A Seed Saver's Garden

[digitS']

Not long ago I learned that the indigenous people of this area were not only hunters and gatherers, with their very important salmon and Camas foods, they also had gardens. A primary crop in those gardens was nicotiana.

It was Columbian tobacco here and they made use of a variety, with the wild parent stock continuing to grow in this area and other places in western N America. I believe it was a University of Oregon article I read about David Douglas (yes, that Douglas behind the name of the Douglas fir) collecting specimens from a native's garden. Unhindered by the absence of permission until he was caught ... then apologizing.

Seeds were taken to Europe and recently some of them were returned to tribal members. With the advent of the fur trade and the disruption of their lives with the coming of the European Americans, the indigenous people were using tobacco from the east and no longer growing their own variety of Columbian tobacco (Nicotiana quadrivalvis).

Steve

 

[heirloomgal]

I wondered if my raided Monk peas would show up nearby. Chipmunks and squirrels probably have brains the size of peppercorns so I knew the peas wouldn't go far.

I hung the plant a month ago full of green tomatoes, mint green because this is a green when ripe tomato called Baby Jade. It was an experiment to see if it's only the Italian and Spanish bred tomatoes that will dry if hung. It worked with these, they all ripened, so I guess not.

When my kids were small I knew I couldn't plant certain perennials because of toxicity, but I don't have wee ones to worry about anymore so I got some monkshood this spring. They pretty much did NOTHING all summer, I wasn't sure they liked the location. But I noticed today it flowered! Dangerous beauty, and it should grow to the size of a delphinium. I doubt it's as bad as online info says.

The 'wild' rocket is flowering profusely, but I don't see mature seedheads. They could be very small. I'm not sure if I should just let it set seed here, I'm sure it will sprout next year, or if I should try and dry the heads inside...

The basils look like it's nearly time to cut and hang in a bag. I'm not sure about the Adefetue, West African basil. Bits are falling from the stems. Looks like unfertilized stuff?? I learned last year that basils need a full month in a paper bag before the seeds will let go.

I harvested the last longkeeper tomatoes today.
I wanted to keep the longkeepers in the ground as long as I could.
Photo doesn't show it, but it's amazing how many pounds I harvested from a single plant, 'Zhiraf'. The coriander plants going to seed are strangling them a bit. I have found these tomatoes REALLY productive. Crazily so. We'll see if they make us all gag! People say that they aren't nearly as good as fresh garden tomatoes but waaay better still than grocery store billiards. The color is turning a little bit already, but these are mostly green still. They'll never be red, but peach colored.

Harvested these today 'Portugese Goat Heart' peppers. Really really fine fruits. As big as commercial ones but with virtually no nutrition added & in open ground! A keeper for sure!

A new perennial I finally got in for next year - 'Gentle Shepherd' white lily. Feels so good to not have any plants in pots hanging around, getting rootbound, crying to be transplanted. I always seem to have those around in fall. Not now! I got to it just before the top died out, but the roots were still in very good condition. Late, but better late that dried up and dead. Ha!

 

[heirloomgal]

The first long keeper tomato was tasted today, one that had fallen on the ground in the garden and baked a little in the sun so was more ripened than the others under cover that I had picked earlier. I'll admit, it wasn't me who tried it. I was too chicken. In the moment of truth, I didn't think I'd like it, so I had DD try it. She didn't know it was a longkeeper, so that helped to be objective. She LOVED it. When I told her it was a LK she was really surprised, though the color should have tipped her off. Mind you, I grow a lot of weird tomatoes. She felt the taste was excellent, and she has very discerning tomato tastebuds. Said the skin was a bit thick, but the taste was good enough for it not to matter. The variety was 'Ramillette de Mallorca', so that one might be a long distance keeper! What a relief that it's good!

 

[heirloomgal]

After scrambling to deal with all the bean poles yesterday in light of coming rain, I yet again waited a day before getting into the greenhouse. This evening I finally had my chance, went out with ziplocs, markers and a huge tray to carry everything out and put in the fridge until I can de-seed everything. I opened the door to a scene of utter devastation. This was not the work of a lone critter, but a small herd. Not only was there peppers laying all over the floor but most of the large sweet red peppers had all their insides chewed out while hanging on the plant. Wow, that loss is severe.

I felt like being careful about shutting the door was the key but I finally see now where at least one of the entry points is. Not only did they eat most of what was ripe, they stripped a few of the plants with smaller fruits and dragged them down the hole they came in from. One variety there was a single pepper left. A pepper was actually jutting out from the floor in that hole as I walked in, I may have caught them in the act. That is for sure the work of voles, they store foodstuff like that. I noticed outside the greenhouse all the telltale signs of voles tunneling, kind of bubble mud. Sheesh, not feeling great about this doscovery. Oh well, stuff happens. Greenhouse needs to be fixed, or it isn't of much use at this point.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

@heirloomgal OMG so sorry about the greenhouse raid. Very disappointed to hear after so much hard work all season.

I had squirrels get into my greenhouse, they tore everything apart. It was during spring seed starting season here.