seeds-msg – 1/20/08
Sources for period plants and seeds.
NOTE: See also the files: spices-msg, herbs-msg, p-herbals-msg, rue-msg, woad-msg, saffron-msg, lavender-msg, herb-uses-msg, spice-storage-msg.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
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Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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TO: Caitlin niConair
FROM: Etaoin
SUBJECT: woad
You were asking about a supplier for woad. Richters, of Goodwood Ontario,
is a good supplier for many unusual seeds. They supply woad seeds (as
well as weld, dyers broom, alkanet, coreopsis, madder and a number of
other dye plants). Woad seeds are inexpensive ($2.50 per package, 1988
prices) and they will ship to Canada or USA. They accept VISA and
Mastercard and you can phone or fax your order to them. Their catelogue
is about $2.00 and is very interesting. They can be reached at: (416)
640-6677 between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, Mon to Sat (phone) or fax to
(416)640-6641 24 hours a day with credit card orders. Their address is
Richters, Goodwood, Ontario Canada, L0C 1A0. I've ordered from them
several times, they seem like a good supplier.
* Origin: The Homestead * TORONTO, ONT * (416) 272-4067 * (1:259/415)
Subj: period roses
Date: 18 May 92
From: EPSTEIN at ksuvm.ksu.EDU (Emily Epstein)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Greetings from Alix Mont de fer.
Not too long ago it was brought to my attention that period roses were
available locally at, of all places, K-Mart. The variety is called Austrian
Copper (Rosa Foetida Bicolor), which, according to the Roses of Today and
Yesterday 1992 catalog, grows 4-5 ft. high, is winter hardy (no protection
needed) in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and "dislikes being fussed over". According
to David Austin (_The_Heritage_of_the_Rose_, Antique Collector's Club, 1988
ISBN1-85149-020-5, p.345) it was grown in the Arab world as early as the 12th
century, although both the catalog and the K-mart package simply call it
pre-1590.
I purchased one last year from Roses of Today and Yesterday but planted it
too late for bloom. It was the first of my roses to bloom this spring. The
flowers are very pretty, single, with the front of the petals a deep orange-red
and the back yellow. The smell is different from most roses, but pleasant.
I took one to a shire meeting and passed it around. The most frequently used
word was "spicy". In fact, Lady Tamara went so far as to say "It smells more
like food than like flowers."
The bushes at K-mart are cheaper than the one I bought by mail, priced at
$6.27. The price should go down soon, as it's getting late in the season.
If the K-Mart in Manhattan, Kansas carries this variety, I'm sure others
throughout the U.S. do too.
I purchased 7 old roses from Roses of Yesterday and Today last year, including
Rosa Mundi, Apothecary Rose, Autumn Damask, Musk Rose and White Rose of York.
Despite being planted late, they all made it through a hot and drouthy Kansas
summer and a hard spring freeze with minimum fuss. All but 2 are blooming now.
The catalog is very descriptive, with detailed information on size, care and
history, and black and white illustrations. Each year's cover features an
arrangement of assorted roses in full color, with a tracing-paper key that can
be laid over it. Prices range from $8.75-$10.00. The catalog itself costs
$3.00. The address is: Roses of Yesterday and Today, Inc., 802 Brown's Valley
Road, Watsonville, CA 95076.
<=========>
Alix Mont de fer |=======|
(Emily Epstein) |* * * *|
Shire of Spinning Winds XXXXXXX
(Manhattan, KS) VVVVV
YYY
epstein at ksuvm.ksu.edu |
|||
XXXXXXX
From: JLC at vax2.utulsa.EDU (JENNIFER CARLSON)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Skirrets (was Re: Feast Menus)
Date: 17 Nov 1993 17:33:12 -0500
Skirrets, as His Grace Cariadoc pointed out, generally cannot be found in
American markets. HOWEVER: If you like gardening and period food plants, I
know of THE seed catalog you'll want: Nichols Garden Nursery Herbs and Rare
Seeds catalog.
Nichols carries seeds for a good number of hard-to-find vegetables and herbs
that are called for in period recipes, like skirrets, lovage, lady's mantle,
and salsify. They also carry laurel trees, hop root cuttings, and saffron
crocus bulbs, as well as dried herbs, essential oils, books, and brewing and
winemaking supplies.
You can get their catalog by writing or calling:
Nichols Garden Nursery
1190 North Pacific Highway
Albany, Oregon 97321-4598
(503)928-9280
Many thanks to His Grace for the recipes!
Yours in service,
Dunstana Talana the Violet
Northkeep, Ansteorra
Jennifer Carlson
Tulsa, Oklahoma
JLC at vax2.utulsa.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: ritchiek at sage.cc.purdue.edu (unknown)
Subject: Re: flax seed
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1993 17:08:48 GMT
To those interested in finding flax seed ect. try
Richters in I believe Ontario Canada. I know its Canada anyway.
They have seeds for flax, Woad, Saffron ect. all kinds of herbs ect.
