Our Annual Fundraiser is up and running. Order your beautiful flowering hanging baskets just in time for Mother's Day.
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Kales are believed to have originated during the Middle Ages from the wild Brassica oleracea, most likely in western parts of Europe. Kales are traditionally used in soup, but have similar uses to that of cabbage. We are sowing Dinosaur Kale (also called Lacinato Kale, named after the Tuscan Town it came from in the 18th century). It is called Dinosaur Kale because of its distinct bumpy green texture that looks like the skin of a dinosaur.
We are sowing Rainbow Swiss Chard today. It is an Australian heirloom. Beautiful technicolor mixture of shades of red, orange, purple, yellow and white. Very colorful, tender and tasty. Makes a great edible ornamental.
Lettuce is thought to have originated in Asia Minor, probably from one of the wild lettuce types, of which there are more than one hundred varieties. Lettuce graced the tables of Persian kings, Roman senators, and medieval lords. It has been food for peasant and noble alike for hundreds of years. Lettuce was also prized medicinally for its cooling powers and was used to tame fevers, liver inflammations, and lust. We are sowing:
Jericho Lettuce is a desert adapted variety bred in Israel with smooth sword shaped bright green upright leaves with a silky texture Cimmarron Lettuce is an heirloom from the 18th century. Also called Little Leprechaun, it is a beautiful deep red romaine. Paris White Cos Lettuce, also known as Romaine Blonde Marachier was grown in Europe since at least 1835. Freckles Lettuce, AKA Flashy Troutback is a beautiful tender heat and sun tolerant romaine, having green leaves splashed with red. This heirloom lettuce variety dates back to Austria in 1793.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The radish is indigenous to Europe and Asia. Domestication is believed to have occurred 5,000 years ago. Radishes were well known to the Greeks and Romans. One of the oldest varieties is the Black Spanish Radish dating back to the sixteenth century. In all likelihood, the variety grew well before that time, but without documentation, seed historians can only guess at exact dates of introduction. We are sowing more than 15 different varieties of heirloom radishes today, including the black Spanish variety.
Wild carrots grow from the Mediterranean to Asia. Queen Anne's Lace is America's wild carrot relative. The first cultivated carrot variety had branching purple roots and is believed to have been developed in Afghanistan. There is some evidence of a few red varieties around that time period. It migrated to the Mediterranean in the 14th century and then Northwards. The orange varieties were developed in the Netherlands by the Dutch in the 17th century. Many of today's better known orange heirloom varieties were developed by the French seed company Vilmorin-Andrieux starting in the 1850s, such as Nantes and the Chantenay varieties. Yellow carrots were first recorded in Turkey around the end of the 1st Century. We are sowing examples of each of these colors today.
Monday, April 9, 2012
http://www.underwoodgardens.com/. This company is committed to keeping seed diversity strong and varied for generations to come. Please see the links to the specific varieties we are planting in the columns to the right of this post.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Peas have enchanted humans for thousands of years. Dried peas were found in 7000 year old burial sites in Europe. They originally were cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean. They were a standby of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.