Flora

Spring Plants for Sale

February 25, 2018 Jenn Flora - Pemberley

It’s been awhile, but the farm is growing. Here is this year’s offering of plants, please contact me if you’re interested. You’ll have to let me know very soon so that I can plant them for you. Note: I order all of my seeds from Baker Creek, so I have used their description of the plant.

Tomatoes:

-orange icicle: Sweet, rich and flavorful with strong citrus overtones. Sweet, orange, icicle-like fruits that are like an extra long paste tomato. This variety also makes a lovely orange ketchup and a superb salsa. Seeds from the Ukraine.

-cheroke purple: An old Cherokee Indian heirloom, pre- 1890 variety; beautiful, deep, dusky purple-pink color, superb sweet flavor, and very-large-sized fruit.

-amish paste: Giant, blocky, Roma type tomatoes have delicious red flesh that is perfect for paste and canning.

-martino’s roma: Determinate. The paste-type fruit is dry-fleshed and very meaty with few seeds. Great for sauces, salsas and pastes.

-blue beauty: Fruits are modest beefsteak-type slicers, weighing up to 8 ounces. Gorgeous, deep blue-black with red.

-black vernissage: 2 oz ‘black’ tomato, perfect for salads and snacking.

-black cherry: Beautiful black cherries look like large grapes; sweet but not too sweet.

–chocolate pear: pear-shaped in a gorgeous brown-purple. Sweet and perfect.

-yellow pear: Very sweet, 1½” yellow, pear-shaped fruits have a mild flavor, and are great for fresh eating or for making tomato preserves.

Tomatillos: Deep green fruit; a standard, richly-flavored type. Huge yields.

Peppers:

-black hungarian jalapeno: Unique, black-colored fruit that are the shape of a Jalapeno. They are mildly hot and have a delicious flavor. The tall plants have beautiful purple flowers that make this variety very ornamental.

-tesuque chili: Fruits ripen fairly early, with medium-sized, thin-walled fruits mainly used for drying; makes a fantastic and authentic red chili powder! Heat is variable but fruits are often very hot. Good yields on rather small, well-branched plants. The traditional chili pepper cultivated for generations at the historic northern New Mexico Pueblo of Tesuque.

-poblano: 3- to 6-inch heart-shaped fruits are usually of gentle heat, at around 2000 scovilles. Used green, after roasting and peeling, it is the classic pepper for chili rellenos. Dried, the fruits turn a rich dark red-brown and may be ground into an authentic red chili powder. Plants reach 2 feet or so and require a long season.

-sante fe grande: Spicy, 4” peppers, glowing gold in color and quite warm; makes pretty pickles and salsa. Ornamental plants give heavy yields over the entire summer, making this a perfect choice for home or market gardens. Introduced in 1965.

-estaceno: A genuine Northern New Mexico chili. Pods are thin walled and hot; size varies, up to 10”. Use green in chili verde or salsa, or dry them to dark red for chili powder. Named for the Espanola Valley village of Estaca.

-tabasco: This famous heirloom was introduced into Louisiana in 1848 and became the main ingredient in Tabasco Pepper Sauce. This pepper is very hot and has a delicious flavor. The plants grow up to 4’ tall and are covered with small, thin peppers.

-paprika: A lovely drying pepper that comes from Matrafured, Hungary. It has been grown there since the 1800s when it was brought from Leutschau (Slovakia). The medium-hot paprikas have great flavor, are terrific for drying, and make a delicious spicy powder.

Not Spicy:

-king of the north: Early, good-sized peppers of a heavy yielding habit. The variety thrives in the cooler summer weather so prevalent in New England and yields crisp bells, green ripening to red, right up until frost.

-corno di Toro Giallo: The traditional favorite in Italy. Long 8-inch tapered, bull-horn shaped golden-yellow peppers are sweet and spicy. They are great fresh or roasted. Large plants yield well. Among the best peppers you can grow and so delicious. Pure Italian seed.

-corbaci: A unique and wonderful sweet pepper. Very long 10-inch fruit are curved and twisted, very slender, like a Turkish scimitar. This rare heirloom from Turkey has a very rich flavor, perfect for pickling or frying.

