A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

Bears! After getting a (medium size) dog in 2018, my frequent summer bear encounters went to almost zero. But this year everything seems back to 'normal', and bears are walking the neighbourhood during the day again, as well as poking around in the early morning. I'm not afraid of bears, but I'm not a huge fan of surprise encounters. A young cousin of mine (who lives 8 hrs north of me) was dragged into the bush from his backyard by a female bear years ago, and while I know that isn't likely to happen to me, such a rare thing happening in the fam reminds me that it isn't impossible. (The family GSD attacked the bear and saved him, needless to say, that dog was in the family Christmas portrait forevermore) Well, today a bear came investigating garden smells around noon and encountered my dog. The good news is my dog, being a scent hound, knew he was around long before we saw him. The bad news, the bear did not seem to even notice my dog and his significant effort to get the bear to move along. (DH went out to get him to scram, and he didn't care about that either though.) This is the first dog/bear face to face encounter and I had hoped the baying would really spook the bears. Well, at least I got a solid warning.

Mr. Bear did significant damage to my elderberry shrub. I wonder if the onset of the blooms has a sweet smell that drew him. Many of the branches he tore off had blossoms. This is the end result of his pruning job, not the greatest picture of the damage, but you get the idea. The bears do tend to follow along the pathways in the gardens, so I appreciate that.

The pepper on the very left was a 'Chocolate Habanero', and the other two had the word chocolate in their names as well. I had fun for awhile searching out tomatoes and peppers with the word 'chocolate' in the name. At Seedy Saturday I was planning to have packets of 'chocolate vegetables' to offer. The tiny melon on the right is a 'Queen Anne's Pocket Melon'. It isn't edible, it's grown for smelling. So the story goes, women in Victorian England carried these in their pockets to cover the 'scent' that comes from not bathing often. I don't think these could quite pull off such a feat, but they did smell very, very nice. It was a cute historical novelty. (I did try to eat the melon anyway...yup, not edible.)

'Traveller's' tomatoes, meant to be pulled apart and eaten without a knife. Was on the acidic side (as wilder tomatoes are) but it was okay. Problem was, all those little fused tomato balls don't necessarily ripen at the same time. Very odd, but charming, tomato!

The purple carrot is from India, 'Pusa Asita Black'. It was pretty good. Orange carrots still seem to taste the best though. Most of the yellows I've tried taste like cattle fodder, and all the whites have too (and they probably were!) When I even hear the words 'rainbow carrots' I think - yuck! I'm done with white carrots, but I would still like to find a good yellow. Yellowstone has a lot of fans, I'd like to try it.

"Bishops Crown' peppers, very little heat in these (if any, in the placenta) and the texture of them is divine. Even green, when you saute them they have such a meaty texture, reminiscent of mushrooms somehow. Blows away even the best grocery store bell. Flesh is thin though.

Have always wanted a 'Yellow Stuffer' tomato, and I finally got one this year! Excited to grow this one, hope it's as productive as Striped Cavern. It's doing well despite having had a couple very cold nights in a row.

Strange as it sounds, I've never seen a pole bean actually climb a pole. So I'm getting a kick out of watching them all start to climb. I've always grown on wire mesh panels, and it's a very different, flat, appearance. Curious to see what these will look like when totally covered!

In a good rain, we can collect 150 US gallons in barrels. We've always wanted to collect more, but it just wasn't possible in the current set up and watering from them with cans is impossible anyway on a large scale. This summer a friend who is retiring from gardening gave us his cage tote, with a holding capacity of about 250 gallons. We found online someone selling fire hose (never used, 4 lengths for the price of less than one), got a sump for a song same way, and as of today, we can transfer water now from the barrels, and also transfer from the tanks and barrels w/hose to the garden. (The pressure though needs to be tested...)The distance is a ways, but so far it all transfers very well. Our water bill doubled this past month given all the watering we've been doing with the early heat wave, bigger garden and some new grass we're trying to get growing. Happy dance for free sky water.

Tomato seed 'files' and some of the pepper shelves. I don't have near enough shelves for all the seed jars, but I rather keep them low than high in the basement for the cooler temps. So I get grocery store flat boxes, fill with the jars, and stack them on the floor. Only glitch in my setup is the jars all have to be the same size.

 

[digitS']

What potato varieties could you not resist,

Oh My! While I was typing - you posted more lovely pictures and related that bear encounter. I don't think that I could put up with that, at all. I doubt that the authorities would be a problem if you showed them exactly where the dang critter was when you put a bullet through him.

