Lettuce, Drunken Woman - 205SS
Propagation: Best sown directly where to grow, in rows or scattered sections, should germinate in 7-14 days.
Tarahumara Climbing Beans are a very unusual deep purple bean, with a few grey and dark red types mixed in. A Climbing bean with dark lilac flowers and colourful pods, this bean hails from Mexico.
Propagate: Plant Tarahumara Climbing Bean seeds in spring either inside in trays for later outside transplanting or outside where you wish to grow, watch for slugs and snails.
Sue - I have been a gardener since before marrying Nev, 40 years ago. I am not experimental but love to grow our own food using varieties that have proved to be suitable for our light alluvial soil and harsh climate in the Scargill Valley.
Nev - We have been using gardening techniques that we feel are supportive of nature and seek to further our understanding of the way in which forces and organisms interact. I am very observant of any novelty that becomes evident in the plants I am growing. I have bred a couple of unique lines of plants and am developing new strains of potatoes and apple varieties.
Richard-Paul Watson started growing seed when he was given what was later to be renamed the Benhorn carrot.This was in the late 1980's and two years later he joined up with Kay Baxter who had only just set up Koanga Gardens, as a volunteer heirloom seed grower.
Through the 1990's he leased land in around Rangiora area which helped build his knowledge and understanding of the complexities of growing seed but it wasn't until he and his family bought 5.1 hectares in the Amuri basin that he was able to increase both the number and the volume of seed lines. In more resent years Richards interest has shifted more to developing landrace cultivars and working towards enabling clone grown cultivars to reproduce from true seed such as garlic and sweet potatoes.
Rick Gender's Purau Gardens is located in Purau by the Lyttleton Harbour. Well known as an historic early market garden for Christchurch with a great climate and rich volcanic soil. No chemicals or fertilisers are required for the production of fantastic fruit and vegetables and its relative isolation makes this a great area for specialist seed production and development.