Kitazawa Seed Co.

Monday, October 29, 2012


I recently learned about the California-based Asian seed company Kitazawa Seeds. What an interesting story they have. Begun in San Jose in 1917 by Japanese seed man Gijiu Kitazawa, operations were interrupted when Japanese Americans were interned during WWII. Both before and after the war the company specialized in imported Asian specialty vegetables aimed at the Asian American market, particularly farmers in Oregon and California. Focusing on dento yasai or traditional heirloom vegetables of Japan, the company currently sells over 250 varieties of seeds. They have 23 different varieties of mustard greens alone! Exciting and a little overwhelming. Luckily they offer seed packages along different themes such as:
Pickling Garden
Asian Salad Garden
Stir Fry Garden
Macrobiotic Garden
Shabu Shabu (one pot cooking) Garden

They also have a handy section on their website for recipes teaching you how to make that Shabu Shabu and how to do Japanese style one-night pickling. 

One of my favorite stores, Kaufmann Mercantile, where I first learned about Kitazawa Seeds, carries a nicely edited selection of their seeds:









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Handmade Smocks and Aprons from Mother

Saturday, October 27, 2012


I've been a longtime fan of Yokoo by Yokoo Gibraan which is a line of outsized knitwear. I'm always amazed at how creative AND prolific she is. Please check out the beautiful video below which put a lump in my throat--there is something so touching about seeing somebody out on a limb following their own dreams.

In addition to her knitwear, Yokoo has also launched a new online store call Mother which is full of inspiration for gardeners. I love the idea of a little fantasy and dress up while I work in my own private little world. Plus, a lot of these styles are very practical, especially that smock dress.








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West Elm Market

Thursday, October 25, 2012



West Elm has launched a new curated collection of homewares and tools called West Elm Market which includes a small selection of neat things for gardeners. The Garden section is somewhat measly compared to the offerings for the kitchen (which are seriously amazing!) but I bet by Spring things will be looking up. Still, lots of fun and giftable things here...

I do love having a pot of fresh basil in the kitchen and hope to expand my collection this Winter. This Chalkboard Planter Set would be a fun set-up for a windowsill.

I'm always in a wrestling match with my hoses. Every Spring I swear I'm going to upgrade. These Dramm hoses have been a brand on my wishlist. Aren't they pretty? And look! There's even an orange one to match my orange house. 

 I usually have a pile-up under the eaves of my house where I stash my plants that are waiting to go in the ground. This Stackable Wood Plant Stand would really help keep things tidy. I could even have a little pot or crate on there for some of my most-used tools.

They have a large selection of wood-handled garden tools. I've no idea what the quality is like of these Garden Pruners but at $10, and because there is no brightly colored plastic involved, I would be happy to give them a try.


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Tomato Taste-Off, 2012

Tuesday, October 9, 2012



It's been a long, hard 7 years but I finally think I've achieved tomato nirvana. I've grown about 6 varieties of tomatoes each of the last 7 years. There have been some repeats but let's say I've sampled at least 30 varieties. This year my goal was to achieve the perfect balance both in flavor but also timing of harvest and by jove, I think I have just about got it.

I might not have gone into the taste test with as much enthusiasm as I ought, having waited for this moment all year. I'm terrified to mention it for fear I will be cursed with 9 months of rain and cold but I am kinda sick of sun AND tomatoes. We have been canning and roasting and salsa-ing and BLT-ing here and I think we are finally coming to the end of the tomatoes.

The taste test covers only the fresh eating tomatoes that I grew in the garden at home this year. We didn't do a taste test on the varieties for preserving that I grew at my community garden plot. Those are, along with my impressions:

1. Costoluto Genovese

Not a plum but a fat, meaty, ribbed tomato that's great for sauces. I canned all of mine. The crop was long and strong and I would grow it again. Maybe. Probably. I mean the name is just so fun to say.

