Chitting Potatoes
Who knows whether chitting works or not. I really don't think it makes a difference. Certainly the seed potatoes are on sale in the shops much earlier than the time for planting.
It was my intention to grow just two varieties this year. I just adore 'Epicure' potatoes. They are quite hard to find nowadays, a heritage variety that was popular in the 1950s. In my mind they are the best tasting new potato ever - but they were the variety I remember growing every year on my Father's allotment when I was growing up. Perhaps it is nostalgia, but the flavour is superb. The next variety I bought is a late maturing potato 'Pink Fir Apple' just a wonderful waxy potato with a great taste. These are the two that I intended to buy.While I was in the shop at RHS Wisley the other day another variety caught my eye. 'Shetland Black' is an old variety which has become more popular in recent years - and this got me thinking... I am going to grow BLACK fruit and vegetables this year as a memorial to my lovely Buddy. The 'Buddy Morris Memorial Vegetable Patch'. So how many vegetables can I lay my hands on that have 'black' in the name? I have a tomato 'Black Cherry' and I think there is a tomato 'Black Trifele'... can anyone suggest more?
posted by Matron @ 7:09 PM
22 Comments:
Black Spanish Radish for one. What a great idea, will try and come up with more.
What a lovely idea, Matron! 'Black Beauty' courgette springs to mind, and black beans (of some sort)?
1. Black Seed is also known as Black Cummin, Black Caraway & many other names. It's botanical name is Nigella sativa. (I found this just searching for Black Seed).
From: www.burpee.com
2. Cowpea, California Blackeye No.5
3. Eggplant, Black Beauty
4. Lettuce Black-Seeded Simpson
HEIRLOOM.
5. Pepper, Sweet, Pinot Noir
6. Radish, Black Spanish Round
I stopped at the "Rs" but will keep looking! Are you looking for edibles only or flowers also with "black" in the name?
What a wonderful memorial to Buddy!
Hugs, Theanne
I got to work this morning to find the mice have half eaten two of my spritting potatoes, I've left it some chocolate for tonight, I sure hope he enjoys it.
Hi Matron
What about some cavelo Nero - kale/ black cabbage? I grew some last year and it was delicious just watch out for caterpillars!
Jane
What a great idea.
I grow Czech black peppers. They are hot but not too hot and the plant is very decorative.
I also grew black cherry tomatoes last year and they did very well and tasted great. We had an abnormally cold, wet summer so they might like London!
Czechoslovakian Black hot pepper! One of my favorites.
We grew an heirloom tomato last year called, 'Black Krim'. Very tasty.
Territoral Seed Co. here in Oregon, has an Edamame SoyBean called 'Black Pearl'. It sounds delicious. We are going to give it a go.
Black pearl chilli plants. I had six seeds in a packet which have all germinated and was going to send you some of its seeds later in the year, but that will be too late. The plant is supposed to be a beauty with glossy black leaves
There is a beefsteak tomato called 'Black Krim'. I bought some to plant this year, they look lovely.
I've got a few seeds of an heirloom runner bean called Black Magic which I'm planning to try this year. Apparently it's very stringy, but good for dried beans. The beans are jet black. There are more black potatoes; Sainsbury's sell a second early, the name of which I forget, and a stall in the market has Vitelotte. It's worth looking round places like that.
I see that Chicken Lover has already suggested Cavelo Nero - you won't regret growing that! It looks and tastes great.
How about Salford Black runner beans? The dried beans are like polished jet - I can post you some if you're interested.
Celia
x
word verification = tater
how spooky is that!
I have seed of a climbing bean called Black Croatian if you want some. It has a very long season so you need to get it sown in good time and it's harvested as a drying bean. Not a huge haul but the beans are impressive! Like a black butter bean. Email if you fancy a go.
Black Forest courgette. What a fitting tribute to Buddy, I know he liked his veggies so this is perfect.
There is a variety of bush snap beans called "Black Valentine"; and also an heirloom zucchini called "Black Beauty". You can find them and some of the others that people mentioned here: http://www.seedsavers.org/Items.aspx?search=black
looks like you have enough to be getting on with!
it's a beautiful idea xxxxx
Great idea you have come up with! Loved your posts! Very thoughtful indeed!
I've got a few of last years 'Black Beauty' courgette seeds I could send you. I also grew Gloucester Black Kidney potatoes, another heritage variety that you can't find in the shops. They're purple skinned but it fades when you boil them up. I saved some for this year but they sprouted a bit too madly down in the cellar over winter. They're rather shrivelled and sorry looking and I made the mistake of only keeping very small ones. Who knows if they'll work this year but I'm happy to send you a few to try if your happy to have lost nothing if they don't take.
I was sorry to read about Buddy. I was out of action for a bit so only caught up with the news last week. What a happy life he had with you in the garden - there's comfort in that :o) Your remembrance garden will be a perfect dedication to the lovely boy x x x
.. if you fancy some flowers in your vegetable patch I've just come across this is my reader backlog
http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/flowers/dark-helleborus-purpurascens/
'this lovely Helleborus could be planted in a ‘black flower’ garden it is so dark'.
Hi matron, what a lovely and fitting memorial for Buddy! I have read all of the comments with interest, never knew there was such an array of black plants in the world!
Lots of Information About Potatoes...! I really Like your post..:)Thanks
Others have named all the ones I can think of.
Absolutely love the memorial veg patch. What a great idea. A fitting and happy tribute to a lovely dog, it made me smile :)
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