Saturday, June 25, 2011
What are Hybrid Seeds
A hybrid seed has been bred for various qualities including disease resistance and production yield. As diseases evolve to attack the newer hybrids, the hybrid itself is re-engineered to combat the evolving threat. Hybrids are also engineered for specific climates and environments. A side effect of a hybrid plant is it will often not produce new plants from it’s seed and therefore will require you to purchase new seeds each year. This is all very good for the corporate machine. It is very bad for your long term survival, to depend upon the availability of these seeds at your local Walmart.
What are Heirloom Seeds
Heirloom seeds will produce plants that have the same genetic make up, and will be exactly the same as their parents. It will be the same plant, and have the same taste that you remember from your grandparents garden plants. A heirloom plant is one that has been passed down through generations.
More importantly, the seeds of the heirloom plant will again be exactly the same and will produce again for the next growing season. It is a self sustaining food producing system, whereas hybrid plants and their saved seeds often do not produce the second time around. Heirloom fruits and vegetables have evolved and adapted themselves over time to fit in to the environment that they are in, including their natural diseases and pests.
More importantly, the seeds of the heirloom plant will again be exactly the same and will produce again for the next growing season. It is a self sustaining food producing system, whereas hybrid plants and their saved seeds often do not produce the second time around. Heirloom fruits and vegetables have evolved and adapted themselves over time to fit in to the environment that they are in, including their natural diseases and pests.
Organic Heritage Vegetables
Those tomatoes, potatoes and carrots you see in the grocery all look relatively the same. The tomatoes are always red, round and shiny, and the carrots orange. These vegetables did not always look like this. There are hundreds of different varieties of these vegetables being grown around the world that you may have never even seen or heard of.
Heritage varieties of vegetables (also referred to as heirloom vegetables) are those varieties, which have been openly pollinated and have existed for more than fifty years. If you have ever gone to a local farmers market with a variety of organic produce available, you may have seen green and pink tomatoes or purple carrots. These strange and interesting varieties on your old favourites are heritage vegetables.
These veggies are colorful!
Heritage carrots may be purple, pink or even black. Heritage tomatoes can be as small as peas or as big as melons, they can be green and pink, striped or purple and red or even shaped like bananas. Heritage potatoes can be purple, red or pink, large or small and long or round. The variety in flavour, size and color means a healthy combination of vitamins and minerals and more excitement for your dinner table. Your children will love these fun vegetables as much as you do.
Heritage vegetables provide important vitamins
A balanced diet consists of an ever-changing variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins and grains. Eating carrots every day is healthy, but carrots contain only some of the many vitamins and minerals necessary to your health. Expanding your palate and your table to include a rich variety of colors and flavours is beneficial to the health of your body and mind.
The color of a vegetable means something more than what it looks like. The colors of vegetables are affected by the vitamins and minerals contained therein. Having a literally colourful diet is important for your health. A blueberry and a purple carrot both provide your body with antioxidants, blueberries are in anthocyanin pigments which are powerful antioxidants. And carrots contain carotenoid pigments, the darker the colour of a carrot means that this carrot contains a higher concentration of carotenoids than say, an orange carrot.
Short history of heritage vegetables
Over the last one hundred years, seed diversity has been shrinking. Plants have been bred for their disease resistance, shelf life, and ability to travel. This is the equivalent of in-breeding your vegetables. Heritage vegetable varieties have withstood this narrowing and contaminating of vegetable varieties.
With the development of supermarkets, and the large industrial farm, the acts of growing and eating have changed. You may live hundreds of miles from the farm on which your produce was grown. The tomato or carrot you are eating had to be bred to travel in a truck, to then sit on a shelf for a long time. One hundred years ago these factors were not a concern. Heritage vegetables do not travel or sit well. If you are eating heritage vegetables, chances are they are local.
Heritage varieties of vegetables (also referred to as heirloom vegetables) are those varieties, which have been openly pollinated and have existed for more than fifty years. If you have ever gone to a local farmers market with a variety of organic produce available, you may have seen green and pink tomatoes or purple carrots. These strange and interesting varieties on your old favourites are heritage vegetables.
These veggies are colorful!
