In Search of Snap Peas Seeds…

Posted on October 23, 2010 by joelignacio

I’ve grown several generations of Snap Peas in our garden every fall/winter/spring… but I can’t seem to find the seeds that I saved from this spring’s harvest… so I was thinking of getting a new variety.

Our plants seem to grow taller and taller every year, with this past year growing well over 6 feet. It was way too tall and over-towered the other plants around it. So I’m looking for a variety that only grows to about 4-5 feet tall.

This evening after work, my friend needed to go to Home Depot, so I went along to see if I can find any kinds of Snap Pea seeds. No luck. All they had were Snow Peas, which I don’t like that much.

I did a search online and found two different varieties that I would like:

Super Sugar Snap
58 days. Grow about 5 feet tall. Improved variety of Sugar Snap (which I have been growing). I found some at Territorial Seed Co.

Super Snappy Pea
65 days. I’ve never seen this variety and its pods are huge; 8-10 peas per pod. Grows 28-32″. A Burpee Exclusive. I placed this on my Folia Wish List . [Update Oct. 26, 2010: I ended up ordering this.]

Super Snappy Pea
Screenshot taken from Burpee’s site.

After writing this, I got an email from Annie’s Annuals with this variety:

Carouby de Mousanne
60 Days. It’s a Snow Pea (which I usually don’t like to grow), but it doesn’t get fibrous (which is why I don’t like to grow it) when the seed starts to swell. Grows 6 feet tall. Here’s the description page on Annie’s Annuals website.

Also posted on Folia

Wish List: Takip Kuhol (Centella asiatica)

Posted on February 1, 2010 by joelignacio

I just saw an interesting plant that I’ve never heard of on a Filipino TV show. Takip Kuhol (aka Gotu Kola, Spadeleaf) (Centella asiatica) literally translates to "cover snail" in Tagalog. It is an medicinal plant that can be used for wound and skin sores. Also high in Vitamin B and the leaves can eaten in a salad.

At first I thought it was this weed I found growing in our lawn. But upon further research it’s a different plant.

I’ll have to research if this plant is sold locally and if it will survive here.

☉ Dave’s Garden Plantfiles
☉ Philippine Medicinal Plants: Takip-kohol – Scientific name: Centella asiatica L.
☉ PCHRD Library: 10 Medicinal Plants

Wish List: Five Spot – Nemophila maculata

Posted on January 20, 2010 by joelignacio

I saw this on a friend’s Flickr:

Then noticed Annie Annuals sells them:
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=714
so next time I’m there, I’ll see if they have it…

But if anyone has seed and would like to swap, contact me…
It’s fun to grow from seeds :)

Pawpaw…

Posted on January 11, 2010 by joelignacio

I’ve heard of Pawpaws from my Uncle Ray, who wants to get a plant, but I have never actually seen the fruit or tasted it.

I was surfing the web and happen to stumble upon a few videos from Gurney’s on YouTube. Now I’m interested to what it taste like and how it grows.

☉How to Cut and Serve Pawpaw Fruit on Gurney’s YouTube page.
☉Examples of Pawpaw Fruit on Gurney’s YouTube page.
☉Pawpaw Fruit Facts on CRFG website.

Wish List: Popcorn Cassia

Posted on March 7, 2007 by joelignacio

I was watching “Secret Gardens of Palm Beach County” (episode 608) on HGTV and saw a very interesting plant called Popcorn Cassia (Cassia didymobotrya). It had pretty yellow flowers and the crushed leaves has the scent of popcorn or peanut butter.