A Seed Saver's Garden

[Pulsegleaner]

Wow, this is attention to detail @Pulsegleaner. But I guess if you want to get all your basil seeds there is no other way is there. It just seems like that would be a daily check to pick each pod as they ripen. With seed so small I guess I have to face the fact that it has to be done this way, there isn't much room for error unless I'm growing a whole bunch of plants, which I'm not.

Well, I always wondered if the lower basil pods were opening and dispersing through maturity as I couldn't tell for certain with the naked eye. Good to know that, so I can be more careful in the future with this seed. I was always hoping those lower pods were staying closed waiting for the upper friends, so they could all dry synchronously.

Forgot one big thing , NEVER try harvesting when it has just rained! Basil seeds have a gel coating that swells with moisture, and it is sticky as hell (Asians drink basil seeds for the gel).

Question about mint seeds - is Balkan Mint the same? With seeds like dust? I'm overwintering that right now with the hopes of getting seeds. But I'm not going to pursue those seeds if they're like dust. I don't remember planting dust like seeds when I first put them in the soil, but I can't remember clearly. Maybe I did.

Not sure, as I nave never grown that one. But probably, as the number of plants in the mint family that have seeds large enough to pick up easily is pretty small. Off the top of my head, besides basil, the only two I can think of are some of the sages and Musky Mint (Hyptis suaveolens).

 

[ducks4you]

I am anxious to try anything that does NOT put seeds into the ground for birds to come and eat!
I Swear I have lost more seeds to marauding birds than anything else!

 

[heirloomgal]

Forgot one big thing , NEVER try harvesting when it has just rained! Basil seeds have a gel coating that swells with moisture, and it is sticky as hell (Asians drink basil seeds for the gel).


Not sure, as I nave never grown that one. But probably, as the number of plants in the mint family that have seeds large enough to pick up easily is pretty small. Off the top of my head, besides basil, the only two I can think of are some of the sages and Musky Mint (Hyptis suaveolens).

I have seen glass bottled drinks at the supermarket, I think they're from India, which has basil seeds in it. Usually the liquid is pink or green. I've always marveled at the crazy suspension of those seeds in there. They don't sink. A part of me is curious to try a basil seed drink like that, I can't imagine basil seeds taste like basil the herb?

 

[heirloomgal]

I am anxious to try anything that does NOT put seeds into the ground for birds to come and eat!
I Swear I have lost more seeds to marauding birds than anything else!

That's a tough one ducks because so many things make seed heads!! What kind of birds show up that do the damage? Sand hill cranes? I know the last couple years some kind of birds, probably robins or sparrows, have started to attack my drying pea vines. Drying lettuce heads too. Having a weasel around, now THAT gets rid of birds in no time. I just don't like it when they take ducks. I'm sure weasels collect the birds and store them underground the way squirrels do acorns, that's how they can eliminate them from your yard in a matter of a week or two. One year I had a small flock of pigeons that would just not go away. Until a weasel showed up. Poof, no more pigeons.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I have seen glass bottled drinks at the supermarket, I think they're from India, which has basil seeds in it. Usually the liquid is pink or green. I've always marveled at the crazy suspension of those seeds in there. They don't sink. A part of me is curious to try a basil seed drink like that, I can't imagine basil seeds taste like basil the herb?

Pink is probably rose flavor, green might be pandanus (screw pine).

The seeds don't really taste of ANYTHING (maybe a little nutty) they're there for texture. I've never drank the drinks, but I HAVE had falooda (rose and basil seed) flavored kulfi (sort of Indian ice cream.)

The seeds don't sink because the gel keeps them suspended.

 

[heirloomgal]

The last post about the long keeper tomatoes! I whizzed the 'Ramillette de Mallorca''s and 'Golden Treasure' beefsteaks today in the blender. The outsides were starting to get little white bumps, almost dehydrated looking, so I opened then up to have a look and smell and taste, and then off to fermenting jars. 5 months is pushing it on the flavor side, but they were still decent. There is definitely an art to timing with these - some like to be picked before ripeness, some need to picked only once ripened. Main conclusion is -- both worth growing again!

