My brother still lives in London, England and has a beautiful garden. He did have a vegetable garden, but found the birds ate more than he did, so he's changed it to a lawn and flower garden with a pond.
Seed catalog time already!?!
When I was in England I learned a very important lesson, never tell anyone they have a nice yard. Tell them they have a nice garden.
Kew Gardens is fantastic and is tremendously diverse. They have Lilypads that are 6' across. I was there for 2 weeks in July and I'm still waiting to see the sun!
Just got Totally Tomatoes and Vermont Bean Seed Co. I think some one said they are owned by the same parent company?
I just got those two also.
I find it fascinating to tour England on Google satellite and then go down on street level photography. The English are traditionalists with their hedges, iron gates, brick walls along the street, brick two story housing, and often very short front yards [gardens!]. Really, i don't see many gardens there or anywhere for that matter.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
Type in St. Ives, United Kingdom ... and you will see some English allotments on the northwest side of town just outside the city edge.
This message was edited Nov 23, 2011 5:45 PM
Quote from 1lisac :
Kew Gardens is fantastic and is tremendously diverse. They have Lilypads that are 6' across.
Shoot, we've got those right here in little ole' Gainesville Florida! Kanapaha Botanic Garden grows Victoria Lillies from seed every year, and they are at least 6' across by midsummer. Absolutely beautiful.
-Rich
1lisac-
Quoting:
never tell anyone they have a nice yard. Tell them they have a nice garden.
In England, a yard is a paved area (no soil) - a garden is where one plants vegetables, flowers, trees, etc. A lawn is where one would have grass.
Indy -
Quoting:
The English are traditionalists with their hedges, iron gates, brick walls along the street, brick two story housing, and often very short front yards [gardens!]. Really, i don't see many gardens there or anywhere for that matter
Whereas most city houses have very small front gardens. They usually have a larger area in the rear. My grandmother had a long narrow garden in the rear of her home, with a large chicken house.
My mother lives in a home in Cornwall which was constructed around 1952. It, too, has a smallish front garden, but in the rear there is an extensive garden where we raised all our own vegetables when I was a child.
Although I have not visited my Brother's home in London, I have seen photographs, and from them, it would seem, that he has an enormous rear garden. Again, a very small garden in the front of the house.
My cousin purchased a home recently in the Greater London Area, I'll have to ask about her garden.
When I was there all the treaures are in back of the house. I was really surprised to go in a house and look out the back and see a large area of garden.
Speaking of British home gardens, I know it's off topic to the topic of seed catalogs, but it was a comment here about British home gardens that prompted me to google on something, and now I just have to share. I lived in England 1993-1996 and we were lucky enough to rent a 3-bdrm house on a large rolling lot. It was mostly grass and field. I do remember one rock garden, a couple roses and rhubarb near the house, a 10x20 veg plot, and we also enjoyed 1 apple and 1 plum tree, a a gooseberry bush, a currant bush and a long hedgerow of blackberries. It was nice, and the view down the valley was spectacular. I remember thinking then that I would never again live in such a beautiful place. But fast forward 15 years and holy cow, look at it under new ownership - British home gardening at my old British home: http://lowfold.net/default.aspx (gets you to Home page, then you can click to see various vantage points of different garden areas).
Okay, sorry for the threadjack, just couldn't resist.
This message was edited Nov 25, 2011 1:28 PM
LiseP I think this is worthy of a new thread. Like "Look where I used to live". Did you just find out that it had its own site? That in itself is remarkable. It is beautiful. I see something that I never saw when I was there, SUN.
Please make a new thread, I dont know where lol, so more people can see this magnificent story.
Good idea, 1lisac. I've just put it in its own thread over on the garden design forum. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1231503/
Yes, I just found the link yesterday. (So as not to veer off of seed catalogs further, I'll put any other comments over on the other thread).
Im not concerned about veering off topic. I just want more people to see it. Its a very unusual situation, and it is just beautiful. I could have sworn they didnt have sun there. LOL
LiseP - thank you for including the link to the beautiful garden photos in North Yorkshire. Reminded me of "Home"
HoneybeeNC, England is great for gardens, that's for sure. Everywhere you look in Yorkshire is worthy of a calendar photo. 1lisaC, I hear you about the sun. It was always just about to rain, raining, or it had just rained. (There's probably a connection, lol, between all those gardens and all that rain).
Very cool! Thank you from me, too, for the link! Many ideas are churning through my little brain (I'm in the third year of starting new veg and rose gardens from a blank slate)! There is a woman on HMF who has posted many photos of her garden. She seems to be going for the same look, but in Virginia (if think--of course I can't find the link I saved to her photos right now). Roses mixed w/evergreens and perenials....Well, thanks again, Terri
LiseP -
Quoting:
There's probably a connection, lol, between all those gardens and all that rain
Yes, the rain certainly makes everything look green. The great soil there doesn't hurt, either ^^_^^
Yep, England's a gardener's mecca. But check this blog by a gardener from England who has now made an amazing kitchen garden in Texas.
http://wwwrockrose.blogspot.com/
(Look down the page for before and after pics of her kitchen garden - fantastic).
