CLOSED: 2nd Annual Tomato and Pepper Seed Swap

Heather, my seeds arrived today and they're fantastic. Thank you so much for organizing everything and thanks to everyone for sending in such fantastic varieties!

~Amanda

I got my seeds, here...thanks so much! I will sure enjoy growing them!

It's so exciting to see all the posts from people receiving their seeds! I'm so curious to know what varieties people received. Would it be OK for folks to post what was in their packets? I'd love to know what people are growing, and what they've sent in to share! Or would that just stir up a hotbed of jealousy and seed-envy? LOL

I agree booker! I'm always curious to know what people got!!

Oh, absolutely: jealousy and seed envy! Nothing wrong with that! Could prompt a whole round of person-to-person trades. I agree with Booker! Let's post what we got! What fun it will be to see the full range of things!

My seeds came late yesterday afternoon. I didn't get a chance to look at them as we were going out the door to watch Oregon State play on TV. (Yah Beavers!!!!) But, this morning I opened my envelope (not the same one I sent because it's fuller) of wonderful seeds and now I can't wait until next season. Wish it weren't so far away. What a wonderful job you did, Heather. I am so pleased. Thank You.

So glad the seeds are starting to arrive and you're happy with what you received. I only wish I could have filled "all" you're wish list items....maybe next year.

Today I mailed envelopes to the following participants:

* angelz79
* bookerc1
* patti1957

Thanks....Heather

P.S. Thanks for your patience....still lots of envelopes to come. I'm filling more tonight when I get back home and then the rest will be filled this coming week.

Woo hoo! So excited! I can't wait to see what's in my envie. I'll be thrilled, whatever it is! I didn't have much of a wish list, because the element of surprise is one of the best parts of a swap!

I now have some more pepper seeds dry. . .wish I could have had them ready in time for this swap! I learned the hard way not to touch even the dried seeds of hot peppers without gloves. My fingers were burning for a day afterward!

Hey, Jim, did I see somewhere that you have surgery and a life of enforced inactivity coming up? Whatever will you do with yourself? I guess you can organize your seed box. And when you get bored with that, I'll send you mine, and you can organize it, too!

Angie

Angie,
That's PERFECT!
I can arrange your seeds and help myself to samples of any of the good stuff you have and I don't!
Garden Plans need to be done, seed catalogues perused, orders placed.
Unfortunately, there will be no garlic or shallots next year because they should be planted this week and I won't have time!

Jim

I just planted grey shallots and French shallots last weekend, as well as 6 varieties of garlic. I doubt the customs would let me send you any next year though Jim. :o(

What, no family members or local do-gooders that you can guilt into planting for you? I'd offer to hop a plane and come do it, but I can't seem to get my own garlic in the ground this year. :-)

Hmmm, looking at the size of my seed boxes, and wondering what it would take to ship them to France. They're in desperate need of organizing. Somehow that keeps getting shifted to the bottom of my "to do" list.

Angie

Ditto CapeCod Gardner; Thanks for your efforts Heather?

Thank you to Heather for organizing and sorting all those seeds for the exchange.
I was delighted to receive the surprises in those seeds.
Now, I can hardly wait for spring to try them.
I spent a whole afternoon researching new(for me) heirloom tomatoe varieties.

Thanks again , Heather. We know this meant time and work for you.

Well, here is a list of what I got, some don't say if they are tomatoes or peppers, so maybe some of you can help me out?

Brandy wine sudduth, green zebra, ornamental pepper creme-red, Kellogs breakfast 80D, Anaheim Chili, habanero orange, sungold f2, japone pepper, hungarian wax pepper, purple jalepeno, gedeners delight, hot pepper mix, pingtung long eggplant - 65D, Guajillo pepper, california chile pepper, explosive ember OP - purple ornamental pepper, serrano chili - hot, cayenne hot pepper, red jalepeno, red fresno pepper, lemon drop, peter pepper, big dipper - sweet pepper, hot cherry - op, rutgers tomato, black krim tomato, sweet cherry tomato, cherokee purple tomato, cherry tomato-Anna Aasa, and beefsteak tomato.
Now I ask if you have grown these before, please share any starter tips, or growing secrets?
Can someone please tell me what the OP is, after some of the names?
Thanks for the great swap!
LK

Hi Taters,

To help you with your identification...

