Here it is finally….the 2013 catalogue available for your perusal or download.  Please note the item numbers have changed. That is ok, if you are using an old catalogue I will know what you are talking about.  Thanks everyone.

Remember you can preorder for pickup at a seedy event and save shipping costs.  Just send your order by email to smileyo@xplornet.ca and I will send you a paypal request and you can pick it up at the event in Calgary or Edmonton.

I have also made the order form downloadable as well.

Catalogue download: A’bunadh seed catalogue, book 2013

Order form: Order form

Thanks again.

Denise

Well, I am finally working on the 2013 Catalogue which will be available for downloading when I finish.  Thanks to all for your enquiries and interest.  I have not been shipping to the States as people tell me the border confiscates seeds and I don’t think anyone is interested in having that happen.  I will keep you posted if anything changes.  A good way to get them is with a friend who is travelling down.  The border doesn’t seem to have a problem if it is in your luggage, so why do they want to take them away in the post.  I mean, it’s not like they are live plants…..

Anyway, I am working as fast as I can and so far have updated the tomato pages and the squash page.  More to come.  Thanks for your patience.

I will be changing the numbering system of the catalogue this year, but don’t worry, it will not matter how you order.  I will still know what you are talking about if you use the old order numbers and the name of the seeds.

Any who want to pre-order and avoid shipping can contact me by March 10 and I will bring your orders to either Calgary or Edmonton to the Seedy Sunday Events…see below.  Anyone who is looking for seeds other than what I offer can check the Seeds of Diversity website at http://www.seeds.ca or go to Cyndi’s great catalogue listing at http://www.gardenlist.com  Many thanks to her for the link and listing.

Thank you all for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you at the Seedy Saturday in Calgary and Seedy Sunday in Edmonton, the weekend of March 17 and 18th.  For more details see Seedy Sunday events online at http://www.seeds.ca.

Bye for now, Denise

2012 was a great year for growing squash, potatoes, soybeans, peas, beans (both green and dry) and a variety of other things, as you can see!

Here is a picture of our thanksgiving bounty at a friends heavenly acres…

The Peppers she grew in her greenhouse and the squash (orange) is mine.

The very large hubbard squash we ate…it was a small one at 35 lb.!!

This year I am happy to offer both the Blue and Green Hubbard squash, and the following new squash varieties:

Uncle David’s Dakota Dessert (1-2 lb. orange flesh turban type)

Queensland Blue ( 2-4 lb. blue skin, orange flesh)

Australian Butter

Red Warty Thing

Peanut

Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

Shamrock or Triamble Squash

Valenciano Pumpkin

Guatemalan Blue Banana

Pink Banana

Jarradale Pumpkin (stays green, like Cinderella)

Lady Godiva pumpkin (grown for the seeds which are hulless, but these are good eating green pumpkins)

Long Pie Pumpkin

As well as Apple Green Eggplant (limited supply), Gladiator Parsnip, Superschmetz Kohlrabi.

I have Snowball Cauliflower, Utah Celery, Iceberg lettuce, and parsley for sale also.

New tomato varieties:  Striped German, Tiny Tim, Red Beauty, Debarao, OSU Blue, Striped Cavern, Vintage Wine, Caspian Pink, Black Brandywine, Pink Brandywine, Moonglow, Fierette, Belle Star, Quebec 2473, Nova, Marmande, Sweetie, Xina and Portugal

New varieties of Cucumbers – Slicers ( Jaune Dickfleischige, Tendergreen Burpless), and (pickling) Homemade Pickles.

New Peas – Mr. Big, Ne Plus Ultra, Desiree, Triple Treat, Sutton’s Harbinger, Top Pod, Dry Green Round, Spring, King Tut, Russian Sugar, Early Frosty, Sugar Ann, Mammoth Melting Sugar, Cascadia, Oregon Giant and Green Arrow. Reintroduced are Lincoln, Bolero, Mom’s, Laxton’s Progress, Straight Arrow, Super Sugar Snap.

New varieties of Beans – Tung’s Pole, Early Riser, Dwarf Bees, Painted Lady, Baie Verte Indian, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Romano Bush, Romano Pole, Lazy Housewife, Anellino Yellow Pole, Stringless Green Pod, Oma’s Speckled Green Pod, Blue Jay, Blauhilde (re-introduced), Golden Wax, Pepa de Zapallo (more of),  Kentucky Wonder, White Pole, Jade, Lynx and Pisarecka Zlutoluske (re-intro’d).

I grew a good variety of Soybeans which I am happy to introduce, and will offer in limited quantities so everyone can have some….

Grand Forks, Green Envy, and Sayamusume

Broad beans and Favas that I added this year, some in very limited quantities so email and enquire about availability..

