Tiny Garden Gardening Kit
A themed gardening kit containing 6 seed varieties in a keepsake box letterpress printed in Portland, Oregon by Egg Press.
- Mouse Melon
- Japanese Hulless Baby Corn
- Tigger Melon
- Tennis Ball Lettuce
- Baby Beet
- Ronde de Nice Squash
Miniature vegetables -- irresistibly cute!
Journey through a garden of lilliputian vegetables that will make you feel like a giant. This easy to grow collection will enchant both the experienced and the first time gardener. Though the vegetables are small the plants are not -- we recommend a 10’ x 10’ area in full sun.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Mouse Melon--So cute! So crunchy! Mouse melons, also known as Mexican Sour Gherkins, are Native to Mexico and Central America. Looking like a mini watermelon the flavor is that of a tart cucumber. Plant directly in the ground spaced 6” apart once it’s reliably t-shirt weather and keep the soil moist as they germinate. This is a vining plant with tiny but vigorous little tendrils. Give it a trellis or something to climb on or it will find it’s own way!
Japanese Hulless Baby Corn--Here we have a very old variety of dwarf popping corn. That’s right, popcorn! Left to mature the plant will grow ears around 5” long and can be hung to dry for popcorn but harvested at 2-3” you get the “baby corn” enjoyed in Chinese restaurants. A double whammy of fun! Mini corn is fun to eat raw or pickled or cooked in stir fry. Sow seeds in the ground once the soil has warmed in a sunny location. Keep soil moist. For “baby corn” harvest 1-3 days after silks become visible peeking out the tops of the ears.
Tennis Ball Lettuce--This old heirloom was grown by President Thomas Jefferson and it’s no wonder that it remains popular today. Such a perfect little lettuce! Perfectly round, and perfectly succulent, and just the right amount for one or two people. Plant directly in the ground about ½” deep and 6” apart (or plant them closer together but thin them out as the baby plants emerge). Don’t let the soil dry out. This is one plant that can tolerate some shade. Lettuces will “bolt” for the sky in hot weather (which is really fun to watch but less fun to eat, as the taste can get bitter) so it’s best to plant these in Spring and early Summer or in some shade in late Summer for an early Fall harvest, if you live in a place where Summer’s get hot.
Baby Beet--Have you noticed how many different shapes and sizes of seeds there are? There’s something about little knobby beet seeds that we just adore! These guys can take some pretty cool weather so you can start planting them in early Spring and they also do well planted in Summer for a Fall harvest. Plant them 1/2" deep at least 3” apart. The little round beets are delicious raw, steamed whole, or roasted (our favorite!) and the greens are delicious too. When I was a kid we always had them with butter and salt and vinegar sprinkled on top.
Ronde de Nice Squash--Here's a round little cutie patootie Summer Squash that's perfect for stuffing. Wait until it's warm weather and all danger of frost has passed and then plant a few seeds in a little hill of soil. The squash will thank you if you add some compost too. If you want you can trellis them or let them climb up a sunflower stalk (plant those first if that's your plan). You can harvest them when they're the size of a softball--smaller if fun too if you're hosting a little mouse's tea party. They're extra sweet and crunchy raw when tiny.
Tigger Melon--A mini-sized yellow and orange striped melon, like something out of a fairytale. Plant in warm soil after the danger of frost has passed and keep moist. Melons are hungry and will appreciate a nice blanket of aged compost. Make a little mound and plant 4-5 seeds on the top at a depth of 1”. When plants are a few inches high thin them down to the 1 or 2 very strongest looking ones. They also love to grow vertically if you tie the vines to a trellis. You’ll know they’re ready to harvest when they easily slip off their vine or have fallen off on their own and when they smell sweet and fragrant. Rumored to be an old Armenian variety these little melons are known as “pocket melons" once grown for their fragrance.