A Seed Saver's Garden

[digitS']

It was quite common for 'Canadian' families to have family members who moved to the USA so were 'American'. My grandfather's brother moved to the US as a young man, so became an American,

Apparently so. Those were just small towns in a farming area. His grandfather came from England and was supposedly a shipbuilder. One of his children was born in Maine. The hometown was close to Maine but I'm not seeing the nautical connection . I wonder if they weren't in the lumber "used for shipbuilding" business.

My grandfather married a girl from Missouri who was from an Indiana family that had moved into that territory at their earliest opportunity. Grandmother had 2 brothers here on the ID/WA border. They both moved off to Edmonton , although one came back to live with his daughter in Kansas, in his old age . He became my penpal, before the move and continued that until he passed away.

I have been eating Purple Majesty potatoes dug early, along with several others. I am finally adjusting to the color ... . It's taken me a couple of years and, as with many things, I bet I wouldn't even have tried if DW didn't like them so much. Finally, the reason for that is becoming more apparent.

Steve

You do a very good job with the plants and that camera, HeirloomGal!

 

[baymule]

Your garden is Utopia. I want to be jut like you when I grow up!

 

[heirloomgal]

Wall-O-Beans

'Livingston's Pie Squash' a.k.a 'Winter Luxury' pumpkin. Looks like these will ripen in time. They don't get huge, but the quality of the flesh is pretty good for pies. I have never saved pumpkin seeds because I've always grown a selection, and I'm not motivated enough to be taping blossoms closed and purposefully pollinating by hand. I find it much simpler to just grow one kind. Although, for anyone interested, squash & pumpkins come in three seed saving 'types' so technically you could grow 3 kinds, one from each type and not get crosses. The trick with that is you need to find one from each group you think you'll actually like, and have a long enough season to get them matured.

Did some dry pea shelling tonight. Not a bad seed harvest considering I started with only 15-25 seeds of each type. All grown in window boxes. About 1/2 to 3/4 cup of seeds for each I'd guess.

'Dwarf Early Frame' shell pea.

'Prussian Blue' soup pea. The pea in centre left really looks like Edward Munsch's painting 'The Scream' upside down.

'Argenteum' shell pea.

'Dwarf Gray Sugar' snow & shelling pea.

Decided black currant preserves are too medicinal tasting (and bitter) to eat as a dessert. So, I am using them as a cold and flu tea remedy like they use it in Newfoundland. Instead of canning it though, because I don't want to add much sugar as that's an immune suppressant, I'm freezing ice cube dollops to pop out individually for a tea. I found an ice cube tray which comes with a lid for the freezer.

Saw this guy on the patio stones. The picture is deceiving, he's about the same size as a green grape! I always like seeing toads.

Merry Bean-mas

Geez, for the life of me I can't remember the name of this bean exactly. I think it was 'Keygold Wax' or something like that. Ready to be picked. I grow these for DH as I'm not a huge fan of yellow beans. Been a few years since I had them, I might like them more now.

 

[heirloomgal]

Your garden is Utopia. I want to be jut like you when I grow up!

@baymule you should have seen seen my gardens when my kids were smaller! You needed a machete to get through to harvest anything, there was so many weeds! My neighbours looked at my backyard in horror! Lol

 

[baymule]

@baymule you should have seen seen my gardens when my kids were smaller! You needed a machete to get through to harvest anything, there was so many weeds! My neighbours looked at my backyard in horror! Lol

My husband mowed trails for me yesterday. I used long handles loppers to cut the small trees of ragweed and lambs quarters. Lol

 

[heirloomgal]

Alpine strawberries have been coming in for awhile now. I like that they don't spread and therefore don't need to be dug up and controlled, as my last strawberries required. It's amazing how fast those runners can take over.

'Black Cobra' peppers. Been wanting to try this one for so long! It had a really slow start as it came as a too small greenhouse transplant, and then was planted in some tainted peat starter mix, so it won't produce much this year. So long as I get a decent harvest of seeds to try next year. The colour is true to its' name, no gimmick ♥.

'America' sweet pea variety. I isolated this one to be able to save the seed without mixup. After trying many times, I find it impossible to grow different varieties altogether and keep the pods identified. I've always wanted to build up a large supply of my own for this one, but never did. (This is the 3rd time I bought a packet of them.) It must be old, because it has the old growth form & small blossoms. This is one cutting flower I can't live without!

The soup peas are probably going to be the most productive of all the peas I planted this year, partly because they are bred to be but also because they have the biggest trellis. In my dream garden I'd have a dozen of the 9ft trellis's for peas. The long vines are just so productive compared to the 4 footers or less.

'Piatella' beans. Well, I don't know anymore if they are Piatellas since that variety is a semi-runner as I understand it. These have all grown to be full fledge pole beans. Thank goodness the sticks I gave them, when I saw the tomato cages I gave them were not big enough, were extra tall.

