Spring fever

Yep, I have a good case of spring fever. Last night I started 18 tomato seeds. All heirloom. (Gold medal, .brandy wine, and flame hillbilly.) Today I am planting a hybrid. Beef master.. Just in case the others fail due to what ever mother nature throws at us. I am not one for gmo food. But this is one of the earliest  hybrids. And are the results of cross pollination. To improve on the health or size of the plant. It to me is not like a test tube modification.  Or chemically engineered product.

Definitions
 Heirloom tomatoes are old varieties grown from seed saved from season to season. Heirlooms are a category unto themselves. They tend to be less disease resistant and "wilder" in appearance. Fans insist that their flavor and uniqueness make up for any disadvantages.
Hybrid tomatoes are developed to give growers the best characteristics of all varieties. Fruit size, crop yield and disease resistance are all traits of hybrids.

 I use a small pinch of stuffing like you would use in a pillow or toy. I place it in the bottom of a shot glass size cup. This works well for wicking water  up to the soil, with out soaking the soil. After the plant gets a good start, I transplant it in a 12 oz cup, or a self watering soda bottle. I have had very good results this way.I reuse these cups to replant. So they are not wasted.
 

I use a box covered with trash bags to make like a green house or terrarium affect. In a few days the seed should sprout.

I took a walk around my yard today and found signs of early or false spring. We have had some warm days. Not normal for this time of year. So I took a few photos.

This is a self watering drum I cut in half to make 2 planters. I have asparagus planted in this one. And should be able to cut off and eat some of it this year. I planted it from seed a few years ago.The sticks you see in it are last years plants. They look like wood sticks. I should have added more dirt..

This photo shows a juice bottle in the corner to add water to the bottom.
 It also allows me to see the water level. So I can add more if needed.
 

 The photo below is elephant ear garlic starting to grow already.

I have Iris starting to green up too.  And daffodil are up 2 inches. 

So it looks like an early spring is on its way.

 If you want more information on how I did the containers please click on this link
 http://itsgreenday.blogspot.com/
 It will take you to my old garden blog. I have not up dated it since 2009/10. I gave up on gardening after the summer of 09. Too much rain. And last year drought. This year I am planning to be ready for what ever mother nature throws at us. By using more self watering containers. And or umbrellas. HEHEHE.

Note:
 Hybrid plants, such as ‘Big Boy’, ‘Beefmaster’ and ‘Early Girl’ tomatoes will produce viable seed. Plants grown from that seed, however, will not be just like the hybrid parents; instead, they will be a completely new combination of the good and bad traits of the plants that were initially crossed. It’s impossible to predict just how the seedling plant will perform or what qualities the fruit will have.

Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

My heirloom garden seed 2009

This is not a paid advertisement.

I have chose to be a Harvest keeper this year and have joined the grower challenge.

I bit the bullet and ordered some of my heirloom garden seed for this year.
I have never tried any of these veggie types before.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co Was my choice to try this year.
You may ask why I paid more and chose these seeds.
Really it was not much more and shipping was only $3.00 for all this. With these seed being open pollination. Saving the seed each year will feed us forever.

1. They are not genetically engineered.
2. Some are endangered of becoming extinct . Like the dinosaur.
3. I feel honored to be a seed keeper.
4. This was the heritage of my ancestors and the past farmers.
5. I will know my family will not be fed pesticides or genetically modified food.

You will see me grow these over this next summer. Plus others not listed here.



