New 2012 Seed in Stock

 

I would like to announce that my 2012 seed stock is now online @ secretseedcartel.com  Still waiting on beans to dry but they will be added soon. Please feel free to check it out.

Knee Deep in Maters

Oh yessssssss. I've been buried in tomatoes for a couple of weeks now. Can't stop eating them. Already I can see which ones are real winners and which ones are  a bust.  Unfortunately, you will all have to wait for my All-Star and Waste of Garden Space review which should be up in a couple of weeks. This year for the first time ever I had a groundhog make a home under the garden. He was tunneling under my potatoes. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. Had the neighbor set a live trap and capture him. No problems since.

All of the Sunflowers are in full bloom. I love them! They are such happy flowers. Always facing the sun so tall and majestic. It's like they stand gaurd over the garden. Lots of different Marigolds too.

I don't know about the rest of you but I've been eating BLT's non stop. This is the only time of year I eat them. My perfect BLT:

Toasted Organic bread

Hellman's mayo

big thick slab of garden tomato

little bit of sliced red onion

bacon

piment d' Espelette

fluer de sel.

 

I forgo the lettuce but any crunchy lettuce will work. Something about eating a garden fresh tomato on a BLT with a glass of home brewed iced mint tea that screams summer. I look forward to this all winter.

Hope you all are enjoying your garden and daily Blt's! Coming soon: the 2012 tomato review.

 

Droughts and Doubts

I'm sure most of you know we here in my area are in a very bad drought. Thank God I'm on well water or I would be in serious trouble. I have the hose running morning to night. The only problem is, nothing really compares to rain water. The plants are struggling. The fruit growth seems stunted and many varieties are getting hit with BER or as the French like to call it... "Black Ass". Haha.
I posted a photo of some of the varieties that are doing well. Grinch cherry, Banjan Rumi and most of the cherries.
Just seems like it's the nature of the beast. You never know from one season to the next what Mother Nature will do. A couple of years back it was non-stop rain. Lost most of my crop to Early Blight. Still, in spite of the challenges of weather, I wouldn't change what I do for anything. When I lose a tomato plant I really mourn for it. The same way I celebrate the ones that hold strong and come thru. I am so emotionally invested in these tomatoes that I feel pain or joy according to what they do. I know this would sound silly to anyone that doesn't have a passion for growing but I know most of you feel what I'm saying.
On a side note, I entered a national tomato contest. (fingers crossed). I will post the photo after the results are posted...win or lose. Wish me luck.
I hope most of you are enjoying a great season with few problems!!! Stay tuned..........

Trial Balloon

I'm floating a trial ballon here. Please give your opinion. I was thinking about offering 2 or 3 (only) select memberships to the SSC. (Raising money for much need equipment). I haven't thought it out completely but it would give those members access to my complete seed inventory (not just what's online) and X amount of seed a year. They would also get advance notice of what's going in the store and consulting on what's the trending tomatoes and peppers. Monthly updates on what I'm chasing and advance notice of my yearly review. Thoughts please. You can leave comments or email me @ Terry@Secretseedcartel.com

Just Launched

Well finally! My seed site is up and running.

For the time being, the inventory is limited from last year's stock. In September I will be updating and adding 70 new varieties of tomatoes, peppers and flowers. I also will ship internationally because I believe in sharing with everyone! My new contact info is: Terry@Secretseedcartel.com  Please use that email for any questions. I look forward to doing business with anyone looking for the best and rarest seed available.

http://secretseedcartel.com/en/

2 New "Must Have" tomatoes

The 2 up and coming must have tomatoes. Mini Kumatos and the Spanish RAF tomato aka Pata Negra tomato.

The RAF tomato is famous all over Spain. Also known as Pata Negra (Black Paw). It is not a hybrid and is originally thought to be of French origin. They are the most sought after tomato in Spain. Cultivated in Bajo Andarax and Campo do Nijar in the Province of Almeria. It is resistant to fusarium. Green and striped with red. Deep grooves and ripens from the inside out. Ask anyone that has eaten one and they will rave about its sweetness. Of course, I have it growing in the garden this year and will have seed available in October.


RAF Tomato Pata Negra

The other is the Mini-Kumato. A cherry version of the Kumato/Rosso Bruno tomato. I have seeds for it but will probably not grow out until next year. Promising little tomato. I might try and start seed and see what happens before winter so check back........

