$75 Cubit’s Seed Package Giveaway!
In this house the fella mainly just grunts when I discuss my seed wants. Unless he thinks I’m referring to a different kind of “seed”. In which case he grunts and then smiles.
There’s something about picking out seeds that makes me all swoony. And the seeds you can get through actual “seed” stores is impressive. Sure you can get seeds at your grocery store. They usually haul out the dust covered carousel of 3 year old seeds around April. With such tantalizing offerings as “Tomato”, or ”Radish” or ”Cucumber”.
Go to an actual seed store, either on-line or in person and what you’ll find are things like …
Organic Purple Tomatillo Seeds
Organic Watermelon Radish Seeds
and
Organic Lemon Cucumber Seeds
You must admit, just a *tad* more interesting than a plain old tomato, radish or cucumber. Of course, you can also get regular old tomatoes, radishes and cucumbers from seed stores, but they’ll have the benefit of being fresh seeds with a really good description of what variety it is which will determine the taste, germination rate and growing season.
I’ve grown cherry tomatoes for years, but only “Sweet Baby Girl” tomatoes because they’re among the sweetest cherry tomatoes you can find. Now, if you go to your garden centre and buy seeds or even a small cherry tomato plant, you usually have NO idea what variety it is. That’s why growing your own from seeds that you select is the best way to go if you can when you’re starting your garden.
The other thing to consider when you’re picking out your seeds is whether or not you’re going to enjoy eating it once it’s grown. Yeah. I know it sounds stupid but those seeds and plants can look really tempting even if you don’t like eating them. I also like to grow things that will keep either in a root cellar or dark cupboard. Things like winter squash, potatoes, turnip, beets … stuff that you can grow and store for months. Unlike cucumbers or tomatoes which don’t keep unless you preserve them in some way.
Another thing you want to consider when planting your vegetable garden is where you’re gonna plant this stuff. It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye from a rogue squash plant you don’t really have room for. If you don’t have a huge yard that gets at least 8 hours of sun a day you CAN still have home grown vegetables. A lot of vegetables do well in containers or in small spaces. Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers are all small garden/container friendly. Among about a billion other things.
My final tip on seeds is to buy some heritage varieties. These are also known as heirloom variety. What is an heirloom plant? There are a few definitions, but basically an heirloom tomato or carrot is one that has been around for several generations, and has not been genetically modified. It hasn’t been hybridized with anything else to alter it. BECAUSE of this, if you grow an heirloom plant, you can take the seeds from the vegetable you grew, plant them again next year and you will end up with exactly the same fruit/vegetable from it. If you save the seeds from a regular hybridized seed and plant them again the next year you’re never really sure of what will sprout up.
O.K. Lesson is over for today. I pass things over now to Laura from Cubits Organics and the $75 giveaway she’s kindly offered The Art of Doing Stuff readers.
Laura’s a rockin, gardening mom in Toronto who runs the wildly successful Etsy shop, Cubits, Organic, Rare & Heirloom seeds.
Cubit’s, Organic, Rare & Heirloom Seeds
She’s giving one lucky reader this $75 package which includes a hand forged garden tool, wood plant markers and 12 packets of seeds.
The best part? She’s letting YOU pick out whatever seeds you want.
To enter, just go to the Cubit Etsy site, have a browse around and decide what your favourite seed is. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me what your #1 seed pick would be.
Contest closes March 6th at midnight, winner announced March 8th. (winner will be randomly selected by automated computer program)
Good luck!
Laura Bee
Damn, I was just about to go to bed…but ok.
Suzanne Ledford
Fractal Romanesco Broccoli times infinity. I have an obsession with fractal beauties. :)
Grishma @ZaikaZabardast
Oh boy!! I have to be the winner at least this time for this beautiful giveaway!! I would love to try out lemon cucumber seeds. They look different. Good luck to meee!!
Kim Merry
I have to try the lemon cucumber! I wonder if I could get my family to eat it????
Kim
Becky
Karen, once again you have taught me useful information… I never knew there were seeds on etsy. This could be dangerous— however, after oohing and ahhing (there may have been a few moans of anticipation of deliciousness) I have to pick the old ivory egg tomato as my favorite. I grew one plant, a few summers ago, and not one of them ever made it into the kitchen. They are a delight to eat straight from the plant, with a very mild flavor– however, by eating them all, I realized at the end of the summer, that I had not saved any seeds and have not found a replacement. UNTIL NOW!! yay!
