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Post by tuttamatta on Sept 7, 2008 19:09:52 GMT -5
Hi everybody out there! I am very very new, just joined last night pretty much at the stoke of Midnight after stumbling on this site. I am originally from Verona Italy, but I've been here in Portland Oregon for many years. I naturally gravitate toward Italian veggies (how can I pass up a good radicchio or those yummy big flat beans?), but I am always looking for something strange and new. I am really into alternative medicine so I try to acquire all sorts of medicinal plants or fruits as my modest garden allows (doing a lot of vertical growing trying to get the most out of my space and sun). I love foraging for wild mushrooms and learning more about them, I do have a pretty good knowledge about them but there is so much to learn all the times, I think I enjoy the research the most, but they taste soooo good......I make a mean Porcini Risotto.....and other things. I'm also an artist and in the past I did teach art and the Italian language (I've also worked as an Italian interpreter). My favorite is portrait painting but recently I got into stained glass too. I enjoy many crafts including crochet and knitting (when I'm not gardening...lol....) I am very excited thinking about next year since I recently received a green house as a gift from my son and daughter-in-law, I grew many plants from seeds last year....think what I can do now with a green house!!!!!!I never thought that I'd be impatient waiting for winter so I can start all over again!!!!!  ??!!!!! Just last year I started being interested in heirlooms and open pollinated varieties, did I create a monster? ME? I am really looking forward to interact with you all. |
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Post by landarc on Sept 7, 2008 20:13:43 GMT -5
Welcome, I hope you enjoy the forum. Lots of good folks here.
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Post by grungy on Sept 7, 2008 20:16:02 GMT -5
Welcome to the rest of the gang,
Cheers,
Val (grungy) and Dan (grunt)
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Post by lavandulagirl on Sept 8, 2008 15:17:19 GMT -5
Wow! Tell your son and daughter and law I want to be adopted! Then they can get me a greenhouse, too. ;D
Sounds like you have lots of talent; glad you've joined us. We pick at each other like siblings, but there are a lot of smart folks on this forum. I bet you'll fit right in.
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Post by canadamike on Sept 8, 2008 19:17:19 GMT -5
Sorry for you, Lav, but her son is moving to Canada, he'll be my neighbour, and he needs his money to build a VERY BIG greenhouse here.
IT's true, hey Tuttamatta? Tell them please ;D ;D I want the greenhouse!!! Lav is living IN a greenhouse , at least for us canadians!!
Welcome again, and get ready to grow weird and delicious stuff!!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Sept 8, 2008 20:35:56 GMT -5
And I live near Verona, although not the one in Italia.
Welcome!!
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Post by flowerpower on Sept 8, 2008 21:51:26 GMT -5
Welcome! You got a greenhouse? Now that's a good son.  I love those flat romano beans. I believe Mike is hunting down a pole style for me. I hate bush beans. There is no room with all the other stuff. I'd rather grow pole beans. |
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Post by canadamike on Sept 8, 2008 23:34:17 GMT -5
Speaking of beans, Flower, I just canned 50 jars of them. I am not that crazy about bush beans myself, I prefer to harvest standing up. But the europeans and us might have a different definition of bush  I grew FIN DE BAGNOL, and RED SWAN, both apparently bush. They will come back next year, but with support, as the plants should be considered both ''short indeterminate'' all shooting beans on numerous stems more than 3 feet long. Red swan is a cross of a red italian bean and a green one. It has some of the flattish appearance of the italians, but is narrower, and oh so heavy and full. Also the best tasting bean for everybody here, and the french friends to whom I sent some. It is an old dusky rose with green undertones, very beautiful. Tuttamatta, I will have tons of them ( and others) to share, and with you too Flower. I can't find the yellow climbing romano bean I had years ago, and I can't remember the name. But Orflo sent me a rare belgian purple bean, it is THE most beautiful I ever saw, and the plant ( superb flowers and purple stems included) is soooooo beautiful it has its place in a decorative garden. I stop by the patch everyday just to look at them. I should take pictures. |
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Post by tuttamatta on Sept 9, 2008 1:57:13 GMT -5
Thanks to all of you for your welcome message, I do feel I found the right spot for me, you sound like a great bunch!
