Bowl of Sbanach, anyone?

Stick of Skirret?

Wedge of Malali?

Bring it on, my garden-deprived brain screamed while the eaves dripped and the snowpack receded.

Yeah, I have been buying my seeds.

Along with a few extras.

The catalogs began piling up in December and I weeded through them earlier this month, taking it down to a 3-inch stack of must-read-cover-to-cover treasures.

In the midst of the annual kerfuffle, I found myself drawn to oddities, some new, some old.

Along with a few extras.

Take Sbanach. Pinetree Garden Seeds of New Gloucester (207-926-3400, www.superseeds.com) added a Middle Eastern vegetable section this year and Sbanach was one of the new offerings.

Turns out it’s a wild spinach from Galilee. Tasty, tender, triangular leaves, it says, on curly stems. For 95 cents, Sbanach will be a fun trial.

Also from Pinetree is Malali. It will take twice as long as Sbanach to see results – 90 days – but I would like to grow this Israeli watermelon in a dry spot to see if it will perform “robustly” in those conditions as promised. At 10 pounds, it sounds impressive, described as having a sweet, unique flavor and edible seeds.

My favorite line is “Watermelons are very common throughout the region, even growing wild in some locations.”

Imagine walking along and tripping over a watermelon out in the wild, especially an arid wild where you’d be lucky to find a puddle of water. Instead, you get a watermelon.

The fruits of Skirret wouldn’t do so well in arid conditions. This root vegetable from Fedco Seeds of Waterville (207-873-7333, www.fedcoseeds.com) is compared to parsnips, since it takes 120 days and can be overwintered for even tastier roots in the spring. The umbelliferous plants can reach 6 feet while the roots can reach a foot long in an ideal setting: sandy soil and wet, boggy conditions. The flavor is described as sweet and nutty.

Nutty and boggy in a vegetable? Definitely novel.

For obvious reasons, I am attracted to the otherworldly Flying Saucers from Pinetree.

This crazy-looking scalloped summer squash doesn’t have delicate scallops like other pattypans. Its scallops are irregular and downright pointy. Plus, it is yellow and green with creamy stripes.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Albion (207-861-3901, www.johnnyseeds.com) has a Spanish melon that caught my eye. Sugar Nut is a small Canary type with white flesh that should mature in about 77 days.

It also is selling a sunflower that is stunningly beautiful: Strawberry Blonde. In all shades of earthy reds, some with tips of yellow and cream, these sunflowers are impressive in their variety. Another bonus is that they are pollenless, making them ideal for bouquets.

Speaking of flowers, Nichols Garden Nursery of Albany, Ore. (1-800-422-3985, www.nicholsgardennursery.com), has a nasturtium I can’t wait to plant. Salmon Baby is described as “deep salmon frilly blossoms of solid color.” Oh, yeah.

Nichols has a new herb that piqued my interest: Papaloquelite. In parentheses, it is called Summer Cilantro, so we’ll go with that. I’ll let the catalog describe this 4-foot plant for you:

“When visiting a Bronx community garden, we learned gardeners have harvested this plant at 10-12 inches for nicer flavor and more tender leaves than 4-foot plants. Cafes in Mexico often place small branches in vases so diners can add to their beans and filled tortillas. Cilantro-flavored herb; never cooked. Does not bolt in summer like cilantro.”

No bolting and edible scenery. Very nice.

Last on my list of seeds to try is something old, if you consider 1869 old. Bountiful Gardens of Willits, Calif. (707-459-6410, www.bountifulgardens.org), has Perpetual Spinach chard, a European strain of Swiss chard. Described as drought-, frost- and bolt-resistant, all it needs is regular harvesting for a “perpetual” crop.

And now the few extras.

Pinetree has “the” Maine garden hod, a steal at $29.95. Also for sale is the 2-in-1 harvest bag, a great device that can be worn over the shoulder or around the waist, freeing up both hands for picking produce. It is $14.95.

Distinctive and functional is the grow tub from Seeds of Change of Santa Fe, N.M. (1-888-762-7333, www.seedsofchange.com). Seven inches deep and 14 inches in diameter, the grow tubs sport old-fashioned wood handles. The galvanized version is $15. The copper one is $40. Let’s just say I really like the steely look.

Yet another item in which to cart produce around is the splitwood harvesting basket from Bountiful Gardens. I have a few of these peck baskets and always find that I need more, especially at tomato-picking time. At $5.25 each, it is not a huge investment and the uses are innumerable, from holding catalogs and seed packets to tools and gloves.

Speaking of gloves, Burpee (1-800-888-1447, www.burpee.com) has a deal on Wet Soil gloves. Latex coats the palm and fingertips, leaving the back of the hand free to breathe. From small to extra large, each pair sells for $4.35, not bad if it will keep your fingers dry.

I’m eager to try Biogarden from Veseys Seeds of Prince Edward Island (1-800-363-7333, www.veseys.com). This biodegradable, organic film is made from corn starch but has plasticlike properties. Unlike plastic, however, this film will be eaten by microorganisms over time, but not before it blocks the weeds, retains moisture and warms the soil. A 1.5-meter-wide-by-10-meter-long roll is $14.95.

My big splurge item also comes from Veseys. For years, I’ve tried and usually failed to grow even a few seedlings of my own. So I am going to start small and try the “Intelligent Plant Light.” This awesome lamp turns on and off automatically, simulates all four seasons (you set the season and let the computer figure out the daylight cycle itself) and has a sensor that indicates when a plant needs water. The full-spectrum fluorescent lamp mimics natural sunlight, and it has a pebbled base to keep pots from sitting in water. If that weren’t enough, the lamp’s height adjusts up to a 14-inch tall plant in a 51/2-inch pot.

The catalog says it’s $59.95.

If it works, I’d say it’s priceless.

Janine Pineo’s e-mail address is jpineo@bangordailynews.net.