PEPPERS - hungarian hot wax, habanero orange, cayenne, anaheim, explosive ember, freshno, hot cherry, big dipper, peter, purple jalapeno, red jalapeno, ornamental creme-red, hot pepper mix (from 900+ varieties), california, guajillo, japone.

All the rest are tomatoes.

Thanks....Heather

P.S. the one you listed as "gedeners delight" is "gardeners delight" tomato. Likely you weren't able to make out the handwriting on the package.

This message was edited Nov 9, 2009 9:46 AM

This message was edited Nov 9, 2009 9:47 AM

Hi Taters,
OP = open pollinated.
i.e. not a hybrid, can be pollinated by different tomato species and remains true.
Claire

Kellogg's Breakfast is a bi-color; very good taste imo; have heard it prefers drier conditions; fruits in the 8-16 oz range normally.

Cherokee Purple is a favorite of a lot of people.

That's OK, Claire! Send them! They actually would probably make it!

Oh, my, Linda Kay got "Peter Peppers"! Ain't she in for a big surprise!
Some of those other peppers you got could be mine. If so, they'll say:
"OP-2009 Potagere (DG)" and I can tell you all you need to know (plus probably more than you WANT to know) about them.
No seed envy so far, but I'm still waiting for mine. Mail lady hardly ever shows up on a Monday!

~Angie: the only neighbour susceptible to a guilt trip just had knee surgery. We were doing a Marx Brothers ripoff down the garden yesterday about how it would be if I got him over here and we had 2 cripples planting garlic!

Jim

Green zebra is one of my faves. Many people seem to pick it before it's ripe. When ripe, the stripes are dark green on a golden background. It's delightfully zesty and a lovely salad tomato. I also enjoy it on pizza.

Thanks for all the info everyone. That helps alot. I am so glad to have DG on my computer. I have learned so much, and still learning. Don't know where I would be with out all of you helping out!
Blushing here, I just read about the peter peppers, so no explanation needed! ^_^
Sorry Jim, none of my little packets had your name on them.

Do they make wine in Iowa, Claire?
If so, I'd bet you've got a future as a reviewer:
"This Pinot Bovine is often picked before it is ripe. At the height of the harvest, it produces a white wine that is almost dark green with a golden background. Delightfully zesty, it offers a multifarious barnyard nose with just a hint of heirloom tomato. Best saved for deep winter months, when most palates are in hibernation, this wine is most suited for "take-out" or "drive-up" pizza."
A joke, OK? I get carried away sometimes, and, now,as I anticipate entering the hospital,
getting crazy is a balm. You know?
I trust you also notice that I did not mix in any chicken references!
Jim

Today I mailed envelopes back to:

* bethw336
* lenabeannz
* twiggybuds

Thanks...Heather

Oh Jim, you are such a hoot. You will have the nurses laughing themselves silly. I do hope your hospital stay will not be long. What shall we do without you on threads such as this.

I do recommend that you try Black Krim Merlot. A powerful wine with a heady bouquet, starting with a strong herbaceous note, followed by subtly blended flavours of cherry and blackcurrant, with an earthy overtone given by the special terroir where this fruit is grown. A strong flavor that can stand up to steak, blue cheese and dark chocolate. Not for the faint of heart, it's big, juicy flavour will have you coming back for more. Best served in a big glass. ;-)

LOL Getting a real kick out of these "reviews." This would be a great subject for a thread on it's own!