-paradicsom alaku sarga szentes: One of the truly great Hungarian peppers. Yellow, flat, ribbed, pumpkin-shaped fruit have the tremendous flavor that peppers from Hungary are famous for. The flesh is very thick, crisp and juicy.

-red mini bell: Tiny, red bell peppers are only about 1-1/2” tall and wide; they have thick red flesh that is very sweet. 2’-tall plants produce loads of these little winners, and early, too. Great for stuffing.

-lipstick: A delicious pepper with 4” long tapered, pimiento type fruits that are super sweet. This fine pepper is early and ripens well in the North. A flavorful favorite with thick, red flesh.

-etiuda: Blocky, thick-walled orange fruits are crisp, very sweet and juicy. These mandarin-orange bells can reach up to a half-pound in weight, and are lavishly produced on tall plants. Originally a Polish commercial variety.

-oda: Very strong, compact plants crank out tapered, pointed bells from early summer on. The fruits are the loveliest shade of plum purple, ripening to a lustrous red-brown. Crisp, juicy, thick-walled fruits are very sweet.

Cucumber:

-boston pickling: An old heirloom dating back to 1880. Vigorous vines give large yields of smooth green fruit. It is excellent for pickles; very crisp and good quality. A very popular variety at the turn of the 20th century.

-tendergreen burpless: Burpless slicing type, free from bitterness, that has been popular for over 80 years! Fruits are medium-dark green, 7-12 inches in length, and quite plump and smooth compared to Japanese long slicing types. Excels as a slicer, because each fruit yields so many slices of uniform diameter, but the tender skin makes great pickles as well.

-early fortune: A super dependable garden cucumber, sweet and almost never bitter. Slicing-type fruits grow 7 to 8 inches long, 2 inches in diameter.

Broccoli:

-waltham: Standard type, produces 4-8” green heads that are nicely flavored. Compact plants also produce some side shoots. Introduced in 1954.

Cabbage:

-glory of Enkhuizen :Introduced in 1899 by Sluis & Groot in Enkhuizen, Holland. Has medium-large, hard round heads. An early, excellent-keeping variety that is a good producer and good for kraut.

-brunswick: A large drumhead cabbage, very cold hardy. A fall/winter type cabbage, stores very well.

-red express: Newly released open-pollinated red cabbage, the first in many years! Specifically bred for Canada and northern tier of USA. Compact plants, extra early production of solid, split-resistant oval heads to only 2-3 pounds.

-violacea di verona: A vintage heirloom cabbage that originated in the region of Verona in Northern Italy, with stunning, lightly savoyed violet and green leaves that get more vibrant as the cool fall and winter weather set in. Medium sized round heads mature 120 days from seeding. With violet colored wrapper leaves and yellow-green inside leaves, they are an ideal choice for a fall/winter harvest. It is frost hardy, and in warmer areas can be harvested until New Year.

Cauliflower:

-purple: Beautiful, brilliant purple heads weigh 2-3 lbs and are of a fine, sweet flavor. The heads cook to bright green. Insect-resistant variety that is easier to grow than many white varieties; rich in minerals.

-amazing: It is a classic American favorite and can be harvested either at the “baby head” size or when fully mature at 10”. Brilliant white, self-blanching heads are covered by large abundant wrapper leaves that protect them from sun, heat and cold; easy to grow in the North or South. It keeps well in the field and heavy bearing, so pick as needed and prepare for a large harvest.

Melon:

-collective farm woman: This heirloom from the Ukraine was collected in 1993 by Seed Savers Exchange. Very popular on Island of Krim in the Black Sea. Melons ripen to a yellowish-gold and the white flesh has a very high sugar content, a favorite among heirloom gardeners and growers alike. Ripens early, even in Russia, and tolerates comparatively cool summers—known to do well in Canada.

-golden jenny: Short vines just go wild producing these succulent, sweet 2 lb. beauties.

-blacktail watermelon: One of the earliest watermelons we know of; superb for the North, but it also grows well in heat and drought. The flesh is red and deliciously sweet. Fruits have a dark rind and weigh 8-12 lbs each.

-early silver line: Beautiful, oval-shaped yellow fruit weight 1-2 lbs with silver stripes and white flesh.

Squash:

-jack-be-little pumpkin: This tiny, cute pumpkin weighs just 8 ounces; flat and ribbed. These are highly popular and a top-selling fall crop. The flesh is good to eat, and the skin is bright orange.