Coming Soon

I have been working for a long while on getting a seed site up that will offer all of the rare and unusual seeds I chase down all over the world. I now have a web designer that will have it up and running by June. I'm calling it the Secret Seed Cartel. My goal is to not only offer seed that has no commercial source, but to offer seed that is not available in the U.S. I also intend on selling to all European countries. Something that most seed companies here in the U.S. do not currently do. I want the Europeans to have the same access to varieties that we have.  I want this site to be the best of the best. I will work hard on providing the best seed I can find for all of us to share.
In time, I am also going to have up and running a site for hard core tomato heads. Merchandising items for all tomato enthusiasts. I know there are many seed sites but I plan on filling the current gap where there are no sources for a lot of seed and to be a friend to the Europeans that look for varieties outside of their catalog. Stay tuned..........

Why I Love Seed Criminals

There are so many reasons I encourage people to commit seed crimes that I don't know where to begin.. You may ask "what is a seed crime?" A seed crime is when you send crop seed to another country where it is forbidden. A seed crime might be saving your own seed from your own harvest. A seed crime might be growing a vegetable that the government has forbidden. It can be as simple as sharing seed to a pepper that a corporation owns and being in peril of a lawsuit. I know it sounds crazy but every example is true.
Most of my readers are familiar with my quest to free the Peppadew. I think I have done a mighty fine job if I may say so myself. Should it be illegal to grow a Peppadew? Not hardly. Unless a corporation owns the rights to a F1 hybrid, I believe everything else is free for all. I have done my best to not just preach but to be active in what I say. If you're growing Peppadews in your garden, I'll just say "You're welcome". :-)
Next I want to discuss the European catalog. In the European union (and Canada I have heard but not verified) they have a catalog which lists all government approved crop seed. You are forbidden to "sell, swap, gift or exchange" any seed not listed in the official catalog. If you would like to list your families heirloom tomato for example, you have to pay for the privilage to the tune of about $6000 USD. Really. I'm not making this crap up. The damage here, many old family heirloom varieties will be lost forever. All commercial seed companies sell the same varieties more or less. No competition there except for pricing. So ridiculous. The Europeans are also at a disatvantage in that they cannot get seed for varieties from other countries. American heirloom crops or any other country. The government controlling what they grow and stealing their money in order to grant them permission to grow maybe their own family tomato. This is one reason I love to send seed to Europe. Yes, there is a huge underground of growers that seek seed outside of the catalog. Can you blame them?
If you have friends or family in Europe, I encourage you to be a seed criminal and mail all the forbidden seed you can to them. I don't think the U.S. will extradite you for your "crimes". Some of you might ask "Why should I care? I don't live in Europe". My best answer is that sometimes you have to defend the rights of others to protect your own rights. If this insanity comes to the U.S. (we all know the current administration would like to model Europe), we will be well prepared correct?
I was going to move along to the subject of GMO seed and how Monsanto is trying to control the worlds seed supply but I think that might be another post all unto itself. If you think GMO seed is a good thing,  read the following link about the epidemic of Indian farmers commiting suicide over it.  http://uk.news.yahoo.com/wave-suicides-among-indian-farmers-060910878.html

Long Pie Pumpkins and Bubbles

 

This was my first year to grow winter squash and Brussel Sprouts. Of course, your first year growing anything is always a learning experience. One of the winter squash I grew is called Long Pie Pumpkin. Sooooo cool . I really loved this one. It has a very interesting history and I love how it is long like a zuchinni.  It has been said that it came originally from the Isle of St. George in the Azores and been brought to Nantucket in 1832 on a whaling ship. Sometimes known as the Nantucket Pumpkin or the Maine Pumpkin. It grows anywhere from 4-7 lbs. You know it's ready to pick when there develops an orange stripe or spot where it is in contact with the ground, as you can see in my photo. You pick and put in storage and it will turn a bright orange all over in a period of weeks and months. I made my Thanksgiving pies with it and it was seriously the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten. The flesh is almost 90% stringless so no need for a food mill.

If you're looking to grow just one winter squash next year,here's the winner. You have to try it.  

The other newbie for me was Brussel Sprouts. I bought already established plants at the nursery. My variety was called Bubbles. I loved growing them. So pretty. You definitely need to stake them. As they get weighted down with sprouts they will lean. I put mine a little too close together, so another lesson, space them out. We ate them for Thanksgiving dinner and I also froze tons of them for the winter. Not a real time consuming vegetable in the garden so for those that don't like fussy veggies, this is a good one.