Rachel Cree-Lowe
oh sweet moses smelled the roses… those Purple Tomatillo are gorgeous! I wouldn’t know whether to eat them or just stare at them. Beautiful photos. Number one pick for sure. The colour is beautiful
Diane
Rachel Cree -Lowe should win just for that little ‘sweet moses smelled the roses..’
Rebecca Jakel
My favorite seed is the Organic Moon and Stars Heirloom Watermelon Seeds, I’ve always wanted to grow these, I think my kids would love them.
Lynn Pratte
OH MY GOSH. I need this. I am a Sustainability student at Arizona State University, and I am in a class called “Food and Farms” that has given me the motivation to grow my own food. My number one pick is the colorful carrot mix. I love carrots, and I think having different varieties would be so awesome!
Vanessa
Cosmic purple carrot seeds!
Amanda
I would get Heirloom Carrot Seeds – Colourful Mix of Organic Rainbow Carrot Seeds. we had some before and it was always a pleasure to cook with them AND the fun of pulling up surprises was awesome!
Katie King
DEFINITELY Naturally Grown Fractal Romanesco Broccoli (aka Veronica Cauliflower) Seeds. For one thing, it’s apparently cauliflower AND broccoli at once, and for another, Romanesco has been fascinating to me since I first learned about the Fibonacci sequence in high school. Beautiful stuff!! Food should always be art!!
Laura Bee
Well, that was easier than I thought! I was looking for herbs, as we have not much of a “garden”. Then I saw them: Organic Seeds Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry.
My Duddy & Nana were Mennonite’s, and always had a HUGE garden & grew Ground Cherries. I loved eating them right out of the garden, warm from the sun. So yummy! Thanks for the memories & good night!
Krista
After everything you just said (which sums it up perfectly), and you expect me to pick just one?? Okay, well it has to be the Romanesco. Mesmerizing. :)
Christina
oh my how fun!! Just browsing the Etsy link.. I have never seen Fractal Romanesco before!!! It looks amazing and I would LOVE to try it out one day!!
Love your blog by the way :)
Jean
My favorites are the Rainbow carrots and the Easter egg radishes!
Susan
I’ve spent many happy hours pouring over seed catalogues. Hands down the organic heirloom tomato seeds look perfect – so versatile and there’s nothing like a homegrown tomato.
kathleen
Hmmmm watermelon radish or purple carrot? Just can’t resist the watermelon radish so pretty, crunchy and tasty.
Marti
Basil. Can I vote again?
I was going to call myself a name here, lifted from your post yesterday, but then I remembered I’m NOT CANADIAN.
Whew. That’s a relief!
Kathleen
I have a couple seed packets from Cubits in my stash for this year, but would love some more! I think my number 1 pick would have to be the Delicata Squash…tried this variety for the first time last summer and loved it : )
Cassie
#1 seed pick is Organic Moon and Stars Heirloom Watermelon Seeds.
Not only do they look delicious and different, I think the appearance is sure to freak out my neighbors. Looks like a poisonous toad rather than a watermelon!!
Shauna
I want to see these seeds – where are they? I’ve gone through the Cubits catalog twice now and see 2 different types of watermelon and neither says Moon and Stars Heirlook Watermelon Seeds. A poisonous toad sounds super cool;)
sherry
my favourite is organic seed aunt molly’s ground cherry.
Eileen
Lemon cucumber sounds amazing!! :)
Kristine
ooooh, this is amazing timing! I just bought my first house and I have been longing for spring and dreaming of what to plant in my new garden! Those little tidbits about replanting heirloom seeds is blowing my mind.
I would have to choose the Large Leaf Organic Basil Seeds, because I know I will use every last morsel- I use basil in everything, and then dry it in the microwave to keep me going in the winter.
Crossing my fingers for this package!
Claudine
Organic Moon and Stars Heirloom Watermelon Seeds. What a beautiful melon.
Mmmmmm. Ryan Gosling.
I just put in a cottage garden last fall. So I have plenty of room for all kinds of things, and promise to rein in any potential rogue squash.
Her site is beautiful. Thanks for the introduction.
Amanda
Purple Carrots – Organic Cosmic Purple Carrot Seeds. Oh my gosh, those are the most amazing carrots I have ever seen in my life!
Nicole
Seriously there is no question it would be the Italian Large Leaf Organic Basil Seeds. I can nearly taste how delicious it would be from the picture alone. YUM!
