It’s not hard to dream of greener days whilst shoveling unending mountains of snow.

I don’t even work this vigorously during gardening season.

Still, there is something to be said for hour after hour of mind-numbing repetition: It can spark dreams of grandeur.

In that spirit, I have been scouring my stack of seed catalogs with unusual fervor, confident of being duly rewarded beginning sometime in July.

It pleases me no end to consider that in six months we may be roasting in the summer heat and I will be eating Les Oreilles du Diable. If you speak the language, you will say, “Devil’s ears? Why would she want to eat devil’s ears?”

Because I can.

This deer tongue lettuce from Fedco Seeds in Waterville sounds wicked good: “Starlike rosettes of tasty, glossy leaves are deeply tinged with burgundy for a shimmery appearance.” The catalog says it has a nutty flavor and is one of the last to bolt, always a bonus.

Another wicked-looking vegetable is Sultan’s Golden Crescent bean, a ringer for the dangerous scimitar wielded by the hordes in just about every Arabian movie I’ve ever seen, starting with “Lawrence of Arabia.”

This elegant pole bean from Seed Savers Exchange of Iowa is new to the heirloom seed company’s collection. The catalog describes it as “almost extinct,” saying the distinctive curly bean is stringless with good flavor. I’ve decided it will be the yellow bean for my garden this year.

The striking stalks of Redventure celery caught my eye in the Pinetree Garden Seeds catalog. The New Gloucester-based company says that the stalks turn red as they mature, while the leaves stay deep green and the celery heart turns a golden pink. What’s not to like about that picture?

A less-striking plant, but one I highly recommend, is Spineless Beauty zucchini from Fedco. The name is not a couched insult; rather this zucchini is lacking in those scratchy spines that can scrape bare skin raw. This is the one summer squash I’ve grown that won’t leave my hands and arms itching after reaching into the depths of the greenery to pick the fruit. Last summer’s planting produced well – and there wasn’t a spine in sight.

Several varieties from Seeds from Italy, a small-scale Massachusetts company, sound intriguing and none of them are from Italy.

First is a Portuguese cabbage, Panca povoa verde, described as primarily used for stuffing leaves. The picture shows a showy open plant, with massive leaves and a small head in the center. The rich green color is many shades darker than standard cabbage. I can’t help thinking it might taste very well braised.

Another Portuguese variety is a kale, Galega de folhas lisas. The catalog says it is a smooth-leaf kale, growing quite big with good flavor. It also says the seed agent in Portugal claims this is the best kale of all.

A fun experiment will be Radish zlata, a round, yellow radish from Poland. The skin is said to be a deep yellow with purplish stems and white, mild flesh. It will make a sunny addition to salads and should look nice with those devil’s ears, yes?

I plan to experiment more with container gardening. Last year I tried mesclun and peas in whiskey barrels. Pinetree has more to offer this year, including Munchkin broccoli and Bush Delicata squash. The broccoli matures in 60 days and grows but a foot tall. The Delicata was bred specifically for containers, with the catalog stating it should produce “plenty of fruit.”

Lest you think I am all about the vegetables this winter, let’s talk flowers.

Pinetree has added another variety of zinnia, a plant that always livens up the late summer garden. Red Spider is a Zinnia tenuiflora, described thus: “The bright red flowers have single protruding petals, much like a spider.” I can’t wait to see that.

I found an enchanting sunflower in the Seed Savers Exchange catalog. Arikara grows up to 12 feet tall with single- and multiheaded plants and is said to produce masses of seeds. It was collected from the Arikara tribe at the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota and was first offered in 1930. It was the picture that caught my attention, however. Unlike most sunflowers with their stiff, straight petals, this one looks like it has spent the day at the beach with its unruly petals blowing in the breeze.

To top it all off, plant Sunrise Serenade morning glory. Offered by Pinetree, Fedco and Select Seeds, this vining beauty bursts into a rich array of double flowers in a striking magenta. I tried this last summer and was delighted by the magnificent display.

The memories – and anticipation – are enough to keep my mind off all that snow.

Almost.

jpineo@bangordailynews.net

Where to buy

Fedco Seeds, P.O. Box 520, Waterville 04903, 207-873-7333, www.fedcoseeds.com.

Pinetree Garden Seeds, P.O. Box 300, New Gloucester 04260, 207-926-3400, www.superseeds.com.

Seeds from Italy, P.O. Box 149, Winchester, MA 01890, 781-721-5904, www.growitalian.com.

Seed Savers Exchange, 3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA 52101, 563-382-5990, www.seedsavers.org.

Select Seeds, 180 Stickney Hill Road, Union, CT 06076, 1-800-684-0395, www.selectseeds.com.

jpineo@bangordailynews.net