guess you're all defensive or something and feel like everyone's got
an agenda or something. Too bad. I was just trying to share info,.
but I've learned my lesson, won't try *that* again!

I won't bother you with any further commentary,

Janice