Free Seeds from Your Small Kitchen Garden
Posted by admin | Under home kitchen garden, plant tomatoes, small kitchen garden Thursday Jan 14, 2010
This 20 pound neck pumpkin went into canning jars and so far has produced a delicious pumpkin cake. I can’t promise your neck pumpkins will grow so large, but they’ll have a chance if they are offspring of this bad boy.
FREE SEEDS! Your Small Kitchen Garden blog is giving away a bunch of seeds to encourage kitchen gardeners everywhere, and to spread some fun. Do you remember that Neck Pumpkin and the Blue Hubbard squash I wrote about in November and December? Or, maybe you read about the amazing chili-pepper-shaped paste tomatoes I grew in 2009?
While you’re planning your 2010 kitchen garden, consider this: Until I’ve no more to distribute, I’ll mail a modest set of seeds to each person who leaves a qualifying comment in response to this blog post. A seed set will include six Blue Hubbard squash seeds, six Neck Pumpkin seeds, and 20 or more paste tomato seeds. It’s not a lot of seeds, but it should be enough for you to start your own tradition with these squashes and tomatoes (should you decide to do so).
Someone told me they read that a Blue Hubbard squash was the model for the alien pods in one of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers movies. This Blue Hubbard weighed in at 27 pounds. Leave a qualifying comment for a chance to receive six seeds from this squash.
Qualify for a Seed Set
Here’s how to get your seed set: Leave a comment in response to this blog post telling me you want to receive seeds and explaining (in one or two sentences) which of the three plants you most want to grow and why. While your comments will be judged on the basis of creativity and humorousness, the only criterion for selection is the order in which I receive them.
A neighbor has been growing chili-pepper-shaped sauce tomatoes for decades and these are from that family line. The tomatoes are nearly all-meat, and they taste terrific raw. Plants are indeterminate, and fruits can weigh from eight to 16 ounces.
In other words: first-come, first-served. When I run out of complete sets, I’ll send whatever combination of seeds remains until all the seeds are gone. I expect the Blue Hubbard squash seeds to run out first, then the Neck Pumpkin seeds, and finally the sauce tomato seeds, so if you want all three, leave your comment early. Oh, and please keep it at one seed set per person.
Receiving Your Seed Set
Once you leave a comment to this post, use the Contact Us form to drop me a note that includes your snail mail address. Make sure you include the same email address that you use in your comment; I’ll use email addresses to match each Contact Us form to a comment… so if the addresses don’t match, you might not receive your seeds.
This offer is good through February 5, 2010.
My Australian friend who goes by @GardenBy on Twitter brought to my attention that there may be issues with mailing live seeds to international destinations. I once researched import laws of shipping seeds to Australia and was discouraged by what I read (mostly that there was so much to read and interpret and I could never do an adequate job research such issues on a country-by-country basis). So… I regret that I must amend this giveaway with the restriction that I will ship seeds only to people in the United States of America and Canada. Thanks for understanding.
The Dinner Garden www.dinnergarden.org gives away free seeds to anyone in the USA who wants to grow their own food. We also accept donations of seeds, if any gardener has leftover seeds.
I love the neck pumpkin – as I am sure many others do as well. My kids are part of the reason we garden and we love growing new and interesting things for them to daydream about.
I would really love to grow all three of these! I love squash! I don’t actually eat tomatoes, but my husband does so I always grow several varieties for him.
This is so generous and nice of you! Thank you!
Andrea
That neck pumpkin looks interesting! I DO love pumpkin bread! Oh, but does my love of pumpkin bread outweigh my love of a good meaty tomato? I can’t decide!
Hi Daniel,
I’d love to grow the chili-pepper-shaped paste tomatoes; they’re so cool! I don’t have much space for the squash or pumpkin (OK, it’s a squash too), but my cousin has a farm and nine children, and I’m sure he’d be glad to adopt any extra seeds.
Thanks for your consideration!
hi! Would love to try Blue Hubbard. Am a new squash lover and have never eaten this beautiful beast. The other seeds look great as well – my jaw dropped after paying $7 for a butternut at the groc store off-season… have resolved to grow my own since! Thank you!!
