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macgregor_gw

What's New Here in MA /Trying Some Heirlooms

macgregor
12 years ago

Hi all,

Just an update on the goings-on in our potager in Melrose Massachusetts -

I have my potager planted but wanted to branch out somehow this year, try something different, without adding more beds at this point.

What I noticed when reading about seeds one day is that (and you all probably know this) there are a lot of heirloom plant and seed varieties out there, some of them going back in their development hundreds of years.

History interests me, especially American history, so I looked into some of these varieties for planting. I found a lettuce, called "tennis ball" that was planted at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home - each head is literally about the size of a tennis ball; another lettuce from the south that was developed in the mid 19th century; a tiny round French carrot variety; and of course the (already) favorite of many, Brandywine tomato plants, whose flavor is considered by many to be the "gold standard" of tomatoes.

I found some flower boxes not being used and I am putting them all together to form an "heirloom" garden section. I am excited about it, it will really be an experiment!

Also, I am trying to follow through better with succession planting this year (ran out of steam last year), and have enjoyed researching and doing companion planting as well.

Just thought I'd share what's going on, I always love to read about people's ideas -

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