Images From My Working Day

Sorrel

Collards

Lots of growing baby tomatoes

New life in the greenhouse-baby spiders

Time to grow

Lettuce to transplant

Purple stemmed Osu Blue tomato

Is this my FAVOURITE TOMATO?

Pretty chard

Gorgeous pepper, great name

Peppers

Transplanting

For the last eight days I have been transplanting tomatoes non-stop.
Some days I take meal breaks, but not all the time. This is a job that needs to get done, so I have been setting unrealistic expectations for myself, which, if I succeed in accomplishing, become the standard goal for everyday.
Wednesday I hope to finish the tomatoes, then it is just odds and ends. Lots of basils, flowers, lettuces, brassicas, ground cherries and more remain to be done.
The numbers pale however in light of the volume of tomatoes.
Most days I work alone. I slip the pots into the tray, scoop the soilless mix into a tub and then dampen it, stirring it like a mad chef until it is throughly moistened. Not too wet, not too dry, just right.
I  scoop the mix into the pots, tray after tray of pots until my back is sore and then I know it is time to transplant.
The weather this year has been a challenge. If memory serves me correctly though, it is pretty much the same every year.
The sun shines, so I open the door, blast the fans and sweat. The sun disappears, I turn off the fans as the chill settles in. Friday and Saturday were very cool and windy days so the door was shut, the heaters on and I wore as many clothes as I could reasonably move about in.
At night I draw the plastic over the hoops on my greenhouse tables. You can feel the cold settling in and the baby tomatoes don't like it.

Most days when I am alone I listen to the radio. I marvel at how many times the same commercials are repeated and honestly wonder if people really do listen to the radio all day. How can they stand these inane commercials? MacDonalds burgers crafted? Tim Horton's "can't think of anything but bacon" commercials. These don't make me want to go there. They make me want to run away screaming.
Towards the end of the day I have had it with the radio and off it goes. I like the silence at the end of the day and if I have met my quota, usually 1000 plants per day, then I do my wind down work. I write up plant tags, I seed something that it has occurred to me that I have forgotten or I sit and think.
 Over the past few weeks I have had many people say to me that I am living their dream. In my head I think that they really don't know what my life is like. I work very hard at what I do. People see the end result, but not the sweat that goes into it or the limits that living this kind of life places on you.
When I'm tired I think that maybe the time is coming when I won't want to do this anymore.
But most days I realize how lucky I am to do what I do and to be so well supported by the wonderful people who purchase my seed, plants and vegetables.
I know it always has been my dream too.
So tomorrow I'll go out and do it all again.
Bet I will next year too.

Seeding, Transplanting and Replanting for Seed

Eggplants-time to pot up!

Is it considered multi-tasking if you do all kinds of different things in one day?
I guess not, but I feel like I'm doing lots of different things at once. In my head I am, as my mind races to the next task before I have finished the one I am working on.

Today it was transplanting. Peppers for another grower, about 1000 of them, into cellpacks. Fill cell packs with soil, transfer seedlings to cells and repeat.

Next up, the eggplants. All these go into 3 1/2 " pots, but alas, not a job I completed today.

This empty space on my greenhouse tables is soon going to be transformed into a sea of green. Peppers, eggplants and TOMATOES!

I admit I got sidetracked. There is rain in the forecast so out go the turnips I stored all winter, replanted for seed. Below are my very special "Long Blanc d'Espagne"

Mangels back in the ground for a seed crop. I must admit I think this replanting thing is so much fun. Waiting for the seed stalk to shoot up amazes me. Nature knows what she is doing.
Beets, carrots, winter radishes and turnips all are treated the same way.

These are my Valentine radishes, replanted for seed. Still so firm after a winter of being stored. Mollie and I ate some of the excess for supper tonight.

The Bleu de Solaise leeks survived the winter and will produce tons of seed.

Out went the fig trees today in a sheltered spot. If it dips too low, back into the garage they go.

Also with the promise of rain, I seeded arugula, more salad mix, radishes and onions into my outside garden. They'll all grow when the time is right.
Mother Nature knows what she's doing.

Good-bye Dear Friend

My dear Baby, pictured above, lived a life of gratitude.

We found her in a garbage can in the conservation area down the road 13 1/2 years ago. Teeny tiny, starving and shivering, left to die.

We brought her home, loved her and she became the sweetest and most loving soul you can imagine.
Unlike my other testy females, she liked everyone. Boy cats were fine, new arrivals accepted and maybe even expected.

