Tag Archives: food diversity

50 Garden Pea Varieties

Every year I grow 15-20 different garden pea (Lathyrus oleraceus / Pisum sativum) varieties and they’ve now all been dried, I’ve taken seed of those I want to continue with or share with members of KVANN (Norwegian Seed Savers) and the remainder will become delicious multivariety pea soup in winter:
It turns out that I altogether have exactly 50 varieties in my seed vault (i.e, the cellar), some of which are only grown every 3rd year. Some are modern varieties, others Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish and UK heirlooms.  Today I was sorting the packets and peas in old packets (more than 4 years old) were added to the soup mix! I recycle seed packets, so not many of these packets were originally for peas!


Future heirloom in Copenhagen

I was chuffed to be asked to be “support act” along with Anders Borgen on the last date of landrace gardener Joseph Lofthouse’s European tour in Copenhagen on 20th October! I therefore broke my decision not to travel outside of Norway to give talks, in particular as I can get there by train 🙂 Looking forward to a great day and meeting old friends again! See you there?
More information:
https://hrs.dk/future-heirloom

78th Birthday Party Salad

In connection with my daughter Hazel’s birthday yesterday, she wanted me to make a salad for her and her friends she’d invited for dinner, so no birthday cake, it was a birthday salad with candle, and 78 ingredients was the plan! 78? Well, it was a double celebration as this week was also 40 years since the titles to my house were signed over to us by the previous owner Ragnhild Austvik. I told Hazel it would be a 78th birthday party and didn’t reveal all until we were at the dinner table! She didn’t guess why, believing I’d miscalculated as the combined age with her brother (his birthday is on Monday) would be 79, although on her birthday it was still 78, so it could have been that! So, here’s the over-the-top flowery salad I put together with ingredients list below the pictures (yes, I miscalculated and it turned out to be more than 78…40 more in fact ;)) 

Ingredients:
FLOWERS
1-3. Dahlia; Georginer (3 varieties)
4-6. Begonia (3 var.)
7. Malva alcea (hollyhock mallow; rosekattost)
8. Althaea officinalis (marshmallow; legestokkrose)
9-11. Raphanus sativus (rasish; reddik) (3 var.)
12. Apium graveolens (celery; seller)
13. Spilanthes oleracea (toothache plant; tannpineplante)
14-17. Lycopersicon esculentus (tomato; tomat) (4 varieties: Tante Cis, Linda Sibirsk, Sjokolade Plummer and German Pink)
18. Oxalis triangularis “Rubra”
19. Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam; kjempespringfrø)
20. Pelargonium
21. Brassica nigra (black mustard; svart sennep)
22-26. Hemerocallis (day lily; daglilje) (4 varieties / species)
27-28. Allium wallichii (Sherpa onion; Sherpaløk) (2 var.)
29. Sedum
30-32. Hosta (3 var.)
33. Calendula officinalis (marigold; ringblomst)
34. Fedia cornucopiae (African valerian)
35. Fuchsia magellanica
36. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (perennial rocket; flerårig rucola)
37. Oenothera biennis (evening primrose; nattlys)
38-39. Chrysanthemum coronarium (shungiku; kronkrage) (2 var.)
40-41. Mentha sp. (2 var.)
42-45. Allium schoenoprasum (chives; gressløk) (4 var.)
46. Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic)
47. Allium montanostepposum
48. Allium thunbergii
49. Allium cernuum x stellatum “Hammer”
50. Allium fistulosum “Salatniy” (Welsh onion; pipeløk)
51. Allium spirale
52. Allium nutans x senescens
53. Allium suaveolens
54. Allium cyaneum
55. Allium moschatum
56. Allium lusitanicum (German garlic; kantløk)
57. Allium boreale (Arctic chives; sibirgressløk)
58. Taraxacum officinale (dandelion; løvetann)
LEAVES
59. Aegopodium officinale (dandelion; løvetann)
60. Allium x cornutum (St. John’s onion; Johannesløk)
61-62. Allium thunbergia agg. (2 var.)
63. Allium schoenoprasum
64. Allium tuberosum (Chinese chives; kinagressløk)
65. Allium spirale
66. Allium fistulosum “Mysusæter” (roof onion; takløk)
67. Allium nutans x senescens
68. Allium schoenoprasum ssp. sibiricum (Japanese chives; Japangressløk)
69. Allium x proliferum (walking onion; luftløk)
70. Allium fistulosum x pskemense (Wietse’s onion; Wietsesløk)
71. Allium lusitanicum (German garlic; kantløk)
72. Allium hookeri var muliense (yellow Hooker’s onion; Gul Hookersløk)
73. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (sweet tea vine)
74-76. Brassica oleracea (perennial kale; flerårige kål) (3 var.)
77. Oxalis tuberosa (oca; oka)
78. Spilanthes oleracea (toothache plant; tannpineplante)
79. Coriandrum sativum (coriander; coriander)
80. Artemisia dracunculus sativa “German” (German tarragon; tysk estragon)
81. Anethum graveolens (dill)
82. Aegopodium podograria (ground elder; skvallerkål)
83. Stellaria media (chickweed;
84. Lactuca sativa (lettuce; salat)
85-88. Apium graveolens (celery; selleri) (4 var)
89. Oxalis sp.
90. Vitis vinifera (grape vine; drue)
91-94. Pisum sativum (pea; ert) (4 var.)
95. Petroselinum sativum (parsley; persille)
96-97. Cucumis sativus (cucumber; agurk) (2 varieties: Passandra and Epleagurk)
98-99. Brassica rapa (turnip ; nepe) (2 var.)
100. Plectranthus amboinicus (Cuban oregano)
101. Basella rubra
102. Oenanthe javanica (seri)
103. Angelica archangelica “Vossakvann” (Garden angelica; Vossakvann)
104. Brassica oleracea “Ragged Jack kale” (kale; grønnkål)
105. Campanula rapunculoides (creeping bellflower; ugressklokke)
106. Malva moschata (musk mallow; moskuskattost)
107. Sanguisorba minor (salad burnet; pimpernel)
108. Campanula punctata
109. Rumex patientia (patience dock; hagesyre)
110. Rumex scutatus (French sorrel; Fransksyre)
111. Sonchus oleraceus (common sow thistle; haredylle)
112. Nasturtium officinale (watercress; grønn engelskkarse)
113-114. Mentha sp. (mint; mynte)
115. Ribes divaricatum (Worcesterberry; Worcesterbær)
116. Rubus idaeus (raspberry; bringebær)
117. Prunus domestica “Sviskeplomme” (plum; plomme)
118. Ficus carica “Bornholm” (fig; fiken)