jeffsgardenofeaton

Dear fellow gardening enthusiasts,

Just a short post to let you know that Garden of Eaton is again offering tomato, pepper, eggplant and tomatillo starts this year. I’ve posted the 2012 descriptive list of tomatoes on the “Tomato” page–just click on the link on that page to view or download the PDF file. I have not had time yet to compile the 2012 pepper list, but have left the old list up on the pepper page–about 75% of the varieties listed are again available this year, as well as many new varieties.

It’s a challenging year for Garden of Eaton. I’m working half-time for Oregon Mozart Players, primarily coordinating their annual benefit auction, which will take place on June 10. (Let me know if you’d like to donate something to the auction or to attend!) My assistant, Carolyn, is shouldering more of the responsibility this year for transplanting, watering, selling, etc. due to my frequent absences. We’ve had some weather-related issues that have stressed some of the varieties, although they are recovering in this week’s welcome heat wave.

We’re planning on selling plants from my home almost every day for the next several weeks, between noon and 6 PM. I’m at 2650 Summer Lane in Santa Clara, about 6 miles north of downtown Eugene.

To all who bought plants from me last year, a heartfelt thanks! I hope to see you all out here again this year–along with those of you reading this who have just discovered the Garden of Eaton.

Regards,

Jeff Eaton

I’m planning on wrapping up sales of tomato and pepper plants today and tomorrow–that’s Friday and Saturday, July 1 and 2. There are just about 400 plants in 5-1/2″ and gallon pots left, and I am offering them for just $1 each on these two days. Please drop by if you’d like to add a few exotic varieties to your garden for a very small financial outlay. Who knows–you may discover a new favorite!

I would welcome your feedback on how your plants performed, what varieties you particularly liked (and which you did not!), as well as varieties you’d like me to consider growing next season, assuming I give this another try in 2012.

It’s been six months of hard work, but of discovery and fun as well. I’ve met lots of interesting and nice people who share the love of gardening and the diversity of our horticultural heritage. Best of luck in your gardening endeavors this summer!

Jeff

It’s not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers in your garden–but it will be soon! I still have about 500 beautiful, large tomato plants in 5-1/2″ pots, and and equivalent number of pepper plants looking for good homes. Starting today, these plants are reduced from $3.00 to just $2.00, or $15 for a full flat of 8 plants. The selection is smaller than it was in past weeks, but there are still many wonderful heirloom varieties available. Why not try a few in your garden (or in pots) this summer and expand your horizons!

The photos below were taken this afternoon. As you can see, these are BIG plants. Most plants are already in bloom, and many peppers have already set fruit, greatly improving your chances of a harvest regardless of what kind of summer we have.

Tomatoes - June 19

Peppers - June 19

Jeff’s Garden of Eaton is located at 2650 Summer Lane in Santa Clara. From Eugene, go north on River Road past the Beltline to Hunsaker; turn right and go about 0.4 miles to Summer Lane and turn right again. We’re about the 5th house on the right. We will be open from noon to 6PM every day for the next week to ten days before wrapping up for the season.

You may have taken advantage of my free plant giveaway at the end of June last season. FYI, there will be NO free plants offered this season to the general public, so take advantage of the reduced price now, while the selection is greatest.

I hope to wrap up sales in the next week to ten days. It’s been a good year, and a pleasure to meet many of you in person at my home or at a farmer’s market. I’d really appreciate any feedback you might wish to leave in the coming months–how your various varieties performed and how you rated them for flavor and productivity; varieties you’d like me to grow next year if I decide to do this again; favorite recipes that use tomatoes and peppers; and any other comments you have. In the interim, best of luck with your garden, and enjoy your summer!

Jeff

Today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday, June 14 & 15) I’m offering a special deal on all remaining plants in small (3-1/2″) pots, which are usually priced at $2 each. These are mostly big plants that have outgrown their containers, and I’d like to find homes for them ASAP to make room for my larger plants in the front-yard greenhouses. Here’s the deal:

Buy 1-17 plants for $1 each (half off)

Buy 18-53 plants (1-just under 3 flats) for $15 per flat ($.83 per plant)

Buy 54 or more plants (3 or more flats) for just $12 per flat (.67 per plant)

There is still quite a lot of variety–red, yellow, orange, bicolor, green, white, and brown/purple/black types, as well as some cherry and paste varieties, as well as a more limited selection of mostly hot peppers–to choose from. This is a great opportunity to explore the different taste sensations of lots of varieties at a very affordable cost. Perhaps you’ll discover a new favorite!

In addition, I still have a pretty good selection of tomatoes and peppers in larger pots, although quite a few of the most popular varieties (hot jalapenos, anchos, anaheim/NuMex types, bells) are sold out, as are most of the early season red tomatoes.

As usual, I will be open from noon to 6PM both days, as well as most days for the next 2-3 weeks before all plants are gone. I hope to see you here!

Garden of Eaton was featured in the Chow! section of this week’s Eugene Weekly! EW writer Vanessa Salvia came out to visit last week and we had a nice chat about the joy of growing peppers from around the world. You can read the article by clicking  here: Hot Hot Heat: Hooked on peppers from around the world .