She had a gentle non- demanding way about her. Unlike some of my others, she accepted your caresses with pleasure, but was happy to take them at your will, never foisting herself on you when you were say, writing a blog post or planting seeds.

She loved to wander down by the river, but came running as fast as she could when you called her. A free soul and spirit.

This is a sad day. The loss of this loved gentle soul is ripping me apart. As I picked up her lifeless body this morning, I felt anger. Anger at the people who ignore the speed limits, anger at myself that she snuck outside last night, anger at people I am angry at for other reasons who have nothing to do with this at all.  How else do you cope?

Rest in peace my sweet soul. You were loved.

My April To-Do and Done List

Cold enough for you?

What a Canadian thing to say. Eh?

It is a bit colder than it should be as far as I am concerned. However I am forging ahead as if, yes-the warm weather will come. In fact it is supposed to tomorrow.

In my little bit of paradise here in Wellandport, Canadian gardening zone 6b, there are some things that I want to get done around April the first.

Most of it revolves around planting and transplanting.  

It's time for lots of things. I'll seed lots of flowers now, marigolds, zinnias, cockscomb and Mexican Sunflowers. April 1st also means basils, ground cherries, cape gooseberries, tomatillos and more lettuces, brassicas and chards.

Outside I'm thrilled to have the peas in. It's important to me for lots of reasons.  My mom always said have your peas in for Easter, and my mom also passed away on Easter. It is just another reason to think of her, which I often will do in the garden.

Lots of ground outside is tilled and waiting for warmer temperatures. There isn't a whole lot of point doing anything out there when the soil is still so cold. 

Hopefully in a weeks time that will all change and in will go lettuces, chards, kales, radishes, spinach, assorted greens, scallions, onions and whatever else I can think of that is cold weather hardy.

There are lots of tasty greens in my greenhouse now. Walking into it is an explosion of colour and smells. Perfume from mustard green flowers is incredible. 

Now I'm thinking. If Bruce Willis  has a perfume (I mean who doesn't ), maybe I should too. Eau de Fleurs de Moutarde. 

I digress. It is all going to seed and will disappear completely in a few days. Time to get lots in there as well, like lettuces, radishes and make way for the early Stupice tomatoes that will go in within the next few weeks.

Tomorrow I continue transplanting. Brassicas, lettuces, herbs like sage and orange thyme. Doesn't sound like a big deal  when it fits into a nice little concise sentence like that. It is a job though- a pretty big one, but dwarfed significantly at the prospect of tomato transplanting. 

That's when I disappear for weeks. Hiding out in my hoophouse, coming out for food from time to time. Seriously. That's when the weight starts dropping off. It's hard to eat enough to make up for all the physical activity.

Interested in "Veggie Boot Camp"? Seriously. Lose weight, feel great. Apply within if you want to volunteer to help out.

I am gearing up for tomato seedling sales and my "Tomato Days" event, May 18,19, 20. 

Yes, Tomato Days. Where many things can happen and sometimes they do. Good gardens can start here, and love can be found here too. It's true. Romance has blossomed amongst the Aunt Ruby's and Stupice. A meeting place for kindred spirits.

Don't come too fast May. There's still so much to do!

Orange/Yellow Tomato Varieties 2013

Thanks for taking a look at my tomato listings.
I finish with a category that includes my favourite colour of tomatoes, the oranges. I didn't say that about any of the other colours, did I? I may have, I realize.
In each colour category of tomato there is, I see so many I have grown for years and I love.

The oranges though. Oh my. Sweet and fruity and amazing. Haven't tried oranges?
You should. People come back and ask for them again and again once they try them.

Thanks for supporting my obsession with tomatoes. I look forward to your visits in May and talking tomatoes with you!