Andy’s Broad beans, Small Iluman, Polar, Red Epicure, Black Fava, Sweet Lorane, Golden Lima, Centennial Fava, and Bunyard’s Exhibition.

Unfortunately it was not a great year for garlic, so supply is almost non-existent.  It is planted for next year, so stay tuned and sorry for that.

Thanks to all who have already contacted me for catalogues….remember there is a link right here.  I will endeavor to update the pages soon, but for now if you want a new variety and are unsure about what it is like, email me or do a google search.  All the best, thanks again,

Denise

December 2012

Hey everyone!

The garlic is going into the frozen ground as of April 8, 2012.  Some was planted yesterday and the day before.  Some snow remains on the patch that I plowed off a week ago.  Many cloves are in good shape and we are working on building up the seed stock this year to have more to offer everyone!

We have started peppers, flowers and tomato plants and are following the Old Farmer’s Almanac listing of best days to plant for 2012.  So far it appears to be bang on and plant seeds are responding tremendously.  I will list that here:

March 2012 recommended planting days

Use it and enjoy.

For those planting garlic, I recommend reading the listings on this website….

http://www.garlicfarm.ca/growing-garlic.htm

It is an easy to read and readily linked to printable form listing of what to think about when planting garlic.  We plant in the first week of April.  There are many in Alberta who try the fall planted way, and it depends entirely on you.  I have too much garlic to plant and mulch, so I do the spring planting.  Up to you.  Good luck and keep posted!

Welcome back to the site!!  Happy New Year to all, belated of course!

Our 2011 season was interesting in the garden as many of you may have experienced in Alberta.  We had many late starts, hiccoughs in the road, so to speak, but after a late but sure start whatever did not drown was productive and forgiving.

Our garlic went in April 10-20, which is a full 2 weeks late.  But it could not be helped, as the weather was cold and the ground covered in no less than 2 feet of snow at that point…..we had over 6!  Amazing what 10 days of warm sun will do.

Later in the summer the rest of my garden went in as we had a major building project this year – storage for the seed and garlic harvests.  It will largely consume my summer this year as well as we hurry to finish.

We will be attending the annual Seedy Sunday events at Alberta Avenue Community Hall in Edmonton March 18, and the one in Red Deer March 25.  See us there!

This year we did manage to add Cylinder beets, and 5 different kinds of Carrots as well as some mixes we think you will enjoy.  We had a new kind of dry pea – Kimberley that did well, and a limited harvest of Windsor and Barton Broad beans.  We added Olympia, Igloo and a few other sweet eating pea seeds, and some snap peas as well.  We had a good harvest of onion seeds as well. Check those sections for updates in the coming weeks. 

I am still sorting through the garlic as this year, many kinds drowned out or did not do well for various reasons.  In a wet year there is always the issue of keeping quality and the mice found their way into the storehouse and what they did not chew they rearranged tags on so I am still fixing that mess.  My apologies to all those awaiting news on availability.  I should have more in the coming Month, still in lots of time for planting in April, weather depending, of course!

Make sure to check regularly in Updates and What’s New for 2012 for fresh information from the Garden.

 Alberta Avenue farmer’s Market Seedy Sunday event in Edmonton, March 18, 2012.  This is a great weekly venue to get fresh stuff also, so make sure you get there early.  Their markets are listed on the Alberta Farmer’s Markets site.  We will have all our seeds, garlic, onion sets and farm produce there in March only.  Anyone interested in free-range chickens, turkeys or beef can see our site at

hillanddalefarm.wordpress.com or dependenceday.wordpress.com for more information.

See you there!!

Hey there local and loyal customers – What’s new in 2011?  The harvest is in for this year. Thanks to all who made the garlic festival a success!  We had a wonderful day full of sunshine, friends, sharing and of course, fresh produce and Garlic galore.  Orders are still coming in from people wanting garlic and we are running low, so if you want some, say so soon.

The seeds are saved and waiting for anyone who wishes to order.  We had a good year for most things and all are in the cold storage bin.  We grew some great watermelons and cantelopes this year, and we are thankful for the rains when they came and the sun that lasted long enough to harvest all the wheat and bale up the straw.  The bins are full and we are stocked for winter!

Keep in mind to visit the sister site hillanddalefarm.wordpress.com to see about your orders for meat or chicken, and other produce and to check up on our local goodness.

As a side note…those interested in off-the-grid living can check into my daughters site at dependenceday.wordpress.com  She is 16 and is building her own house out of straw and logs.  I am so proud of her and all her accomplishments.  Check it out and feel free to comment.

Also please check out this new independent film entitled Food, Inc.  IT is a good look at the need for more locally grown produce and the power individuals have to control their own destiny in the marketplace.  It is available at

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Thanks again, and happy growing into 2011 and beyond!

Denise