I’ve already told you, I am anxious to try that variety of paste tomato. The Romas that I grew last year made wonderful sauce that we’ll be eating until late summer this year. Still, I’d love to have another variety to compare them to. (But an adventure with either the Hubbard or the pumpkin would be lovely too.)
I would be elated to receive paste tomato seeds! I have had a small container garden for the past few years, dreaming of when I could actually grow a garden rooted in the ground; this year I actually have land to use! I’ve already been looking for good paste tomatoes, so this would work out just perfect! I would be sooo grateful! My pride and joy cherry tomato plant just kicked the bucket last week, so I’ve been endlessly scheming on what to grow this spring. I would really appreciate the pumpkin and squash seeds as well, but I would really adore the tomatoes
thanks so much!
I would like some of the neck pumpkin seeds because my wife makes a fantastic pumpkin cake, and with all that pumpkin, she’d have to do something with it
You have some serious goodness going on with those vegetables. I’d love to have a go at all three if they are still available. If there aren’t, thanks for a good read.
Mary Ann
I would love to have some of the paste tomatoes and the blue hubbard squash. I have always been fascinated with these squash. And, I’m all about color coordination. I would love to have squash that goes with my eyes!
I would really like to receive some seeds, because I have just got my first allotment – I have never done any gardening before, I’m a total newbie! Of the three plants I most want to grow pumpkins, as I ADORE pumpkin. I’ve never grown anything and eaten it before (except basil on my window)!
I’d love to get the squash and pumpkin seeds, so I can try to breed some sort of freaky hybrid of the two. Imagine a GIANT blue bumpy squash that makes great pies! MWAA HAA HAA!
Plz enter me in the seed giveaway.
I can guarantee that all of these seeds will have a happy, healthy and loving home in our 2010 expanded kitchen garden. Thanks
I will be giving a presentation on Humor and Stress Relief. I am fixing a stress kit ( rubber band, eraser,etc.) One of the things in the kit will be a packet of seeds. I would appreciate having any and all seeds to put in these 25 stress kits!
Thanks
1
I’d love to have a seed set! I’m especially stoked about the Blue Hubbard. My neighbor down the street grows some nice sized butternuts – I’d love to blow his doors off with one of your Blue Hubbards!
Sorry, I’m slow off the mark on this one! (Been looking for missing cat.) I would love some neck pumpkin seeds to honor my Amish/Mennonite heritage and because “neck pumpkin” is such an evocative name.
Thanks!
oo, i will be the envy of my entire garden club if i grow “neck pumpkins!”
I will be sincerely grateful for any seeds you wish to share. I am trying to raise awareness within my community about sustainability, personal responsibility, and the ability to feed ourselves (which we should be doing anyways) in these uncertain times. Thank you for your consideration and thank you for providing such a wonderful opportunity.
I would like to try to grow all that u r offering. I expanded my garden for this summer. Most of all I would like to grow the tomatoes because I am interested in cooking tomatoes which is a variety I have not yet grown. Thanks
Hi,
Im looking to expand my tomato experience! I enjoy trying new ones! But I have also never had blue hubbard squash! I will take any seeds you are willing to toss my way so i can sprinkle them in the garden. Oh and did I tell you, Im planning a spot in my yard and Im naming it the Twitter Garden! All seeds I get from my twitter/Blogger pals will go into this garden. I plan to share half of my twitter harvest with seniors in my area! I also have seeds to spare, if you are intrested! Okra, White Pumpkin and Garlic Chives! Have a great day!
Jenn (@4bratz2luv)
I just recently found your site, and have been finding it very useful. I am trying in earnest to build a kitchen garden for the first time – and tracking my progress on a new blog.
Any of the seeds would be lovely, but I’m especially interested in the tomatoes. I love fresh tomatoes, but my husband doesn’t, so I figured my best bet was to grow tomatoes to can for sauce.
Thanks for providing this offer!
