IN THE GARDEN
From page 25
produced tomato.
Another interesting vegetable
that has a number of heirloom varieties is the humble
carrot. Modern housewives
know of carrots as being
orange in colour (with cruel
schoolchildren even referring
to red-heads in their classes as
“carrot-tops”). The orange
colour of the “modern” carrot
was, however, bred into it by
Dutch horticulturists wishing
to ingratiate themselves to the
Dutch royal household of
yore (the Dutch national
colour being, now, orange).
In their natural state, carrots
(native to South America) are
found in a variety of colours
from black to brown to purple
to pale yellow, and in a
variety of shapes.
Another South American
native, maize, also has multicoloured heirloom varieties,
going beyond the modern
choice of yellow and white to
cobs that have black, white,
yellow and red pits mixed up
at random.
With the modern movement
towards growing one's own
food, and with consumers
becoming more adventurous
interest in, and consequently
demand for, heirloom
vegetable seeds and seedlings
has boomed in recent years.
From one specialist supplier of
seed a few years ago, the
market has grown to include
many seedsmen, who can
often be found selling their
wares at farmers markets and
craft fairs. By the same token,
large commercial seed
merchants have recognised
this growing market and have
introduced their own ranges
of heirloom seeds.
In some cases, growing
heirloom varieties at home
can be more of a challenge
than growing hybrids simply
because the plants can be
more finicky, prone to disease
etc. Also, in some cases the
travel overseas you might also
yield from heirloom varieties
see seeds that take your fancy
can be less, and less uniform, and slip them into your
than the yield from modern
luggage for use locally. Be
hybrids.
aware that phytosanitary
But the results, on your plate, regulations in many countries
makes such importation illegal
will far outweigh any disapand you can be fined if
pointment in the growing
caught and, of course, have
thereof.
Being old-fashioned, heirloom the seeds confiscated.
K Win a hamper of heirseeds are open pollenated,
loom vegetable seeds with
meaning that if you harvest
Garden World. See page 32!
seeds from your vegetables
this
season,
you will
have the
makings
of next
season's
vegetable
garden at
your
fingertips
without
having to
buy new
seed.
If you
Heirloom tomatoes in all shapes, sizes and colours
28
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