Last 2 other longkeeper varieties - 'Madagascar' and 'Zhiraf', keeping qualities are better even than the above two. And those 2 are darn good. But these are WOW level of keeping. Tried these ones as well...remarkable. Not to say these taste straight out of the garden, they don't, but they still taste like garden produce. The flavor is watered down in them for sure, so eating them alone is a waste, but with cheese & salt? Yummy! My daughter actually could not stop eating the Zhiraf's that way. We couldn't believe how good they are - for 5 month old garden grown tomatoes! Skin is thick, but a fairly small price to pay and that would be a necessity in a longkeeper anyhow, just pragmatically. The flavor of the Zhiraf was so.....real tomato flavor, more on the acidic side, no sweetness, and a dilute flavor, but they tasted like freshness, ironically. I could keep these Zhiraf's longer, but I want to eat some now, bring some of the fruits to Seedy Saturday and ferment some to bring in seed packets too. Funny, I thought I would like Zhiraf the least, it looks like a peach and not that appetizing. But they're good. I read that in Spain they mash the tomatoes with garlic and salt and spread on rustic bread - and that sounds about perfect to me with how to best use these. The garlic is a nice match for the less intense tomatoey-ness.
Today's pic, nearly exactly 5 months old. I wouldn't have believed it!

 

[AMKuska]

That's amazing!

 

[heirloomgal]

So many lovely new peas for this year, thanks to some absolutely thrilling seed trades!

I used to be a crazy tomato grower but I honestly think beans have bumped them out of the #1 spot, and so have peas! I am really enjoying exploring the world of rare peas as well. Rare, for my area that is. It's all relative I suppose! Anyway, I will post a full list of all the neat new ones in the 2025 lineup, but here is a picture of a few packets I took today that were readily available.

 

[Dahlia]

So many lovely new peas for this year, thanks to some absolutely thrilling seed trades!

I used to be a crazy tomato grower but I honestly think beans have bumped them out of the #1 spot, and so have peas! I am really enjoying exploring the world of rare peas as well. Rare, for my area that is. It's all relative I suppose! Anyway, I will post a full list of all the neat new ones in the 2025 lineup, but here is a picture of a few packets I took today that were readily available.

View attachment 72572

Peas and tomatoes are my favorite veggies to snack on in my garden!

 

[heirloomgal]

Some overwintering updates. So, year 2 of keeping a couple plants indoors and another...well, I'd say success but given that it's February I can't quite say 100% success yet, but it's looking good. NO bugs! And I didn't treat for pests with neem or anything like that, just used wands. Looks like no root rot either - the other concern I had considering I'm overwintering drought loving herbs.

I worried about my fig tree. All the leaves had fallen and it looked like a dead twig since October. But the memory of how delicious those fresh figs were kept me afloat with hope it may spring to life come April-May. I don't know what's triggering it, but in the last while it is springing to life? Maybe sensitivity to the daylight hours since it's next to the patio door? Some latent time clock in it's DNA that tells it its's slept enough? Anyway, it's looking good. Maybe too good for February and I just hope this new growth doesn't die off when or if the plant realizes there are months to go until summer.

The original Capsicum flexuosum plant is doing better than ever too (corner plant with tiny leaves). I didn't measure it, but I'm guessing it's close to 3.5 - 4 feet high now. I have given it no food, just the odd shallow drink of water and yet the leaves are such a glossy deep green. I'm kind of amazed at how well it's done; it really is a perennial and it shows the older it gets. It can survive to -15C, though I haven't let it get that cold. The tall straight stem in the window box is all the new Capsicum flexuosum plants I got for my original plant, various genetics so they can cross pollinate. The newbies have all grown quite a bit too, but this is a slow growing pepper species and the 1st year is esp. slow. I really do hope all these new genetics I brought in will do the trick to get viable pepper fruits. There are little peppers that form now, but they fall off and never mature. After the first year of this pepper I thought why on earth am I doing this? lol I don't even like heat that much, but its proving to be more and more fun as I go along. I didn't think I'd get this far with the experiment. And the seeds go for $1.00 a piece so I may sell some of the seeds if I ever get any. This summer will be my 3rd year with this plant trying to get anything from it, so now I can see why vendors want an arm and a leg for them!

The Lemon Savory and Balkan Mint, not looking amazing, but they're alive and the root systems appear to be doing well. The Iberian White Thyme (not pictured), wow, the scent is really.......powerful. I'm hoping for seeds from all of them, which will be some detective work. Soooo tiny.

DH's tiny species orchid is blooming and it smells heavenly. Like vanilla. Plant is covered in these little flower clumps.