With an Eye and an Appetite for Next Year

Perhaps it is the cooler weather -- 72-degrees now midday, with a predicted high only in the 80's.

Perhaps it is the inch and half rain that fell yesterday, affording a delightful respite from the hose.

Perhaps it is the thorough weeding accomplished earlier in the week.

Perhaps it is the brief interval between harvests since Tuesday's aggressive gleanings of okra, tomato and cucumber and the grand pickling that night.

Whatever the justification, and with nothing from the garden really calling, I indulge a second pot of coffee, settle down to the computer and...order more seeds. 

Garlic, actually.  Which won't be shipped until October.

It's strange to think about next season.  I've just begun to pick squash, and the okras have a long way to go before they are exhausted.  I clipped the first of what I hope will be many leaves of swiss chard, and the potatoes are still in the ground.  There are yet tomatoes and tomatillos and peppers of several varieties, and the basil is patiently waiting for its turn in the pesto kitchen.  Who knows when the beans will be ready to harvest and shell, and whether or not the beets will actually offer anything other than tops.  The fall crop is only half planted, with half a dozen seed packets queued up and waiting.  Next season?

The fact is that garlic requires advance attention.  I barely beat the deadline last fall with a late November planting.  Better to nestle the cloves into place before the end of October.  And purveyors tend to run out of supplies early in the fall.  Already one of my preferred providers is sold out of two desirable varieties.    It's important to order early.  And I learned the hard way that in this first go-round I planted far too little.  Saving back a few heads for next season, we have already gone through much of the harvest. 

And I never wanted to be a one-hit wonder.  Peas produce once and then are done; I want to be a recurring, perennial producer.  There will be a Season #2.

Still, it's barely August and Season #1 is still in process.  It is with a curious mixture of embarrassment and titillation that here in the throes of summer I straddle the entire girth of autumn and winter and plant a foot so proleptically in spring.  But I can already almost taste it.

Here, then, is what's in store:

Erik's German White

Erik's German White (Seed Saver's Exchange):  Hardy plants, with strong roots overwinter without heaving out of ground. Bulbs have white wrappers with red-purple skinned cloves, easy to peel. Rich and slightly spicy garlic flavor. Hardneck, 4-6 large cloves.

Lorz Italian

Lorz Italian (Seed Saver's Exchange):   Northwest heirloom brought to Washington State’s Columbia Basin from Italy by the Lorz family before 1900. Medium warm with a zesty flavor that is not harsh and lingers on the tongue. Great for roasting. Softneck, 12- 18 cloves per bulb. 

Georgian Fire

Georgian Fire (Seed Saver's Exchange):   Obtained from the Gatersleben Seed Bank (#6822) in eastern Germany. Described by chefs as a truly "white hot" garlic. Raw taste is strong with a nice hotness that is not at all unpleasant. Great for salsa and salads. Hardneck, 4-6 cloves per bulb.

German Extra Hardy

 German Extra-Hardy (Maine Potato Lady):  Also called German Stiffneck, German White or Northern White. Very winter-hardy porcelain variety having a large root system to help withstand the freezing and thawing cycle that heaves the bulbs out of the ground. Very white wrappers over 3-5 dark red cloves. Large well-formed heads have a strong and robust flavor. Stores well. 

Inchelium Red

Inchelium Red (High Mowing Seeds):   HEIRLOOM Award-winning flavor is robust and rich with a hint of heat, but never overpowering. This variety has large bulbs reaching 3” across; bulbs can have 12-20 cloves. Outer bulb wrappers are thick and protect the bulb. Stores well for 6-7 months. Originally found on the Coville Indian Reservation in Inchelium, WA. Softneck (Allium tuberosum)

Music

Music (High Mowing Seeds):  A large, beautiful porcelain variety. This hardneck variety produces large bulbs with 4-5 large cloves. Flavor is strong and robust. Vigorous variety with long roots gives it the ability to over-winter without heaving. Stores well. Hardneck (Allium tuberosum)