Yellow/Orange

Aunt Ruby's Yellow Cherry

Amish Yellow Giant

Amy's Apricot

Aladdin's Lamp

Amana Orange

Aranyalma

Apelsin

Auriga

Amber Colored

Aunt Gertie's Gold

Branscombe's Orange

Branscomb Orange

Bursztyn

Brandywine-Yellow

Brandywine Yellow-Platfoot Strain

Blondkopfchen

Banana Legs

Broad Ripple Currant

Banana Cream

Big Yellow, Simpson

Banana

Banana Leggs

Basinga

Big Orange

Big Yellow

Cuban Yellow Grape

Chuck's Yellow

Carmello

Caro Rich

Ciuj Yellow Cherry

Coyote

Candy's Old yellow

Canadian Sunset

Cossack

Cherry Gele

Cerise Orange

Citron Compact

Casey's Pure Yellow

Djena Lee's Golden Girl

Delice D'or

Dr Caroline

Dakota Gold

Doubloon

Dr Carolyn's

Dr Carolyn

Dr Wyche's Yello

Dixie Golden Giant

Dagma's Perfection

Dawson's Russian Oxheart

Earl of Edgecomb

Egg Yold Cherry

Elba

Emmy

Floragold Basket

Flamme

Faribo Goldheart

Fablonelstyni

Fargo Yellow Pear

Garden Peach

Gold Roma

Golden Egg

Golden Queen

Golden Grape

Gold Rush Currant

Gold Currant

Goldie

Gold Nugget

Golden Grape

Golden Bison

Goldene Konigin

Golden Jubilee

Golden Dwarf Champion

Gold Ball

German Orange Strawberry

Gourmet Yellow Stuffer

Golden Queen-Stokes

Golden Queen

Glory of moldova

Galina's Yellow

Hazel Gold

Huge Lemon Oxheart

Hartman's Yellow Gooseberry

Hawaiian Currant

Ida Gold

Italian Gold

Iles Yellow Latvian

Indian Moon

Jaune Coeur de Pigeon

Jaune Negib

Jumbo Jim Orange

Jaune Plissee

Jubilee

Jaffa

Jaune Flamme

Kellogg's Breakfast

Kellogg's Breakfast Potato Leaf

KBX

Lo Fisher

Lollipop

Lemon Bush

La Caroltina

Mollie's Awesome Yellow Pear

Manyel

Marizol Gold

Mahlor Roth's Orange Brandywine

Mandarin Cross

Madara

Moonglow

Mirabell

Mennonite orange

Mountain Gold

Mennonite

Myona

Mini Orange

Nebraska Wedding

Nicholayev Yellow Cherry

Native Sun

Orange Beefsteak

Orange Tree

Orange Strawberry

Orange Icicle

Olesya

Orange Banana

Orange Plum

Orange Minsk

Olga's Yellow Round Chicken

Orange Santa

Orange Heirloom

Orlov Yellow

Orange Bourgois

Orange Polonaise

Orange Blosson F1 hybrid

Pink Lemon

Plum Lemon

Power's Heirloom

Pike County Yellow

Persimmon

Pinetree Golden Queen

Petushok

Pilcer Vesey

Perfect Storm

Roman Candle

Regina's Yellow

Rosalie's Early orange

SunSugar F1 Hybrid

Sun Gold Select 11

Sun Belle

Sakhara

Storgul

Serdtse Dezdemony

Schellenberg's Favourite

Sun Gold Hybrid

Tangerine

Tess's Landrace Currant

Taxi

Tom's Yellow Wonder

Tang

Tendence Tutti Frutti

Utyorok

Verna orange

Wapsipicon Peach

Woodle Orange

Weissbehaarte

Yellow Bell

Yellow Ping Pong

Lillian's Yellow

Yellow Perfection

Yellow Pear

Yellow Currant

Yellow Garden Peach

Yellow Vermissage

Yellow Reisentraube

Yellow Icicle

Yellow Furry Hog

Yellow Pear Shaped

Yellow Centiflor

Yellow Brimmer

Yellow Ruffled

Yellow Gooseberry

Yellow Mortgage Lifter

Red Tomato Varieties 2013

Apparently I grow lots of red tomatoes. It always surprises me exactly how many to tell you the truth.
People like their red tomatoes and I guess I must too!
Here's the reds I have started this year. Bet you can find something you like.
(Warning...long post!)

Red

Alice's Egypt

Alice

Anmore Dewdrop

Al-Kuffa

Andes

Amish Paste

Auntie Madge's

Anna's Multiflora

A Grappoli D'Inverno

Angora Super Sweet

AH3

Alicante

Aunt Lucy's Italian Paste

Aunt Mary's Paste

ABC Potato Leaf

Austin's Red Pear

Amish Farmer Doughnut

Applause (Hybrid)

African Queen

Bonny Best

Brin de Muguet

Bloody Butcher

Basket Vee

Bella Rosa (Hybrid)

Big Daddy (Hybrid)

