Topic: HSL seeds

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've just received my Seed Guardian seeds. There's an Estonian ridge cucumber, Izjastsnoi (I've no idea how to pronounce that!), which they say seems to be 'very tolerant of poor treatment and cool temperatures', so it may turn out to be a good one for our climate. A climbing French bean, Brejo, is apparently a Native American heirloom. It's said to 'do well in wet springs', so again a potential winner. Then there's Mummy's Pea, one of several that the ancient Egyptian myth attaches to. I already have a few seeds of King Tut, which seems to be another of these.

Egypt came under British domination after the Napoleonic Wars, and the first modern Egyptologists followd shortly afterwards. In no time, people were cashing in on all the publicity for ancient Egypt. Credulous tourists were sold peas which had been 'discovered' inside mummies, and seed merchants back home were soon offering peas with similar claims.

The remains of peas actually were discovered in Tutankhamun's tomb when it was excavated in 1922, and the myth transferred itself to this, with peas from the tomb supposedly having germinated. In fact, as you might expect, conditions in Egyptian tombs are not satisfactory for long-term seed storage. No seed from such a tomb has ever been found in a viable state, though a 2000-year-old Judean date palm from a dig in Palestine has been germinated, and found to be genetically quite different from any known date palm.

I suspect - though I don't know - that the various 'mummy peas' go back to the pre-Tutankhamun period, and those with variations on the Pharaoh's name come after. King Tut, AKA Prew's Pea (a name which has attached itself to several of these varieties) is grown in the US, and hasn't any history attached that I know of. Mummy's Pea, (also AKA Prew's Pea) comes from Durweston, near Blandford Forum, Dorset. The local gentry are the Portmans, who were friends of Lord Caernavon, who financed the Tutankhamun dig. Peas from Caernavon's kitchen garden may well have been passed on to their head gardener.

According to Rebsie's site, King Tut is a purple podded pea, but the seeds I have don't fit her description, and look like marrowfats. So it's possible that there may be two varieties under this name. Mummy's pea again looks like a marrowfat.

[Mortality]

Oh that's great have fun with those ;)
I love all the history stuff, I lived in Bournemouth for many years and the whole area has a rich Romano-british history.

[Robert_Brenchley]

When I was little we used to go for holidays at Black House at the mouth of Christchurch Harbour but I haven't been back since. I imagine there would be a lot; I vaguely remember reading about a big villa built before Julius Caesar landed in Kent (I think) by some Romanised aristocrat, but I'm not really up on the area.

[Digeroo]

A climbing French bean, Brejo

I have this as well.    I hope it tolerates dry conditions as well because I am on gravel and things get a bit dry round here. 

The Egyptians are very good at finding business opportunities I am sure that they would have found it not impossible to weave tales about peas from tombs. 

[Jayb]

I remember being tempted by Brejo, they sounded very good, but I can't remember what I put down and they have not arrived yet :(

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine only took a few days so hopefully you'll have yours shortly.

[Jayb]

I hope so, they keep forgetting me!

[Robert_Brenchley]

When did you send off your form? They forgot me, but responded very fast when I Emailed.

[Jayb]

Not that long ago, just it took 3 requests to get the forms in the first place! I'll email at the end of the week if they have not arrived. I'm quite excited to see if I got my choices and what they were!

[Robert_Brenchley]

It took me two requests, so you're not alone.

[Jayb]

 ;D
Good to know and makes me feel better. I had to ask for my seed catalogue twice two, and then the onion seeds were wrong, they were either cucumber or melon. But they were lovely when I phoned and they sent me (I hope) the right ones!

[Jayb]

Seeds arrived today  :)

Doug Bray of Grimsby, a white flowered tall wrinkled pea which was grown back in 1840's
Jembo Polish bean, originally from Abundant Life seeds. Very tall with purple flowers, large streaked pods with brown/black seeds. Good whole or shelled. They look very pretty,looks like someone has been painting stripes on  them.
Tomato Aranyalma, which I believe is a yellow cherry sized fruit of good flavour.