- melon- Ananas D' Amerique A Chair Verte (Green Fleshed Pineapple)This historic heirloom was grown by Thomas Jefferson in 1794. It was offered commercially in the USA in 1824, and it was illustrated in color in France in 1854 in the Vilmorin Album. This wonderful variety has become very rare. The fruit have netted skin and light green flesh that is firm, sweet and highly perfumed. Productive plants can be trained up a trelli
- Minnesota Midget ( OP) (Reticulatus Group) 60-70 days
This very small, very early heirloom was Developed at the University of Minnesota and introduced by Farmer Seed in about 1948 . The fruits are five to six inches in diameter, weighing thirteen ounces to one and a half pounds, they have sweet, orange flesh and are perfect miniature versions of the "Classic Muskmelon". Compact, 3'-4' vines, produce good yields.Fruit slips from vine when ripe.This is not a small plant, but it's very manageable in a large container. It's an especially good choice for northern gardeners who usually can't grow cantaloupes, as well as being the best cantaloupe for containers.
Note:melons crave warmth and sunlight, so early summer is the best time to start a melon patch.It is esistant to fusarium wilt.

- Mary Washington Asparagus, green long stem




- Precoce d'Argenteuil .Asparagus An old traditional heirloom, this gourmet variety is highly esteemed in Europe for its delicious stems that can be blanched white with rose-colored buds. Italian Seed






- Calabrese Green Sprouting.broccoli , An Italian heirloom brought to America in the 1880s; 5"-8" heads and many side shoots

- Romanesco Italia. broccoli
The true and popular Italian heirloom with spiraling, applegreen heads that are so superbly flavored. This variety is widely grown in northern Italy. A must with many of the finest chefs.

- Stowell's Evergreen Sweet Corn, This is among the oldest sweet corn that is still in production, predating 1949. It is still a favorite of many, producing tasty white kernels. The plants used to be pulled up when completely ripe, and hung upside-down in a cool pantry; the ears would last well into the winter, in a semi-fresh state. In 1873, the seeds sold for 25 cents per pint.



- True Gold Sweet Corn, Attractive ears are filled with sweet, yellow kernels that have a fine flavor. This newer open-pollinated corn is becoming a favorite of gardeners everywhere. Productive 75-day corn that is a great home and market variety


- Chires Baby Corn . picke fresh and put into stir-fries and soups. This variety produces up to 20 tiny ears on its multi-stalked plants; pick just after the silk shows at the tips of ears, or let mature for popcorn!
- Lemon Cuke, 60 days. The shape, size and color of a lemon but the flavor is sweet and mild! This heirloom was introduced in 1894, and is still a favorite today.
a cuke is a cucumber in Australia.
- Crystal Apple Cuke. Small 3" oval fruit are a bright, creamy white, about the size of a small apple, and sweet, mild and very tender. This variety has become almost extinct in America after being introduced here from Australia around the year 1930 from Arthur Yates and Co. But this type of cucumber is likely to have originated in China. The small fruit are so tender you can eat them skin and all.

Chinese Green Noodle Bean
Here is an early variety of long bean imported from China. 20" pods are straight and smooth, bright green, and of excellent quality. This hardy long bean is easy to grow almost anywhere. Very tasty stir-fried.
Henderson's Black-Seeded Simpson
60 days. Introduced in the 1870's by Peter Henderson & Co. Sweet and tender leaves, light yellow-green, very popular.
Lau's Pointed Leaf
This variety was collected from Lau, a Chinese farmer in the highlands of Malaysia. It produces star shaped plants with long, thin, bright green pointed leaves. The flavor is sweet and very tasty. This variety was the fastest growing and most vigorous of the many lettuces grown .
- Rossa di Terviso Precoce radicchio from Treviso, ItalyMakes a long slender bunch of leaves, turns deep brilliant red they're said to be good for insomnia and purifying the blood

- Brandywine Pink 80 days. The most popular heirloom vegetable! A favorite of many gardeners, large fruit with superb flavor. A great potato-leafed variety from 1885!
Beautiful pink fruit up to 1-1/2 lbs. each!





Flame (Hillbilly)
80-85 days. A huge, bi color heirloom, brilliant yellow color with red marbling. Very large with a rich, sweet flavor. Beautiful when sliced. An heirloom believed to be from West Virginia.