2. La Roma II

Good producer but not AS prolific as San Marzano and I couldn't detect a difference in flavor so this one is out for next year.

3. San Marzano

This is my second year growing this one and it's just a super trooper and now that my Mom and I have a pressure cooker, it will be back in the garden next year and destined for jars.

4. Principe Borghese

Incredible fruiter--the super duper fruiter, the star of the garden! This is the smallish tomato traditionally used for sun-drying. It is decent as a fresh tomato but was wonderful for roasting and for salsas. It will be back next year, for sure.


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Let's remember that taste is subjective. Use the following example re one of my all-time favorite tomatoes, Green Zebra:

Me-- "It's tart" translates to "It's an explosion of beautiful soprano song in my mouth".
Mom-- "It's tart" translates to "It's unpleasantly sour and doesn't taste like a tomato ought to".

So keeping that in mind, let's move on to the Taste Off!


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1. Gold Medal

Big and bodacious, this is a surprisingly early producer among the big yellows. It has lovely blush streaks when ripe and good meaty texture. In terms of quantity it was the top performer, starting early and finishing last. The flavor is mellow, sweet, and just slightly floral--it doesn't have nearly the tartness of the tomato Pineapple, which I prefer.

Verdict: It's beautiful and prolific, starting early and finishing late, but those attributes have not earned it a guaranteed spot in next year's garden because the flavor was just good and not stupendous.


2. Paul Robeson

I grew this a few years back and couldn't get it out of my mind. It has a rich and slightly smoky flavor, some pretty marbling of purple and red, with a juicy and meaty interior. For a BLT, it can't be beat. During the taste test is was described as "yummy".

Verdict:  I'll be back.


3. Indigo Rose

The new girl. Developed by OSU vegetable breeder Jim Myers and purportedly full of antioxidants. I was full of anticipation all Summer. This tomato is one of the most beautiful tomatoes you will ever see with skin that's purplish black on the outside like an eggplant and red on the inside. The interesting thing about this tomato is that only the side of the fruit exposed to sun turns purple (which incidentally happens very early when the rest of the fruit is still green and totally hard) and then as it ripens you get the rest of the red coloring. The result is a stunning bi-color masterpiece that Dutch still life painters would have gone ga ga for. Needless to say it looks incredible sliced into a salad. 

The flavor is bright but mild and very juicy inside. It's not the most flavorful tomato in the world but I found the juicy texture really appealing and the look of it will make me want to grow it again. 

Verdict: The flavor is not much to write home about but it's so impressive looking in salads, the artist in me will want to grow this one again.




4. Stupice

I came back to Stupice after trying out some other early tomatoes and I'm so glad to be reunited. I'm done trying earlies--this is IT for me. I started eating Stupice by July 15th which is as early as I ever get to eat a tomato in my garden and it is still going strong. I love that it's early but indeterminant--so much bang for your buck.  It's still going great guns out there today, October 8th. The fruits are a smallish size perfect for salads and the texture is substantial enough to hold up. The flavor is a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. It's really a perfect all-around little tomato. 

Verdict: I'm done looking for an early tomato. 




5. Sungold

The tomato I would grow if I could only ever grow one tomato. Nothing beats it for taste and production. I've grown it every year since the first year I tried it--I cannot have Summer without it. It looks so gorgeous in salads and it tastes like tomato candy with a flavor that's bright and very sweet, balanced with just the right amount of tartness. The skin is soft and thin unlike some cherries.

Verdict:  Sungold, you are Summer and will always have a place in my garden and my heart.



6. Tumbler (not pictured)

I thought I was being clever to sneak in another cherry tomato by planting one of these with my potted fig but I wish I'd never bothered. I couldn't keep it watered enough and while the flavor was good, the skins were so tough and production was measly. These might both be a reflection on the poor placement and my abuse rather than the tomato itself but I'm not too excited to try Tumbler again. It might be a good bet for diligent, balcony gardeners though.

Verdict: It was nice knowing you.

