Viewing comments posted by LarryR

17 found:

[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Heavenly New Frontiers') | Posted on August 31, 2017 ]

This daylily is a pentaploid. Gossard's flow cytometry work with ploidy is uncovering some amazing variations in ploidy. Some cultivars even throw fans that are hexaploids and octaploids. It may well be that sometime in the future these new ploidies will require revision of the choices in the ploidy box on the input form. It now allows only diploid. triploid, and tetraploid. Note that no ploidy is given for 'Heavenly New Frontiers' because the choices are limited to the three mentioned above.

[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Judge Judy') | Posted on October 1, 2015 ]

'Judge Judy' is listed here as a rare triploid. The AHS lists it as a tetraploid. Which is correct?

[ Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Amana Orange') | Posted on February 8, 2015 ]

This very popular tomato is listed on many websites that offer tomato seeds or plants. Its origin is mistakenly attributed to the Amana Colonies, seven former communal villages in eastern Iowa. It is actually a selection made by Gary Staley that he found growing in his tomato patch in 1984 in Brandon, Florida. He named it 'Amana Orange' because he was once employed by an appliance manufacturer in Amana, Iowa. In the strictest sense of the word, this tomato is not an heirloom.

Last I checked, Mr. Staley was not cooperating in the effort to correct the misinformation that has been spread across the Internet. Several years ago, the Amana Society asked him to stop calling his tomato "Amana." That name is copyrighted/trademarked by the Amana Society and cannot be used without the Society's permission. Mr. Staley is not cooperating.

[ Field Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) | Posted on June 10, 2013 ]

This poppy pairs nicely with Orlaya grandiflora.

[ Peony (Paeonia lactiflora 'Kirinmaru') | Posted on June 10, 2013 ]

This Japanese peony is stunning in flower, but takes several years to get established.

[ Daylily (Hemerocallis dumortieri) | Posted on June 10, 2013 ]

Earliest blooming daylily I've ever grown

[ Evolvulus Blue My Mind™ | Posted on June 10, 2013 ]

This Evolvulus has the truest blue flowers of any plant I've ever grown, and I've been growing plants for 57 years.

[ Hosta (Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans') | Posted on October 20, 2012 ]

There is a certain beauty in this hosta's leaves, even as it goes dormant for the winter.

[ Rose (Rosa 'Carefree Beauty') | Posted on October 20, 2012 ]

Carefree Beauty has been growing in our gardens since 1979. It is aptly named, never requiring care except a bit of pruning now and then. The Midwest drought of 2012 didn't faze it. It did not receive any supplementary water. It stopped blooming for a month or so, but started in again as soon as we had some beneficial rains in the fall.

[ Amana Radish (Raphanus sativus 'Amana') | Posted on October 3, 2012 ]

Amazing in its variability, the Amana Radish is a fun radish to grow, because the grower never knows with certainty what (s)he will be harvesting. Its color ranges from purple to red to white. The size is highly variable as well. Some radishes will be small and round, others of medium size with irregular shapes, and yet others quite large and sometimes carrot-shaped.

Culture is identical to that of other radishes. It can be sown quite early in spring (cover to thickness of seed), when nighttime lows still dip slightly below freezing. It goes to seed rather quickly and has a tendency to self-sow, so that a second harvest in the fall is often possible without any additional effort on the part of the grower. Seed stalks can be harvested when some of the individual seed capsules on the stalk have turned a light tan color.

Storing quality is unsurpassed. In some Amana families Vielfarbige Rettich are a New Year’s Day tradition. If stored in the crisper drawer of a refrigerator, they will as fresh and crisp on that day as they were the day they were harvested.

This variety was brought from Germany to the Amana villages in Iowa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...) by a group of German Inspirationists.

[ Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris 'Amana') | Posted on October 3, 2012 ]

Typical of many European varieties, this green string bean is flat, as opposed to its more rounded American counterpart. Flavor is delicious and much superior to that of any American rounded variety. Culture is identical to that of other green bean varieties (sow to thickness of seed after danger of frost has passed). Plant rows 4-5 feet apart, as plants have a greater tendency to vine than most American varieties. Seeds may be harvested in late summer or fall, after the pods have lost their green color. Other varieties of green beans should not be grown in the same garden (or should be planted as far away as possible), if seed is to be harvested.

This variety was brought from Germany to the Amana villages in Iowa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...) by a group of German Inspirationists.

[ Onion (Allium cepa 'Ebenezer') | Posted on October 3, 2012 ]

This is a popular onion in the Northeast and Upper Midwest because of its winter keeping qualities. It was introduced by the Amana Inspirationists who brought it to the Amana villages in Iowa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...) after a brief sojourn at Ebenezer, New York. Oral tradition has it that huge surpluses in the Ebenezer kitchen gardens resulted in the sale of this onion on the nearby Buffalo, NY, market. Its popularity was quickly established because of its superb keeping qualities over winter. It is occasionally still available through such well-known firms as Burpee Seeds. Whether its counterpart in Germany still survives is not known.

Culture is identical to other varieties. (Onion production is a three-stage process. Mature onions planted in spring produce seed, which is harvested in summer. The following spring, the seed is planted to its thickness and produces small onions called “sets.” These are harvested in late summer and stored in a cool, dark place over winter. Sets planted the next spring produce mature onions.) The mature onion is yellow, of medium size, and has a semi-mild flavor.

[ Lettuce (Lactuca sativa 'Eiersalaat') | Posted on October 2, 2012 ]

This unique leaf lettuce variety is a vegetable brought to the Amana villages in Iowa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...) by a group of German Inspirationists and is known locally as "egg lettuce," because it was usually served in Amana communal kitchens with bits of hard-boiled egg in the dressing. Leaves are almost completely yellow in color, very tender, with a slight buttery flavor and texture. Other advantages include heat resistance, slowness in bolting, and retarded development of bitterness.

Culture is identical to other lettuce varieties. (plant to thickness of seed in early spring) Seed stalks may be harvested after they begin to turn brown. Left in the garden over winter, this lettuce often self-sows in the spring.

[ Black Salsify (Scorzonera hispanica) | Posted on October 2, 2012 ]

Schwarzwurzel ("black root") is a vegetable brought to the Amana villages in Iowa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...) by a group of German Inspirationists and is still a popular vegetable in German gardens today. Amana folks prepared it by scraping the black skin from the root (in carrot fashion) and simmering it in water or stock, perhaps with onions added, the liquid being thickened to a sauce before serving. The flavor is unique, mild, and delicious. It is quite unlike the American salsify or "oyster root."

Sow in spring and cover to thickness of seed. Roots will be ready to harvest in fall before the ground freezes. At the grower's discretion, roots may be left in the ground to winter over, providing both seed and a larger root the following year. The seeds are harvested when a fluffy down appears on the seed head.

[ Ponderosa Lemon (Citrus x limon 'Ponderosa') | Posted on October 1, 2012 ]

I ordered this Ponderosa lemon from a comic book at age 15. It has been with me for 56 years! I've kept it a manageable size by pruning both stems and roots. It currently resides year round in our barroom under a grow light. I hand pollinate whenever it blooms. We're still getting lemons. The first lemon it produced weighed 2 1/4 pounds!

[ Mexican Petunia (Ruellia simplex) | Posted on September 30, 2012 ]

I grow this plant in a pot in Iowa, where it has zero chance of escaping.

[ Bugleweed (Ajuga incisia Frosted Jade) | Posted on September 28, 2012 ]

Flowers are a beautiful shade of blue.

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