Pepper Reminder

Just a reminder for those of you lookin for the Peppadew pepper seed. Please check my store listing with Local Harvest. http://www.localharvest.org/members/st_products.jsp?id=26862&m=1&p=3

The Basque region and it's official peppers

Basque Country is a small ethnic enclave located in the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains, which divide Spain and France from one another. The size of Rhode
Island, the Basque region, includes four Spanish regions, known as the South Zone, and three French speaking regions known as the North Zone. The Spanish and French Basque regions share a Union Jack–style flag (green, red, and white), cuisine, and common language (Euskara), spoken by about a half million people.

Basque cuisine is influenced by the abundance of produce from the sea on one side and the fertile Ebro valley on the other. The mountainous nature of the Basque Country has led to a difference between coastal cuisine dominated by fish and seafood,and inland cuisine; with fresh and cured meats, many vegetables and legumes,and freshwater fish and salt cod. TheFrench and Spanish influence is strong also, with a noted difference betweenthe cuisines of either side of the modern border.

Basque cuisine employs the use of not one, not two, but six varieties of pimientos, (peppers) all of which are grown locally.
·
The pimiento Anglet aka
Doux de Landes (Lapurdi):
·
The Pepper Espelette - (Lapurdi)
·
Gernika Pepper (Vizkaia)
·
The Guindillas Tolosa - Langostinos of Ibarra - (Gipuzkoa):
·
The Piquillo Lodosa - (Nafarroa)
·
The Cuerno de Cabra - (Nafarroa)

These are the "Official" Basque peppers. It took me forever to gather all of the information on them and put it all in one place. So here you go and you're welcome!

Doux de Landes (Basque Pepper)
Translates to “sweet from Landes” Also known as Piment d' Anglet. Honestly, it is the longest pepper I have ever seen. It is a sweet pepper and turns from green to red. Also from the Basque region, it is sometimes called a Basque fryer. A delicious, sweet pepper, it is used in many basque recipes including piperade. Can also be eaten fresh or sautéed. It is often roasted, peeled, and stuffed with a variety of fillings like salt cod, tuna, or cheese. Landes is in the South West of France also known as the home of Our Lady of Lourdes. I personally like to use this pepper as a fryer or diced up in my tomato salad.


Piment d’espelette (Basque pepper)
(Capsicum annuum) 85 days
Piment d'Espelette literally means “pepper of Espelette” in French. It is a food product produced around the town of Espelette in Southern France, in the region sometimes known as Basque Country. This pepper is so famous that in 1999 AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee), was granted to Espelette peppers, or "Ezpeletako bipera" in Basque language, giving it the same protection as more famous names, such as Champagne and Roquefort . Only ten communities are allowed to use the name Espelette.Piment d’ Espelette is most commonly strung up to dry and ground into a powder and is often used as a substitute for black pepper in the Basque country and in common Basque dishes.Once harvested, they are threaded by hand and hung on the facades of buildings to dry in the sun -- this initial process takes about two months. After being dried a second time in wood-fired ovens, the peppers are ground into a fine powder. Every October, Espelette and surrounding villages hold a festival honoring the finished product -- a celebration complete with parades, dancing and cooking competitions.
Espelette’s hotness falls between sweet bell pepper and Cayenne. It has a rich, round deep flavor with heat present, lifting flavor, but not intrusive.PIMENT d'Espelette is to French Basque cooking what curry is to Indian cuisine.


Corne De Chevre (Basque pepper)
(Capsicum annuum) 90 days
From an area in the north of Spain called Navarre. The name translates to “horn of the goat It is also called “pimiento choricero” Like the Espelette pepper, it is dried on the facades of houses. Then it is re-hydrated and pureed after removing skin and seeds to makes the paste (Carne de Pimiento Choricero). The paste is added to the making of Chorizo sausage. Furthermore, it is so popular in Spanish cooking is not uncommon to find commercially packaged in glass jars.


Gernika Pepper (Basque Pepper)
(Capsicum annuum) 90 days
Gernika or The Guernica is a Spanish pepper similar to the Padrón in flavor but bigger and without any heat, Guernica is the 'proper' Spanish spelling;
Gernika is the Basque spelling.It is often served fried like the Padrón or stuffed with cheese or other fillings. Gernika peppers are grown primarily in Vizcaya Served on a plate all their own, pimientos de Gernika are typically fried in olive oil with garlic until they’re
shriveled and slightly browned. They are finally sprinkled with a generous hand of fat salt grains. Slightly bitter, these peppers are great with steak or on their own as a ración (small plate), eaten with a cold beer.


The Piquillo Lodosa (Basque Pepper)
(Capsicum annuum) 85 days
From "Lodosa" Navarra region of Spain
It is regarded as "red gold" of Navarre. Piquillo peppers are traditionally wood fire roasted and then hand peeled ad seeded to preserve the natural taste and shape of the peppers. Known for their intense red color, wood fire aroma, fleshy texture, and sweet, delicate taste. These peppers are an exceptional addition to any plate. Great in salads, meats, seafood, or lightly sauteed and stuffed.


The Guindillas Tolosa (Basque pepper)
(Capsicum annuum) 90 days
From the Basque area of Spain known as Gipuzkoa. The guindilla is a thin pepper, picked early while it is still greenish yellow. Conserved in white wine vinegar and packaged tight like sardines in glass jars. traditionally eaten with beans or bar snacks as an aperitif.

I grew 4 of the 6 official Basque peppers this year and will be growing the other 2 next season. My next bit of research is to find out about specific tomatoes grown in the Basque region. sigh

Seeds for the four peppers I grew this year from the Basque area are available for sale at my store http://www.localharvest.org/store/M26862&ul

whew! that was work!

Next Year and other garden thoughts

I'm tearing down the garden for the year. Working feverishly on seed swaps and sweating "already" over my grow list for next year. I found a cool site for garden shoes in the meantime and thought I would pass on the link. I've owned a pair of their shoes and they lasted a good 4 years. Time for a new pair for next year. I love them because they are waterproof and have a lining that keeps your feet really dry when you're working in wet soil.

http://www.gardenshoesonline.com/ They sell boots, clogs and everyday shoes and..... mens' designs.

I can't believe how many tomatoes I already have on my growlist for next year. (This is where I would paste a crying face). It's not even January and I'm already up to 65 varieties. A lot of very new varieties for me. Some from overseas and some from the breeders. It's gonna be a tough job whittling it down to something managable.

I will be putting the garlic in soon along with shallots. Thought I would try over-wintering the shallots and see if it does better for me this next season.

In the meantime...here's a little freethought I found and loved.

Free shipping until October 1st.

Free Shipping on all orders until October 1st. European growers, I can't offer free shipping to you but please feel free to order. I have no problem shipping seeds over-seas. hehe http://www.localharvest.org/store/M26862&ul

Seeds

I finally have seeds for the Chocolate Ghost Chili and the Peppadew. If you are interested you can go to my store on Local Harvest. Also have Goose Creek seeds for those looking for it.

http://www.localharvest.org/store/M26862&ul

2011 Garden season

I told you so

Well.....I've been raving about the tomato Goose Creek for years!! Telling everyone that would listen how it is small but the best tasting tomato ever! So...it was voted best tasting tomato out of I believe 250 varieties at the 5th Annual Buffalo-Niagra Tomato Tastefest. Ha! And who told you first?? I hate saying I told you so but.....I TOLD YOU SO! Yes, if you haven't grown Goose Creek maybe this will convince you.
Edit: for accuracy, the photo belongs to Laurel at http://heirloomtomatoplants.com/

The garden has been super productive this year. Got some early blight but too late to affect the crop harvest.

Another new thing I tried... I made Piment d'Espelette powder. Sold in Europe and a fortune to get here in the U.S. I use it on EVERYTHING. I use it instead of black pepper. Sweet with a little bite to it.

This year I grew Thelma Sander's Sweet Potato Acorn Squash. OMG..so many of them. Instead of the usual green color of Acorn squash these are a cream color when ripe. The inside is a light sweet potato color. I decided to use them to make acorn squash bread (instead of pumpkin bread). Sooooo gooooood! The flavor reminds me of chestnuts. This is a definate grow again.

Also... I am posting a link to my seed site at Local Harvest. I have so many requests from readers to buy seed that I finally set up a store. I am also setting up an actual site but will use Local Harvest until it is done. So...If you need seed from anything I've ever grown (even if it's not listed in the store) You finally have the place to do it. http://www.localharvest.org/tomato-addict-M26862

Scones and other new obsessions

The garden is on auto-pilot for now with the exception of weeding. So now is as good a time as any to update the blog.