Carlota Bindner
The organic purple tomatillo seeds, I would love to grow these to use in my tomatillo stew.
Debbie
WOW …Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherries or… no no that’s it Ground Cherries
Karen
Love the moon and stars watermelon. Didn’t know their were organic seed sellers on Etsy, nice to know.
Aimee
Wow, they are all gorgeous!
I can’t decide between the fig cherry tomatoes and the purple basil…mmm….
Diane
Organic Vivian Romaine.
No doubt about it. Prettiest lettuce I’ve seen, and she didn’t even have to stick a leg out.
brigitte
fractal romanesco broccoli seeds — hands down. I mean… look at them! They’re magnificent… I just wanna roll around in it!
Emily Rae
I cannot choose only one… okay, Romaine lettuce. And Snowball Cauliflower.
Mscreation101
Would love kale or arugula seeds…awesome site and giveaway!
Nancy
I am with Nicole on this one..The Italian Large Leaf Organic Basil Seeds..for me..I am so much waiting to start an herb garden this year..and the the smell of fresh basil is one of my most favorite smells..Thank you..Thank you..Thank you for this chance!!!
Z
Striped Chioggia Beet Seeds
Gigi
I love the names! I think I have to go with the Parisian carrots. Then again purple tomatoes or a rainbow of carrots would be a great treat for my little one. We just finished three large raised gardens so perfect timing. Go me.
Lisa
I want carrots! Leapin’ lizards, I haven’t dug up carrots since around the time the movie Annie came out. My Pa planted them out back in his little garden and it was so much fun to help dig them up. Sometimes we dug up other things too, like whiskey bottles. Ha! I would love to share the fun with my kiddos. The carrots…not the whiskey bottles. My top pick is definitely the Colourful Carrot Mix, ’cause why settle on one color when you can have ‘em all?
gloria
Amazing. 24 comments before someone mentioned Ryan Gosling. This must be some serious gardeners here. So anyway…my favorite pick is the German chamomile. I use it medicinally for sinus problems. Make a steamy sauce pan of the flowers in boiling water and inhale w/ a towel over your head.
Krissy
I fancy the Organic beet trio seeds. Nothing beats the taste of beets.
missnicoleo
Snowball cauliflower, I. am obsessed with roasted cauliflower with lemon and cumin. And I will also take 1 Ryan gosling. Thanks.
Karen
I’m not a huge cauliflower fan, but that sounds good! ~ karen
missnicoleo
Najibs special from an amazing Vancouver Lebanese restaurant, Nuba. Google it. Make it. Love it.
Kate Moore
Watermelon radish! They’re so beautiful and crunchy :)
Caroline
Something that will grow well on top of my bookcase away from the windows–it’s the only place my cat would leave it alone!
Jen
basil! basil! basil!
bah-zil!
Becky
Tomatoes are one of my favorite parts of summer! I would love to try the Brandywine Tomato. The colorful carrot mix would be so fun as well.
pve
I can’t decide this alone. I made need seed therapy.
All of the seeds look awesomely sexy.
pve
April
I would pick the Beet seed mix. I grew a little bit of everything last year but forgot the beets. I tried some homemade pickled beets last year at a little restaurant in the middle of nowhere that were the best I have ever had so I must try and make them!
itchbay
Yum! What a great site! I’m sad that I’ve already ordered all my seeds for this year. I’ll just have to make another order later this year.
Off the top of my head, I’d probably order her organic radish seeds. We go through a lot of those little guys around here, since we can grow them year-round.
Gitana the Creative Diva
Hands down I would opt for cilantro as my top choice. It’s one of the main ingredients in sofrito, the combination of herbs and spices used in cooking throughout much of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Then I’d go for some tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower… yeah, all of that.:)
Gayla T
The eye candy set me back in my chair and then when I started reading what they have…..a gardeners dream. I could have stopped looking at page 1 when I saw the cinnamon basil seeds but then I would have missed the lemon basil. When you’ve been around as long as I have it’s rare to find a plant I’m not familiar with and it’s exciting when I do. Thanks for the turn on! LOL
Elle
So many lovely seeds to choose from!
I know *my guy* would choose the Habanero, while I would choose Italian Noire Tomato
no, wait…
I would choose Organic Red Fig Cherry Tomato
no, wait…
I would choose the Organic Colorful Carrot Seeds Six Pack Collection!
so hard to be decisive. sigh.
