Now that it’s January my thought seems to be focused on spring; spring gardening, sunshine and dirt on my fingers! All I want to do is to get outside and start digging. Well since I can’t do that with 3 feet of snow on the ground I’ve done the next best thing…..I’ve ordered my new seeds for the year. I have found a wonderful source in Two Wings Farm in Victoria BC. They specialize in heirloom, organic seeds. My husband and I grow tomatoes, soft fruits, squash, garlic and beans. Everything else we can purchase organically, locally and inexpensively – so why try and do it all? We grow our tomatoes on 7 foot tall 15 foot long fence lines; we alternate one plant on each side and espalier them as they grow, can’t seem to find a photo…can’t believe I didn’t take one! I saved the seeds from last years heirloom tomatoes: Black Krim, Old German, Stupice, Manitoba, Tasty Golden, Yellow Brandywine, Red Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Mr. Stripey. Saving the seeds was a hoot – I really enjoyed the process and I have enough seeds to share. I even made my own little seed packages.
So this year I’m only adding a few new varieties to my garden.
PURPLE CALABASH is a weird, flat, pleated, purple/green tomato. It’s ugly or beautiful depending on your perspective, but delicious with a dynamic flavour. It is a late season, indeterminate variety that is both endangered and very old.
ZAPOTEC is an ancient, bell shaped, ridged and beautiful tomato that looks remarkable sliced on a plate. Pink in colour and late season, indeterminate variety heirloom tomato. The Zapotec people still grow this tomato in Mexico.
RED RUFFLE PEPPER is a beautiful dark red pleated heirloom. Wonderful, complex, sweet flavour, a sweet paprika type with thick walls.
BUERRE DE ROCQUENCORT is a slim podded tender, yellow bean, early and productive. Excellent flavoured Old French bush variety.
LACINATO KALE is an Italian heirloom that has purple/red stems with flat grey green oak leaf shaped leaves. It is the tenderest of kales.
RED RUFFLE PEPPER is a beautiful dark red pleated heirloom. Wonderful, complex, sweet flavour, a sweet paprika type with thick walls.
BUERRE DE ROCQUENCORT is a slim podded tender, yellow bean, early and productive. Excellent flavoured Old French bush variety.
LACINATO KALE is an Italian heirloom that has purple/red stems with flat grey green oak leaf shaped leaves. It is the tenderest of kales.
Can't you just see a plate full of these wonderful, soft skinned, robust flavoured tomatoes beside a crusty Boule and a glass of wine! OK, now I'm dreaming of summer!
That post makes me hungry - whether for spring or for veggies I'm not sure!!
ReplyDeleteA tomato-cucumber salad would taste fantastic to me if it weren't such soup weather!
I've never liked tomatoes until just this last summer. A friend of mine gave me a huge bag of them to bring home for my husband. The whole ride home I kept thinking about how good they smelled. Needless to say, I now LOVE tomatoes. I had no idea there were so many varietys:)
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like a sun ripened home grown tomato. Just bite into it while you sit in the shade with your feet in the grass.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I needed that...
Susan :)
Oh sure! And you laughed at me when I confessed to my spring fever, then you post this. Can I snag some seedlings from you when they're ready to transplant?
ReplyDeleteHi! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and offering up some advice! I don't know if that yarn is "knitting yarn" or not, but it's definitely cotton and everyone has been telling me to start with wool - so I won't try to start with the stuff in my picture. And I'll check out Treenway Silks too. I really appreciate the help! Thanks again! :)
ReplyDelete