Gold Medal
75-90 days. The 1 lb fruit are among the smoothest bicolored tomatoes we carry and are one of the most beautiful we have seen. Lovely yellow fruit are blushing with rosy red that radiates from the blossom end. The firm flesh is of superior quality, being sweet and mild. The low acid content makes them great for fresh eating. From the late, legendary seed collector, Ben Quisenberry.
- Sugar Baby
79 days The #1 icebox-sized melon! Early! 6 to 10-lb melons are great for the North and have sweet, deep red flesh.

The Tropaeolum or aka Nasturtium flowers and leafs are editable and repel some unwanted pest in the veggie garden. I used them last year and they worked well. My corn was not chewed by any thing but me.

double and large. Plants set flowers earlier than many varieties; the 4’ plants
Nasturtium- Dwarf Jewel Mix









- Nasturtium-Milkmaid
Nasturtium- Jewel Peach Melba
Nasturtium- Empress of India

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Caution All of the next plants are Toxic if eaten.

(Ricinus communis) Castor Beans This will help to control moles and voles.
- Ballerina Mix (Datura metel) A dwarf version
Sacred Datura
- Double Golden Queen Datura (D. metel) Gorgeous pale lemon-yellow blooms are ruffled, double and large. Plants set flowers earlier than many varieties; the 4’ plants
Splash of Cream (Nicandra physaloides) aka apple of Peru or shoo-fly plant
Said to be a repellent against white flies. Toxic. Flowers July-September. Reseeds Annual. Bushy, 1 to 1,5 m tall plant with 3 cm blue flowers

I will update this later with more info one each plant. As I find out more about them.
If you grow any of these or have a favorite you use, pleale let me know .

My New trash to treasure find

When I lived in St. Louis there was unbelievable things set out to the trash.
Where I live now. Nothing is thrown away unless it is unusable by any one.
This shelf is savable though.

It has one bar on the back side that is rusted through. I will clean it up paint it and put a piece if pvc plumbing pipe over it to hide and secure the bar. Then I have a bakers rack for free. As I have left over paint and pvc.

Seed up date.
My recycled green house is working

We will be having our Thanks giving gathering Saturday.
As my youngest has to work on Thanks giving day.
She just finished CNA classes last month. Now she is working at a nursing home. And she has already saved the lives of 2 people in the last 3 months. I am so proud of her.
Blessings to all.
Have a wonderful day!

Recycled Seed starters

There is nothing blooming in my yard so

I decided to start some seed in the house.
I prefer to recycle and reuse. So I saved toilet paper rolls.
You fold them in half, then open them up and fold in half again to create a square.
You can cut them in half again to make 2 tubes or leave tall for 1.

Cut slits about 1/2 inch in all 4 sides to form a box bottem

Now you can use tp around them with a rubber band or find a container like this. The yellow tray and insert is from fresh chicken they cut up and called chicken tinders. I washed them well so not to pass on germs from raw meat. I can put water in the bottom tray and wick it to the plants . I can put this in plastic like a green house to sprout seed. then uncover to grow. With this tray it held the rolls together so I did not need the rubber bands.
But for now I have a used taco salad container and it holds the insert and 2-3 full size tubes. I put water in the bottom and lid on top for now. I hope to grow my own salad in doors. I will try this with some flower seed and see if I can grow a green thumb. For indoor plants. After the seed sprouts I will show you how to make your own arrow garden out of recycled things and Store bought light. or you can look at this link for another persons ideal. My way will not use a metal coffee can as I do not buy them and would not risk my hands on cutting the can. But the rest of there Ideal is great.

This is one of my favorite blooms from this summer
This is like Stella d'Oro a daylily It is a re bloomer.
It gives you Orange/yellow color blooms from May-July.
But this is more orange than yellow.
This was a gift from my first new friend in this town I live in now.
Her name is Bobbie Joe.

Today is Jeans Bloomin Tuesday, Stop by and see what she has bloomin.