Today I'm going to rave about a few of my new finds. Things I think are totally cool. The first is a French coffee bowl. In Quebec with Sebastien, I saw his sister drinking tea from a bowl. I asked Seb why and he explained the French coffee bowl to me. Used primarily for breakfast so dunking is easier. Had to get some. So while out shopping in Quebec, Seb bought me 6. Merci Beaucoup!!!!!!!

The next thing, also thanks to Seb's sister, is Organic peach juice. I found out the hard way that finding just plain peach juice anywhere is difficult. Why is that? You can find just about any juice you want except peach juice. Seems so simple but there must not be a demand for peach juice. Some juice producer somewhere needs to change that. Pronto.

Annnnnd....Maple Butter or Maple Cream. Ohhhh yes. Also another find from Seb's sister (yes, she's cool). It looks like creamed honey, Same concept except maple. Use it in oatmeal and on toast. So good I'm sure there are a million other uses for it also. Order online unless you are fortunate enough to live near a maple farm.

Then's there's scones. (I feel like I'm doing an "Oprah's favorite things" episode) Yes, we Americans have gotten good at eating scones but...not the real way. With clotted cream. Seb and I stayed and a B&B in Niagra on the Lake and the owner served scones with Clotted Cream. Never eaten it that way before. What a great combination. Made a good scone into a fantastic scone. So today I am going to make maple oat scones. Going to tweak the recipe so it has no dairy. (Trying very hard to eliminate most dairy from my diet. Yes, I know clotted cream is dairy) After I make my scones I can use my French coffee bowl to dunk them.

Just sharing the good stuff
Maple Oat Scones
For The Scones
1 cup oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons cold butter (small pieces)
1 large egg
1/2 cup half-and-half or 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2-3/4 teaspoon maple extract
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans


Maple Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
5 teaspoons water
Change Measurements: US Metric

Directions:
Prep Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 25 mins
1 Preheat oven to 425°F.
2 Using a food processor or blender, finely grind oats.
3 In a mixer, mix flour, oats, sugar, salt and baking powder.
4 Add maple syrup and butter and mix well.
5 In a small bowl, beat the egg with the cream and maple extract.
6 Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix well.
7 Add pecans and mix just to incorporate.
8 Place dough on a floured surface. Knead and pat dough into a 8 to 10 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges.
9 Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place wedges on top and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until light brown.
10 Remove scones from oven to wire rack. Let cool about 3 to 5 minutes.
11 Mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Adjust the amount of water to get to the desired consistency. I like the glaze to be rather thick. Spread lots of glaze over each scone and dry about 15 minutes before serving.

All About Beans

I swear I am getting as obsessed about beans as I am about tomatoes. I start researching one bean and it leads me to another and another....and so it goes.
This year, I am growing two new Greasy Beans... Whitey Swanger Greasy and Lazy wife Greasy. Also, a yellow pole bean called St. Fiacre or Buerre de St. Fiacre (Thanks Seb). Pretty obscure bean. I would post a photo of it but they are pretty non existant. You guys will have to wait a couple of months until I can snap a few.
So in my research..I come across 2 beans I had to have. One is called Blue Jay Bush bean. The following is a copy paste from Two Wings Farm:

" a wonderful old Canadian bush bean called Blue Jay. It was brought back from extinction by a couple of growers (ourselves included) and by the work of our friend Shirley Bellows of Seeds of Diversity Canada. When we looked into the parentage of the Blue Jay bean, we found the Comtesse de Chambord a tiny bean from France, and before that Scotland. However, the more I searched, the more I came up with a blank. There apparently is only one source for this bean that I could find –anywhere-in the world! That is very close to extinction,"

So....of course I ordered it for next year. Ha. Also, the Comtesse de Chambord rice bean. A copy/Paste from Mother Earth News:

"Two different beans go by the name rice bean. The one I recommend, Comtesse de Chambord, is a true bean, or Phaseolus vulgaris. (The other rice bean, Vigna umbellate, is a cousin of the cowpea.)
Many people are quite startled by its miniature size when they see a rice bean for the first time. The tiny, young 4-inch pods are so tender and sweet that you can eat them raw or toss them in a mixed bean salad. They make a beautiful garnish, too. The small, dry beans resemble rice when cooked, although the flavor is richer and nuttier, and the texture is much more appealing. Best of all, you dont have to soak rice beans before cooking them, because they take only about 20 to 25 minutes to cook."

