What am I Gonna Call This?

[digitS']

She - Why do the vegetables and flower I grow never look like the photos on the seed packages?

He - They are experts.

She - You mean the people that have been working hard at growing all their life?

He - No, the photographers.

Dang Right! I've thought for a few days that RidgeRunner's observation deserved more comment. Just this morning, I'm thinking again about planting a tomato variety that just didn't live up to the written hype ... still, it's an okay tomato. But, why did they do that??

You probably know of cases like this. Probably worse since the result might not even have made it to "fair." Wondered if it was you and you did something wrong? You may have felt taken advantage of by pretty pictures ... all, perfectly human. Insert hug .

Still, you've got a little kernel of resentment because you paid good money for seed or plant and shipping and that effort ... and, there is that strong suspicion that you were led down the garden path by advertising.

One thing. We all have local conditions to contend with. Here in the U.S. we have "All-America" selections. I bet 25% of them would be bad ideas for my garden!

Other than that, I bet it's an advertising campaign ... those tricky professionals who wouldn't know one end of a 4-prong cultivator from manure fork! Boy, I'd like to ....

Grump

 

[Ridgerunner]

Steve, I look at this the same way i look t those recipes that call for only perfect fruit or veggies at the peak of perfection. If I followed that rule I'd eat very little of what I grow. I know I'm kind of cynical but I do believe the purpose of advertising is to get you to buy it. Nothing else.

Do you know how I tell whether vegetation in restaurants or other places like that are living or fake? Real stuff has flaws. Brown leaves, bug bites, droopy leaves or flowers, something is not right. The more perfect something appears to be the more likely it is to be fake. I try to apply that to a lot more than fruits, veggies, and flowering plants.

 

[digitS']

Photos are usually professional, altho I was recently looking at a picture of some kale leaves in a book -- there were aphids on a leaf! I don't think the editor had any gardening experience .

Sometimes, they make mistakes ... and, I take ignoble pleasure in those.

It wasn't until I grew Rose Quartz cherry tomatoes that I realized how inappropriate that name is. The variety has never become widely available but it really is a fairly nice tomato. However .... thinking of the name when I popped one in my mouth was just too much for me. I was always imagining breaking a tooth!

Steve

 

[aftermidnight]

Yep, never judge anything by it's cover, in the 70's we arrived in Houston late one night, looking for somewhere to eat we found an obscure little steak house, not upper class but clean, dimly lite, oil cloth table cloths, every sauce bottle imaginable on the table. I don't use sauce on a steak, maybe a little horse radish with prime rib. I still remember that steak, one of the best I've ever eaten and I've eaten a lot.
On the other time the only time I've eaten in a 5 star restaurant, I didn't enjoy any part of the meal, bland, unseasoned, very disappointing, service was impeccable and I was even handed a long stem red rose as we left. As far as I'm concerned you can keep all the high fa-looting crap.
Even the ads for fast food, take chicken burgers for instance, don't ever think you're going to get what the ad shows, when you get it it doesn't look anything like the ad, in fact you're thinking did I get the right one.
Seed packages are no different, I'd rather get gardeners opinions if I'm thinking about growing something I'm not familiar with. Nothing's more disappointing than waiting a whole season in anticipation of some supposedly great variety to find out it's just plain crap, a whole season wasted. As I said never judge anything by it's cover. Come to think of it, the few seeds I do still buy don't have a picture on their packets, they don't need one.
Annette

 

[digitS']

Hey, @aftermidnight !

I'll tell you what variety I was thinking of starting (at this late date). It's called "Anait." See, almost your name, Annette .

It's probably better than a fair tomato. So, what's my problem? It was advertised as a "very large cherry." It was a very small cherry in my garden. I don't want another small cherry; they are a little bothersome . Right now, I've got a big, red cherry: Sweet Chelsea but it's a hybrid. I don't appreciate how hybrids disappear from the market so I better look around for a replacement.

Why would the seed company call Anait "large?" Before someone suggest the variety Large Red Cherry, I'll just say that I grew it for years and it's too seedy! It's not the seed companies; it's me! I'm too persnickety!

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

after buying bulbs of many kinds and getting some that were as shown and many that weren't even with the free replacement guarantee i still felt rather "done wronged". now i'm pretty happy to grow things mostly from saved seeds where it matters and for those few things that don't so much i don't get too wound up about it.

sometimes i think it's just the people who work at the greenhouse or customers switching tags or the unknowns where the tags have fallen out. you know someone gets those plants here or there.

 

[digitS']

Okay.

I planted 5 seeds. They are from 2015 and I grew the variety in 2016. Didn't really intend to not give it a 2nd chance, last year. Once missed - they were easily overlooked earlier this month.

It was nearly possible to ignore the intention to grow Anait. But maybe, I should just shift my focus and consider it a possible Sweet 100 replacement. I suppose that it would be a Super Sweet 100 replacement. The original 100 was introduced by the time the ad agencies had weakened my resistance and I'd grown Early Girl. It was sometime in the late 70's. These others are hybrids and Anait, ain't. Giving it a whirl and ... why not?

Steve