Seeds...

[hsifeng]

So garden sprites, what lovely heirloom seeds should we try out? I am interested in trying to find some types that might be historically "accurate" for us... *grin*

Edit 3/16/09:  Found my old list of "historic foods" from the RWA workshop I ran last year. Now, to figure out what modern varieties might "relate" to these historic ones...

 

Vegetable greens (Wortes): cabbage, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, chicory, endive, radicchio, spinach, sorrel, watercress, lamb's lettuce, dandelion, nettles, rocket, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens.

Roots: rapes (turnips) - the staple, salsify, radish, celery root, pasturnakes (carrots and parsnips), skyrwates/skirrits (water parsnip), scallions, onions, garlic, leeks.

Beans and Peas: peas, split peas, white beans, fava beans (broad beans), lentils, chickpeas (garbanzos).

Stalks and Vegetable Fruits: asparagus, celery, fennel, mushrooms, marrows/gourds (mostly varieties we would call summer squash and zucchini), cucumber, eggplant, artichoke, olives.

Grains: wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, rice, millet, spelt.

Fruit: apple, crabapple, pear, quince (very common), cherry, peach, apricot, nectarine, damson (plum) and prune, fig, date, pomegranate, orange, lemon, grapes, raisins, melon (such as honeydew and muskmelon/canteloupe), rhubarb, strawberry, currants (very common), gooseberry, bilberry, wild blackberries (but not cultivated), mulberries.

Nuts: almonds (a staple), filberts (hazelnuts), chestnuts, walnuts, acorns, sesame seeds, pistachios, pinenuts.

 

Anyone know what (if anything) they plant in the Kentwell gardens? I know that Monticello has a terrific historic garden, but that is at least partly because Thomas Jefferson's big thing was farming.

 

"Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever He had a chosen people, whose breasts He has made his peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue."—Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1785

Found my old list of "historic foods" from the RWA workshop I ran last year. Now, to figure out what modern varieties might "relate" to these... Anyone know what (if anything) they plant in the Kentwell gardens? I know that Montechello has a terrific historic garden, but that is at least partly because Thomas Jefferson's big thing was farming.

Comments

[stacymckenna.livejournal.com]

When I hear "heirloom" my brain goes straight to tomatoes (check with vintageflapper on FG about 'matoes - she's nuts about them!), sadly not period. ;) For "accurate" I don't think I'd go without onions/leeks/garlic/shallots. And cabbage for some reason jumps out at me, not that I typically use it, but when we do, hubby makes it into runza (my MIL is from NE).

[hsifeng.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, lots and lot of root vegetables!

I will check in with your tomato resource - thank you for the hint!

There are also a lot of “greens” and “worts” mentioned in many historic recipes (I have heard of folks using everything from chards to collards to cover these). We are in the process of procuring the necessary boxed and “anti-slugo” brass tape to set up our lettuce seeds next weekend. Perhaps I should look around to see if I can find some chard to add to the mix…

I will have to remember to make some lovely Fleischkuche/Bierocks when the cabbage comes in!

[sstormwatch.livejournal.com]

No clue on heirlooms.

Got two strawberry plantlings for you. Also, any interest in 2-3 roma tomato plantlings? I got a 6pack of them from Lowes, but won't plant but 3-4 in my plot (we still have jars of them from last year to get through).

[hsifeng.livejournal.com]

I will happily swap you plants for seeds, or promise you some cucumber seedlings once they come in – I planted eight “hills” worth, but could only fit five (max) in the garden space. As it is, we will have cucumbers coming out of our ears – which is why ½ of them will be for pickling! *grin*

[sstormwatch.livejournal.com]

I only need one or two cucumber plants this year. Last year showed me just how much we were swimming in them. I presume if you got pickling types, you planted seeds for the regular kind? Rob loves Armenian cukes, so 1-2 has to be those. I should just plant seeds myself, but I keep stalling for some reason... and we have seeds.

[hsifeng.livejournal.com]

I planted two types of cucumber: Marketmore and Wisconsin Summer Pickling. I don't have any Armenian cukes...but I'd be willing to trade once my seeds sprout. I am going to be swimming in cukes...*chuckle*

Nice to know that they go well with gin...*wink*