-butternut: An old favorite. Good yields with excellent-tasting, rich, orange-colored flesh.

-spaghetti: This is American strain of this popular Japanese squash, with stringy flesh that is used like spaghetti. Introduced to America before 1920.

-galeux d’eysines: This flattened, round, 10-15 lb fruit has gorgeous, salmon/peach-colored skin covered with large warts! The deep orange flesh is flavorful, smooth and sweet, making it good for baking. It’s also popular among the French for making soup.

-cocozella napoli zucchini: Long, slender fruit, ribbed, pale greenish- yellow, striped with dark green; very firm and flavorful flesh. A unique Italian heirloom and tasty.

-straight neck: AAS Winner from 1938, uniform lemon-yellow, club-shaped fruit; firm flesh is of excellent quality, tasty.

-lemon zucchini: The shape, size and color of a lemon. Adorable zucchini.

Herbs:

basil, lemon basil, cinnamon basil, thai sweet basil, blue spice basil, lettuce basil…

Spring Planting

February 27, 2017 Jenn Flora - Uncategorized

If you live anywhere in Ontario, you’ll be experiencing this strange warm weather as I am.

Very odd. I keep waiting for the chill to drop.

Regardless.

Time to order your vegetable starter plants! All seeds are heirloom, organic and are grown right here, at Pemberley Farm, organically. Orders should be placed by the end of March, as all plants need time to grow from their tiny seeds. And I don’t want to disappoint you.

Broccoli:

Waltham – 1954 – standard heads, green, easy to grow

Rapini – Italian, non-heading, grown for flavourful shoots and leaves in salads or fried

Cabbage:

Glory of Enkhuizen – 1899 – medium/large round heads, awesome for sauerkraut

Brunswick – 1924 – large drumhead, stores well, rare (note: mine were gigantic and yummy!)

Red Express – open-pollinated red cabbage, extra early production, perfect for Canada, solid, split-resistant head (mine grew extremely well as I ignored them)

Cauliflower:

Purple of Sicily – beautiful, brilliant purple heads, sweet flavour, cook to bright green

Pusa Meghna – apparently super-early, tight white curds, heat and cold resistant (new one for me to try out)

Cucumber:

Boston Pickling – 1880 – vigorous vine, great yields, excellent for pickles

Chicago Pickle – 1888 – thin skins, can reach to 7″ without ruining quality, prolific

Early Fortune – 1906 – sweet, slicing-type, never bitter, 8″ long, 2″ thick

Japanese Long – long, slim fruit, mild and easy to digest, few seeds

Mexican Sour Gherkin – small, cucumber-like fruit shaped like mini-watermelons, unique and fun (limited)

Melons:

Early Silver Line – Korean-type, oval-shaped, yellow fruit, white flesh, crisp and sweet (new)

Golden Jenny – short vines produce succulent, sweet 2lb melons

Collective Farm Woman – Ukraine, melons ripen to yellow-gold, white flesh with high sugar content

Squash:

Galeux D’Eysines – beautiful heirloom squash, 10-15lbs, peach-coloured skin with large warts, can be baked or used in soups

Waltham Butternut – good yields, amazing flavour, you know you love it

Early Prolific Straight Neck Zucchini – AAS winner from 1938, lemon-yellow, club-shaped fruit, firm flesh

Cocozella Di Napoli Zucchini – unique Italian Heirloom, long, green ribs

Jack Be Little – tiny, cute 8oz pumpkins, bright orange, sweet

Peppers – Hot

Craig’s Grande – big, fat, green jalapeno. (I love them. Third year growing)

Leutschauer Paprika – 1800, medium hot, drying pepper for making paprika

Purple Jalapeno – deep, gorgeous purple jalapeno (third year seeds)

Thai Pepper – hot heirloom from Thailand, easy to dry, bright red, pungent heat, prolific

Pasilla Bajio – mild-sweet-hot, starts dark green, turn deep brown-purple, used in Mexican mole sauces

Tabasco – 1848 in Louisiana, main ingredient of Tabasco sauce, can be grown in a pot

Estaceno Chile – genuine Northern New Mexico pepper, used in chili verde or salsa, can be dried to make chili powder

