Tomatoes 2014

Loving them all but the Theuret is still our favorite. The seeds of the Theuret (used to be Veronica) are being preserved at Seed Savers in Decorah, Iowa.

Here are Red Theuret, Honey Sugar Cherry, Yellow Jubilee, Green Zebra, Purple Cherokee, Black Prince, and Rutgers.  This is the first year we've planted the black and purple varieties.

AB Hatchery is where we purchase our tomatoes other than the Theuret which we grow under the lights, were out of Green Zebras.  One of the vendors at the Bloomington Farmer's Market had them and he insisted I also purchase a Black Prince 'cause it goes so well with the Green Zebra.    Righteo! Delicioso!

Kevin Lee Jacobs

Kevin does a magnificent website, A Garden for the House.  This link will take you to a surprise!  Scroll down a bit, though.  Tomato Talk....Your Favorite Varieties and Mine.  Here is exciting news about the Theuret Tomato which Kevin knows about because I wrote him the story of the tomato.  He asked if I could send him some seeds which I did. 

These are the tomatoes from Veronica and Robert Theuret, age 83 and 86 respectively, who farm some of our Pennsylvania land near Meadville, PA.  Vern Shepherd, an MG buddy and a tomato aficionado suggested we propose to Seed Savers they might want to save the seeds.  After a lengthy process required by SS in Decorah, Iowa, the seeds were accepted for preservation.   Named Veronica #2323, last year Seed Savers contacted Veronica and they decided to change the name to Theuret since the tomato has been in Robert's family for 3 generations.   


 

Observing Nature in Patio Garden

Around 2:00 pm, I went out to watch the hummingbirds drink from our feeder.  While this was going on, there was a  Monarch butterfly as well as a yellow Swallowtail! And of course bees galore and those small white moths that like to do synchronized flying in duo. Photo was taken with my Sony DSC WX80 using the Sweep Panorama feature.

Onions 'Candy'

The sweetest of all onions even sweeter than Vadalia and we grow 'em!  Take a piece of crusty bread, drizzle with olive oil, pile on a few thin slices -- man oh man, this is good eatin'. Or a grilled candy onion sandwich!  These are not available in supermarkets but happily our farmer's markets come to the rescue. 

5 Day Old Gabriella

Carla conversing with Gabriella. 

Be sure to click on the red print.  

New York Coffee

Brings back memories of when we lived in NYC when Ed did his Master's at Columbia.  Chock full o' Nuts is widely available here.  

Advertised with a jingle, really a song,  "Chock full of nuts is the heavenly coffee, heavenly coffee, heavenly coffee....."

Hummingbirds

Yesterday while in the patio garden, a hummer scared me to death because it flew so close to my face I could clearly hear the loud humming of its wings.    I believe the bird flew so very close to me because I was wearing a mummu with big red flowers and hummingbirds are attracted to reds. 

My friend Debby Funk recommended 
this type feeder.

Ruby Throat Daylily in back of hummer.

Gabriella Riva Hines

Carla called around 1:15 our time to report Gabriella Riva Hines was born at the Puget Sound Birthing Center weighing in at 6 pounds 1 oz and is 19" long.  My dear friend Jeanne Lang informed me President Obama and Gabriella share the same birthdate, August 4th.

Exotic Mushrooms

This is the story of how a couple with two little children
 turned their farm into a mushroom producing business.
 The video is a piece of art! 

How to Make a Clarinet from a Carrot

This is hysterical!  It came from one of my favorite gardening sites, A Way to Garden by Margaret and was filmed in Sydney, Australia as part of a TED talk.