Allotments 4 All

Well good for you, you have the canning sorted, now how about making your own sausages, then you can keep a couple of hens, pick your spuds and have good old sausage, egg ands chips, unheard of here by the way.

I still miss England very much still a Yorkshire gal  I especially miss the gardening crowd but what can you do eh.

Have fun in your garden and your kitchen XX Jeannine

Jeannine,  Here is a discussion about Jayb's tomato, where she said that she cannot remember one of the parents.  But I have also posted my photos there of Mydwfa tomato. https://www.growingfoodsavingseeds.co.uk/forum/main-forum/new-channel/779-jayb-s-mydwfa-x

Thank you Jeannine and I hope you can get the Mayoral squash to germinate and to grow again. 

Yes, there were older heritage varieties of dwarf tomatoes around before the dwarf tomato project started in 2005.  Like Silvery Fir Tree, Alpatieva and another with yellowish leaves, the name of which escapes me for the moment.  Both Silvery Fir Tree and Alpatieva Dwarf originate from Russia and they were always small plants.  And probably some more too.  Crossing with existing small varieties was the starting point for the dwarf tomato project.  They are definitely easier to handle in pots and nevertheless give a good yield.  Glad you are still getting a lot of delicious harvests from them. 


The variety that Jayb bred, she simply called My dwarf A, MYDWFA for short.  At most a foot and a half high with striped cherry sized fruit in several colours.  Green with purple stripes, solid purple and red with yellow stripes. 

Here from Tatiana's Tomatobase  https://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Alpatieva_905A
https://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Silvery_Fir_Tree

Dayton Daily News
Sun, Apr 23, 1933 ·Page 21

Hi Galina, I too like Tasmanian Chocolate, My hit this year was Waverley. I tried to concentrate on the ones that were not very tall. around 3feet. I think I have over 20 varieties now, I would have to look to be certain.

Re Mayoral Blue..no I didn't get it on SSE in fact I named it..funny story..

I was on touch with an Australian friend who was in to things that I didn't do , not veggies and I sent a few things over. He asked if I needed anything from OZ and I said yes, there was a winter squash over there that I wanted seeds fromand he got them for me. He happened to mention it at work and a colleague told him of the recent death of a local seed keeper, she was close friends with his daughter and she told him the story of a squash.

A man who sold veggies grew only this one squash annually and had done so for decades, he would not share the seeds and he would only sell the squash itself in halves and he had removed the seeds before he did. It apparently sold very well and he wanted the sales I guess as he apparently was very rigid about this. After his death his daughter found his seed stash including the mystery seeds. My friend asked if it was possible to get any and was told the daughter would be asked..Well, the daughter said yes  and I was sent some of the seeds with a copy of the note that was attached to the mans jar of seeds which said MY blue squash with a brief description.

I shared these original seeds with Tatiana and as the man had been the Mayor of the town he lived in I called the squash  Mayoral Blue as it had to name,Tatiana did grow it and offered the seeds after that but I don;t know how many were sold.

Galina I have some but they are old and I don't know if viable  I don't have many and haven't grown it for some time . I did intend to sow all I had this year in the hope of getting a plant to save seed from and you would be welcome for shares if I manage it.

I am just shopping for the 2025 Dwarf project releases today.

I am confused about the first line of your message.. "both varieties were already in circulation before the actual dwarf project started. I think you mean you had 2 dwarf tomatoes in your circle but they were not Dwarf Project ones.

 Which one of Jays did you have, I sent her the only one I ever personally was responsible for making and I called it Tiny Toes.I twas a sport off a Tommy Toe and turned out a Micro tom.

XX Jeannine

Our A4A seed circle exchanged seeds for two dwarf tomatoes, not just the one.  Except by chance, both varieties were already in circulation before the actual dwarf project had started.  I am also still growing the dwarf tomato that Jayb bred, who unfortunately hasn't been on site here for a long time now.

Of the actual project, Tasmanian Chocolate has got to be my favourite.  Such a brilliant fruit to plant ratio, but it is one of the larger ones and needs quite a big pot if pot grown.  This has always done very well for me in Britain. https://www.dwarftomatoproject.net/product/tasmanian-chocolate/

PS As a complete aside, I wanted to ask you about Mayoral Blue Squash.  I know you gave Tatiana seeds, a very long time ago.  But they are not available anywhere now.  What was your source?  SSE? 

I love your comments, Jeannie, please  don't stop being in touch on A4A.  I haven't 'known' you as long as some other the others on the site, but you live in our kitchen when i'm doing bottling, or canning as  I think you call it.  I was searching the A4A archives (going back nearly 15 years) just now to try and find out when it was you gave me your solid advice on  bottling safely, particularly tomatoes, and just as relevant, figs, and their need for acid.  I've always paid attention to that.  I now bottle tomato sauce with the addition of a little citric acid at the end, and always cook figs in wine, honey and lemon juice first. And I think of you!
   I'm amazed looking through at my posts, just how many photos I put up and how many of my favourite recipes are still there!

Last , apart from 2, I only grew Dwarf Project varieties and it worked out very well for me. I grew about 14 different ones; just one plant of each and had all colors, sizes , shapes, yeilds and of course taste. For me it was great as they were more manageable . I have a lot of the varieties that have been released but I grew all new to me ones last year and found a few real keepers.

XX Jeannine

Hi Cambourne, I am so sorry to hear about your husband, I have only just seen your message as I am not here often .I hope you are doing OK, sending you a greatr big hug   XX Jeannine