Bradley

Brandywine, Red Landis Strain

Britain's Breakfast

Big Beef

Beefsteak

Baselbieter Roeteli

Burbank Slicing

Bloody Butcher

Burraker's Favorite

Big Ben

Big Red Peach

Berkshire Polish Beefsteak

Bulgarian Tozala Egpu

Break o' Day

Buckbee's

Bulgarian Triumph

Believe It or Not

Baller

Bloody Butcher

Bush Beefsteak

Beefsteak

Baylor Paste

Bedwin

Berwick German

Baby Gazzi

Budai Torpe

Cuor Di Bue

Carrot-Like

Columbianum Tomato

Chadwick Cherry

CanadianHeart

Csikos Botermo

Ceylon

Chalk's Early Jewel

Crnkovic Yugoslavian

Costoluto Fiorentino

Ceylon

Capricciosa

Crazy

Climbing Trip

Cosmonaut Volkov

Coeur de boeuf de Nice

Costoluto Genovese

Christmas grapes

Cup of Moldova

Cuostralee

Crimson Sprinter

Costoluto Fiorentino "Canestrino Di Lucca"

Chadwick Cherry

Cherry Roma

Czech's Bush

Chinese Paste

Chateau Rose

Cuneo Giant pear

Carol Chyko's 

Cherokee Brick Red

Dinner Plate Beefsteak

Defiant (hybrid)

Dix Doights de Naples

Diener

Delicious

Debbie

506 Dwarf Bush Early

Druzba

Dona

Dwarf Wax

Early Glee

Ernie's Plump

Ethiopia Roi Humbort

Elfin

Early Wonder

Early Annie

Egg

Egyptian Tomb

Elberta Girl

Enourmous Plum

Earliana

Fuzzy

Federle

Fireworks

Florida Basket

Fruity Cherry

Fat Cherry

First Light (F1 hybrid)

Frazier's Gem

Fence Row Cherry

Franchi Red Pear

Figue

Ferris Wheel

Fox Cherry

Glamour

Gildo Pietroboni

Gail's Sweet plum

Geranium Kiss

Giant Belguim

Gruschevij

Goiath

Goji Faranji

Gramma Climenhagen

Grandpa's Minnesota

Gigantesque

Grandma Mary

Glacier

Goldman's italian American

Greenbush Italian

127)Grightmire's Pride

Galapagos Island, Pear shaped

Giraffe

Gruntovyi Gribovskiy 1180

Goose Creek

Germaid Red

God Love 

Goldman's 

Gardener's Delight Red

Howard German

Hayslip

Heidi

Hawaiian

Heinz H9129

Henderson's Winsall

Hungarian Heart

Hellfrucht

Henderson's Crimson Cushion

Homestead

Islandaise 11

Italian Heirloom

Joe Pesch

Jersey Devil

Jersey Giant

Jujube Cherry

Justine heart

John Baer

Koralik Cherry

Korney's jelly Bean

Kimberley

Kiev

Kootenai

Kenoshe Paste

Legenda Tarasenko

Lumpy Red

Lizzano hybrid

Landino Di Panocchi

Lutescent

Large Red Cherry

Large Red Slicer

Little Julia

Longkeeping

Mrs Kennedy

Microtom

Mountain Magic hybrid

Manitoba

Minbel

Mayo's Delight

Maskotka

Mohamed

Mariana F1 Hybrid

Mexico

Mr Fumo Paste

Mortgage Lifter-Radiator Charlie's

Martino's Roma

Marmande

Matt's Wild Cherry

Mystery keeper

Miel de Mexique

Monkey Ass

Moskovskiy Delikates

Maria Amaziliteis Giant Red

Marglobe

Maria's

Magnum

Mule Team

Montreal Tasty

Milka's Red Bulgarian

Mortgage Lifter Pesta Strain

Mark Twain

Mexican Cocktail

Mexico Midget

Mortgage lifter (Halladays)

