As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I have been trying to find a white fleshed honeydew like I once grew, but it appears to be gone as the commercial growers do not stock it anymore. I still try from time to time and am disappointed, but it led be to a site in the back results of a search engine to a family farm in Croatia and I immediately was in Christ's 1000 year reign and wanting to grow everything on the site as I was like I had landed on another planet.
I have been well versed in American sites, all of them, even the rare seed sites, but this one in Croatia was the Noah's Ark of Russian varieties, especially tomatoes I have never heard of before.
The first that caught my eye was that cucumber above from Russia. It is so unique and unlike anything that would appear in the smooth skin West. I had no idea that cucumber had in it's genes so many bumps to protect itself with spines. This is just the most wonderful thing in coming across an Eastern European site with so many Russian developed varieties.
It really sucks that they do not sell to the United States market or that Seed Savers of Sand Hill Preservation Center do not have all of these varieties in their freezers for safekeeping.
What is so interesting to me is Russian climate fits the northern parts of the United States and Croatia is milder and grows these varieties without disease problems. The reality is in these heirlooms are the wonder of genetics which would open to Americans and Canadians a host of new plants to try. From a few seeds arriving in Europe, there are now hundreds of varieties, all different and all so foreign to what in the West we think of as plants.
So if you love gardening and like looking at things you have never seen before, this site is just something to put a smile on your face, make your head hurt as you try and catalogue all the new things you are seeing, and just relish in the hurt, there is a Croatian site that is one of the best in the world.
Nuff Said
agtG
agtG
