Planting a Row for the Hungry?

Think I'll try my hand at planting an extra row to feed someone who might be in need of a little extra nourishment. I'd love any suggestions from those who might already be doing this or have considered doing it.

Regulations are a bit sketchy about providing produce to food banks and the like. I was thinking of asking a local school to recommend one small family who might have an interest in a bag of weekly fresh vegetables.

It's so easy to grow various plants in the smallest of spaces that it would truly be great if everyone simply tossed a few seeds in a pot. But, I also recognize that many people may be overwhelmed. So, that small gesture may be a small benefit.

What do you think?

Heirloom Club Exchange Forum

For a long time I've wanted us to have a way to communicate rather than just through email exchange. Finally, the heirloom seed exchange and trade forum is launched. It's presently under construction and will frequently receive improvements as I have time. Please join up as you have time and want to discuss particulars about your garden and the heirlooms you're growing.

This is designed to be an international exchange and where permitted by your country's customs and laws, it's my hope we'll all be able to exchange seeds freely.

Part of the changes I'll make, now that the exchange forum is launched, is to make certain of my free seeds available to members only on a first come, first served basis. There's a good possibility I'll decrease the number of orderable freebies as well, in an effort to keep my sanity.

Over the coming months, it's my hope we'll be able to start a seed bank of our bounty so we can more readily share with each other.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments and interest.

Outstanding Reasons for Saving Heirloom Seeds!

Recently visited the Irish Seed Savers site and could immediately appreciate their 10 reasons for saving seeds:

Biodiversity
Food Security
Self Sufficiency
Environmental Sustainability
Global Change
Cultural Heritage
Choice
Economy
Challenge
Evolution

This made for a really compelling reason to save our own seed! Read for yourself.

Weekend Planting

This was an unusually busy weekend. At least 30 additional varieties were planted; 6 peonies, 30 gladiola and more than 10 varieties of dahlias.


Asian veggies are some of my favorite to grow. Above is Pac Choi which sprouted in only a couple of days.

Wong Bok Cabbage

As an organic gardener, there's nothing more special than being able to go into the kitchen garden and snip a few herbs, lettuce or a nice head of Chinese cabbage. Well, that is when the snails don't get to the seedlings before they're able to grow into a head of cabbage! Generally, I try to focus on companion planting in order to keep the dreaded snails and slugs away from cabbage. I think my cabbage rows were too wide or NOT close enough to the radicchio or arugula, which the snails seem to hate. Within two days of this photo, the cabbage was a distant memory - completely eaten to invisibility.

Zinnia Bounty

A neighbor has the most glorious display of zinnias in her border. I couldn't resist taking a photo.

Bold and Beautiful Radicchio

This radicchio shocked me. It was so beautiful that I wasn't sure I was growing it properly. It was so shiny in a deep wine color with a stark white contrast. Simply shocking. Don't know about anyone else but all the radicchio I've ever eaten was dull and looked like it had been picked days prior. This is another incredibly easy plant to grow and the bugs didn't seem to bother it at all!

Broccoli

One of the easiest plants to grow in the kitchen garden. Plant it, water it and watch it grow.

Yellow Carrot More than Edible

So I grew yellow carrots during the summer for the first time. They started off great. Many warned I wouldn't be able to grow carrots, let alone yellow ones. Well, with all that negativity, after a couple of months, they did just seem to wither away - at least I thought they'd withered away.

The spot where they were originally grown, I planted other items in that spot, not realizing there was one lone carrot enjoying every minute of it and becoming a double legged, monster. This carrot was in the ground for many, many, many months. Of course it was finally realized that 'something' was growing there but had no idea until I began preparing the bed for something else and voila! A baby was born.

Of course, those same negativos told me not to bother trying to eat the thing as it would be pithy and tasteless. Who cares what someone else thinks? I scratched the surface of the carrot and was stunned by what appeared to be juice coming from it...so I figured what the heck - can't hurt to try it.

That was the best carrot soup I've ever eaten. Not only did it make a very good meal, for several days, I might add, the carrot actually ended up being juicy and tender and really quite delicious.

Nay sayers, bah! I dare anyone to buy a cup of soup as good as the one I had from that yellow carrot that had grown to the size of a baby's leg.




01.25.09 :: Update
I've updated another post to help you locate a supplier for yellow carrots.  You can find the information here.

Alstromeria

My Alstromeria is normally flowering by December. Must be the unusually cold weather.

Peas

Everyone is eager to see how many peas get eaten this year versus those that end up in seed production. We start out picking peas on a regular basis and then end up not being able to keep up with the rapid production. Before we know it, the garden is filled with plump pea pods filled with seeds.

Stock

Stock is one of those garden jewels we keep around all year long. Although it probably prefers consistent cold, it tolerates our tropical climate and never disappoints.

Yesterday I cut several stems, placed them in a vase and completely forgot about them. In the middle of the night I found myself trying to figure out where the incredibly beautiful fragrance was coming from. It was enchanting. It was so enchanting I needed to make sure I didn't somehow leave a bottle of perfume somewhere that may have broken...room by room I searched until my nose led me to the kitchen where this long, thin circular vase stood with several stems of stock. I smiled and proceeded back to bed.

This morning I'm on my way back to the garden to cut more stems - I figure I'll place them strategically throughout the house - a couple of stems each should do it. This time I'll know where the fragrances are coming from and will sleep through the heavenly aroma that floats throughout the house.

This is a nice way to start the day.

If you're interested in obtaining seeds for these and other stock plants, feel free to contact me, I keep a healthy supply of stock on-hand at all times in different varieties. :) Feel free to take a moment to review the seed list. The particular variety to which I refer in this post is a single flowered, star shaped, magenta petals with dusty-miller-like grey-green leaves and stems that grow close to 3 feet tall.