This is the answer I got when I asked my garden girls what they wanted to grow in their little plots next year. They love tomatoes possibly even more than I do, so the tomatoes were no surprise. What did surprise me was the change in color palette. Last year, they went for hot, vibrant colors: “Empress of India” nasturtiums, “Yellow Gem” marigolds, bright orange calendula. Now, all they want is pink.

So they spent most of an afternoon scanning my seed catalogs (they also are avid readers of Martha Stewart Living. It’s very true, what education experts say: if kids see you reading, they’ll read. And quite often, they’ll start out by mimicking your reading habits.) And after looking at photo after photo of pink annuals, they brought the Burpee catalog over to me and pointed at two photos: “That one and that one,” they said.

So, what made the final cut? “Raspberries” impatiens and “Daybreak Pink” gazania. They went very, very pink.

As for the little tomatoes, we’re all set. I have seeds for “Yellow Pear,” “Red Pear,” “Red Currant,” “Juliet,” and “Green Grape.” They both want “Juliet.” The mere suggestion of growing green tomatoes on purpose earned me one of those “are you crazy?” looks that four year old girls are so good at.

Little tomatoes and pink flowers it is. And they’ve graduated from container gardens to a six by four foot raised bed to share. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!