Let’s think about seed companies and seed savers. Occasionally I hear comments from new gardeners which indicate that they consider seed saving to be to be in competition with seed companies or that seed companies are somehow against seed saving. …
Seed saving is a natural extension of gardening. There are lots of reasons to become a seed saver. For one thing, the seed saver gains access to WAY MORE variety, both in garden seeds and unique harvests. Starting out, like …
What is a “double standard tomato?” In Kinds of Tomatoes: What’s Best for You we defined a standard tomato as one which breeds true from seed, generation to generation (“open pollinated” would be a synonym), but there is another kind …
Have you ever been confronted with the question of whether to grow heirloom or hybrid tomatoes? When I hear it, I cringe, yet probably not for the reason(s) you might think. I do have a preference, yet phrasing the question …
If you would like to provoke some really animated discussion in a group of gardeners, just ask for their idea of “the perfect tomato.” I can almost guarantee, if there are five gardeners in the room, they’ll provide you with …
If you love tomatoes in any form and can garden, you’ll probably want to grow some yourself. Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding things to grow in a vegetable or container garden, and if you find you really enjoy …
Barksdale Wax Pole Bean was one of the two first bean varieties I started saving seed from, back in 1984. In 1983 Jerreth’s grand parents obtained the seed from the Claude Barksdale family, who in turn got their seed from …
Beans are probably the main crop which introduces gardeners to seed saving. They show a wonderful diversity in every way imaginable. Some beans have stunningly attractive seed, but bean crosses do sometimes turn up. A cross occurs when one variety …
Gardening is a passion for me. Back to my earliest memories, even before the term was coined, I have loved seed saving. For most of my adult life I have known that I am blessed and cursed “to be a …
Beans are one of the easiest of garden plants for saving seed. They are also one of the most gratifying, as the seed is large, often colorful and easy to grow. Many would be seed savers don’t know how to …