Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: saddad on December 10, 2011, 14:56:07
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Has arrived... I'm going to go away and drool :)
;D
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OHHHH..I've been wondering when its going to come..you have some fun..mine haven't come yet.. ::)
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Mine's arrived today ;D
Are there any guardians on here BTW? Just wondered what is involved.
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Me, but I don't claim to be very successful. I grew Boothby's Blond cucumbers for them this year, and got very little seed due to poor pollination. Another time I'll hand pollinate, but I didn't realise it might be needed if I wasn't bagging the flowers. The peas I grew didn't so very well either. All you do is grow it out and return the bulk of the seed crop.
I notice they have Daubenton's seed. I've emailed them to try to get more details; it'll be interesting to see how it compares to the sterile strains. They do seem to produce seed now and then, so maybe some have been selected for this.
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Mine's arrived today ;D
Are there any guardians on here BTW? Just wondered what is involved.
Yes, I am a guardian for Crimson Radish, and Buffalo Horn Tomato [the slowest tomato in the world, never again], and various others including a few beans.
You just grow the lot out for them, take a few for yourself [which I don't usually] and return the lot to them for members to choose in years to come.
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Yes..I'm guardian too..I grew British wonder peas and Deep Purple Beefsteak tomato this year..both did well.
Just wondered what is involved. Once you 'sign up' to save seeds for them..they will send a list of varieties that needs seeds saving for. You pick few option and they will send two for you to grow. Instructions will be provided and all they ask that you will send more seeds back (hopefully) that you originally received for sowing. There is also a form to fill in with the seeds you send back in which they ask few questions about how your growing did go on etc.
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So by grow out you mean you let them go to seed, but maybe taste a few (so that you can describe it for the catalogue)? ie you need space enough to grow a crop you will not get to eat.
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Yes, but you keep enough seed to grow a crop for yourself the next year. Depending on what it is, it needn't take up too much room. I grow a lot of things for seed, as I bulk up seeds I get in swaps before I try to get a serious crop.
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I've picked!!!
Turnip black sugar sweet- had it this year it's brill!
Tomato snow white cherry
Squash sucrette
Broad bean Crimson flowered
French Hutterite soup
Leek Hannibal
what are you choosing? ;D
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Me too...
Red Peach Tomato
Pea Table Talk and Ultra U
Cauli Winter Queen
Turnip Kaskinauris
Lettuce Loos Tennis Ball
:)
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Saddad..Kaskinauris is originally grown in Eastern Finland where the country folk cleared forrest areas for growing crops. That turnip was first crop to follow the burning of the woodbrash and undergrowth...so if you have some wood ash to get rid..sprinkle plenty of that instead of lime on ground and you'll get yourself self some tasty and sweet little turnips that are just looovely when cooked whole inside tin foil..originally they would have buried their turnips into still hot ashes and let them cook slowly..once cooked they would have cut half and scooped the soft insides out of charred skins and and eaten them with butter..mmmmmm. ;D
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David, I have 'Red Peach' tomato seeds if you want to save yourself a choice.....
Pumpkinlover; I grew the 'Hannibal' leek this year and was very impressed...... ;D
Still drooling over my choices...... :-\
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As a newbie what does HSL stand for ? What am I missing as there is a lot of drooling going on !! ;D
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HSL=heritage seed library
here is link for more info.. http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/index.php (http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/index.php)
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I've already posted it back Deb... but if I don't get it I'll scrounge... :)
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I'm taking my time; I won't make up my mind for a couple of weeks.
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Red Peach is in my experience susceptible to crossing... and looses it's furry-ness... I will be growing it in isolation once I have new seed. :-X
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I still haven't received my cataloque.. :(..have you all had yours? I'm I the only one that have been left out.. :'(
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I'm sure it will be along shortly...
It's my favourite Christmas present if the order turns up before the day! :)
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I have got mine but last year it was very late. Already chosen and returned.
Rather taken by the purple podded runner bean. Being able to find the pods has been on my wish list, I shall hopefully introduce it to a suitable mate in my runner bean breeding experiments.
Also gone for a huge broad bean, though staking the plants will be a bit of a drag.
I always look forward to my lucky dip packet, because so far however carefully I choose it is the lucky dip which does the best.
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OHHH NOOO..you are getting my knickers in twist with your torture..describing all those lovely veg that you've picked... ::) I want my cataloque! ...no patience left in me and I still have to wait till 24th to open my pressies.. ::) ;D
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saddad all tomatoes are susceptible to crossing not just red peach.