Peppers – Sweet

Canary Bell – superior sweet pepper, productive 2′ plants (2nd year)

Corbaci – long, slender, twisted, sweet. Rare heirloom from Turkey. Rich flavour. (2nd year)

Lipstick – thick red flesh, 4″ tapered end, pimento-type, super sweet (2nd year)

Albino Bullnose – blocky 4″ sweet pepper, begins soft cream, ripens to a reddish-orange, dwarf plant

Etiuda – thick walls, orange, sweet, large

Corno Di Toro – Italy, bull-horn shape, 8″ tapered, golden-green, sweet

Red Mini Bell – tiny, red peppers, 1″ wide, great for stuffing and super cute!

Habanada – a heatless habanero, fruity floral notes of a habanero without the heat

Oda – strong, compact plants, produce lilac purple fruit that ages to a soft brown.

Tomatoes

Martino’s Roma – perfect for your sauces, paste-type fruit, meaty with few seeds

Amish Paste – giant, blocky paste tomatoes, Amish community grown

Atomic Grape – elongated cherry-like clusters, lavender purple stripes, ripening to soft reds, cherry -size (limited)

Gypsy – medium-size, deep purple/maroon, great taste, good for soups

Black Cherry – large, dusky-brown grapes, rich flavour, sweet, perfect for popping (2nd year)

Gold Rush Currant – tiny tomatoes, golden-orange, 1/4″ diameter, snacking

Snow Fairy – dwarf tomato from Russia, produces early, small globes, perfect for pots, slightly tart

Accordion – large, pink, ruffled fruit, perfect for stuffing, sweet and mild

Minibel – determinate, bite-sized fruit, tiny and ornamental, sweet and pinky

Purple Bumblebee – slightly elongated little cherries, striped with purple and green, crack-resistant, complex and sweet flavour (2nd year)

Black Krim – Russia heirloom, deep dark red fruit, medium-size, very rich and sweet, a favourite

Yellow Pear – yellow, sweet 1 1/2″ fruit, pear-shaped, highly prolific, will crack if too wet, but so worth the planting.

Chocolate Pear – bronze-red pear-shaped fruit, slightly sweeter than yellow pear, highly prolific, rich flavour

Tomatillos – gorgeous, green, husk-covered fruit that tastes like a tomato and an apple. Used in salsa verde and the delicious tomatillo soup. You need to buy two for fruit. I highly recommend.

Herbs

Basil – lemon; lime; cinnamon; thai sweet; purple; blue spice

Cilantro

Parsley

I will update this again in a few days. Puppies need tending. If you would like any plants, you can reach me at: loveandoregano@gmail.com

thank you!

Lately…

June 9, 2015 Jenn Flora - Pemberley

It’s been busy around here. Getting ready for the Farmers’ Market…

getting ready for the market with a plethora of tomatoes…

Getting the vegetable garden ready with seeding and transplanting…

Planting corn in the ground to see it sprout a week later…. strawberry popcorn

My gorgeous white wheat has sprouted…

Collecting large rocks to create borders for vegetables…this rock wall is outlining many tomatoes

Using minion to build brick walls around fragile asparagus…

Taking walks to see the farm change seasons…

And finding strange things…such as this large asparagus on the side of our driveway…hubby thinks a deer pooped out a seed? Sadly, we didn’t notice it until it was already too late to pick…

So I take these few rain days to plant more vegetables into the ground and see if I can encourage my basil to grow more quickly to sell this Saturday…

More Photos

May 13, 2015 Jenn Fauna - Flora

I’m very excited about the oriole because I have never seen one. They seem to prefer nesting in elm trees, and we just happen to have an elm tree out front. In front of a manitoba maple (Betty) and orioles loooove their seeds! Their song is beautiful.

The cat brought me a mouse. Er…good girl.

Bit by Bit

May 13, 2015 Jenn Flora

I convinced hubby to let me buy two reel mowers. Those are push mowers. I’m not so much concerned about the environmental impact of gas (and I really should be) but it’s really good exercise for someone who is nowhere near a gym. And they wouldn’t let me mow when we brought them home.

Then the tractor came to till our land!

But his attachment tiller wouldn’t stay down in the ground. So he came two days later.

