My Seeds

Part of the fun of having a garden is all the planning involved on it. Being able to decide what we would grow next and where it would go is very exciting. One of my favorite parts is choosing among the infinite varieties of plants to grow.

My seeds box

I always get carried away imagining how it would be to grow this and that, and I always want to add a new plant to my garden. The only problem is that here in my little garden in Japan, we only have the very restricted space a balcony garden can provide.

Of course, this didn't stop me when getting seeds. Adding the ones I brought from Mexico and the ones I got here, now I have ended up with way more of what I would be able to have. I really doubt I can fit even a quarter of all this in my little garden. So, I am sure there will be very tough decisions to make next year, when I would have to choose what to sow.

I like to keep my seeds in jars instead of envelopes

Here is a peek into my seeds box for this year. That way you can help me decide.

• Chives. I just got this ones, I will sow them this week, hopefully they still can catch the season.


• Thyme I cave in to my impatience and I bought the plant, so probably I won't need these after all.


• Alyssum I have the plant too, but I doubt it will stand the winter, so they are my back up plan.


• Cactus A little bit of Mexico's flavor, but I have three bags, so I will give some away.

Komatsuna, Cilantro and Chile de arbol

• Chile I have chile serrano, chile ancho, chile guajillo, chile pasilla, chile poblano, chile de arbol y chipotle. It will be impossible to pick only one.


• Zempasuchitl The Mexican marigold, with a much stronger scent, I like this flower and it is very good for the garden, so this one is a keeper.


• Epazote An annual herb, good for condiments.

Alyssum, Cactus and Lettuce

• Komatsuna The one I am growing now is doing very well. So I think it can be a keeper for next winter as well.


• Cilantro Must have for Mexican food.


• Beans The beans I had this year didn’t do well. Even when they flower they did not got fruit. I brought some from Mexico, hopefully they can do better.

Chamomile, White flower and Beans

• Lettuce Another of my winter vegetables that is going great.


• Chamomile This one might go well on a planter with the Epazote, It would be a nice addition to the herb corner.


• Unidentified white flower I picked this one up from a sidewalk in shibuya, no idea what it is.

Beside all of this, I want to grow some pumpkin, some tomato, possibly blueberries. Also, I know there will be more plants that I won't be able to resist next year.

It is definitely too much for me, anybody want some extra seeds?

Seeds from Mexico

I have a delay on working on the garden because my fish tank suddenly got a leak, so all my attention was on that. For now the fish are Ok, but now I don’t have much time left for the garden and is almost time to go back to japan.

Yesterday I was finally able to do something garden related. I went to shop for some seeds. This city doesn’t have that much of a "grow yourself from seeds culture", so I had some trouble finding some. We usually buy the grown plant from the nursery, by trades or even collect plants and seeds from the wild. After some looking around I was able to get some nice seeds at little stores and supermarkets. I still have one more place to go, so I will probably get some more.

Here is what I got so far

Seeds from Mexico

• Desert plants (Cactus, Nopal, Maguey, and more) It would not be Mexico if you don’t have a fair amount of cactus.


• Zempasuchitl The Mexican marigold, this particular type has a very intense scent, I hope it can get me some butterflies.


• Chile poblano A very common Mexican type of chili pepper, one of Mexico signature dishes is made with this, I don’t think I can recreate, because I still need so many other ingredients, but I can have a bit of Mexico flavor at home.


• Epazote This one is a common herb in Mexican food, is a bit spicy and goes well with stew.


• Chile chipotle Other of Mexico signature chili, this one will require a bit more preparation since we usually have them dry, but I hope I can learn how to do it and get me some good sauces.

I hope this plants get to grow in Japan, I think they will with proper care, but I won't find out until next year.

I got way more that I could have in japan, so you will probably hear about a giveaway some time in the future, keep on checking.