Heritage carrots may be purple, pink or even black. Heritage tomatoes can be as small as peas or as big as melons, they can be green and pink, striped or purple and red or even shaped like bananas. Heritage potatoes can be purple, red or pink, large or small and long or round. The variety in flavour, size and color means a healthy combination of vitamins and minerals and more excitement for your dinner table. Your children will love these fun vegetables as much as you do.
Heritage vegetables provide important vitamins
A balanced diet consists of an ever-changing variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins and grains. Eating carrots every day is healthy, but carrots contain only some of the many vitamins and minerals necessary to your health. Expanding your palate and your table to include a rich variety of colors and flavours is beneficial to the health of your body and mind.
The color of a vegetable means something more than what it looks like. The colors of vegetables are affected by the vitamins and minerals contained therein. Having a literally colourful diet is important for your health. A blueberry and a purple carrot both provide your body with antioxidants, blueberries are in anthocyanin pigments which are powerful antioxidants. And carrots contain carotenoid pigments, the darker the colour of a carrot means that this carrot contains a higher concentration of carotenoids than say, an orange carrot.
Short history of heritage vegetables
Over the last one hundred years, seed diversity has been shrinking. Plants have been bred for their disease resistance, shelf life, and ability to travel. This is the equivalent of in-breeding your vegetables. Heritage vegetable varieties have withstood this narrowing and contaminating of vegetable varieties.
With the development of supermarkets, and the large industrial farm, the acts of growing and eating have changed. You may live hundreds of miles from the farm on which your produce was grown. The tomato or carrot you are eating had to be bred to travel in a truck, to then sit on a shelf for a long time. One hundred years ago these factors were not a concern. Heritage vegetables do not travel or sit well. If you are eating heritage vegetables, chances are they are local.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Plantsman's Nursery - Heirloom Seeds
Choice plants seen in the gardens may be bought in the Plantsman's Nursery - a treasure trove of sought-after plants. Our nursery is well stocked, predominantly with herbaceous plants, with the emphasis on the rare and unusual. To enable us to keep prices low, many of our smaller plants are not individually labelled, but we give out DIY labelling kits at the nursery entrance, so do please make use of this facility if needed.
A brand new panoramic cafe offers high quality light lunches from local produce.
heirloom seeds
heirloom seed catalog
heirloom tomato seeds
heirloom vegatable seeds
heritage seeds
non-GMO seeds
organic seeds
non-hybrid seeds
open-pollinated seeds
Rare seeds
A brand new panoramic cafe offers high quality light lunches from local produce.
heirloom seeds
heirloom seed catalog
heirloom tomato seeds
heirloom vegatable seeds
heritage seeds
non-GMO seeds
organic seeds
non-hybrid seeds
open-pollinated seeds
Rare seeds
Organic Heirloom seeds
Organic Heirloom seeds
One of the floral delights of Devon, Plant World Gardens are laid out to represent each of the five continents of the world. Inspirational gardens from around the world contain countless rare and exotic plants seldom seen outside their native lands. A large mature cottage garden and mediterranean garden completes the collection.
Established in 1985, Plant World is the culmination of plantsman Ray Brown's lifelong ambition and has been featured on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. The magnificent views over the Teign Valley, from Dartmoor to the sea, provide the incredible backdrop to what will surely be a memorable visit. So if you are passionate about plants and gardens, Plant World is a definite 'must-see' during your visit to beautiful South Devon.
Opening times: The gardens are open from 9:30 to 17:00 daily, seven days a week, from April until mid October.
Admission prices: Day tickets are £3.00. Season tickets for unlimited visits are £10.00.
Note that there is a special offer to all those who purchase seed from us online - simply bring along a printout of the E-Mail confirming your order, and you and up to four others can gain entry ABSOLUTELY FREE!! But remember to enter a valid E-Mail address when ordering in order to be able to take advantage of this offer.
Group Visits
Although our gardens will appeal to everyone, we are a favourite venue for garden clubs and horticultural societies. Groups visit us from all over the country to spend an enjoyable day with us. We will gladly send you an information pack if requested - select 'Contact Us' from the menu.
If you would like to visit as a group please confirm in writing or by E-Mail at least two weeks in advance. We recommend a minimum of an hour and a half to see the gardens and nursery; very keen gardeners often spend the day here. Visiting groups often split a day by combining a visit here with another garden nearby. Please request details if interested.