So, Jim, when is the big day? You don't sound much like you are looking forward to it. Perhaps you should do as my grandpa did, and put a big jar of candy labeled "Nurse Bait" by your bedside. (wink) They always said things got really boring when he left the hospital. Then again, he'd do things like pound on his chest like a gorilla when no one was in the room, just to send the heart monitors crazy, and get all the nurses running in to check on him. Until they reminded him of the "Little Boy Who Cried Wolf" story. LOL

Speaking of "Black Krim Merlot" (and even further hijacking this thread), has anyone made tomato wine? I've heard of it, never seen (or tasted) it, and I'd like to know . . . if you want to start a new thread, that's fine; I'll catch it.

Russ

Today I mailed an envelope back to "mooiemoestuin".

Thanks....Heather

Tomato wine recipes... If anyone tries this, please let us know.
LK


http://scorpius.spaceports.com/~goodwine/tomatowine.htm

http://www.wine-making-guides.com/tomato_wine.html

To say I am a bit anxious these days would be like claiming that Jack Benny is still 29!
So, today I go down the mailbox with my faithful Corgi in tow and the only thing I find there is:
My heirloom padded envelope.
No metallic pink and purple!
No Scratch & Sniff!
No bells or whistles!
No squeeze 'em and they say "I'm ripe! I'm ripe! I'm ripe!"
Not even any sheep (or chickens), Claire!

Just my old, ordinary, re-addressed envelope.
And 45 packs of seeds!
Heather only counted 38, but I think she didn't count "Bonus" and "Gift" packs and the few especially directed ones I received.

I got:
Tomatoes:
Aker's West Virginia
Apple Tree
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Big Rainbow
Black Sea Man
Box Car Willie
Caro Rich
Cherokee Green
Dr Wyche's Yellow
Druzba
Heidi
Kellogg's Breakfast
Noire de Crimee
Paul Robeson (my No 1 WANT!!!)
Rutger's
Sophie's Choice
Vintage Wine
White Currant (thanks, Allwild)

Of my "Want List of 17 Tomatoes, I received 12!!!!

Peppers:
Biker Billy Jalpeno (these look like grow-out seeds, and since Biker Billy is a hybrid, I'll be anxious to see what I get
Black Hungarian
Bolivian Rainbow
Bulgarian Teardrop
CAP 220
Chilcostle
Cascabella
Early Jalapeno (thanks, Jamie!)
Ethiopian Berbere (not on my list, but this should make one of my neighbours very happy next Summer!)
Fatalii
Filius Blue
Floral Gem
Guajillo
Inca Berry
Jimmy Nardello's
Naga Morich
Peppadew(c)
Pequin (thanks, again, Jamie)
Thai
Thai Yellow
Yankee Bell
Yummy Bell (I don't think this is a "named" variety!

Plus eggplants!

(No corn, Claire!)

So, what do you think, Angie? Got seed envy yet?

Big day minus 1 tomorrow (later today by now), when I enter the clinic! At least I have all these seeds to comfort me!

What a fantastic job, Heather!!!
Thanks so much!

Jim/Potagere

So glad you're happy with the selection Jim. You had such an interesting collection already...I was hoping you might be pleasantly surprised by at least a few of those varieties.

Sounds like you have a little leverage now with one of your neighbours. Weren't you looking for someone you could "bribe" into helping with a little gardening? Maybe a few seeds will do the trick :)

Oh, yes, Heather! Not only did I get so many things I really wanted, I got a few here that I didn't know I had to have! Some completely new to me.
This is a great group of people with some wide-ranging holdings!
Now, I have to find Jeff Fleming and find out about "Apple Tree" Tomato, because I can't find a thing on it;
and
I sure would like to know the story on the "Yummy Bell"!

Won't be around until at least early next week.
Best,
Jim

Take care Jim, we will be praying for you!

Great seeds! I can't wait to grow them next summer. Thanks to you all...

Today I mailed envelopes back to:

* kygreg2000
* zztopsoil

I do not know if the post office works on Nov 11th, but they were brought to the mailbox just in case.