And the winner is! And the three winners are (we had three tasters here)!

My pick: Paul Robeson

Matt's pick: Stupice

Mugsy's pick: Sungold 







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Let's Share Pictures

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Black Knight sweetpeas from the garden


I enjoy twitter and pinterest and facebook all for different reasons but my favorite social media neighborhood to hang out in is instagram. I love seeing these little snapshots of other people's daily lives. You can find me as "brialena" on instagram. 

My feed is predictably heavy on plants, food, and Boston Terriers. Hope to see you there!

 A cool apartment building in Sullivan's Gulch. Somebody is really into gardening here--there are really nice plantings in the front and a huge vegetable garden on the south side. And that color! It looked amazing with the Spring green euphorbia wulfenii.

 An American Elm planted in 1870 in downtown Portland near the art museum. Majesty. 

 First rose to bloom this year (and still going strong!)--my new climber Night Owl. 

 Sweetpeas and a fire--that's June in Portland. 

 Two flowers from the same plant--dahlia Lambada, purchased from Old House Dahlias.

 Dutch does not quite share Mugsy's passion for brussels sprouts.

 Sunday drivers out in the gorgeous gorge.

 Starface glads from Old House Gardens. Tropicalisimo!

 Last Summer's patio. It's fun having a record of the garden as it changes every year. I missed my mahogany nasturtiums this year.

 A highlight of early Spring is when I get to steal blooms from my neighbor's flowering quince.

 Just a bunch of Trader Joe's daffs in a silver cup. I'm getting excited for Spring looking at these!

 I live in a lilac forest, no kidding. If anyone wants any lilacs next season, just drop me a line.

Cherry blossom carpet spotted out walking the dogs in Grant Park.

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Old House Dahlias

Monday, October 1, 2012


I LOVE dahlias. I spent the morning of my wedding day happily cutting dahlias at a you-pick farm and stuffing buckets and buckets full of them for the party later that day. I adore all the different shapes, textures, and shades of happy colors--a bouquet of dahlias is like a bunch of happy faces smiling at you.

My Mom and I took a little field trip to Portland's Old House Dahlias recently--we didn't have to go far as the garden is just a few blocks from where she lives. I've grown bulbs from Old House the last couple of years. I can't resist their varieties. Last year I grew the charming collarette Giggles which I subsequently lost when I was too lazy to dig it up for the Winter even though I knew it was planted in a particularly water-logged area of my garden. This year I'm growing Lambada which is the lavender flower above with the ruffly cream center. It's really a knockout. 


Old House Dahlias is run by Mark Harvey who started the company 7 years ago as a way to make some extra money by growing dahlias at his N. Tabor home. You can't pick the flowers at his home-base garden but you can walk around and admire the flowers which are conveniently labeled and there are buckets of refrigerated dahlias for sale that have all been pretreated with hot water to help them last longer.


When we visited, Mark was just loading up a bunch of flowers for one of his accounts, the terrific nearby Observatory Restaurant. Mark told us he not only supplies them with flowers but also bulbs which they use in a salad. Whoa! What do they taste like? A bit like carrots, he says.


I was charmed by the hand-made funky signage around the garden. One of the things that first converted me into a customer of Old House Dahlias was their cute packaging and logo.


While you can't pick your own flowers here you CAN pick to your heart's content if you head across the river where Mark now has a large u-cut garden on the South waterfront. That will be a field trip for next year.
 

The fiery Ruskin Gypsy dahlia is going on my wishlist.  I like to imagine that it was named after the artist and art critic John Ruskin, but who knows.



And WOW, check out this "orchid" style dahlia called Verrone's Obsidian. It might be the darkest dahlia I've ever seen. Incredible.


I highly recommend a visit to Old House Dahlias in Mt. Tabor--I guarantee all the beautiful colors will put you in a good mood. I love the pairings of colors here with the explosion of exuberant yellow flowers next to the neighbor's periwinkle house and the vivid blue sky.

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