Potato Varieties: I've been grouchily able to resist nearly all of them. It's been about 5 years since I've had something special. And no, my cellar room does a poor job with potatoes - just too warm. Besides, I generally like early varieties and those harvested well before autumn cools things down are a challenge for long-term storage.

For many years, Russet Burbank and Red Pontiac seemed about all that I could buy but they were readily available in the produce aisles - and cheap. I stopped growing potatoes. Ordering something special happened later.

Desiree wasn't real special but a productive red/yellow. Sangre was a real nice red/white variety! Caribe was special - a blue/white. I think that those 2 would be especially nice to have again.

I only grew Rio Grande russets once but it seemed to fit that "early" category. What I'm left with at both the farm store and the garden center is the Russet Burbank. To avoid the shipping costs, that's where I have been buying seed potatoes for most of the years since I became a potato gardener again.

DW likes Yukon Gold and that's okay and always available. Red Norland isn't a first choice, I think Red LaSoda is better - both are somewhat common. Viking Purple used to be my most productive spud crop. Then, I changed gardens for the potatoes. What's it been? I think it was 2 seasons in their new location and they haven't done anywhere near as well. Oh, and btw, there might be 2 varieties of Red Norland - the one labeled Dark Red Norland hasn't been as productive. See .... I'm talking about mundane productivity. There's nothing wrong with that but, like I said, I wish Sangre & Caribe were more commonly available.

Steve

 

[heirloomgal]

I don't think that I could put up with that, at all. I doubt that the authorities would be a problem if you showed them exactly where the dang critter was when you put a bullet through him.

I'd go to jail @digitS'! For real! The only thing Ontarians can do in any kind of dangerous encounter, anywhere, of any kind, is basically run and/or escape. That sounds crazy, I know, but it's totally true. The only conceivable exception to that is if you are deep in the bush during hunting season. (But you can't hunt bears in this province, so jail/considerable fine still possible.) If I were to apply for a firearm course and buyer license (necessary prerequisites) and listed 'self protection' as the reason for attendance, I'd be immediately barred and have my application rejected.

But even if I could and had the means, it would be like taking out squirrels or raccoons, especially now that you can't touch bears as they are protected and the numbers are climbing steadily. Just too many, we have to accept them. They were on the playgrounds sometimes at my kids' school, one was sitting on my entrance doormat as we were trying to leave in the morning. I've driven past them, picking up afternoon tea and coffee, and they're scratching their backs upright on the telephone poles by the roadside. Especially as the suburbs take up more and more space, there is less and less space for them.

Plus, they aren't really dangerous. I got trapped a few years ago leaving my greenhouse between a mother and three cubs. She went in behind me just as I left, which was fine by me, but as I walked away a few steps, a perfect little row of cubs barred the way. Dangerous right? Nope, she didn't care. I walked around them, and she was more interested in my plants. DH actually went out and petted the babies, or tried to and managed somewhat, as they were whimpering & scared though the mother was only 5 feet away. (He took a video of this) She didn't care much. Mind, you I thought that was a bit out there. But bears are just a simple fact of life up north, still, I do like having my dog around.

 

[heirloomgal]

First potato flowers! 'Purple Peruvian'.

Getting the paper bags ready to harvest dried pea pods. A few are dried already 😊

SO excited to grow these new-to-me tomatoes! A Russian variety called 'Sea Horse', it has such a BIZARRE bottleneck...

Something is eating my pepper stem....any ideas?

Peas have finally reached the top of their supports; a few are flowering, but not most.

Pumpkins are actually starting to spread out and grow tendrils. 😊
Even after 14 years, vegetables still thrill me!

Here's a pic of greed & regret. I knew I should have clipped the top growth off the fava beans, I did last year and had ZERO problems. This year I waited out of seed greed, a few more flowers=a few more seeds I thought, then I'll clip them. Aphids just couldn't resist. Used wood ash first, then neem. Now the ants are cleaning up what's left. Thankfully only 1/15 plants got them.

Beans are growing well with all the rain. Our sunshine came a day early, was nice to get some rays and heat again.

My 'potato seed' compost pile. Wild sunflowers are taking over, thinned some out tonight but we'll see how well spuds can compete. I'm reminded now why we've not been super motivated to deal with the compost pile....

'Crnkovik Yugoslavian' beefsteak sizing up. Gave this one a pile of chicken manure today since it seems to be yellowing a bit. Must have missed the initial chicken manure dose.