Thanks....Heather

Ah, Jim, I'm turning green with envy. Now the rest of me can match my thumbs. :-)

The seeds labeled Yummy weren't from me, but I did grow a variety of mini bell peppers two years ago that were called Yummy Mini Bell peppers. They lived up to their name, but I didn't save seeds, as I'd purchased them as plants and wasn't sure if they were OP or hybrids. Perhaps that is what you have! They were yellow peppers, if I recall.

Hope all goes well with your surgery and recovery! I'll be praying!

Angie

Today I mailed envelopes back to:

* ana3
* cajuninky
* capecodgardener
* donshirer
* kurantkat

Thanks.....Heather

Wow! Talk about "an embarrassment of riches"--I just got my seeds. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning!

One lay definition of "negative entropy" is getting back out of a system more than you put in. I sent 30 packets and got back 39! (Next time, I'll have to send more to correct the imbalance.)

I'm an engineer; when instructions say "send no more than 30 packs", I send 30 packs. Silly me!

What I received:

Tomatoes

Amorosa
*Api Rouge
Aunt Ruby's German Green
*Banjan Roomii
Black Plum
Black Sea Man
Black Trifele
Blond Kopfchen
Bobbie
Bradley
Break O'Day
Brown Berry Cherry
Bush Beefsteak
Cabernet Yellow
Chico III
Cosmonaut Volkov
Earliana
Early Ssusabakus Aliana (a lot more than 10 seeds!)
Floridade
Fordhook First
Galapagos
Golden Dwarf Champion
Green Grape
*Heinz 1370
*Heinz 1439
Isis Candy Cherry
Jaune Flamme
Limmony
Livingston's Favorite
Matt's Wild Cherry
Red Pondorosa

Peppers

Big Jim Anaheim
California Chili
Creme Red Ornamental
Hot Pepper Mix
Japone
Mutant Orange Habanero
Peppadew
Red Jalapeno

And I got four of five (*) on my "seriously want" list (take a bow, Heather!), not to mention a few I was interested in but didn't list because (again, silly me) I didn't think they would be "out there" in a swap.

I'm embarrassed to say that what I sent was fairly boring. But they were all saved seeds from bagged blossoms in my garden. (And I could and should have been more generous, but the instructions said "a minimum of 10 seeds" per pack; I tried for a dozen or so. (Counting tomato seeds with bifocals is a challenge. I'm glad we weren't swapping mustard!) What I sent is in "standard-sized" white packets with my initials ("RBM") scrawled in the corner (5 each):

Black Krim
Brandywine, Red (regular leaf)
Dagma's Perfection
Delicious
Dr. Wyche's Yellow
Large Red Cherry
Nebraska Wedding
Powers Heirloom
Rutgers
St. Pierre

Postscripta

1. If any of you received Nebraska Wedding from me, I'd appreciate saved seeds back if it's not too difficult.

2. I think Heather deserves applause, kudos, gold stars with a sunburst and oak leaf cluster, a laurel wreath crown, and heavenly music for doing this. Or at least send flowers!

3. What is the "critter" skiing on the Canadian stamp?



This message was edited Nov 12, 2009 12:03 PM

Today I mailed envelopes back to:

* comoxon
* dhemmer

These are the last ones for this forum. All envelopes have been mailed back to Daves gardens participants.

Thanks everyone for participating in this swap and making it fun for everyone involved.

A big thank you to those individuals that sent in extra seeds to be shared with you as "bonuses". Isn't it great to open up an envelope and get a little something you just weren't expecting ?:)

I'm off to Toronto on business next week and won't be able to respond to d-mail until the following week. Please allow a couple of weeks for your envelope to arrive. Mailing dates for individuals envelopes have all been posted in this thread, so please scroll through to find out when your envelope was mailed instead of d-mailing me directly to ask.

I would really appreciate if you could let me know when you receive your envelope so I know it arrived safe and sound.

Thanks....Heather