04/02/2026
My growing season is pretty much acting like the weather. One day it’s hot and sunny and the next day it’s cold and drizzly. It’s been a similar rollercoaster with the plants. Normally, seeds are started based on the dates of the plants sale (and the frost date). So I plan for them to be mature (but not too mature) right about the end of April / beginning of May.
This year that meant I was starting seeds at the end of February.
For whatever reason, the seeds I started in late February did not thrive. Some never sprouted at all. Panicking, I started more in mid March. Luckily these did well. And I was able to salvage some of the earlier planting. But most of the super hot peppers failed to germinate. If you were looking for those, or most of our hotter peppers unfortunately they will not be available this year. We will have lots of habanero, long hots, cherry peppers, and jalpenos (and a few other varieties) with some heat, but none of the more exotic ones.
On the good side, there are some new mild peppers that look promising. Joining Habanada (a mild habanero) this year is Nadapeno (a mild jalapeño). Also new is Tollis, a sweet Italian pepper, and Lemon Spice Jalapeño, a traditional jalapeño with a lemony citrus kick.
On the tomato side I have been favoring cherry varieties as our growing seasons become more challenging. Many people have told me that they don’t grow as many
Beefsteaks and I totally get why. Garden space is always at a premium and summer has become scorching hot and dry. Like you, I’ve struggled with my late season tomatoes and so I’ve been searching for varieties that thrive in harsh conditions. I will not suffer garden divas. With a nod
to RuPaul- Girl, you gotta WORK to earn a place in my garden. I’ll have 14 varieties of cherry tomatoes in a rainbow of colors. Your salads will look super fabulous. I also found some extra early tomatoes to add to the mix. Along with 4th of July there’s 42 day, one of the earliest globe tomatoes available. Also new are two French early heirlooms Jaune Flamme and Noire de Coseboeuf. Wait til you see what that one looks like!
I’m working on the plant list with pictures and descriptions now. Hoping to drop that by the end of the weekend. It will be pinned to the top of the page.