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the hsl library of seeds it so limited I prefer baker creek and sese
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I was like you last year I was really champing at the bit but I still actually got all my choices. Perhaps they rotate the mailings.
I thought there were different flower shapes in tomatoes which made some more susceptible than others to playing away.
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/seed_saving/ssg12_tomatoes.php
I am not convinced that the no of varieties held by HSL is limited they do not offer all their varieties every year. They have also been checked out for our climate.
I suppose the biggest problem is that you only get 7 packets per year, but with seed swaps it is possible to increase that quite a lot.
My rather unusual growing conditions makes it very important to find varieties which will cope with them well.
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the hsl library of seeds it so limited
Plainleaf..it is not all about the choice of seeds ..lot of us also want be part of good organisation that is looking after our heritage veg. The yearly membership that allow you to choose those 'free' veg seeds would make chosen packets rather expensive if it would be just about 'buying'.
Yes..the choice maybe limited compared those companies you mentioned but HSL does have lot varieties in their 'care'..they just don't 'advertise' all their seeds at once. Each year they give slightly different selection out for us to choose from while the seeds that they don't have enough stock are still grown for future releases. Work goes on....
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As climate change looms the advantages of having a large gene pool of vegetables may become important.
But thanks for reminding me of Bakers Creek they have a 6ft tall fava bean.
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I nearly went for the BB myself, but asked for the red-seeded one in the end. Either would have been a useful addition to a mix I'm planning.
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OHHH NOOO..you are getting my knickers in twist with your torture..describing all those lovely veg that you've picked... ::) I want my cataloque! ...no patience left in me and I still have to wait till 24th to open my pressies.. ::) ;D
I was in your situation last year Goodlife, everyone on here was putting in their orders and my catalogue had not come!
I still got everything I asked for, so you should be ok.
You did check you have paid and still a member by the way ;)
.....Only teasing ;D
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You did check you have paid and still a member by the way
.....Only teasing Hah..funny, funny.. ;D Yes..I've dug out whole lot of papers and receipt to see that I haven't been that 'silly'.. ::) I can confirm that I have paid it all.. ;D
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I joined the Alpine Garden Society online the first year and then forgot to renew, when I phoned up to ask why something had not turned up it transpired my membership had expired! :-[ :-[ :-[
Now pay by Direct debit, no forgetting.
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Mine's by direct debit, too. (With my memory....!)
Catalogue seen to and order sent. I rather fancy the big brutish broad beans, too. And I can thoroughly recommend the purple-flowered broad beans - I've been growing them for years now and I think they've got a far better flavour than the modern types. My saved seed has been distributed all over the allotments!
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That's what it's all about!
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I got it, I got it! (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy093.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)... ;D
All picked and ready to post.
I bet when I sit down later on with that cataloque and have thorough read, I wish that I would have picked 'this and that' instead.. ::)
But there was sooo many that I really really wanted that it was difficult to choose.
My no1 wishes were Wesphalian kale, Black sugar sweet turnip, Kenilworth tomato, Harrold Idle..Jayes and Tabletalk peas.
Ah...now I only have to do is wait patiently and see what turns up.. ::)
I'm off to take dog for walk and see if she likes the letter box.. ;) ;D
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I think having to make 18 choices is mental torture... :-X
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I could easily make 18 choices if I could get them all..but trying to make 6 'must have' 1st choices is the difficult one.. ::)
I surprised myself for not being too tempted with getting more tomatoes this year.. ;D I think those urges are well satisfied with this years swaps.. ;D..not that I could refuse any other swaps for more toms.. :-X ;D
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With the exception of "Red Peach" choosing tomatoes would have resulted in my spending a long time under the patio... :o
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;D ;D..surely not..when I met your wife this summer..she seemed very nice.
Or would you have gone under patio voluntarily?..dug your own hole.. ;D ;D..she have trained you well..;)
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It would be a one-way trip.... and I wouldn't book the ticket... :-X
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When I pick from the Alpine Garden and Scottish Rock garden seedswops it is similar, you have to pick three times the number of seeds which you will actually get.
I can see why they do it that way, but for us early birds (so usually do get first choices- or pick non rareties) it does make it hard to pick!
Of course when folks start saying how much they want a variety that you havn't picked then you start to qustion yourself!!
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It's the same with any swap, but there's always next year!
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One of the good things about the HSL is that the list does change from year to year. You never know what gems are going to turn up next! There are 170 varieties in the current catalogue, and since most of them aren't on sale anywhere, it's definitely not to be sneezed at!
