In The Market?

[digitS']

As we are searching our seed sources with serious February determination: Oh yeah, Russ!

http://www.abeancollectorswindow.com

I was just putting some black shoe polish on my cane. Canes usually survive their owners but DW said I should throw away my mainstay one. I decided to cover up the chips and scratches on the olde thing, for a 2nd time. Toss the thing or not, I'm on a roll !

Anyway, while the back polish was getting some setting time, I decided it was a good idea to get the last Illinois Snap Beans out of their pods.

I already knew that I would have a little larger patch of them this year -- DW and I had enough to sample their goodness last year and save a few seeds for 2015. The variety is from some of those very early crosses Russ made back in the '70's. He writes on his website about the crosses that resulted in Kishwaukee Yellow, Kishwaukee Green, and Illinois Wax.

If those Illinois Wax seeds are as black as these seeds ...! How about that - a yellow wax bean with black seeds?! (You should know that when they are in the tender snap stage and you bring them in for eating, those immature seeds aren't yet black.)

Russ has a very colorful website for all kinds of beans .

Steve
enjoying the little black-capped Oregon Junco snowbirds in the yard this morning ...

 

[so lucky]

I made an order from Johnny's that should be here today; other than that, I don't think I can justify getting another order together. Although, I wasn't able to find any blue lake pole beans at Johnny's. I may have to do without this year. Ordered some Fortex (fordex?) pole beans, in spite of your less-than-stellar results, Steve. Other reviewers rave about them. So we'll see how they do in SE MO.
I'm just about ready to plant some of those Marconi pepper seeds that I saved from last year. I ran out of frozen red peppers yesterday and had to buy a couple of fresh ones for cooking. It is just way too easy to grab a handful of frozen diced peppers out of a bag in the freezer.
There is still one garden store in the area that packs a lot of their own seeds.....well, not theirs....they buy them in bulk. Anyway, I generally make a trip there and get what ever I forgot to order. Hmmm... wonder if they have blue lake pole?

 

[journey11]

A little late, but I'm working on my seed orders today. I don't need to buy much, just fill in some gaps. I'm going to do Costoluto Genovese tomatoes again this year. Now that I have a Roma food strainer (off-brand, like a Squeezo), they will be easy-peasy to work up for sauce, which was one of the issues I had with them before. They make amazingly rich paste though!

I did up my grow out list for beans and at this point have 31 types, mostly new ones for me. My collection is at 65 beans now. If Russ has us grow out for him again this year, I'll save space for a few more.

I have 22 varieties of tomatoes planned for this year, some new, some old favorites. Tomato collection is at 32 varieties now.

Anyone who has not visited Russ' site is really missing out. There's nothing else like it out there on the net (not counting commercial sites, of course.)

 

[ninnymary]

Journey, I am envious of all your growing space. I was just looking at my space and can only have 7 tomatoes in the ground and 1 in a container. Now to decide which one is going to get the container which is not prime real estate, ugggg.

Last year I stuck 5 bean seeds in my perennial border. I don't think I'll be able to do that this year.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

Last year I stuck 5 bean seeds in my perennial border. I don't think I'll be able to do that this year.

Mary

That's not a bad idea. What I've done is plant beans and morning glories (any annual flowering vine) on the same trellis. The flowers provided color while the beans grew into food.

 

[digitS']

I doubt if I'll ever have 65 of anything. I'm too focused on successful production. (Sometimes, there are more ways of measuring success, I know.) Tinkering around at the edges is 'bout all I do. If my garden ever truly shrinks I'll probably turn into a stick in the mud curmudgeon!

@so lucky , I don't know fer sure but you may be happy with Kentucky Blue if'n you don't find the Blue Lakes. Not that I risk any ground on them, myself , but the neighbor has grown them for the past 10 years and I've enjoyed a sample .

Russ has Gill's Giant and Oregon - very similar to the Cascade Giant I have had lately.

Steve