In the next week or so I will get to plant these:

There are more plants in cold frames outside, on the shelves in the laundry room and shelves in the pantry…and I’m seeding more basil.

April 7, 2015 Jenn Flora

Growing seedlings takes time. So much time. But here are some little rascals.

Transplanting while watching a Hallmark movie. Best way to do it.

This is where they live now. In my living room, with grow-lights.

Asparagus. Aren’t they adorable? Like little pine trees.

Excited about this variety. A Grappoli D’Iverno

Seed Starting

February 5, 2015 Jenn Flora

There are a million and a half ways that people start their seeds. And this way is mine.

1-Go buy a big bag of Pro-mix. I used to sell this stuff when I managed a garden center and it’s awesome. Yes, it costs about $36 for 3.6cuft, but there is sooo much of it! It’s a big black or white bag, all packed tightly into plastic. Pro-mix is a mixture of vermiculite, peat moss and perlite. Which means it’s very light soil. Rip the sucker open and dump half of it into a large plastic container with a lid. I usually use Rubbermaid because they have tight lids. It’s very dusty, so don’t go crazy.

Why can’t I use regular top soil or black earth? Why can’t I use the generic stuff or miracle-gro?

The difference between top soil and black earth is based on their layers. In a ‘forest’ setting, when you start digging a hole, the first layer is humus. That’s the soft, airy, barky stuff on top, that is composed of plant material, and decomposed organisms. The next layer is the top soil, which has nutrients and usually higher in nitrogen (think grass). The layer below that is black earth, which is supposed to have phosphorus, phosphoric acid and ammonia – which is awesome for agricultural use, and planting shrubs. As for the generic stuff…I like my Pro-mix. The end.

2- Grab a bowl. Then start adding warm water and mix with your hands. It takes a lot of water to get it very wet. But this is good. The mixture will absorb the water and help keep your seedlings wet for a longer time.

Big bowl in the sink. Warm water is nice on your hands. Cold water is not. Add water and mix until nice and squishy and gets stuck underneath your fingernails. Now breathe in the smell. Mmmm…fresh earth. I love that smell. I bought perfume that was called, Dirt, once.

3- Add Myke’s. I was introduced to this stuff last year by Heather from Carleton Place Nursery. I was skeptical at first, but after reading that it was filled with mycorrhizae, I figured I’d try it. I bought the small container first for about $11, and my word, what a difference! The root system growth was incredibly substantial! Go buy it. It’s worth it. And it’s ORGANIC!

Inside container and how much to add. It does give you guidelines, but I’m cheap, so I cut back a bit. Like sugar in a recipe.

4- Fill containers! I’m using some old soy milk containers, and I’m uncapping the spout so that the water can leak out. Stuff your containers with the warm, wet soil. You can use old milk containers (cleaned and soaped out, of course), old salad containers after you poke a few holes in them, berry containers, and even these grids below.Although to be honest, I made hubby take them back because they are so flimsy and not worth my time. I purchased some garden center ready ones that are much more sturdy. Yes, you can use Jiffy-7‘s, but when you’re planting as much as I am, the easier, the better. And if the root system doesn’t break through the mesh when you go to plant outside, you have to tear them a bit. I like my roots to breathe! NOTE: use bleach to clean your containers!!!

5- Plant your seeds according to package directions. I usually use a pencil to make the holes, drop them in, and cover them again. It is very important to cover your seed trays/containers with a plastic lid or store inside a small indoor greenhouse contraption because your seeds need the humidity and the warmth. And you won’t have to water as often.

6- These are my plants about three weeks later. Tadah!!! Easy-peasy-lemon-squeasy…

When Do I Start My Seeds?

February 2, 2015 Jenn Flora

Well. Here’s the thing. It always depends on where you live. There are so many books and links and advice books, that it’s really hard to decide. They usually give you the dates going backwards from the last frost-date.

I have no idea when that is.

Usually the rule of thumb is, Victoria Day Weekend.

But…I like to push it a week. Because sometimes it’s the 24th of May, and sometimes it’s the 18th. I live nearish Ottawa, Ontario, so this year, Victoria Day is May 18th. So, I would use the 15th as the last frost date, because I like using Fridays. So if the label says, one week before last date, I’d choose May 8th. Got it?

