Time Marches On

It was unrealistic to think I could run the greenhouse/nursery business, participate in two farmers' markets and maintain a blog. Finally we have moved almost all the annuals into the "big greenhouse" and we are already transplanting mums.



We still have quite a few baskets, mostly new guinea impatiens because they were slow to size up this season.



Speaking of New Guinea impatiens (some people call these New Zealand impatiens) ((??)) here's one with a variegated leaf - the 'paradise' series.



Vermonters tend to like New Guinea impatiens because they are flashy and bright, and our summers are so short we need splashy colors. One thing that is fascinating about New Guineas - when they are not watered they shrivel up and look like total goners. I found these two eight inch baskets in another greenhouse where they had been forgotten and were bone dry.

I knew they could be saved, so I took a before photo - here -



And then I drenched them and four hours later, here they are!




The gazania enjoys the sunny weather we are having right now.



I am eating fresh veggies from vendors at my farmers' markets and loving it.



Here's a cute little boy enjoying an early tomato.



The Danville Farmers' Market is held Wednesdays from 9 am - 1 pm and the St. Johnsbury Market is held Saturday from 9 am - 1 pm.

TOMATOES !!

My "tomato house" hardly has any "big" tomatoes left, and many customers have resorted to taking home heirloom tomatoes when they are accustomed to buying 'Big Beef' and 'Early Girl.' I have been asked to print the list of tomatoes I sold here because some folks have no idea what they purchased.

I would love to hear the results of the plantings, as many of these varieties are new to me as well. (I will be planting quite a few.)

I'll start with a photo of 'Box Car Willie', a variety I didn't have on the list, but I did sell. It is described as follows:

"Very prolific over a long season it is well suited for use as a "main crop" tomato. Indeterminate vines."




- - - -

MY LIST (most sold out) HEIRLOOMS - Individual plants - $1.50 each

Aunt Ginny’s Purple - Heirloom Beefsteak - some prefer to Brandywine. Indeterminate - 75 - 80 days. 12 - 16 ounces. Big!

Black Cherry - 75 days. Look like large, dusky purple grapes - rich flavor that makes black tomatoes famous. Large vines yield very well. This one lasted the longest in the late blight season.

Black Krim - 80 days. Dark red-purple fruit, rich sweet flavor. Always places high in tomato taste trials. It’s very juicy. An heirloom from Russia with very unique looking, large fruit.

Brandywine - 80 days. The most popular heirloom vegetable. Superb flavor. A great potato-leafed variety from 1885! Pink fruit up to 1-1/2 lbs. each.

Burpee Gloriana - 70 days - Early determinate with 6-8 ounce globe shaped fruits. “Outstanding yields.”

Cabot - 75 Days. semi determinate -4 to 6 oz. red globe, excellent flavor.

Cherokee Purple - 80 days. An old Cherokee Indian heirloom, pre-1890 variety sweet flavor very large sized fruit. “Real old-time tomato flavor.”

Cosmonaut Volkov - 75 days. A smooth and attractive, medium-large red tomato that has a full, rich flavor. The productive vines yield well even in hot weather, good for canning or slicing.

Cuostralee - 75 Days. 1 to 2 pound fruit, French heirloom with excellent balanced taste - “not mild”.

Delicious - 90 days. Huge 1-to 3-lb fruit that are fairly smooth for a giant tomato, and, as the name implies, these are delicious! In 1986 it set the world record for weight, with a giant 7 lb 12 oz fruit.

Early Rouge - Excellent yields of “top grade” 6 - 8 ounce globe tomatoes.

Earl of Edgecomb - 70 Days High yield of 6 to 10 oz. globe fruits of vivid orange, usually blemish free, assertive, delicious taste.
Kimberly - Very early cherry tomato - sweet and juicy. Set fruit in cooler weather. Productive.

Koralik - 65-70 days. 1" Russian cherry tomato is bright red and borne on heavy trusses of 6-8 fruit, which are sweet and flavorful. Good for small gardens.

Moskvich - Early and recommended for its taste. 6 oz.

Opalka - 80 days., Ind, high yield of 3 to 5 inch long, fat paste tomatoes usually with a knob at the blossom end, great for either sauces (very few seeds and meaty) or fresh eating.

Orange Banana - 80-85 days. Unique, orange, banana-shaped paste tomatoes. These tomatoes are bursting with fruity sweetness. Delicious fresh and perfect for drying, canning and paste.

Paul Robeson - 75 days. Purple-black beefsteak - can grow to 4 inches across. Has won taste awards.

Plum Lemon - - 80 days. Bright canary-yellow 3" fruit, looks just like a fresh lemon. from Moscow. Delicious, sweet taste.

Prudens Purple - 75 Days Purple pink, developed from Brandywine, comparable in taste, but matures earlier.

Red Penna - Huge tomatoes - medium maturity - Indeterminate.

Rief Red Heart - Heart-shaped 1 pound tomatoes.

Siletz - 52-75 days. One of the better early tomatoes. Dwarf, determinate plants produce good yields of perfectly shaped, 8 oz. fruit that are loaded with old-time tomato flavor and are sweet.

Sweet Home - Heavy producer medium maturity - indeterminate - 16 - 24 ounce fruits.

Urban Beefsteak - Early, Ind, oblate, 6 to 10 oz. red, very productive, one cropper.