Another thing I am obsessed with lately is Mache. A.K.A. Corn Salad or Lambs Lettuce. Sebastien raved about it last season but I have never tasted it. I found some fresh at the new Earth Fare store by my house. Soooooo Gooooood! Has a very mild peanuty taste. The French have been enjoying it since the 17th century. Twice as much vitamin C as normal lettuce and chocked full of other vitamins. Fairly un-known to U.S. growers. If you haven't tried it..a must!

I can't believe I took the time to post today. So much work in the garden still. Good Gardening to all!!!!!

2011 Grow List

2011 Grow list

Beans
Pink Tip Greasy
NC Speckled Long Greasy Cut-short
Whitey Swanger Greasy
Lazy Wife Greasy
St. Fiacre

Garlic
French Rose
Giant from Medina Fair

Peppers
Ancient Sweets F3
Peppadew
Chocolate Ghost Chili
Doux de Landes
Cuerno de la Cabra
Piment Gernika
Piment Espelette
Piment d’ampuis
Sucette de Provence
Yellow Cherry Pepper

Corn
Mirai White
Mirai Yellow

Turnips
Navet de Nancy
Navet jaune Boule d’ or
Navet Boulette de Champagne

Summer Squash
Benning's Green Tint Patty Pan
Striato di Napoli Zucchini
Grey Zucchini
Winter Squash
Long Pie Pumpkin
Sweet Dumpling
Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Acorn Squash
Sweet Keeper

Tomatoes

Red
Marmande Garnier Rouge
Pepe Jose
Oncle Remi
Zeke Dishman
Stump of the World
Mr. Sids
Pomodoro Banana Marino

Yellow/Gold
Claude Brown’s Yellow Giant
Wisconsin 55 Gold
Chicken Pen Persimmon
Buckeye Yellow
KBX
Green
Absinthe
Green Giant
Marmande Verte
Maurine Verte
Pink
Norcarolina Pink
Olive Hill
White Mate Giant
Purple/Black
Noire Charbonneuse
Carbon
Indian Stripe
Grosse de Bordo
Spudatula Black

Cherry
Marizol Gold cherry
Butterball cherry
Black Cherry
Green Doctor’s Frosted

Bi-Color
Pamplemousse du Grand Pere
Marzipan Gold
Captain Lucky
Scabitha
Serendipity

White
Jack White
White Wonder

Fairytale F3
Claude’s Coral F2

Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes


Eggplant
Fairy Tale
Black Beauty
Basil
Red Osmin
Napoletano
Petra
Poppy Joe’s

Shallots
Catnip
Sunflowers
Marigolds
French Breakfast radish
Groundcherry Goldy
Onions
Brussel Sprouts
Rutabaga
Chinese Lanterns

Mary Gardens

I had never heard of a Mary Garden. Until last night that is. A garden filled with flowers, plants and trees all named after Mary, mother of God. Designed to be a place of beauty and peace.

St. Benedict had a rose garden ("rosary") at his monastery in the 4th c., but the first garden we know of that was specifically dedicated to Mary was one created by the Irish St. Fiacre in the 7th c. The earliest record of a garden explicitly called a "Mary Garden" involves a "fifteenth century monastic accounting record of the purchase of plants "for S. Mary's garden" by the sacristan of Norwich Priory, in England."

I like this idea. I have to admit I consider my garden my church. Feel much more comfortable there than I do in a pew. Hahaha.

Here's a link about them and it includes a list of all plants associated with Mary. Too long to post on the blog. http://www.fisheaters.com/marygardens.html

A Long Winters Sleep

Ok, I'm going to say it for the first time of many. I miss my garden :-( So now I'm doing the next best thing, doing my garden planning... Yea!!!! Thanks Sebastien for the cool winter photo of my St. Fiacre.

Alot of you have asked about my "All-Star list" and I'm gonna make it super easy. There was only 1 that made my list. I've been calling it North Carolina Pink but apparently the correct name is "Norcarolina Pink". I believe it was picked up at a farmer's market in North Carolina by Craig LeHoullier . Probably one of the best tomatoes I've eaten in three years. Very un-assuming to look at, but ohhhhh the taste. See Photo.

As far as the "Waste of Space List".... Can't say I had any this year that bad but a few close.

