EATING KYOTO FOR DINNER
by Robin Wheeler, Owner, Edible Landscapes

As we know, it isn’t only a governing body that can have a huge influence – every human cell within that body can make a big difference. For instance, while the alleged “powers” argue over how we will be implementing the Kyoto agreement, every one of us can reduce our fossil fuel emissions by tomorrow if we want to: we can use transportation differently, seal our windows and wear sweaters to reduce drain on our power plants, and chose not to buy plastic geegaws that caused plumes of junk to enter the atmosphere for a transient bit of pleasure to name just a few.

And we can decide to begin to garden, to accommodate the “one less truck” mantra. As more people switch to home-grown, new questions will immediately arise. I know this, because every spring, I receive a few hesitant phone calls from folks opening a seed catalogue for the first time. The innocent caller has decided to plant peas, beans and potatoes. Sounds easy, until they flip through the pages to make their choices. Pole or bush beans? Golden, Blue Lagoon, or Jade? Dry or runner beans? And all those wordy descriptions are mind boggling.

I offer this quick tip – Watch the wording carefully of each description and it will tell you what you need to know. If you want yummy buds fresh off the vine, I always suggest you look for descriptions that include flavour and tenderness. If you are stockpiling for winter, whether you be a survivalists, practical cat or eco-pal, look for descriptive terms like “abundant”, “productive” and “uniform”, since this all makes stocking and storing easier. I would look for plant names such as Autumn King carrot or Siegfried Frost leek. I would then mention that given a choice between flavour and disease resistance, I might head the new gardener towards the better flavoured choice and leave the disease resistance to the market gardeners, who have more to loose.

If the gardener wants to learn to save their own seed, then they should avoid seeds labelled “F1” (which marks the hybrids) and look for the “OP” of the open pollinated plant.

Look for descriptive terms. “Pole” beans are great if you have some lateral space like fences and garage walls, but “bush” beans can be individually tucked between other garden plants. Keep your eyes open for multiple use plants, like the Golden Edible Pod pea, which is good whole in stir-fried, but is also a good soup pea.

Watch for omissions! If you see the words “huge crop” or “abundant” but nothing about flavour, be aware that this is a sign. This was so when I chose the China Snow Pea for its hardiness.

And in the end, don’t let decision-making slow you down. All seed producers want to sell good stock, so you can’t go far wrong. You can eat any pea or bean, and may not be able to tell the difference.

Let romance and fancy lead you. Plant Dragon Tongue and Ireland Creek Annie beans beside each other, where they can play with each other’s heads. There are Ox Blood beets for a macho touch, and Serene beans for balance. Perhaps the Drunken Woman and Plato lettuces would be an interesting mix. Plant Black Beauty zucchini and Banana supreme peppers, Lumina pumpkins and Bright Lights chard.

Whatever you choose, bring the control over your food supply a little closer to home. Food growing, in whatever form, is a political act with a life of its own.

Robin Wheeler is the owner of Edible Landscaping and author of the Gardening Book Gardening for the Faint of Heart.