Jennifer
What is not to LOVE about Broccoli that is both a left AND right side brained. Chartreuse Fractal Broccoli!
Mary
Voted btw. My favourite seed to try would be the Italian Noire Tomato Seeds Organically Grown.
Karen
Thank you Mary! ~ karen
Wendi
My favorite would have to be the Cilantro Coriander Herb Seeds. I am OBSESSED with cilantro right now! My hubs makes a killer corn salsa that has loads of cilantro in it…Oh, great! Now I’m craving salsa! :op
Deb Hornick Gotham
Moon and stars watermelon! SOOOOOO Hard to choose..what an awesome shop!!! Thanks so much for this opportunity!!!
Debra
Who can resist purple carrots? Purple carrots!!! Not my 3 year old. I bet they are carrots fit for a princess! (being purple and all) Yummmmm!
Jessica
I’d go for Rouge Vif D Etampes, a.k.a. the Cinderella pumpkin. Because I love fairy-tales. And because I’ve read that it tastes great, aside from just being a pretty squash.
Awesome picture with Ryan Gosling. It had me full-out laughing. Which had my boyfriend ask what was so funny. I showed him, and he got a worried face, kind of like an “uh-oh, should I pay more attention to your seed wishes?” kinda look.
Alison
Organic Beet Seed Mix…not only will I make the the beet pear salad with goat cheese but it will be backyard local with these seeds! Take that grocery store! Must now find a goat…
Kirsten
The Sweet Baby Watermelon seeds would be my pick. I’m just starting to get into gardening, and watermelon is something that will never ever go to waste in this house.
Thank you so much for sharing this – I never thought that etsy would have seeds, but now I have a brand new resource for my budding (ha) hobby.
Kirsten
NEVERMIND TOTALLY WOULD GET THE GROUND CHERRIES.
Except I call them gooseberries, for whatever reason. They’re really hard to find and expensive here!
Also, you’re in the lead! c:
christina
holy Hannah – Cinnamon Basil?!! want that – would be perfect for sauce for Pastitsio, or Greek lasagna!
Wub
I’d love to try growing the White Icicle Radishes. My guy loves radishes. Me, not so much. And I don’t love that he loves them. Makes his burps smell like something died inside him… Ugh! Maybe the White Icicles will clear up that problem for me… I mean for him. Thanks!
Elizabeth Davidson
The purple carrots. What beautiful and color dishes I could prepare if I had purple carrots growing in my garden. I would be the envy of all my neighbors.
Alecia @ ChickenScratchNY
I love lemon cucumbers, they are so pretty and taste amazing, they are also the only ones I’v ever managed to grow and get a decent crop out of
farquist
Colourful carrot mix, please. I would need that hand forged garden tool to tame my Manitoba gumbo garden.
Judy
Gosh, so many choices….. I have never seen Fractal Romanesco Broccoli before, and it looks so beautiful I would have to try that!
Barbara
I haven’t had much luck with radishes lately—I’d try the belle radishes,
Rebecca
I have to win this! This is my favorite giveaway you’ve had! Fordhook Swiss chard or purple tomatillos.
Carol-Anne
Can’t decided between the Beet Trio or the Watermelon Radishes – surprise me :)
Kathy
Golden Detroit Beets– we actually grow a lot of vegetables and I would love to try this one.
Maria
Those rainbow radishes look awesome! Great giveaway!
Also, I’ve happened on your blog before (through google), but after looking at the homie nominations I found you again, poked around and am now a follower :) Awesome blog!
Amie
I live in the most isolated city in the world. No, I’m not exaggerating; look up Perth Western Australia & you will see that I’m not telling porkies. Subsequently we don’t get many varieties. I have been searching for the past 16 months for Heirloom Carrot seeds! Thanks for sharing! x
Phyllis
It was a bad idea to read what others had written!…had to go back and check what some looked like…watermelon radish to be sure is my pick! Thanks!
Mallory
I would love to try growing the habanero peppers.
Julianne
Mine would be the good, old “Organic Watermelon Seeds – Sugar Baby Water Melon”. Watermelon grows well in our climate and I absolutely love watermelon..could live on the stuff during the hot summer months! :O)
m @ random musings
I would totally get fennel. So yummy and such a fragrant addition to a garden.
Karen
organic red fig tomatoes. I remember my neighbor growing these when I was a kid. I was intrigued by their shape.
Rose
Organic Early Wonder Tall Top Beet Seeds. Beets grow really well in my terrible Florida yard, which is fortunate, because beet greens are the best food.
