Houses with benefits

One thing about living in an old house, is you come across old stuff.  I loved my Hangdog’s brand spanking new log house because it was clean, but it was new, even if the trees he built it out of weren’t.  No hand writing on the wall, no flotsam and jetsam of someone else, nothing  had fallen between the cracks.  But an old house, where people have lived, farmed, cooked, preserved and gardened is sure to continue to reveal something of a summer gone by – of course it helps that I am easily amused and something of collecting nerd. 

So last week as HD began tearing off more roof, to begin roofing yet another section of this house that my grandfather built, a little light was shed on nooks and crannies that haven’t seen the light of day in a while.

My gardening calendar is already in fall and winter, since most of my winter garden is planted, either in the garden or in flats for transplanting soon.  So imagine my delight when these two fellas surfaced!

No not the Jonas Brothers!  The Gill Brothers of seed house fame in Portland, Oregon. 

Their first annual fall gardening catalog.  This puppy came out the summer my mom was expecting her last (chuckle) baby, my older sister.  She probably didn’t pay much attention to it, I am guessing.  Thank heavens my mom was a packrat – because finding something like this just makes my day!  It’s a little bent, and wrinkled, but so is my sister (bigger chuckle guffaw.) 

The catalog mostly lists flower bulbs for fall planting, but a little food like garlic, multiplier onions and rhubarb made their way in.

Winter coles.

This basket of small cabbage heads are from the cabbage that overwintered, was cut this spring and has formed central heads again.  A mix of open-pollinated and hybrid varieties but all very tender and succulent.  These plants were originally planted last July, they survived the greenhouse collapsing on them, freezing temperatures, heavy snows and harvesting this spring, only to regrow like this in beautiful condition with no care whatsoever.  I wouldn’t count this being repeatable, but hey I take good food when ever I can get it!