A Seed Saver's Garden

[Pulsegleaner]

That’s funny you mention ‘The Mother Erth news”; i had a lifetime membership many years ago; still have EVERY issue from #1 until i quit them in the late 70’s. Early on they were real practical and i could relate to most of it. Then they went off the rails with authors who’d apologize to the broccilli before they ate them!

Woke isn’t anything new

I wound up with a subscription as well, in a roundabout way (I was subscribing to Heirloom Gardener when they merged, and so they just flipped me over. Why I'm STILL getting it I have no idea (most likely, I'm still running out a two year subscription from the old days.)

 

[flowerbug]

That’s funny you mention ‘The Mother Erth news”; i had a lifetime membership many years ago; still have EVERY issue from #1 until i quit them in the late 70’s. Early on they were real practical and i could relate to most of it. Then ...

i stopped my last magazine subscription because i wasn't reading it any longer so why was i wasting the resources it took to print and mail it? i like reading books, i do not like reading magazines. i think a big part of it was that they began to make ads look like articles and most of what i was reading were things i'd already read before. plus i'm not much of a shopper so seeing new products doesn't give me the buzz it gives to others.

 

[heirloomgal]

That’s funny you mention ‘The Mother Erth news”; i had a lifetime membership many years ago; still have EVERY issue from #1 until i quit them in the late 70’s. Early on they were real practical and i could relate to most of it. Then they went off the rails with authors who’d apologize to the broccilli before they ate them!

Woke isn’t anything new

I stopped apologizing to the broccoli a long time ago. They never seemed to appreciate it!

 

[heirloomgal]

That is a laurel. At the moment the name of the cultivar escapes me, but it is a low-growing spreading shrub. The first few years the deer were really hard on it, but it survived their munching and now it is over 20 years old. Only think is that everywhere a branch touches the ground it puts down roots, so it is becoming a bit of a make work project. Looks good in all four seasons though!

It's very eye catching, and very pretty. Might I ask what zone you're in?

 

[Branching Out]

It's very eye catching, and very pretty. Might I ask what zone you're in?

Sure-- that photo is from our cabin in Washington State, zone 8a I believe. That area is in a rain shadow, so a warm and very dry climate in the summer. These shrubs seem to do just fine without irrigation once established.

 

[heirloomgal]

Sure-- that photo is from our cabin in Washington State, zone 8a I believe. That area is in a rain shadow, so a warm and very dry climate in the summer. These shrubs seem to do just fine without irrigation once established.

Zone 8a, what a dream! I can only imagine what it would be like to grow in such hospitable weather year round. Perennials must grow quite quickly, and the ability to overwinter must be fantastic. My parents have been Winter Texans for many years, and one of the things they noticed about plants after a few years of returning to the same locations is how fast perennials grow there. You plant a tree here, you won't see it mature or gain size for decades because of the long dormancy periods. Lucky!

 

[heirloomgal]

Seed mail

My seeds from Small Island Seed Co. finally arrived! I'm always pretty excited to try new seeds of any kind, but these are especially fun because some are quite uncommon. It'll be an adventure since I don't know anything whatsoever about a few of them. The 'Wild Fennel' seeds smell fantastic (I peeked). Leeks, squash and potatoes tossed with olive oil, fennel seeds, or anise seeds, roasted in the oven is delish.

So the 2023 season begins in 2022. I got the worm castings for a song, which is surprising. It was only 12.99 for 2 kg, which is much less than I've paid in the past. A single bottle of the liquid cost me 25 years ago. The Pro Mix was textured really nicely, better than the bales I get in spring.

The Capsicum flexuosum seeds are black; I didn't think anything but Manzano peppers had that expression. Hope they sprout! These are the single most costly seeds I've ever purchased, $10 for 10 seeds, but I guess he threw in an extra. The amazing thing about these is they can live despite being covered in snow, down to -15C /5F. Of course, this means for me I still need to bring them in for the winter but it's an impressive quality & the only pepper known to have this kind of tolerance. The ripe peppers look like slightly transluscent red berries hanging on the vine, have no inner cavity (only flesh) and the seller describes them as tasting like 'hot candy.' I used to like Red Hots years ago, so I've got my fingers crossed they taste like those.

I actually have forgotten what these seeds are, but I *think these are the Earth Chestnut seeds.

I'm already pondering when I should plant the Tzimbalo and Kangaroo Apple seeds. I guess I need to hit the books.

 

[Branching Out]

Capsicum flexuosum seeds are black; I didn't think anything but Manzano peppers had that expression. Hope they sprout! These are the single most costly seeds I've ever purchased, $10 for 10 seeds, but I guess he threw in an extra. The amazing thing about these is they can live despite being covered in snow, down to -15C /5F.

That sounds quite remarkable-- I had no idea that such a hardy pepper plant existed. I looked them up, and this site suggests that they are one of the most difficult seeds to grow, as it can take a year for the seeds to 'pop'. https://www.hrseeds.com/product-page/capsicum-flexuosum

 

[Zeedman]

I stopped apologizing to the broccoli a long time ago. They never seemed to appreciate it!

Me too. Now apologizing to lettuce & cabbage I would understand... after all, you are cutting into a head.

I do often apologize to beans though, promising to look after their children... and willfully accept whatever punishment may be bestowed upon me for murdering those poor innocent onions.

 

[Branching Out]

Me too. Now apologizing to lettuce & cabbage I would understand... after all, you are cutting into a head.

I do often apologize to beans though, promising to look after their children... and willfully accept whatever punishment may be bestowed upon me for murdering those poor innocent onions.

I still have a hard time selecting the strongest seedlings and snipping off the others; feels kind of like drowning kittens.