Seed Savers

In 1975, a small organization was launched committed to the preservation of 'the world's diverse but endangered garden heritage for future generations'. In plain speak, Seed Savers Exchange seeks out, accepts, preserves, and makes available old seeds from throughout the world. You and I or anyone else can order heirloom seeds for food crops from this group.

How cool is that? To grow food from seeds that are in direct lineage from peppers from Russia, like the Georgia Flame, or tomatoes from Italy, like Cherry Roma, or cucumbers from a single plant on the George Starr farm in Michigan at the beginning of 1900, like Early Fortune.

I ordered a full garden's worth of seeds this year. As our family motto states 'Way overboard is a good place to start'. Okay, so I got excited. The beautiful catalog came, it was raining outside, and the pictures were so pretty, and the descriptions so vivid, and it was for the good of preserving a wonderful legacy, and, well, $80 later, my garden is sitting by my computer, packaged neatly and ready to go into the soil.

I'll keep you posted on the progress. Complete with pictures. Meanwhile, go to their website and check it out. www.seedsavers.org

Late summer bounty

The garden (and the hens) continue to offer its bounty to my family. I am harvesting glistening peppers, slender crisp French beans, squash, cucumbers, tomatillos, herbs, and several types of tomatoes. Tonight, I went outside and picked until dark. The picture shows the payback for our work.

Home garden and marriage growth

The garden is nearly all in.  

I have two kinds of peas; Little Marvel and Oregon Sugar Pod II.  Buttercrunch, Romaine, Oaky Red Splash, Green Leaf and Radiccio lettuces.  Grape Juliet, Sweet 100, Sweet Million, Beaverlodge Slicer, Fantastic, Sweet Cascade tomatoes.  Cue ball Zucchini and Australian Butter squashes.  Spinach.  Swiss Chard, overwintered.  Lemon, pickling and Sweet Slicer cucumbers.  Tristar strawberries.  Pumpkins.   Onions. Leeks.  Anaheim, Jalapeno, and Poblano peppers.  French beans, dry beans.  Radishes, Carrots. And flowers.

All set in raised beds with rich compost and chicken potty (courtesy of the girls).  I has been difficult to get the garden in this year with a bum hip, but I am getting lots of help from Emily and George.  

Last year, I swore off of gardening when George began his twenty-sixth annual bitch fest about the hard work it takes.  I suddenly realized that I live in one of the richest most fertile and productive farming areas in the world, and there are scores of farm stands minutes away.  I said, "You're right.  I do this for the kids' experience and learning, which I don't need to do anymore.  I do this for you, because you get so much pleasure from the garden all summer.  I always plant your peas and tomatoes first and most.  The pleasure I get from gardening can be diverted into canning or tanning or blogging or fishing.  If it has become nothing but work, it is a silly thing to continue. I'm done."  I put away the tools and went inside the house, grabbed my purse, and went shopping.  I especially hated this annual sniping event because it is my physical limitations that dictate that his help is required, a car wreck having turned this strong farm woman into a weaker version of herself... 

When I came home, the raised beds were turned and amended, the seeds set out in a basket on the porch, and the weeds pulled.  George begrudgingly admitted that he probably enjoys the garden even more than I do, and he does not want the tradition to end.  I extracted a promise to end the annual bitching event.

This year, putting in a garden has been a pleasure.  Not one complaint, a cheerful offer of help each day I work in the garden, and praise for the progress.  He even said he can't wait for the peas and cherry tomatoes. Another reason I'm still married.