'King's Knight' network bush bean. Looks like this one will succeed, but I'll have to prop them up to keep pods off the ground. A good variety for my area it seems. I really like this one.

'Mascotte' bush beans. A new one for me. The quality of seeds the company sent me was poor and many were damaged, but once the viable beans started to grow it seemed like a resilient, vigourous variety. Pods are long and thin. Not sure if it's a filet type, which I generally avoid.

My echinops flowers. Still trying to figure out how to save the seeds from these. Still trying to actually find where the seeds are located...

One more batch of 'Micro-Tom' seeds to process, and that's it for these guys. I might plant more right away as they crop so quick. I always place the wet seed in a flat, round disc shape on the drying paper; if they are scattered on, dried and then scraped off, the seeds tend to get flicked around. This way I can peel it off in a single little layer and not risk mixups. I also keep the variety name far from the seeds because the water leaches out and will wash out the writing if it's too close.

The phlox is in bloom. This is not one I need to save seeds from as it propagates itself quite fine on its own. Every year the clump gets bigger. I really like scented flowers.

 

[heirloomgal]

Posting tonight despite feeling very disheartened by wildlife and humidity/moisture challenges as of late. I don't know how gardeners who deal with these kinds of problems, as par for the course, don't start to feel a little defeated by all the issues that a hot and humid environment full of critters contain. One thing I've got going for me right now is lack of insects. A highlight. I tip my hat to all the Southern gardeners who face all this stuff on a regular basis, plus insects. You guys are seriously my garden heroes.

'Keystone Giant' seed harvest. Not bad for a single bell. This is probably one of the top 3 highest quality bells I've grown, and production is fair considering their size. Not all the seeds look viable having a slight grey tinge, but many look the right colour.

Had these for dinner tonight. Lots of fibre!! First time growing 'Tendergreen' bush bean.

So impressed with my fingerling potatoes 'Red Emmalie' and 'Amarosa'! Such a pretty pink. Was surprised how truly rose coloured the flesh is too, never had potatoes like this before. Had 'em with the beans.

Seeds from the Maltese Cross flowers are beginning to mature.

Another pepper seed harvest today, 'Conquistador'. Not great. Sometimes later peppers have more seeds, we'll see.

This photo isn't as close up as it looks. The leaves are just huge on this variety 'Ohio Pole'. Quite a decorative and unusual look for a bean plant!

Swiss chard alley. No seeds from this one . But it's been harvested from several times; definitely planted WAY too many plants nonetheless. This is what happens when you can't bear to throw away plants! I'm actually feeling my chard needs are complete now for 2021, and NOBODY wants any! Lol

'Stump of the World' waiting to ripen. Lots of big tomatoes on the vines this year, no matter the type, always happens in a rainy summer.

'Louisiana Pole' bean, love the purple speckles on it. Very heavy producer. Probably even better than the 'Carminat' pole, I hadn't looked closely enough to see just how many beans were on this vine.

 

[baymule]

I'm so sorry you are feeling down, maybe I could cheer you up with a box of grasshoppers? They are hungry and like to chew up everything!

 

[Zeedman]

Had these for dinner tonight. Lots of fibre!! First time growing 'Tendergreen' bush bean.

For almost 20 years, Tendergreen was my go-to bush snap bean. Good sized pods, good cooked flavor, and it froze well. The only drawback - and the reason I eventually stopped growing it - was its bush habit. If the leaves were weakened by mud splash, they would get spider mites. Mice also liked munching on the pods. With the high rodent population on my property, I could never go back to bush beans.

But now I have to deal with Japanese beetles clustering at the top of my pole beans!

Sorry to hear of your difficulties... but trust me, you have plenty of success to be proud of. Your achievements are all the more noteworthy given your challenging climate. A previous manager often said "don't look at that as a problem, think of it as an opportunity". There is usually a solution or two for every problem, though it may not be an easy one, and may never offer 100% resolution. Mother Nature deserves her fair share, and one way or another she's going to take it. But she also gives back bountifully with the other hand.

It is a rare & blessed thing if you have a year where EVERYTHING does well. Most years, it's a mix of winners & losers. Focus on the successes, and don't give up. The water spinach I am feasting on this year, was a total failure last year. Plenty of failures this year too (mostly beans )... but DW & I will still eat like royalty for a couple months, can & freeze enough to last the winter, and have plenty to share with family & friends.

"You know you're a gardener when"... you can roll with the punches, and persevere in the face of misfortune.

 

[heirloomgal]

I like your style @baymule

I'm so sorry you are feeling down, maybe I could cheer you up with a box of grasshoppers? They are hungry and like to chew up everything!