Going to be adding corn, potatoes, turnips and eggplants to the garden this year. As with every year... it just keeps getting bigger.

I'm excited to be growing many varieties of Basque peppers this year also. So hard to come by the seed here in the U.S. Hoping to be able to offer it for next season.

So, my next goal in life.... to open an organic B&B with Sebastien in Niagra on the Lake.... everyone put out positive energy vibes in that direction.

Peace and Love

Blog fatigue

So... I've decided that blogging should definately be a winter sport. There is just no time in the summer for it with the garden. So from now on... I only blog in the winter. Ahhhhh... I feel better now that I've said it outloud. :-D
Updates:
I will be posting my all-stars list this week. My website is still being worked on. The delay... Me. I need to submit a lot of copy and have been way too busy.

Seems like next year I will be growing a lot of new things. Discovered the joys of Groundcherries. Who knew these things were so good and didn't tell me??? Also.. Turnips. I have never tasted one in my life until last month. Another well kept secret.

Oh and Chinese Lanterns. These things are sooo cool looking. Stole the seed from a garden in France with my partner in crime Sebastien. I guess they are self seeding and multiply so plant once and forget it. Just decorative but very catchy!!

Have the garden put to sleep for the winter. Now the planning for next season.. Woot!!

Garden Porn 2010

Mirai Corn and Tomato news

A new totally cool find... Mirai corn! OMG good. Let me share some of the good stuff with you and explain..

First... It is NOT a GMO. It is self-pollinating and developed from natural breeding and selection. You can relax. hehee.

"It was bred on the Ahrens family farm in Illinois by J. David Mackenzie, a plantsman from Cornell University. As the economy worsened for family farms in the early 1990s, the Ahrenses hired Mackenzie to research new strains of sweet corn for market use. When he discovered Mirai®, he was really just trying to create a more disease-resistant variety. But one taste changed all that.
At first, the new corn didn't seem marketable. It needs to be hand-picked, which ruled out production by the huge commercial farms in the U.S. So Mackenzie introduced it instead to Japan, where small "boutique" farms are common, and many crops are still picked by hand. Within a few years Mirai® had become the bestselling sweet corn in Japan, capturing an amazing 35% of the market from all other varieties! (That's where it got its name, too. Mirai® (pronounced mee-RYE) also means "taste"!)

Once small American farms and roadside produce operations heard of Mirai's success in Japan (where it made headlines), everyone wanted the seed. But until now, the breeders have wisely released only a small amount of seed, continuing to test and trial it. The results have been spectacular -- and those farmers' markets lucky enough to grow Mirai® have been besieged by long lines all season long! It's not uncommon for folks to drive 100 miles or more to wait in line for Mirai® -- and it is especially popular with older corn-lovers, because it is so gentle on the teeth or dentures. " (copy and paste from Park Seeds)

I was at the farmer's market today and their was a line 30 people long waiting for this corn. I had never heard of it.. but the guy in line ahead of me was raving about it. I decided to buy a dozen. Glad I did because the farmer was completely sold out in 20 minutes. OMG... it was soooooooooooo good. Then, I did a google search on it and was even more impressed. Should only be boiled for 2 minutes!! AND.... In Japan, they call it a "dessert corn" because they eat if for dessert.
The one I bought is called mini-Mirai, or "baby corn" as the customers in line kept calling it. There is also a full size yellow Mirai and a white Mirai.

If you can find this in your area, well-worth buying. You'll know what all the fuss is about. Going to grow it next season in my garden.. Park Seed and Jung Seed both carry seed for all 3 varieties of Mirai.

So, now that I've shared the good stuff, let me tell you about my new tomato cross! I have a Kumato x Absinthe cross. Calling it "Fairytale" Alan Bishop made a good point about the name... he said it made sense because Absinthe, being one of the parents, is called "the green fairy". So it's child being called Fairytale is perfect! Thanks Alan. I have personal reasons for the name but I liked what Alan said too.

Here's a couple of photos of my baby. Saving the F2 seed for growout next season.

And in other news: I will be doing a full report on the garden as soon as things start really kicking in. Also... will be doing a new blog with my friend Sebastien in France! We thought it would be cool to have a cooking and gardening blog done by two people in two different countries contributing at the same time. Will post the link as soon as we actually have time to work on the blog hehee.

My new website is in progress and should be up in October. Stayed tuned.