Mary
Waltham Butternt Squash. Because, I want to grow squash in a cage.
Traci
Every variety of tomato!!! YUM!
Jocelyne
My favourite seed would be the black zebra striped tomato seeds, although I am also intrigued by the yellow and purple tomatillos!
Amber Tabone
It’s hard to pick just one! I would go with the Organic Purple Basil because I eat basil like no tomorrow, AND it looks beautiful!! I’d grow it in the pots on my deck. The purple will be a nice visual accent on the deck and a pleasant surprise in the dish. Thank you for this opportunity!
Mary
Organic Sumter Cucumber seeds!
Erika
Watermelon radishes! How fun!
Andrea @ 101 Life Lessons
I ordered a bunch of seeds from her last year. Would love to do the same this year! She’s got lovely tomatoes – any of them would make me happy.
Anita
Organic Crystal Apple Cucumber. They are so pretty and I don’t know what it is. I am fascinated by a hellow cucumber.
jen
aunt molly’s ground cherry — delicious and prolific — i’m all for it!
Bridget
My pick would be Organic Rainbow Swiss Chard Seeds – so gorgeous! Haven’t ever eaten it, but would love to see those colors out my window.
Karen, you have inspired me to start a tiny indoor greenhouse with your previous postings on how to grow seeds from scratch! I started the sweetie tomatoes and can’t wait to see how many develop. I am waiting a bit longer to put the darlings in the ground since it is still before the last frost date here. It is like magic seeing these little babies pop up out of the ground.
I never would have attempted it without your helpful posts. So, a big thank you! Wish me lots of luck and sunshine in NC for my first real garden full of tomatoes, green peppers, carrots!, and green beans.
Bridget, the newly avid gardener
Karen
Good luck Bridget! ~ karen
April
I grew those last year, they are just as beautiful as the picture but they were so bitter my family would not eat them. No matter how I cooked them I just couldn’t get them to taste good. But they did make good alpaca treats :)
Jen
Fractal Romanesco Broccoli – it is so sculptural.
Kelly B
I love the Watermelon Radishes … how pretty! Thanks for the chance to win!
Natalie
Oh, look at the bulls blood beets! I love the red leaves. I like to eat beet leaves (and did so just last night!) And I usually start seeds for veggies, but end up buying herbs late in the season from whoever is selling them cheap. So I miss out on spring cooking with copious amounts of herby goodness. I should start some herbs from seed this year.
I also think I’m going to focus on climb-y viney things, so I can make better use of space by growing peas on my fence, for example.
Oh seeds how I love thee. Especially during this snow storm.
carol
I love lettuce, so I would get the freckle lettuce! just for the name!
Delores
The Fractal Romanesco Broccoli are beautiful and sound tasty.
Leesa Brinkley
the heirloom carrots seeds in memory of grandma; who was herself an heirloom!
lisa smith
I think my favorite would be the Organic Delicata Winter Squash – Last year was our first year for butternut winter squash and it has been Great and I had so much i could share and it lasts so long! So trying a new squash would be fun!
pat hunter
Old Ivory Egg Tomatoes are my pick
cred
I loved the Ryan Gosling quote- it was so hot! And he looks like he could plant his seed all night.
It would have to be rainbow carrots- I love them and must grow them again. But the crystal apple cuke is interesting, it’s the only variety that I haven’t seen before.
If you haven’t already, you should grow ground cherries- lovely, sweet & self-seeding. These are sweet like fruit- yes, I know tomatoes, cukes, peppers, etc are technically all fruit too but this one you eat like fruit. (for snacking, preserves, topping for dessert) Plant them in a perennial herb or flower bed and they will reseed & come up the next year without effort.
Celine
Voted :) Good luck!
Jillian
How do I just pick 1? I love to garden and especially anything edible. (I like flowers, too) Huge lover of root veggies and the colorful carrot mix made my mouth water. We cut off the tops still leaving some green, cut in half and dredge in olive oil, celtic sea salt, fresh ground pepper and paprika. Lay them out flat on a large cookie sheet and roast until golden brown, soft with a bit of a crunch. OMG! Heaven melting in my mouth. YUM (works for store bought organic but not as yummy) Thanks Karen!
Terri Simmons
Definitely the Cherokee Black Tomato! Perfect for my new container garden! Thanks for sharing!
dulci
rouge vif d etampe pumpkins have been on my seed wishlist for so stinkin’ long now…