

by Jeanne
[…] think I shared with you how my homegrown lettuce this year includes some heirloom varieties. An heirloom variety is one in which the seeds have been passed down for generations. They are […]
Growing zucchini in raised beds ensures that this prolific vegetable has the best conditions to thrive. You can grow zucchini in pots or containers, but I prefer growing it in raised beds. This is a great vegetable to grow if you have a “black thumb” and kill plastic plants, because it’s hard to grow a…
Wondering how to grow onions? I’ve grown onions here at Seven Oaks Farm in several ways: from “sets” or starter plants and from store-bought onions that sprouted in the bag! Onions don’t require much space, and you can grow a lot for the money you spend on starter plants. Let’s take a look at how…
Learning how to grow butternut squash organically ensures you know how to grow this tasty, nutritious vegetable in your home garden. I’ll share with you some basic information on growing butternut squash, followed by some organic gardening tips that have been helpful for me here at Seven Oaks Farm in dealing with the various pests…
Make the perfect cup of herbal tea, right from your own garden! In May, I gave two free talks on how to grow, harvest, dry, and create your very own herbal teas. This lecture proved so popular that I recorded the narration and uploaded it to YouTube. You can view it below: Supplies to Make…
Oh how I long for the tomatoes of my youth. Such flavor. I buy heirlooms when I see them in the market.
I am familiar with Heirloom tomatoes and I 100% agree with what you said about the grocery tomatoes we mostly get foisted on us. Having been alive in a time when tomatoes really tasted good and had access to them subsequently at some farmers markets, I miss them.
I didn’t know Heirloom could be applied to other fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Hi all! Yes, Jo, they’re now using the term heirloom for older varieties of flowers too, and I’ve recently seen the term applied to livestock. I’m more familiar with the term “heritage” livestock breeds when referencing older breeds.
Denise, thanks for leaving a comment!
Your post reminded me of an incident back in the day. A fellow-journalist was still single and she bought a bunch of tomatoes from a retailer that really emphasises the quality of their foods. The tomatoes were fresh, pretty… My colleague kept meaning to use the tomatoes in something but she was so busy she’d end up just buying something on the run. You know: the joy of a single life where you’re just chasing career advancement. THREE weeks later, she wanted a salad and remembered the tomatoes. The scary thing is they looked as fresh as when she first bought them. Fresh, pink, no blemishes, no sign that they were going off. In the middle of summer. She threw them in the bin. We laughed so hard when she told the story, wanting to know: what in heaven’s name did they breed into those tomatoes?