Heirloom seeds
One of the floral delights of Devon, Plant World Gardens are laid out to represent each of the five continents of the world. Inspirational gardens from around the world contain countless rare and exotic plants seldom seen outside their native lands. A large mature cottage garden and mediterranean garden completes the collection.
Established in 1985, Plant World is the culmination of plantsman Ray Brown's lifelong ambition and has been featured on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. The magnificent views over the Teign Valley, from Dartmoor to the sea, provide the incredible backdrop to what will surely be a memorable visit. So if you are passionate about plants and gardens, Plant World is a definite 'must-see' during your visit to beautiful South Devon.
Opening times: The gardens are open from 9:30 to 17:00 daily, seven days a week, from April until mid October.
Admission prices: Day tickets are £3.00. Season tickets for unlimited visits are £10.00.
Note that there is a special offer to all those who purchase seed from us online - simply bring along a printout of the E-Mail confirming your order, and you and up to four others can gain entry ABSOLUTELY FREE!! But remember to enter a valid E-Mail address when ordering in order to be able to take advantage of this offer.
Group Visits
Although our gardens will appeal to everyone, we are a favourite venue for garden clubs and horticultural societies. Groups visit us from all over the country to spend an enjoyable day with us. We will gladly send you an information pack if requested - select 'Contact Us' from the menu.
If you would like to visit as a group please confirm in writing or by E-Mail at least two weeks in advance. We recommend a minimum of an hour and a half to see the gardens and nursery; very keen gardeners often spend the day here. Visiting groups often split a day by combining a visit here with another garden nearby. Please request details if interested.
Heirloom seeds
Heritage Farm
Heritage Farm is the headquarters of Seed Savers Exchange. The farm is located six miles north of Decorah, Iowa. Nestled among sparkling streams, limestone bluffs, and century-old white pine woods, the 890-acre farm is a living museum of historic varieties. Thousands of heirlooms are grown in certified organic fields. The farm includes:
• Preservation Gardens
• Historic Orchard
• Ancient White Park Cattle
The buildings on the farm are also a treasure. Amish carpenters have built a meeting center in the barn’s cathedral-like loft and have completed Lillian Goldman Visitors Center that offers a wide selection of heirloom seeds, horticultural books and garden gifts.
Seed Savers Exchange adheres to the Safe Seed Pledge.
• Preservation Gardens
• Historic Orchard
• Ancient White Park Cattle
The buildings on the farm are also a treasure. Amish carpenters have built a meeting center in the barn’s cathedral-like loft and have completed Lillian Goldman Visitors Center that offers a wide selection of heirloom seeds, horticultural books and garden gifts.
Seed Savers Exchange adheres to the Safe Seed Pledge.
Preservation Gardens
There are many thousands of heirloom garden varieties being permanently maintained at Heritage Farm. The Preservation Gardens are planted on certified organic land and are open for public viewing. From each packet of seed purchased, 25 cents goes into an endowment to help pay salaries of employees who maintain SSE's vast collection.
Historic Orchard
In 1900 there were about 8,000 named varieties of apples in the U.S., but the vast majority are already extinct and the rest are steadily dying out. In an attempt to halt this constant genetic erosion, SSE has obtained all of the pre-1900 varieties that still exist in government collections and large private collections, but has only found about 700 that remain of the 8,000 known in 1900. SSE has developed a diverse public orchard, where hundreds of different varieties of 19th century apples are on display. SSE's Historic Orchard also contains many old grapes, including more than 100 breeding lines from the collection of famed grape breederm, Elmer Swenson.
Ancient White Park Cattle
These cattle roamed the British Isles before the time of Christ, and are described exactly in ancient Celtic lore. Today only about 800 of these extremely rare, wild cattle survive worldwide, including slightly more than 200 in the U.S. (and about 80 of those reside at Heritage Farm). These distinctive cattle have white coats, lyre-shaped horns with black tips, and black ears, noses, eyes, teats and hooves (and sometimes black is splashed from the hooves up the front shins toward the knees). The cows are intelligent, alert, quite hardy, healthy, and are aggressive grazers that favor brush.
heirloom seeds
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