W e had a walk yesterday round Great Givendale - a tiny hamlet with a little church dedicated to St Ethelburga. The base of the valley has a lake which turns where the valley turns and is home to a few (well fed!) wildfowl and masses of fish. I understand the farmer dug the lake and has a keen interest in natural history. He has certainly done a great deal for this area.
In this view, the little church and the lake can be seen. Over the wood to the right of this picture we saw 2 buzzards circling. We had been alerted to their presence by their mewling call. The footpath we took passed through the churchyard and up through the wood and we then turned back by a slightly different path and came alongside the lake. Fantastic weather too!
In the wood we found several examples of this tree. The first had no fruits on and looked a bit like a goat willow. When we found these, it seemed to be a viburnum, but wasn't the fairly common opulus. We think it's a Wayfaring Tree - very rare round here but these had been planted - by the farmer we assume - and fair dos, it's his wood! Lovely to see them.
Unhybridising tomatoes. On the left is an example of Sungold F1, the beautifully flavoured tomato that I don't want to go on buying at the fantastic price they charge. In the centre is my F4 from Sungold seed - Eleanor. It's larger and has the really good flavour I'm after. I expect there will still be some variation in the offspring for a few more generations but as long as I save seed from the best each time I should still get my favoured - and free - tomato seeds. On the right is a red offspring. I've called this Louise. People I've tried it on (especially after they've just had a Gardner's Delight - often praised to the hilt but I find it very bland) really rate this for flavour too. It's generally about the same in size as Sungold.
Don't let people tell you that you can't save the seed from an F1 hybrid. You can - you just never know what you'll get!
4 comments:
Great Givendale looks like a lovely place to take a walk, and it was glorious weather yesterday. I'm enjoying seeing what your tomato breeding produces, very interesting, though I would never be organised enough to try it myself.
According to Google, Wayfarers Tree is Viburnum lantana which would sort of explain why it looked like a viburnum!
I think there are some round here - will keep an eye out - that's a very good reference pic. you've posted, thanks.
I knew it looked like a viburnum - I didn't know why it looked like a willow!
I've been thinking about the subject of saving seed from F1 hybrid. I suppose the big seed companies don't really want you to save your own seed because you won't buy their product next year. Of course in a first generation you get the 'hybrid vigour' but with good conditions I suppose you can get healthy plants from your F2 offspring.
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