Magnum Beefsteak

Missouri Love Apple

Matina

Mountain Princess

New Yorker

Nichols Cherry

New Round Paste

Northern Delight

Nectarine

Nepal Red

Napoli

Odessa

Old Brooks

Old Virginia

Ottawa 39

Oxheart

Olive Hill

Oregon Spring

Peche Rouge

Pop In

Polish Dwarf

Ponderosa Red

Peacevine Cherry

Punta Banda

Piccolo

Principe Borghese

Peron Sprayless

Polish Linguisa

Pacara

Polbig hybrid

Phil's Fantastic

Provenzano

Piriform

Pantano

Quebec 2473

Red Stuffer

Reisentraube

Red Garden Peach

Red Pear

Red Fig

Raspberry Miracle

Rowdy Red

Red Pisa Date

Rio Grande

Red Peach

Red Butter Heart

Red Centiflor

Reverend Morrow's LongKeeper

Red Georgia

Roi Humbert

Red Supreme

Red Barn

Reine De Ste Marthe

Red Robin

Rutger's

Red Pearl

Red Currant

Reif Red Heart

Romeo

Rose Quartz

Royal Hillbilly

Rocky

Russo Sicilian Toggeta

Redfield Beauty

Red Star

Rinaldo

Rosso Sicilian

Red Pear-large

Reisetomate

Russian 117

Red Grape

Rusty

Remy Rouge

Red Ruffled

Santa Clara Canner

Stupice

Sugar Cherry

Siberische Appeltomaat

San Marzano Bush

Strawberry Wedge

Sweet Pea Currant

Stokesdale

SubArctic Plenty

Salt Spring Sunrise

Stick

Sierra Leone

Svetlana Red

Sioux

Shumway

San Marzano

Scabitha

Salisaw Cafe

Sheboygan

Silvery Fir Tree

Stump of the World

Sweet Israeli

Spitze

Small Grape

St Pierre

Sweet Tumbler

Tegucigalpa 

Tropic

Teton de Venus

Turkey Chomp

Togorific

Top Sirloin

Tomatoberry F1 hybrid

Tommy Toe

Tlacula

Thessalonski

Trophy

Tappy's Heritage

Terenzo hybrid

Tondino di Manduria

Uribikany

Ukranian pear

Voyage

Variegated

Velvet Red

Victorian Dwarf

Washington Cherry

Weisnicht's potato Leaf

Wayahead

Wuhib

Watermelon Beefsteak

Wickline Cherry

Wisconsin 55

Wheatley Frost Resistant

Yates Beefsteak

Zogolla

Zarnitsa

Zhezha

Pink/Purple Tomato Varieties 2013

If people have heard of any heirloom tomato varieties at all, they have usually heard of Brandywine.
In fact, along with Yellow Pear, it is the first heirloom tomato variety I ever grew in my garden, some 20 or more years ago.

There was no guessing for me. I already knew how good they were, because my mom was growing them 40 years ago when I was just a kid growing up on the farm.

Brandywine has won many taste tests with it's sweet rich flavour. It is summer in a big irregular tomato-shaped package. Drool.

On this cold and nippy first day of April summer and tomatoes sound amazing. They will be.
My seeds are in, and these are all the pink and purple varieties you'll find here when it comes time to plant your little piece of heaven.

Purple/Pink

Amerikanskiy Vytyanutyi

Aunt Ginny's Purple

Anna Russian

Afghanistan

Buffalo Heart Giant

Big Purple Brandywine

Bear Creek

Bradley

Bushy Chabarovsky

Brandywine Sudduth Strain

Brandywine Glick's Strain

Brandysweet Plum

Big Raspberry

Bread and Salt

Bali

Bashkirskiy Krasavets

Canary Rose

Clear Pink

Caspian Pink

Cherokee Purple

Crimean Rose

Clear Pink Early

Chinese Purple

Dr Lyle

Dr Carolyn's Pink

Dingo Eye

Depp's Pink Firefly

Dolore's Romanian

Dwarf Champion Improved

Dark Rose

Dester

Eagle's Beak

Ella's Pink Plum

Evan's Purple Pear

Earl's Faux

Enormous Plum

Eva Purple Ball

Ferris Wheel

Fruit Punch

Fresa

Gruschovka

Grace Lahman's Pink

Gezhante Buhrurkeel

Gypsy

Grimpante X Brandywine

German Johnson

German Pink

Gipsy

German Lunchbox

Gregori's Altai

Grightmire's Pride

Hungarian Heart

Japanese Oxheart

Jeff Davis

June Pink

Japanese Plum

Kalman's Hungarian Pink

Kermit

Kentucky Plate

Large Pink

Lincoln Adams

Lithuanian Pink

Marianna's Peace

Mirado

Millionaire

Mrs Houseworth

Mike's Italian

Marizol Purple Cross

Marlowe Charleston

Ozark Pink

Pink Petticoat

Potato Leaf

Purple Smudge

Pruden's Purple

Porter's Dark Cherry

Pink Ice

1884 Purple

Purple Dog Creek

Purple Brandy

Purple Hillbilly

Purple Calabash

Pamyati Kobneeva

Pearly Pink

Purple Pear

Purple Cherry

Pink Monserrat

Pink Ruffled

Purple Smudge

Peppermint

Purple Russian

Rose

Rose de Berne

Russian Rose

Rosovyi Flamingo

Ramillete de Mallorca

Snog's pride

Shaker Village

Shirley S

Sweet Carneros Pink

Trucker's Favorite

Thai Pink Egg

Tsungshigo Chinese

Tlacolula Pink

Ukranian Purple

Una Hartsock

VB Russia

Vinson Watts

Whippersnapper

Wolford Wonder

 Zapotec