I don't have the address here at work today but could get it if you need
it. -Isabeau Pferdebandiger, Barony of Rivenstar, Middle
From: hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: flax seed
Date: 30 Nov 1993 05:20:20 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
gary van lingen <gvanlin1 at mach1.wlu.ca> wrote:
>My partner and I have decided to try growing flax but need to find locations
>where the seed can be purchased (the average seed store not stocking said
>seed on anywhere approaching a regular basis). If other flax growers are on
>the Net, could you please post where you get your seed. Thanks.
When I grew a flax crop, I got the seed from my local health-food store.
I have no idea what the store thought they were selling it for (how does
one normally eat flax seed?) but the stuff was completely unprocessed
and germinated enthusiastically. The other advantage to this source is
that the seed is amazinly cheap by the pound!
Keridwen ferch Morgan Glasfryn/Heather Rose Jones
From: jab2 at stl.stc.co.uk (Jennifer Ann Bray)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: flax seed
Date: 30 Nov 93 09:22:48
Organization: STC Technology Ltd., London Road, Harlow, UK.
Apparently the fax seed from health food stores is not as good for
fibres as the stuff bred specifically for linen production.
If anyone wants to grow flax specifically for fibre and not for
linseed oil the magazine "spin off" in Summer 1992 did a whole load of
articles on flax cultivation preparation and spinning. (no, I'm
nothing to do with the magazine apart from reading the odd issue)
They also carried and advertising feature with names and addresses of
suppliers of seeds and tools as given below.
Jennifer
Vanaheim Vikings
***********************************************************************
Suppliers of flax seeds for fibre:
Abundant life seed Foundation,
P.O. Box 772
Port Townsend
Washington 98368
(Variety = 'cascade')
Mavis Atton,
The Shepherds Den,
Irish Blocks road RR1,
Annan,
Ontario,
Noh 1Z0,
Canada
(Variety = 'Natasia')
Euroflax,Inc.,
Box 241,
Rye,
New York 10580
(variety = 'viking')
Landis Valley Museum Heritage Seed Project
2451 Kissel Hill Road,
Lancaster,
Pennsylvania 17601
(Variety = 'Ariane')
Dale Liles,
2142 Cherokee Blvd.,
Knoxville,
Tennessee 37919
(heirloom variety)
Otto Richter's
Goodwood,
Ontario
LOC 1A0,
Canada
(Variety = 'Regina')
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange,
P.O. Box158,
North Garden,
Virginia 22959
(varietys = 'Ariane' and 'Norfolk Queen')
SUPPLIERS OF FLAX PROCESSING TOOLS
write for info. & price lists
Glimakra,
1388 Ross Street,
Petaluma,
California 94954
Alden Amos,
11178 Upper Previtali Road,
Jackson,
California 95642
From: powers at cis.ohio-state.edu (william thomas powers)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: flax seed
Date: 30 Nov 1993 11:05:14 -0500
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science
Remember that flax has been bred for two different uses:
oil, linseed oil
Fibre, line flax
If you want to grow flax to process and spin DO NOT get seed for an
oil producing variety.
Caveat: the seeds from line flax can be used to produce oil and
the oil producing flax can be processed for fibre; but
the fibre is not nearly as nice. (look up "tow")
wilelm, married to a spinster
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: hwt at bcarh11a.bnr.ca (Henry Troup)
Subject: Heritage Seeds (was Re: flax seed)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Canada
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1993 14:36:27 GMT
In article <CH642L.9wD at mach1.wlu.ca>, gvanlin1 at mach1.wlu.ca (gary van lingen) writes:
|> My partner and I have decided to try growing flax but need to find locations
In Canada, Richter's Herbs, Goodwood, Ontario.
They mail order to the rest of the world.
This information from Dave Platt, dplatt at ntg.com:
These varieties aren't easy to find in the commercial seed catalogs...
but there are a number of smaller companies which carry them.
Here are some companies I've dealt with:
Seeds Blum
Idaho City Stage
Boise, Idaho
Good selection early in the season; they often sell out of many popular
varieties of heirloom vegetables by February. Order *EARLY*... I
ordered on 1/4/90 and got my order promptly, but a couple of years ago I
ordered in February and didn't get my seeds until early April. They
tend to get very badly backlogged, and are hard to reach on the phone.
It's too late to order from them for this planting season... but you
could request a catalog next fall and order for next year's season.
Abundant Life
P.O. Box 772
Port Townsend WA 98368
Smaller selection than Seeds Blum. Good service, the times I've ordered
from them. They have some short-growing-season, cool-weather tomatoes
(e.g. Siberia) which might be well suited to your location.
J.L. Hudson, Seedsman
P.O. Box 1058
Redwood City, CA 94064
[no phone, don't bother asking Information]
Wonderful "World Seed Service" catalog... ornamentals, herbs, and food
plants from all around the planet. Has a small selection of open-
pollenated vegetable seeds, and a collection of seeds collected among
the Zapotec Indian tribes in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. Good
service, nice folks. Has seeds for Purple Calabash tomatoes... a
variety which must be seen to be disbelieved (it's INCREDIBLY ugly) and
tasted to be appreciated (the most tomato flavor I've encountered to
date).
