Good News In Russia For The Pavlovsk Station

About two years ago the Pavlovsk Experiment Station of the Vavilov Research Institute was in grave danger of being plowed under by a housing development. The Station's acreage holds valuable varieties of berries and fruits and the Station is important to the maintenance of genetic diversity. I try and follow up on these sorts of things, especially if I encourage people to sign a petition like the Drummondville, Quebec petition a couple of days ago.

I ran across this today:


14.05.2011 Санкт-Петербург


AN ORDER OF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT 
April 17, 2012 The Russian government issued an order № 521-р sanctioning a conveyance of land plots           with a total area of 195079m2 714286m2 (Pavlovsk town) for use by the Pavlovsk Experiment station of        VIR to conserve collections of plant genetic resources under conditions precluding their inappropriate use, including housing construction. However, the Federal Property Management Agency and Ministry of Agriculture of Russia should ensure control that these areas are being used for conservation of plant genetic resources. In addition St.-Petersburg Government is recommended to make amendments to relevant regulations assigning these lands to areas for the purpose of agriculture.


 Here is a Vavilov site.

The 2010 Crop List

So, between time and timing I had to trim back on the variety a little this year. As always, I am focused on variety versus quantity. I have wondered why I do this and I think its pretty fun to plan and eat (although I am not sure you could say I did a lot of "planning"this year).

I also spent very little this year. Some savvy shopping, some saved and shared seed, and a few extra drives for compost and I have spent under $60 this year. Not bad.

So without further adieu, the 2010 list:

Herbs

French Tarragon

Rosemary

Sage

Michael's Basil

Sweet Basil

Greek Oregano

Thyme

Cilantro

Parsley

Greens

Bright Lights Chard

Iceberg

Mixed Greens (six types)

Pak Choi

Copenhagen Market Cabbage

Fruit

Raspberries

Blackberries

Granny Smith Apples

Concord Grapes

Red Seedless Grapes

Quinnalt Strawberries

Ground Cherries

Charantais Melons

Sugar Baby Watermelons

Rouge vif de Etempes Pumpkins

Squash

Acorn

Zuchinni

Dutch Crookneck

Vert et Blanc

Pattison Panache

Tomatos

Black From Tula

Super Sweet 100 Cherry

Big Boy

Beefsteak

Green Zebra

Root Veggies

Purple Onions

Shallots

Chantenay Carrots

Danvers Carrots

Purple Globe Turnips

Icicle Radishes

French Breakfast Radishes

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Parsnips

Other Veggies

Tasty Green Cucumbers

Parisian Pickling Cucumbers

Mary Washington Asparagus

Mammoth Sunflowers

Blue Lake Beans

For a total of 53 varieties. Guess I should find 4 more. :)

Garden Plans

Home sick today with Buddy. Got a little time to ruminate on the garden plans for next year.

So we are thinking of several points of focus this year:

1) Aroma Garden - The wife is planning an aroma garden for the right side of the yard (in front of the raspberries if you are familiar). Not sure what all this will include, so it will be a nice surprise.

2) Finish the Raised Beds - Still need to finish the ground cover, put in some trellises, get the setting area set up. Wondering on the ground cover. The original plan was something like this:

But this might be a pretty expensive, and I am worried that it might not actually be comfortable to walk on . I think I have enough there for another post, or 20 .

3) Fruit Trees - Really two separate issues here. Trees for the yard (apples, cherries, and if I can convince the wife, nuts), and dwarf/mini trees for pots that will have to come in over the winter (lemons, limes, pomegranates, Bay, camillia sinensis, ?). Lots of work to do on those. But the rewards!

4) Improve Fruit Beds - We need to VASTLY improve the soil in the strawberry beds and plant a new variety in the second one, more grapes, better delineation, protection and support for the blackberries, install the haskap, add a second cultivar of raspberries.

5) Soil Improvement - I almost want to call it soil breeding. I am really trying to change my paradigm to think of soil as living, not just an inert structural support that you can pour nutrients into. That is harder than one would think. Also, wondering how to improve the soil all around, under my trees, etc. Its going to be a LOT of work, but worth it.

6) Surprises - I have a few surprises for you and the wife, but that will have to wait.

Wonder what else will come our way.

Any ideas out there for ground cover for the walkway and in between the raised beds?

Garden Update, and a Brief Diatribe Regarding Rabbits

Hello, its been too long without photos, so without further ado.... The Garden Update...

Here we have the left two beds. The pumpkins, raddichio, tomatoes, etc are doing fine. The peppers (all 5 or 6 kinds) are not doing so hot. Oscar from freedomgardens.org who lives just north of here is having the exact same problem with his. Also, some of the bok choi went to seed and I was going to cut them, but when I saw the gorgeous little flowers, I decided that I would let them seed and collect some. Hope they breed true!

Below, near to far we have potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes all doing well. Next bed we have turnips, beans, radishes, tomatoes, all doing well and carrots (that bald patch) not doing so well. Furthest bed are melons, ground cherries, onions, shallots and more tomatoes all doing well.

My favorite view.

Lettuce recovering on the right, squash, zuchs, etc on the right.

The raspberries (which I foolishly transplanted in late spring) seem to be taking, but just enough to survive, which if they survive the summer, I am all about it!

The strawberries are doing pretty well, but THE EVIL SUBURBAN RATS ARE EATTING THEM ALL. I thought something (hawk, cat, neighborhood kids?) had gotten the baby bunnies, but, in fact they had only gone to visit and are back. And bigger. And hungrier.

Blackberries a year ahead of schedule. Need I say more?

Grapes. Yummy. Concord grapes. Like I had when I was a kid.

Anyways, thats an update on where its at. Any questions or comments or suggestions appreciated!

Garden Update

Well, the garden is doing really well. A quick rundown:

Fruit - looks like about 20 bunches of grapes, some strawberries, a few apples, some ground cherries, our blackberries FINALLY bloomed so we may get some of those, and the raspberries have almost all taken. Not bad.

Veggies - All the veggies have taken, although the brocolli, cabbages, and carrots are struggling a little. Not sure whats up with the carrots, I got a really low germination level (one in ten, maybe) and I may have to plant some more to see. And something is already eatting some of my beans.

Herbs - All the herbs look good, but the thyme and tarragon are not thriving. It could be some prolonged transplant shock or a poor soil mix on my part (mixed my own potting soils this time - thanks for the inspiration Susy!). Will have to wait and see. And if I have one more person tell me that thyme is easy to grow and becomes invasive I will throttle them! This is my third year trying and its still not going well.

Anyways, here are some pics as well:

A shot down the walkway. Its about a week old, I need to update it desperately!

Cabbages. Coleslaw, steamed, sauerkraut, kim chi, soup, endless reasons to drool!

L to R - Tomatoes, radishes, and beans.

And here we have some ground cherries.