I don't know if she's a member here on DG, but I find her garden very inspiring.
Hmmm, I wonder what seed catalogs she uses! (Okay, just trying to get this back on topic, lol).
Thanks, for sharing the link, LiseP.
I think we British Folk are born with gardening genes!
Uh, ya'll don't have to buy any gardening jeans? I get mine from the resale shops for about $1-$2/pair.
Say what? ...Genes?
Oh....
Never Mind....
Gymgirl - believe it or not; I have never owned or worn a pair of Jeans!
I've tried-on a few, but they never seem to fit properly.
Not in your WHOLE life?? wow..... I've only heard about people like you. It is an honor to meet you!
Gymgirl - I grew-up in an era when girls wore skirts! I once tried to bribe my daughter into wearing a dress when we went out to Thanksgiving dinner, and she refused! (I think she was about 16 at the time - she's now 40)
I purchased my first pair of dress-pants in 2007!
I grew up in an era when girls wore skirts, too. That's all we wore to school, every day. But I have lived in jeans since then; it made more sense when I was dealing with farm animals! When DH and I were first married and my mother and stepfather came to visit us on our island in the Pacific Northwest, my stepfather observed that my whole wardrobe probably didn't cost me more than $10....Actually I thought that was pretty cool.
G_G,
And, that was because all the clothes you had cost less than $10, or because, living on an island in the Pacific NW, you didn't need to have many clothes?
LOL, GG! No, it was too cold to go naturist. But they saw us dressed just about only in jeans and flannel shirts, and they thought it was funny. They had a lot more clothes in their suitcases than we did in our closet.
Sounds about like how I like to go! There was a great t-shirt giveaway recently, and I collected about 60 shirts. I kept all the ones that fit me, and reach for a new one every day. That, and a pair of jeans and the old gardening shoes is how I like to travel -- really light!
I just finished looking through the Baker Creek catalogue. Wow! What a beautiful book!
I am really leaning towards growing all heirloom varieties next summer so I can avoid GMOs and the companies that produce or sell them.
I should also have seed to share with fellow DG members - YAY!
I just got Southern Exposure Seed Exchange catalog. I took it with me to read while I was getting my hair done. It did get passed around with several "Oh, I remember these! You can still get these?!"
"I am really leaning towards growing all heirloom varieties next summer so I can avoid GMOs and the companies that produce or sell them"
Honeybee, just speaking out so others won't mis-read your words into something that isn't...
GMO's aren't yet available to the general public so you are safe ordering from any home gardener catalog. GMO seed is only for big commercial farms/farmers and they have to sign papers and be approved to grow them.
Also, just buying "heirlooms" will keep you away from hybrids and GMO's but also just buying hybrids will also keep you away from GMO's. I hope you see my point. Personally, I went over ten years only growing what is now known as "heirlooms" and "heritage" plants. Only about five years ago did I delve back into a fe3 hybrids (mostly tomatoes) and see that I was missing out on some very good veggies. Some of those hybrids I've de-hybridized and many of you can do the same. (I actually think many hybrids may already be stabilized but are still called hybrids so people continue to buy new seed.)
By the way, Baker Creek no longer grows/produces all their own seed but has joined the ranks of the many companies who buy wholesale seed stock. Because they have a nice catalog leads us to believe they are a home-based business, which they once were. Don't get me wrong, I'd support them if I didn't already have better sources for my seeds.
Shoe
Quote from Horseshoe :
I actually think many hybrids may already be stabilized but are still called hybrids so people continue to buy new seed.
I'm no attorney, but AFAIK if they are labelled "F1", they pretty much have to be hybrids - otherwise, they're illegally labeled. And as the names associated with F1 hybrids are generally copyrighted, selling anything else under that name would be considered infringement.
-Rich
This is a quote from Baker Creek's website and catalogue:
http://rareseeds.com/about/
Quoting:
All of our seed is non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented.
We do not buy seed from Monsanto-owned Seminis. We boycott all gene-altering companies. We are not members of the pro-GMO American Seed Trade Organization! We work with a network of about 100 small farmers, gardeners and seed growers to bring you the best selection of seeds available! Many of our varieties we sell were collected by us on our travels abroad.
I looked up "American Seed Trade Organization" and could not find a reference. There is an "American Seed Trade Association"
I'm beginning to feel that I should start supporting those companies working to preserve heirloom seeds, or there may come a time when they are no longer available and lost to antiquity.
