A Seed Saver's Garden

[Pulsegleaner]

Wow, it's a true pastel pink. Gorgeous color. There is not a single pink tomato I've ever grown, from beefsteaks to cherries, which is a true pink like this.

Do you have plans to try and stabilize it?

If you mean "do I plan to save seeds, and possibly re-plant it later) then yes. Today, I took a closer look at the pot and confirmed that that is the "off" one in the pot (I had thought it was the dominant form, but all of the others have the lumpy look I originally assumed was an errant seed from the other pot, so that's presumably the "normal" for Open Minded.)

Speaking of odd plants. I harvested the one current pod of the "wild" mung bean pot, which I am no longer so sure is actually a wild one (it looks like it may be a domestic that just happens to have the genes for having a brown, matte seed coat) if one plant is already flowered and podded and none of the others have even shown signs of buds, it's pretty good odds they are different varieties.)

But there is one plant I noticed in there that is REALLY different. It's SUPER hairy, and the leaves are a LOT longer an thinner than any of the others. So either I have an unknown, there's another really different mung in there, or one of the wild rice beans seeds I added in the first go (that I assumed did not germinate) finally did.

 

[heirloomgal]

It's been a couple years since I grew Salmon Flowered Crown Peas, and I forgot what they looked like. A nice surprise. Quite ornamental for a fresh sheeling pea! Taller than I recall too! Almost 6 feet.

The Lagos Spinach has heads that I think I'll be able to get seeds from them. This'll be interesting, I have no idea how to collect the seeds of this species. The flower heads are already quite dry textured so they're probably hidden within.

'Cesu Agrais' tomatoes are ripening! Very tasty 2 oz tomatoes from Latvia! It was bred by Atrtūts Silde for early maturity. I think I had a total of 2 seeds left of this variety in an old packet, I'd always given away the seedlings I guess as I never grew it myself and was almost out of seeds for it. It isn't available in Canada anymore (that I know of). I'll be happy to put such a lovely little super early tomato out there into circulation again!

I planted a perennial larkspur (the tag said) in early summer and it had such pretty blue flowers. When it was done I took off all the seed pods to drive the energy into the plant, I want it to establish itself for winter. I had no idea it would flower all over again, more so than even the 1st flowering. I love periwinkle blue!

Red nightshade berries. Apparently they're 100% edible, and I bought them from a vendor with a flavor description of grapes or kiwi. However, I still feel a little chicken! I was worried about those nightshades I grew last year too, but I ate those and survived and it's the same vendor I sourced these from. I still have some time until they turn red it seems.

Almost put these into the salad tonight, Reinhard Kraft's Purple Sugar Cherry tomatoes. But set them aside for seed instead. Color is very nice, smokey, not sure about the taste yet. Apparently, they can indeed crack.

My new white phlox 'David' actually flowered even though I just planted it. It's a midget this year, but next year should be better. I find phlox can actually get a little out of hand if you let it. But I do love the billowing clouds of pristine white flowers I've seen the plants make in people's yards.

My 'Fair Play' new rose. I see wrong looking things on the leaves already. Whatever survives stays, what doesn't, au revoir!

Figs!!!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Just to update, the tomato got quite a bit pinker in the day or two since I harvested it, so it is now less that pastel pink color than the more standard pink one would expect from something like a Brandywine.

 

[digitS']

Lagos Spinach has heads that I think I'll be able to get seeds from them

A Celosia Summer Green!

Our Amaranth reseed readily. I have grown Celosia as an ornamental and had it volunteer a few plants but never saved seed. I think that I would bunch the flowers and put them in a paper bag. Maybe hang. It would probably not require much to shake the seeds out after drying.

Steve

 

[heirloomgal]

I was going to post this in the eating from the garden thread, and decided I'll put it here since this fervid post won't be real brief.

Corn.

In all the years I've been picking different types of corn seeds to grow, there was one description I saw relatively often & always steered clear of. The one that said - 'not as sweet as modern types, has more true corn flavor'. This kind of phrasing always sounded to me like code for 'doesn't taste that good'. I'm actually not into super sweet vegetables. I don't eat much sweet potatoes, some squashes etc for that reason. But something about that verbiage seemed like a suggestion to steer clear, I don't know what 'true corn-y flavor' is since most of what I've eaten in my life is from a grocery store or farmstand so likely doesn't have that. I think subconsciously I didn't want to veer far from the tried and true - which is weird since I like to be adventurous with vegetables.

When I picked Yukon Supreme to grow this year, I assumed that it would be 'typical' corn on the cob. Yellow kernels, sweet taste - no 'true corn' taste. Early. We ate the first cobs today, which is on the early side I guess for a bad year. It's the rest of the package that sort of blew me away. These were the best fresh corn I've ever had. Yeah, they were that good. And the funny thing is, I think I now understand what those corn seed descriptions meant. I think these corn are one of those, so ironic since I'd done my very best to avoid them. True, they weren't quite as sweet as others I've had, but the flavor was just fantastic as was the texture. I never really thought of corn texture before today, I didn't think there could be variation. These made my realize that the corn I've eaten all my life was sort of fibrous sugar water. These felt like a meal, like a whole grain almost. I tend to think of corn nutritionally as a once in a while treat as they have no nutritional density, just lots of calories in the form of sugar. But the Yukon Supreme cobs seemed like real food. There was substance and the taste wasn't one dimensional sweet. They were soooo good. The more mature cobs were better than the younger ones too.

Am I ever glad I tried something new! Sometimes it really pays to go off the beaten path.
Even if by accident.

 

[heirloomgal]

@Artorius This is for you; a ways back you asked to see a picture of tomato 'Prymus' when ripe (or possibly 'Prymus Przeczkowe'?) , I took some yesterday. A very nice tomato indeed. I received the tomato as 'Premus' but it looks like that may have been a spelling error.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Finally ate the tomato I harvested. Still don't know the type, but the taste was fine, so I guess I'll save the seeds.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Bunches of grapes picked and eaten. `

 

[Dahlia]

Bunches of grapes picked and eaten. `View attachment 67451View attachment 67452

Those are beautiful grapes! When I lived in Northern California our entire front yard was sand and wine grapes (for Chardonnay).

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Those are beautiful grapes! When I lived in Northern California our entire front yard was sand and wine grapes (for Chardonnay).

Thank you. They are on a zero water zone in the garden. Wow growing grapes in sand I guess it was good sand. You had lots of grapes at harvest.