Redwood City Seed Company
Redwood City, CA
I don't have their street address handy; they do have a phone
in the 415 area code.
Decent selection of open-pollenated varieties, and other useful plants.
All of these companies are small, and would certainly appreciate your
sending a dollar or two for their catalogs.
Also worth having is a catalog from
Gardens Alive!
5100 Schenley Place
Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
(812) 537-8650
This is an excellent one-stop source for gardeners who want to purchase
pre-blended organic fertilizers, diatomaceous earth, Safer insectidical
soap, beneficial insects, milky spore, cover-crop seeds, botanically-
derived insecticides, BT, Tanglefoot, sticky-traps, pheromone traps,
floating row covers, bee attractant, and other garden-without-
poisoning-the-whole-neighborhood materials. The catalogs are very
informative; several times a year they include pictures of common
insect pests and diseases, and describe low-impact ways of dealing with
same. The prices are good... more often than not they're lower than
prices for similar products at local stores (when the stores even have
them).
--
Henry Troup - H.Troup at BNR.CA (Canada) - BNR owns but does not share my opinions
From: Lhiannan at f42.n280.z1.fidonet.org (Lhiannan)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: flax seed
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1993 07:31:00 -0500
-=> Quoting Heather Rose Jones to All <=-
> In article <CH642L.9wD at mach1.wlu.ca>,
> gary van lingen <gvanlin1 at mach1.wlu.ca> wrote:
>My partner and I have decided to try growing flax but need to find locations
HRJ> When I grew a flax crop, I got the seed from my local health-food
HRJ> store. I have no idea what the store thought they were selling it for
Um. Well, it depends on what you want the flax for. If you want to grow
it for the seed, the health-food store variety is great. But if you want
fiber . . . The varieties used to grow flax for seed are only about 18" tall.
I did some tests with growing flax from different sources a couple of
years ago. The health-food store variety and the stuff the university
Agronomy dept. gave me were both seed-type and were very short. The
third source I used was from a seed company advertising heirlooms. It
grew about 3' tall. My dad says he remembers flax growing 6' in 'his day.'
Now, of course, you want the name of the company, don'tcha? I can't find
it, but I'll look again when I've had some sleep.
Lhiannan
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: period edible plants
From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honur Horne-Jaruk)
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 93 11:00:48 EST
Organization: I'll take a triple serving, please
Keywords: seeds of change
Summary: Adress and much more on Period plants
Respected Friends:
I lost the original post asking for info on modern sources for
period plants, and my reply, to a carnivorous program. I'm trying again.
For period fruit: Miller nurseries advertise in every gardening
publication. They sell, along with many other marvelous antique varieties,
a genuine, no joke, documented pre-1600 apple tree-- the Gillyflower. It's
very aromatic, sweet, and soft-fleshed. I suspect it was originally
prized for producing unparalleled sweet (unfermented) cider.
Here in inland NH it always ripens during Pennsic week. (SIGH).
Furthur north/inland, it would be great to come home to; enough further
south/coastal and you could bring Authentic Cider with you for a really
knock'emdead party contribution (Invite Me!) This timing was probably
part of its value, since mid-august is WAY ahead of the NH commercial
crop.
They also sell at least one period rose, called by some nursuries
the `Robin Hood' rose- Rosa Rugosa. the ad calls it `Hardy, profusely
flowering, deliciously fragrant and heavy bearing, with hips the size of
plums.' All true. It is also implacably invasive. Plant one in the middle
of each patch of ornamental bamboo (Southeast kingdoms read Kudzu), then
stand back and take bets. Based on thirty year's experience, I suggest
short odds on the rosebush. In the East it stabilizes/takes over threatened
beaches, since it's perfectly happy to divide and conquer on a diet of
salt and sand... Well, I did warn you.
For non-woody plants, Seeds of Change is only one of a long list
of sources for heirloom plant seed. its adress is
621 Old Santa Fe Trail #10, Santa Fe, NM 87501
It costs three bucks, refunded with order.
But be VERY careful. `heirloom' and `period' are at best vaguely
related terms. You might have much better luck with the small catalogues
of European gourmet veggies! Just one example of the problem (From a '40s
National Geographic): dark red beets and orange carrots are both 1700's
mutations. Pre-1600 carrots were whites and yellows; beets were yellow,
pink, striated and (!)purple.
Megagiant Gurney's Seed, difficult though it may be to believe,
has both yellow and striated beets, both as exclusives. Mother Earth news
issue 116 (may-apr 89) has a list of large & small seed companies on page
55; most of the adresses would still be good. Check last years' Feb-Apr
mags. at your library for more. While you're there the librarian can find
you the old Geographic article, and probably some books, about the origens
and ancestry of food plants. There's just no way to summarize that here,
and the info is very important.
An example of why I belive this, and a perpetual sore point
with me: Favas are the ONLY old world bean, cran- and blue- berries the
ONLY new world bush fruits. If I had a nickel for ever kidney-bean soup
and cranberry bread I've ever had shoved at me, complete with quoted
recipe calling for FAVA beans and BOG berries, in the past 21 years--