Canadamike, if you are looking for the yellow romano beans, I have some, they are called Marengo (a small town not far from Verona, Italy where I am from) they have the Romano beans taste and they are pole beans, is this what you are looking for?
If so, I have some growing right now and I'm leaving the biggest pods for next year's seeds.
I am also growing Super Marconi romano pole beans, they are bigger than regular Romano beans, black beans and delicious flavor, also reserving the biggest pods for next year seeds.
If interested we can trade for something I don't have, I love trading and , of course, I love gardening.
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Post by grungy on Sept 9, 2008 11:51:10 GMT -5
Dare I say it. Mike? Yes please, everyone, the original seed bank is expanding into other directions, beans being one, so if you wouldn't mind remembering me when it finally becomes time for trading, I will come begging for samples of all your beans.
Cheers,
Val / grungy.
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Post by canadamike on Sept 9, 2008 12:41:21 GMT -5
Me too, me too... Tuttamatta, send them to one of us please(grungy or me) we have much to trade so you will save a stamp Please everybody, take a cheap plane and come here helping me eat the melons!! Free beer and wine and boarding  |
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Post by grungy on Sept 9, 2008 15:08:23 GMT -5
I would love to join you, Mike, and the offer is tempting, however the peon (me) wouldn't get the tomato seeding done, if I did. Enjoy and bon appetite.
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Post by Alan on Sept 9, 2008 22:02:58 GMT -5
Welcome to Homegrown Goodness. I think you will really enjoy our site. I think we really do have the nicest and most diverse group of gardeners and more importantly good friends on the internet. You'll find lots of trading here and if you are looking for anything, just ask, if we don't have it we can usually find it somewhere on the net.
I think you will really love the greenhouse, but beware they are quite addictive, along with everything else gardening wise.
Like you, I myself and many others here have an intense interest in alternative and natural medicine and many of us have particular interest in cultural agriculture from around the world. As such we know that the Italians have introduced many unique, wonderful, beautiful, delicious and rare varieties and we are always looking for more!
Romano beans are a terrific crop. I too have been looking for a pole type Romano. I am trying to get completly out of bush and half runner type beans and more into pole types since they are less labor intensive and we grow for farmers markets and co-ops. In our area we have a high percentage of first and second/third generation italian immigrants who are looking for the traditional varieties that they remember but often have to settle instead for the commercially available source crops like Roma II beans.
Thanks for joining us! We too know what it's like to wish for winter so you will be closer to spring! Winter is when things really pick up here on our little site and I think you'll be pleasantly suprised!
-Alan
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Post by tuttamatta on Sept 9, 2008 22:11:37 GMT -5
Mike,
would you like me to send both types of beans (Marengo romano pole beans and Super Marconi romano-pole) or just the yellow,the Marengo?
They are not ready yet, but when they are I will send them.
I would love to have some of the bush beans you talked about earlier, and, by the way, do you have any fava beans, I would like to plant them in my winter garden.
So, what is best? Send them to you or Grungy?
She already offered me some tomato seeds and I'm working on the list.
Again, thank you to all.
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Post by giardiniere on Sept 9, 2008 22:18:54 GMT -5
Ciao Paola
Come sta? Welcome to HG. You've found a good place to talk gardening. My grandparents and two aunts were born in Sicily. I love growing Italian veggies too. This year I've grown several Italian varieties of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and zucchini. All open pollinated, and I really get lot of enjoyment from them.
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??!!!!!
I love those flat romano beans. I believe Mike is hunting down a pole style for me. I hate bush beans. There is no room with all the other stuff. I'd rather grow pole beans.