I try to do that, too. Nothing like voting with your wallet.
I plan to buy at least something from Baker Seed. I like what I see and love their catalog. Plus, I pay attention to John Kohler who does the growingyourgreens youtube videos and Baker is high on his list. Just yesterday, he did a youtube from the Baker seed store, where he had gone to see a video on GMO, and he talked about it a little and showed a little bit of the store and the catalog. I wish he'd talked more about GMO but it was nice to see the store.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64AXoxtS3ww&feature=g-all-u&context=G197a6FAAAAAAAAEAA
I know that Bakercreek gets some of their seeds buying in bulk but I still love them. They have a fantastic selection and as I understand it they TRY not to do business with any of the companies that do have GMOs, even tho the average gardener couldnt/wouldnt have access to them anyway. They also have great customer service meaning that when you call you speak to a human. The few times I have not had good germination rates they have refunded or replaced no questions ask.
I love their catalogue but their prices seem a bit high to me. I have also seen concerns expressed about germination rates, although I haven't had that problem with the seeds I've gotten from them.
Ditto what you said, Lisa...Baker Creek does have excellent customer service. I've spoken with Jere Gettle several times, mostly when he was just starting out, and he was extremely helpful. And that was before I grew seeds for them in 2004.
"I'm no attorney, but AFAIK if they are labelled "F1", they pretty much have to be hybrids - otherwise, they're illegally labeled"
Rich, yes, F1 plants are definitely considered a hybrid. The point I was making was that you will find that some hybrids will breed the same or close to the same crop the following year. It is often in F2 stages and beyond you will find yourself getting a multitude of who-knows-what. I've stabilized a few hybrids over the years and was surprised to see the older varieties showed very little reverts. Most of the early-day hybrids only had two parents, fairly easy to stabilize. The modern day hybrids are another story, often having 8 parents and up. Personally I think it is fun working with a few of them!
Honeybee, when Baker Creek first started out they grew all their seeds until they branched out, getting other local farmers/growers interested in helping out. I'm quite sure they don't buy seeds from Seminis or Asgrow and the like so I'm positive you'll not be buying (or supporting) the big agri-businesses more prone to dealing in GMO's/hybrids, etc. And yes, please do continue to support the "heirloom" varieties and the companies that sell them. Knowing you I have no doubt YOU will be contributing to saving seeds and continuing on as so many others of us have.
LiseP, John Kohler rocks! And thanks for supplying the You-tube link...I'll be sure to go view it when I come back in.
Shoe (who just picked some beautiful Chinese cabbage..hmm, time to make KimChee this weekend!~)
GH-Gal, I wandered away while posting and missed yours. Very quickly, there were some years when they did have bad germination rates. This was due to some of the suppliers, again local growers/backyard farmers, who were supplying some of the seed. Since it was being done off the farm they had no way to monitor growing conditions and/or seed saving. Now that they (Baker Creek) have guidelines and proven growers it is much better now.
Shoe (and yep, their prices are a bit steep but if you look at it as buying a life-time supply of seeds it helps cut the pain level down! *grin)
Thanks for your response, Shoe. The negative comment about germination on Garden Watchdog was fairly recent, but the poster may have been talking about earlier experiences.
Well, you never know when it comes to germination. So many factors come into play. Some folks are much better at it than others so it may have been a personal experience and someone felt it was the seeds rather than the way the seeds were germed. From what I've read from your posts I have no doubt you know how to grow things from the ground up, or rather from the seed up, so I'm sure you're good to go.
Off to gather eggs before I lose my daylight!
Happy Gardening!
Shoe
Another thing about BC is they offer some unusual cultivators, so poor germination maybe do to a seed that needs"special treatment ". I can't say I have ordered from any seed source that is 100% perfect, but when I have a problem I like to know that the Co will work with me. BC has ALWAYS been great about that. When I had trouble with Eggplant germinating they gave me advice AND replacement seed. I don't think it's fair to rate a company unless you have notified them there was a problem. I sell seed balls and the only way I know that the seeds didn't germinate is if somebody tells me. Then, I hate to say this, usually the customer didn't follow the directions ie sow in fall for spring blooms.
As I mentioned above BC offers some very unusual culivators so I would assume germination would be different. Some types of Hot peppers can take a month to germinate, even with a heat mat. If I hadn't read this I would have tossed them and written a bad review LOL Nothing should take that long to germinate. Lol
I've also had good luck with Totally Tomatoes as far as germination rates and selection.
THats an interesting observation re hot peppers. I have grown daturas and they are related to peppers and tomatoes. You can see the structural resemblance in the pods/ fruit. Daturas will sit in a pot for a month and then pop. So it should be no surprise for peppers to do that too, but I have never heard anyone say that.