Start A Garden Of Heirloom Plants

Heirloom cucumbers grown last year in my garden.

Experienced gardeners almost always choose heirloom seeds over hybrid seeds. It doesn't matter to them if the tomato is perfectly shaped. It matters to them whether they can save the seeds for future gardens. It also matters to them that it is not genetically modified organism seeds. Saving seeds has been done for centuries. That is the way the immigrants who came from other countries bringing their precious seeds with them to plant in the new world did it. I am glad they did that.

Photo source

You cannot save the seeds from hybrid or GMO (genetically modified organism), in fact it is against the law to save GMO seeds for the next year. Research Monsanto to find out more on that. It is very important at this point in time for everyone to start growing gardens and sowing heirloom seeds. We need to protect the integrity of our food supply. If we don't do it now, the future food supply will be tainted by Monsanto and nobody will be to blame for it but us. Take a stand now!

How to get started? Easy, as pie! Research the information on line for saving seeds. A good book on Amazon that is highly recommended is The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs written by Robert E. Gough and Cheryl Mooore Gough. It will explain the process of saving the seeds and give you all kinds of information on how to start.

Hopi squash seeds I saved

The biggest reason to save your own seeds is that you know the seeds hasn't any chemicals sprayed on it to keep it good or to prevent pests from attacking your plants. Yes, it sounds good. But is it? I'd rather fight the pests than to eat what is sprayed on that seeds. Look at how many children are now born with some sort of a disability. Why is that? In my opinion, it has to do with plastic use, microwave use and tampering with the food supply. Let's stop it in our own backyard first! 

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Boothbys Blonde Cucumber Is A Nice Heirloom Plant!

Boothbys Blonde Cucumber

When I purchased our seeds this year, I bought two different varieties of heirloom cucumbers. One of them being the Boothbys Blonde cucumber, which comes from the Boothby family in Livermore, Maine. The last few years for some reason, I have had a hard time getting cucumbers, which used to be a very easy crop for me. I started these seeds in the house, and then planted them in a couple of my stone raised beds. They are doing very well!

 

Boothbys Blonde Cucumber Plant

Since I planted a few in the raised rock bed in the backyard, it has made it convenient when fixing supper to go out there and pick a few for our salad. They give you large yields of sweet and crunchy cukes. Creamy yellow fruits with black spines about 3-5 inches. I love the way they look, as well as taste!

Cucumber On The Vine

These cucumbers would make some awesome pickles, I am sure. I do not plan on making any this year. But maybe next year, I will have my root cellar done and have more room for storage. For now though, we are eating these daily. I call it our "snack food!"

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole