serendipity

[digitS']

According to the dictionary that I use, serendipity means to make "fortunate discoveries by accident." Things like this happen to gardeners, probably quite a lot - How about to you??

I grow onions from sets, seeds, and plants.

The Dixondale Farms onion catalog has just arrived. It was a relief to find that they still carry Sterling onions! Sterling was a new introduction last year and I looked HARD at the pictures but went for Walla Walla, Red Mars, and leeks as I've done before. Walla Walla seed had also been planted in my little greenhouse for setting out but I decided to order the other 2 even tho' I started leeks from seed myself in past years.

Imagine my disappointment when the day came to set out the plants and there were no leeks - instead, they'd sent me a 3rd bunch of onions. Well, the disappointment continues. For the 1st time in a few years, we had no leeks for autumn soup and no leeks to enjoy out of the fridge, right now.

However . . . we have a nice white onion .

I've grown a few of the onions that Dixondale offers, either as plants from them or from seed. Nothing tops Walla Walla to my way of thinking but those onions are long gone now :/. I'm surprised that the catalog says they only make it 1 month in storage. We got them thru October from harvest in early August.

I grew some Candy onions, again - honestly, I think the appeal is mostly in the name altho' I do appreciate how quickly they develop. There weren't many and there was none that went into storage. They were used with the Utahs, another fine sweet onion but not a storage type. There's a little basket of yellow onions grown from sets but most of those were used as early scallions . . . so mostly, I'm left with the Sterlings and that's just fine!

Sterling shows no indication right now that they will spoil or sprout anytime soon and they taste, a little pungent but just fine! Serendipity -- I made a good discovery quite by accident .

Steve

 

[injunjoe]

I think this does happen quite often to me.

I like the way it sounds when I say it! Kind of fun!

Joe

 

[Reinbeau]

I grew Copra onions this year, and I have to say, the harvest was huge and beautiful! They're in the garage in a basket, I think I got a full bushel full! Really nice cooking onion, I think it's a keeper.

Steve, is Dixondale Farm geared to your area of the country?

ETA oh, wow, google is your friend. They have Copra! Johnny's had a hard time with that one last year, I'll be ordering from Dixondale this season!

 

[HiDelight]

ok I think as I see it you want words.... formed in sentences that show some form of serendipity ...in the garden ...correct?

here you go one of my favorites ever ...and continues to this moment as I watch said area now!

I was given a clump of bamboo planted it for a little more privacy and to increase the lovely russel all over my yard

I accidently stumbled upon the ability to harvest my own much more tasty form of bamboo shoots than I get in the can! (ok the Asian markets have the giant fresh ones I can not replace in some dishes ..but maybe some day I will have giant bamboo )

anyway not only that but the Anna's hummingbird stumbled up a wonderful place to live all winter and raise two families in the spring and summer


row

 

[digitS']

Yeah, I've wondered about Copra, Ann. Storage potential: "10 to 12 months" ! What's it take to keep an onion that long??

And, I haven't figured out what they mean with the difference between "slightly" pungent and "mildly" pungent. I would think that slightly would be less than mildly but what could be more mild that mildly pungent?? Wouldn't it be unnoticeable pungent? If I've missed an explanation somewhere - let me know.

I don't put too much stock (so to speak) in designations of pungency. The Walla Wallas are a little pungent and they are "sweet" so . . . wouldn't sweet mean non-pungent? Maybe not. I think growing conditions matter a lot in how they turn out.
Now, they have cippolini. I've grown Cippolini . They got 'em down as "mild!" I don't think so . . . Let me just say that they sure are cute and hardy. Missed a few little ones at harvest and at fall rototilling.

Planting an ornamental grass and finding out that you can use it in stir-fry would be an awfully good thing, HiDi, . . . with a hummingbird resident, too boot! One day, you may find a Panda out there!

Steve

 

[Reinbeau]

I'll let you know how long they last. I harvested them in mid-August, dried them good on a rack, cleaned them up and put them into the bushel basket at the end of September. They're in my garage, the coolest place I can keep them for now, but I'll have to move them into the basement for the cold of the winter.