 

[heirloomgal]

Oh My! While I was typing - you posted more lovely pictures and related that bear encounter. I don't think that I could put up with that, at all. I doubt that the authorities would be a problem if you showed them exactly where the dang critter was when you put a bullet through him.

Potato Varieties: I've been grouchily able to resist nearly all of them. It's been about 5 years since I've had something special. And no, my cellar room does a poor job with potatoes - just too warm. Besides, I generally like early varieties and those harvested well before autumn cools things down are a challenge for long-term storage.

For many years, Russet Burbank and Red Pontiac seemed about all that I could buy but they were readily available in the produce aisles - and cheap. I stopped growing potatoes. Ordering something special happened later.

Desiree wasn't real special but a productive red/yellow. Sangre was a real nice red/white variety! Caribe was special - a blue/white. I think that those 2 would be especially nice to have again.

I only grew Rio Grande russets once but it seemed to fit that "early" category. What I'm left with at both the farm store and the garden center is the Russet Burbank. To avoid the shipping costs, that's where I have been buying seed potatoes for most of the years since I became a potato gardener again.

DW likes Yukon Gold and that's okay and always available. Red Norland isn't a first choice, I think Red LaSoda is better - both are somewhat common. Viking Purple used to be my most productive spud crop. Then, I changed gardens for the potatoes. What's it been? I think it was 2 seasons in their new location and they haven't done anywhere near as well. Oh, and btw, there might be 2 varieties of Red Norland - the one labeled Dark Red Norland hasn't been as productive. See .... I'm talking about mundane productivity. There's nothing wrong with that but, like I said, I wish Sangre & Caribe were more commonly available.

Steve

You definitely know potatoes! Wow! I grew Caribe once and liked it, but never saw seed again for it. If I can find Sangre at some point I'll try that one, sound good. I usually begrudge the starchiness of Russets but I baked some 'fries' tonight with them and good golly they were good. I've usually boiled them.

 

[digitS']

You are so well organized with seedsaving and with a tidy garden.

I'm not very spud knowledgeable. With decades of gardening, there were so many years with none. Also, I'm planting a hundred miles from one major potato producing area and hundreds of miles from another. And, growing in soil that is very different from either.

Probably as a result of our hot, arid climate stressing the plants, the aphids were why I did not continue with broad beans. As with any crop, DW's interest in them at the table weighs heavily. However, I gave both of us too brief of an experience with something new.

Steve

 

[heirloomgal]

You are so well organized with seedsaving and with a tidy garden.

I'm not very spud knowledgeable. With decades of gardening, there were so many years with none. Also, I'm planting a hundred miles from one major potato producing area and hundreds of miles from another. And, growing in soil that is very different from either.

Probably as a result of our hot, arid climate stressing the plants, the aphids were why I did not continue with broad beans. As with any crop, DW's interest in them at the table weighs heavily. However, I gave both of us too brief of an experience with something new.

Steve

I grew 'Crimson Flowered' favas last year, in a HOT summer, and they did very well. You could even put them in the flowerbeds.

 

[ducks4you]

Yeah...I just happy when stuff grows and I can eat it.

 

[ducks4you]

Learning a LOT on this thread!!

 

[heirloomgal]

Summer reading 💛

I grow all the mini peas in pots, makes collecting seeds so much more successful. While bugs don't bother peas much, when pods are touching the ground, they are fair game for anything. This is 'American Wonder' and 'Tom Thumb'.

LOVE seeing red! Micro Toms are starting to ripen in all the pots. It's been a great tomato year so far, but this variety is - strangely- loved by bugs. It's a bit flaccid leaved too, but it'll make a great winter, indoor grown tomato.

First dried pods!

Such a funny feeling to have so few tomatoes in the yard. But I'm happy to be fertilizing the soil with all the beans and giving the garden a break from them. They pull a lot of nutrients, and I don't fertilize.

Right side row is 'Mitla Black', such a funny little bean plant! Looks so strange compared to all the others!

⬆️⬇️
Never met a runner bean blossom I didn't like. They are all so pretty and abundant. If they weren't such cross pollinators I'd grow more than one variety to get multiple colours.

Well, had to accept defeat with some of the soybeans. Two rows never germinated. So, I couldn't bear looking at that wasted space and threw carrot seed everywhere and plunked in some 60 cent kale.

The chard is nearly ready to start harvesting, I just love the ruby red colour. Interplanted with dill. Few bug holes, but not too bad.