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It would be a one-way trip.... and I wouldn't book the ticket... :-X
is that what she'd tell the people .....just a trip ;D ;D
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Sometimes it can be frustrating because you reject something which then does not turn up again for years.
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That's when A4A steps in with the wonerful seed swops on here ;D
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I'm still hoping mine arrive for the big day... :)
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I got my Xmas present today. Got all my first choices. The big question as always is whether I can find them when it comes to the time to sowing them.
Got quite a variety this year not many CFB I seem to be able to pick those up in seed swaps.
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I got my Xmas present today. Got all my first choices. The big question as always is whether I can find them when it comes to the time to sowing them.
Got quite a variety this year not many CFB I seem to be able to pick those up in seed swaps.
You've got yours already? Brilliant. Enjoy. Hope my choices will come soon too.
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Just got mine today as well - all first choices. Two types of red broad bean which I am most excited about!
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Mine came today- got all my choices and tomato Aranylama ;D
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Well the post has been but no special pressie for me... :'( :'( :'(
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[img width= height=]http://yoursmiles.org/msmile/sad/m1524.gif[/img] (http://yoursmiles.org/m-sad.php)
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Well the post has been but no special pressie for me... :'( :'( :'(
here neither ... never mind. Better to unpack seed goodies without all the hubbub of Christmas ....
have a very happy one all the same. :)
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Mine came this morning. One substitution; Madeley kale for Mummy's Pea, but never mind, I'm always glad of an old kale. They're piling up in the freezer at the moment, until I get the hang of saving seed from them. I think I can probably do two varieties a year, by using old net curtains to isolate them. If covering them alternately doesn't work, the next stage will be to use blowflies as pollinators under the curtains.
What I've ended up with is Daubenton's kale (really exciting since it may be a fourth variety), Westphalian kale, Madeley kale, Red Bristow's broad bean (for my mix), Dun Pea and Holland Capucijner Pea.
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got mine today
Beetroot - avon early
cabbage -southampton wondder
Kale asparagus
pea table talk
toamto polish giant
letuce liller and the bonusof madeley kale
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I've still yet to make my decision! Aarrrgggghhhh. The daubenton kale is tempting......
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Still not landed here... :'(
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Nothing here neither..but postie keeps dropping never ending seed catalogues through letter box.. ::)
..not quite the same thing.. :-\
I'm just in the middle of the cold and not feeling doing much other than lying down and reading..at least I can keep leafing through the catalogue pages, dreaming of all those beautiful veg that I'm going to grow by the ton..soon ;D
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I've still yet to make my decision! Aarrrgggghhhh. The daubenton kale is tempting......
They told me it's hard to get it to set seed - I should ask how they did it - and it's normally propagated vegetatively. I should have cuttings at some point; the seed's in the deep freeze already, with my other rare brassicas.
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I've still yet to make my decision! Aarrrgggghhhh. The daubenton kale is tempting......
Me too, though by the time I've made up my mind.........
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It's landed...
got everything I asked for and Jeyes pea... as a lucky dip... ;D
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Pleased for you Saddad :) - still waiting ..........................
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Mine arrived this morning too..and as Saddad..all first choices and Jeyes peas.. ;D
Does anybody know what sort of pea Jeyes is?
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I'll look it up in the catalogue... if it's a shorty does anybody want them? :-\
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Ah..just saw it..its climber. I flicked the cataloque through bit too quickly in first time.. ::)
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I've been told they just planted the Daubenton's and left it; after three years it finally produced seed. Evidently you need to be patient with the stuff!
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Ah..just saw it..its climber. I flicked the cataloque through bit too quickly in first time.. ::)
I'm keeping it then... ;D
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Mine arrived this morning too..and as Saddad..all first choices and Jeyes peas.. ;D
Does anybody know what sort of pea Jeyes is?
Tall shelling pea, lasts quite well into warmer weather. Grows well for us here.
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Very happy today! They have arrived here too. All first choices and the lucky dip was a second choice (boothby blonde cucumber).
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I've asked for Jeyes peas too. trouble is I was nearly put off by the name, can't help but think of Jeyes Fluid :-X
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I've asked for Jeyes peas too. trouble is I was nearly put off by the name, can't help but think of Jeyes Fluid :-X
I believe that this is no coincidence. I vaguely remember reading something aeons ago that the same company used to sell seeds.