As they did last week, while I was on a quick trip to California, my new friends Ron and Sandy will be standing in for me at the Hideaway Bakery Farmer’s Market today between 9AM and 2PM. We will have a great selection of really big tomato and pepper plants, as well as some smaller eggplants and tomatillos if I can squeeze them on the truck this morning. Sandy is responsible for the beautiful new illustrated signage on the trailer, and they’ve both been a great help in selecting and loading this week’s plants as well.Ron and Sandy are very knowledgable and enthusiastic about the different varieties, and can help you find the right ones for your garden if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Later that same day.... Ron and Sandy at start of Hideaway Market on Saturday June 11

Meanwhile, I will be at 2650 Summer Lane, and open between noon and 6PM as usual. There’s an even greater selection here, although some popular varieties are now sold out. There are still many tomato varieties that should do well even if the summer turns out to be cooler than average.

We hope to see you one place or the other this bright and sunny weekend–it promises to be perfect planting weather!

Dozens (and dozens) of Tomato Varieties, May 27

If you’ve visited us at 2650 Summer Lane, you will know that we have KWAX 91.1 FM on in the background almost all the time. The jury is out on whether classical music makes the plants grow better, but there’s no question that it adds pleasure to our days. Today is the last day of their spring fundraiser, and I just called in a $100 challenge to be met by ten contributions in any amount from people who love vegetable gardening. I hope you will join us in supporting one of the finest classical music stations in the country!

While a few of our most popular varieties of tomatoes and peppers are beginning to sell out, we still have a tremendous variety of beautiful plants in either (or both) 3-1/2″ or 4-1/2″ pots, which sell for $2 and $3, respectively. We’re going to be open between noon and 6PM all weekend, including Memorial Day, and would love to help you add excitement and diversity to your summer garden.

In addition to peppers and tomatoes, I have a few plants of several excellent varieties of  winter squash from around the world, and half a dozen varieties of eggplant that we potted up last week.

We will once again take part in the Hideaway Bakery Farmer’s Market behind Mazzi’s on East Amazon this Saturday between 9AM and 2PM. Hope you can drop by, enjoy a pastry and a drink, and browse the market, which includes various veggie vendors as well as a couple of meat vendors.

Wishing you a sunny weekend!

Jeff

Sweet Peppers Hoping for Adoption May 27

It’s 5:30 AM on a Saturday mornng and I still have to select about half the plants I will be taking to the Hideaway Market today, which is open between 9AM and 2PM. So far I’ve loaded over 100 bell and other sweet peppers (ranging from bull’s horn types to pimentos to paprika varieties) in 5-1/2″ pots. These are large plants, already flowering, and looking great! I’ll be loading up a similar number of hot peppers  – not just the most familiar jalapenos, serranos, anaheims, poblanos, cayennes, Thais, etc. but several different habanero varieties and a host of exotic South American types that are in many cases essential to the cuisines of the countries they come from. I’ll also have about 20 varieties of cherry and other small-fruited tomatoes, as well as a good selection of full-sized tomatoes in every hue imaginable!

I hope you can make it to the Hideaway Market today, or to my home at 2650 Summer Lane in Santa Clara, which will be open between noon and 6PM. As always, you can downoad descriptions of the plants I have grown this year by going to the appropriate page of this site and downloading the description list, which is in pdf format.

Happy gardening!

We’re looking forward to quite a busy weekend! On Saturday, May 14, I will have my plant trailer at the Hideaway Bakery Farmer’s Market again (see previous post). I enjoyed participating in the market last week. There were several vendors offering wonderful spring greens, eggs, meats, and preserves and, of course, the Hideaway Bakery itself is a great plus! As I have a symphony rehearsal in the morning, my friends Ron and Sandy will fill in for me there from the start of the market to about 1PM, and I’ll be there for the final hour.

Sunday the 15th is the date of Mount Pisgah Arboretum’s annual Wildflower Festival & Plant Sale. From 2001 to 2004 I worked at the Arboretum, and as my way of supporting it, I started providing a thousand or more tomato and pepper plants for the plant sale. In fact, that’s how I first got into the business of growing mass quantities of plants! I have continued to participate in the festival every year since, and on Sunday 50% of my sales will be donated to the Arboretum.

Meanwhile, Carolyn plans to hold down the fort at 2650 Summer Lane. We’ll have a late start on Saturday, being open only from about 3-6PM, but we’ll be open Sunday the usual noon to 6PM.

It looks like I will be at the Hideaway Bakery’s Saturday Farmer’s Market today! This is a new venue for me, and I’m looking forward to trying it out. My connection to one of the founders of the market goes back about 25 years: I was Mazzi Ernandes’s cello teacher back in the mid-1980′s! 

The Market is located behind Mazzi’s Restaurant on East Amazon in South Eugene. Market hours are 9AM to 2PM. My assistant, Carolyn, will be holding down the fort on Summer Lane, which you can visit between noon and 6PM as usual.

Loaded up and ready to go - May 7

I received a frustrating bit of news yesterday. I’ve been bumped from this week’s Lane County Farmer’s Market because there are more members wishing to be there than there is available space. As a relatively new vendor, who  participates in fewer than ten markets a year due to the ephemeral nature of my product, I’m destined to forever remain at the bottom of the seniority list, and the first to go if there’s a crowd.

I’m looking into alternate venues but for the time being, it’s best if you can trek out to my home (2650 Summer Lane in Santa Clara) if you’re interested in my plants–which, by the way, are looking great:

Peppers and Tomatoes in one of the five hoophouses that have proliferated in my back and front yards

Closeup of peppers - May 6

I’m open most days between noon and 6PM, and if that’s inconvenient, you can call me at (541) 228-6470 to set up an appointment.

Happy Gardening!