Tomato - red thesaloniki

Ready for seed saving

Medium.size tomato

Home Backyard 2020 & 139 March Rd Farm Project

 August 15, 2020

This year has been buzzing bee-zy. We have  a big little farm in the heart of Kanata. 

The work is  very humbling, challenges the very core of what Eco Farming means. My backyard has been negleted, but it came back alive and gave me surprises. Random seeds toss out and rarely water. 

The intent of this garden is my walking path with flowers for pollinators. Guess what? its working, year 5 in this house. 

Garlic Growing in Ottawa City Ontario

Ottawa City, Ontario, Canada

August 3, 2020 

I have been collecting garlic seeds for a while now, i'd say in the past 5 years. Karen of Black Star Urban Farm has been my partner -in-planting for these garlics. Together, we collect seed varieties and  its kind of fun hobby for us. 

I have planted Music and Portugal Azores as my main crop for the garden plots. I did commercial production trials here and there and marketed my garlic here in Ottawa, locally to friends and garden enthusiast. 

This year, I bought more garlic for my collection - bulbils from Jordan of Bird and Bee Seed Company. 

1. Khabar
2. Persian Star
3. Kotsyns Red Russian
4. Killarney Red
5. Purple Korean Rocambole

For those of you who wanted a quick summary of Garlic: 

Originally from Central Asia, it has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for over 5,000 years. Gladiators ate garlic prior to battle and Egyptian slaves purportedly consumed it to give them strength to build the pyramids.

Garlic is one of 700 species in the Allium or onion family.

Two types of  garlic: 

Softneck (Allium sativum)

Softneck Varieties

1. Artichoke

2. Silverskin

 Hardneck (Allium ophioscorodon)

Varieties of Hardneck Garlic
1. Chesnok Red

2. German White

3. Polish Hardneck

4. Persian Star

5. Purple Stripe - 

5a. Persian Star - a beautiful garlic comes from the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan. 

6. Porcelain - 

a. Music ( imported by Al Music from Italy)

b. Big Boy - looks like Music with purple colouring, sweet consistent flavour)

7. Asiatic

Tomato - red thessaloniki

Ottawa city ontario canada

June 25, 2020

Tomato - red thessaloniki

Companion plant: marigold, thai basil

Source: gretas organics

1 ft tall

Container garden