Here is MY list of when I’m going to plant my seeds, indoors and out. This list includes herbs, vegetables and some annuals and perennials. To make it easier for you, I’ll choose the actual date (Friday, of course) so you don’t have to count backwards. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

February 20th: artichoke indoors Last year I grew artichoke and it definitely grew, BUT, they need 2-4 weeks of cold temperatures once they get 4 leaves. So I planted their seeds and once they had 4 real leaves, I put them in the garage for a few weeks. Our garage didn’t go below 4C, due to heating, so I guess this year I will store them by the firewood in the basement? And then we moved, so I never found out if they would fruit.

March 13th: jalapeno peppers, sweet peppers, hot peppers indoors. All peppers, basically. They are slow to start, and they’re a little fragile. Which makes me mad, because I don’t baby my plants. I show them tough love.

March 20th: tomatoes, onion seeds (not green), lavender indoors. You could wait and plant your tomatoes at a later date, but I like my tomatoes to be at least 12″ high before I put them in the ground, because I plant them half-way into the ground. The onions are the white, sweet, red etc, but NOT the green onions that are tall and leafy. And why aren’t you planting lavender? It’s easy to grow, smells amazing, comes back every year and the flowers are incredible dried and added to shortbread cookies.

And two weeks to catch up on what you’ve missed.

April 3rd: petunias, lupins indoors. Petunias are cute, they smell cute and they draw in beneficial insects. And lupins….how can you not love lupins?

April 10th: onions (everygreen seeds) indoors.

April 17th: marigolds, broccoli, zinnia indoors.

April 24th: sunflowers, carrots, melons, romaine, lettuces, arugula indoors. Note: I’ve been trying to grow lettuce inside for the past two weeks, attempting to get a production so I could start eating now instead of dropping 5$ a box.

NOTE: Last year we didn’t have any snow on the ground on the 24th, so I planted my peas and beans into the ground. I think I also planted some onion bulbs. The year before I planted the week of the 17th. So watch the forecast. Peas and beans grow well in the cold. Just make sure you can work the ground. And cover them up! Squirrels are bad!

May 1st: anise hyssop, cilantro, basil, pansies, yarrow, poppies, asparagus, amaranth, pumpkin, nasturtium, calendula, gourds, pampas grass, borage indoors. Bees love borage, anise, poppies, calendula, nasturtium. And I love pansies. So friendly.

May 18th: OUTDOORS – all of your seedlings EXCEPT for basil. Go ahead and plant more carrot, lettuce, celery seeds into the garden.

When the forecast calls for cold weather or frost, cover your plants. I’m pretty sure you have an old bed sheet that you haven’t thrown out yet. Cover them up.

I realize I’m missing some produce, but I only plant what I know I will eat. If you have a question though, I’d be happy to try and answer.

Happy Planting!

Backyard of our last house. Those are my babies enjoying the sun warmth on May 7th, 2014.

Hiding in cold frames.

Anew

January 1, 2015 Jenn Flora - Pemberley

And now a new year.

We have recently purchased a gigantic amount of land, and my mind runs amok when I think of all the possibilities. I have magazines galore, most of them from Mother Earth News and Urban Farm. I’m researching permaculture, biblical planting, square-foot gardening (big shout out to Mel Bartholomew!), planting in rows…it’s exhausting. Especially when you know what you want to do, but aren’t too sure if it’ll actually happen.

So here are the goals for Pemberley Farm this year:

1- vegetables

2- herbs. Many herbs. Many which will bring in the honeybees.

3- apple trees. Not sure how many to buy, where to plant, or what to buy.

4- propagation. I’m huge into propagating. We have black cherry trees that are getting to big. We need more black cherry trees = propagate! And some gorgeous yellow birch. And ironwood.

5- plant wheat and quinoa and amaranth

6- chickens. Layers and meat birds.

7- a greenhouse. Maybe something off the third door. Or something you don’t heat. Not sure yet.

8- harvest food and sell, store, eat.

To be clear, Vesey’s is a great seed company and they’re Canadian. I have purchased bulbs, fruit trees and seeds from them and have yet to be disappointed. I like Baker Creek because their more into non-GMO seeds, it’s run by a small, young family, and their selection is incredible.

Happy Seed Selecting!

Love and Oregano

Creating Pemberley Farm

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