~Nicole (nikkimay)
I am interested in the seed set. My first choice would be the tomato seeds. The neck pumpkin and squash would also be nice.
Daniel here checking in to thank everyone who has participated so far. I understand a few folks have tried to leave comments and gotten some kind of error from my blog. If that has happened to you, please submit your mailing address via the Contact Us form and I’ll still include you on the list to receive a seed set.
If you have submitted a comment and it doesn’t yet appear on this page, give it a few more hours. I review every comment before it appears so I can reject inappropriate content. I usually review pending comments several times a day, so yours should appear shortly.
Thanks again!
-Daniel
Hi! Count me in for seeds of the tomatoes, the squash and pumpkin if they are still available! Thank you for offering them.
Hi Daniel
I’d love to try the squash and tomatoes. Thanks for sharing such a great idea.
Diane aka The Yard Fairy
(@YardFairy)
Holy cannoli, one of the growers at my local farmer’s market had those long necked squash, and they were absolutely intimidating! (I ended up buying a Galeaux d’Eysines, another wonderful squash, which I posted about on my blog. I saved all the seeds, but cannot guarantee they are un-crossed- anyone who wants to give them a go should let me know!) The paste tomatoes look like Polish Linguisa or Opalka types, which are reputed to have great flavor fresh as well as canned- count me in!
Oh, LOVE tomatoes and always try to grow 2-4 kinds. But that Blue Squash – never seen one like it, so that would be great to grow and eat, and of course the neck pumpkin looks awesome as well – currently drooling over seed catalogs and hubby has informed me that I can’t grow everything I want because of space – LOL!
Hi,
I would love to try growing a blue hubbard squash or two. I have a tiny raised bed with very rich soil and would plant it on the edge, letting it ramble off into the yard. It’s such a delicious, old squash, and harder and harder to find at the market.
Eleanor
This is a very good and worthwhile idea and I would like to participate.
Love squash & would love to try the Blue Hubbard. Besides, if it was used as inspiration for alien pods, that’s right up my alley as I’m all about aliens!
Hi, I’d love to have some. I am just starting out with my homestead and could use some seeds. thanks in advance, Lisa
www.littleacreridge.com
I would particularly like to try the paste tomatoes. I’ve only ever used Roma so this would be fun. The pumpkin and squash look interesting and I’m ready to try something new.
I am planning my second ever garden. Last year I did some basics. I didn’t have a big bounty, but I sure learned a lot! My sister just got 28 acres here in NE TN, and we decided to go big. I would love to include your offer in our garden. Thank you!
We are a tomato loving family! With my red hair and fair skin I look like a ‘mater by late spring. We lost 60 plants to blight last year so we have moved my garden to a new spot for a few. Hope I get some tomato seeds from you!
I would LOVE the tomoatoes. Right now, my boyfriend and I have very little money, we’re living on unemployment and we are surviving on tomato sauce and noodles. I guess some would call that spaghetti, though the noodles do differ. I would make SOOO many different things with it. I’m trying to cook meals from scratch like it used to be done, and I make some really really good pulled pork for sandwiches by cooking tomatoes down to sauce. I would love the tomatoes.
My first choice would be the paste tomato seeds. I just started making my own pasta sauce this year, and these would be perfect! Thanks!
I garden here in Knoxville Tn and last year the theme was edibles everything in my yard is edible I would love to grow some squash and more tomato varieties the most enjoyment I found last year that I hope to carry on this year is growing a lot in a little amount of space
I love the information your site provides and would appreciate any seeds you would like to share
Nicole (nehketah1978@yahoo.com)
I would love to try all three, but the tomato most of all! I use tomatoes constantly in everything and am always trying to find better ones for canning!
I’d love some of them there maters! I love growing unique tomatoes. And I have a friend named Hubbard and that squash is kinda shaped like his head LOL!!! I need to grow some for him.
I would love some seeds. We are trying to become more self sufficient (I wish everyone would) and these seeds will help. My family loves everything tomato and I will be growing and canning lots of them. (I hope).
I would love to try the paste tomatoes and the neck pumpkin and love squash. I can, freeze, and dehyudrate. Cook from scratch and love love my garden. Thanks for the offer.
I would love to try all 3, especially the tomato ones. This will be 4th attempt at a garden. The first 2 went well with basic items, but last year didn’t and we got the late blight and lost our tomatoes. Thank you!
I would love to try all 3. My kids and I love gardening at home and with their grandparents. We try at least one new tomato variety and one new vegetable each year. I love how it gets the kids interested in vegetables and I love sneaking the squash and pumpkin into their treats. Thanks for the offer!
Hi! Just came across your site from another one and I’ve been reading up on what you’ve accomplished thus far. I would be happy to receive the tomato seeds! The squash I grew last year was apparently mutant as it threatened to consume any small animal that came near it. I’ve never seen such rampant growth! My garden is so small, I think I can only handle the tomatoes. Thanks!
I am suffering from a case of spring fever and can’t wait to get out and till up my new, sunny piece of ground. These three plants would make a great start! (I love to can, too!!)
If the contest is still open, I’d love to win the tomatoes. I have a new tomato plot hibernating under the snow, and this would be a special way to get it started.
Hi,
Great looking fruits! I can’t wait to start my kitchen garden this year and would love to try these varieties. This would be my eighth tomato! Thanks so much for this, it’s a great opportunity, and would love to try these out…just as soon as the snow melts!
I enjoy my garden. The only problem I have is there are only 120 days from start to finish, so I must use early maturity vegi’s. I would love to try your vegi’s but concerned if I have enough time for them to produce
Bev
Bev: The paste tomatoes will produce in about 75 days if you get a better growing season than we had last summer. That’s 75 days from transplanting outdoors assuming you start them indoors about six weeks before the last frost. I believe you’ll get some tomatoes from them… and they’re really good tomatoes. I’m out of Blue Hubbard squash seeds, and low on neck pumpkin seeds, so I’m not sure whether I’ll have any by the time I package up your seeds. If you do get some neck pumpkin seeds, I encourage you to start those indoors as well. Plant seedlings here on the 4th of July, and they will produce a decent crop before first frost which comes in early-to-mid October. That’s about 110 days. With a 120-day growing season, you must be used to starting seeds early, or buying seedlings to put out as soon as frost passes. If you do that with the seeds I send, you should get some food out of them.
[...] mailing out more than 40 packs of these seeds in the coming week. If you left a comment on my post Free Seeds from Your Small Kitchen Garden, did you also send your mailing address to me via the web site’s Contact Us form? I noticed [...]
I’d love to try all three! I’ve never seen the chili pepper shaped tomatoes before and I live in a great area for growing tomatoes.
hi i would like some seeds to get me back into gardening and to get the bugs and wildlife back into my garden thanks
Thanks for the seeds! I am excited about growing the chili pepper shaped paste tomatoes. I found this image on Google: Paste Tomatoes
Do you think this is them? Super Italian Paste?
Thanks again.
Melanie: Those Super Italian Paste tomatoes look very similar to the ones I’ve grown. Two possibilities: 1. There is a chili-pepper-shaped tomato that some people call Super Italian Paste, others call German Tomato, and others call Andes. 2. There are several chili-pepper-shaped varieties.
I lean toward #2: there are several chili-pepper-shaped varieties. I’ve two reasons for this bias. The first is that the Super Italian Paste looks a bit different to me than the ones I’ve grown – the attached stems just don’t look the same, and the tomatoes’ shapes on average seem slightly different (but I could be wrong… I’d need to see whole plants for an honest comparison. The second reason for my bias is the evaluation of the Super Italian Paste on the site you identified: they say the tomato is productive but bland. I found the tomatoes to be very flavorful; good enough that I used a bunch in salads as well as in cooked sauces.
Several months ago I tracked down a variety called Andes at this address: Andes Tomato The one they show is a perfect match for my tomatoes, and the description also is a match: “Meaty with few seeds and rich flavor.”
Maybe Andes and Super Italian Paste are the same tomato, but if they are, someone’s taste buds are in serious disagreement.