Also that there is a pea listed in Vilmorin's vegetable variety books of over 100 years ago called 'jeyes conqueror'. There might have been other peas with the Jeyes prefix in the name, no guarantee that our Jeyes pea was called 'Jeyes Conqueror'. Names do often get corrupted with the passage of time, but all this hints very strongly that our Jeyes pea from HSL is indeed a very old variety.
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Very happy today! They have arrived here too. All first choices and the lucky dip was a second choice (boothby blonde cucumber).
That was a good lucky dip result... :)
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Jeyes Pees now that reminds me of the school loos. ::)
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Thanks Galina, any info is always appreciated
and Digeroo ::) ::) :D
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Really pleased :0 ) Got all my first choices and an extra Kale Madeley...which I will need to read up on.
I got
Major Cookes Bean (Really wanted this one !!!)
Pea Robinson (same!)
Runner Bean Jerusalem
Tomato Golden Grape (meant to be really sweet and prolific)
DFB Emperor of Russia (meant to be delicious)
Crimson Flowered Broad Bean
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Possibly looks like I have left this a bit late - only posting my order today! ::)
Oh well whatever I get from HSL always is worth growing. :)
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You should still be OK... they once had a mail problem and I had to re-send in February and I still got my choices... :)
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Two years ago I wasn't getting all my HSL mail and it was (I think) second week in February I sent mine in. I still got lovely things :)
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I originally joined in March (I think), got my order in just before the deadline anyway, and got all my choices.
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Got mine this morning as well, they must have done a massive post out!
Pea 'Ultra U' was my lucky dip packet, also got all of my other first choices too:
Tomatoes 'Polish Giant'' and 'Enorma/Potentate' (thought they might be good for the biggest tomato competition!)
Pepper 'Long Green Buddha'
Pea: 'Clarke's Beltony Blue'
CFB's 'Sarah's Old Fashioned Black' and 'Ryders Top O' the Pole'
Happy bunny here....... ;D
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Again... we have "Top of the Pole"... you could have had some... and they aren't kidding... always get to the top of the 8' canes and half way down again.. :)
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Major Cookes Bean (Really wanted this one !!!)
Pea Robinson (same!)
Runner Bean Jerusalem
Hector, glad you got yours and varieties you really wanted.
I wondered about 'runner' bean Jerusalem - it is listed under runner beans, ie phaseolus coccineus, but the description says that it is a half-runner from the USA. Now American half-runners are usually half-tall French beans, ph vulgaris, and not what we call a runner bean. I wondered whether this one is a French bean after all.
There is a lot of confusion language-wise about the term 'runner bean' on either side of the pond. :(
When you grow it, could you please see whether the seed leaves (cotyledons) stay at ground level (like genuine runnerbeans do) or whether they are an inch or so up the stem (which is a sign that this bean is a French bean)?
Just curious ... :)
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Read the HSL catalogue this morning again ;D in particular the article on peas by Vicky Cooke on page 10. She writes that the flowers on 'Holland Capucijners' are scented. Scented flowers on an edible pea?
Has anybody grown this variety and how strong was the scent compared to sweet peas?
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So, I posted off my request on Tuesday, and guess what arrived this morning ;D
I got 5 of my first choices: Asparagus Kale, Long White Trailing Marrow, Robinson Pea, Golden Grape Tomato and Mummy's Pea, and my second choice Baby Gazzi Tomato instead of Ryder's Midday Sun. My lucky dip was Aranyalma Tomato.
So if anyone out there is tempted to join, but is leaving it till later in the year so you don't miss out, go for it now, there's still time ;D
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I know Vicki and I might well see her tonight, I'll ask her :D
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I know Vicki and I might well see her tonight, I'll ask her :D
thankyou CC :)
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I got my first choices too, the catalogue arrived and the order was on it;s way back a hour later..
They post me the catalogue and magazine but my seeds are sent to a cheery UK friend who posts them on..thank you again
Good growing folks
XX Jeannine
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Spoke to Vicki but she looked bemused and said that someone else had written that bit.... she couldn't recall a scented-flowered edible pea.... sorry....
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Thanks again for asking. I haven't ever noticed a scented edible pea either. Broad beans on the other hand can be exquisitely fragrant. Maybe there was a 'mis-recollection' somewhere. :)
Spoke to Vicki but she looked bemused and said that someone else had written that bit.... she couldn't recall a scented-flowered edible pea.... sorry....
Elsie, good to know for anybody who is still considering becoming a member of HSL for this year. Nice choices. :)