Franklin County (PA) Gardeners: Victory Garden 2012 Log

Shovel Sharpening

Master Gardener Gary Ankney covered the oft-neglected topic of caring for our gardening tools. Proper maintenance means a longer, and more useful life for them.

Hinkel Hatz Pepper - A Pennsylvania Dutch Heirloom

One of our classmates shared her bounty from the hot Hinkel Hatz pepper plants she bought at our plant sale in May. Seeds were originally supplied by Dr. Doris Goldman of the Historic Four-Square Garden at the Renfrew Institute several years ago, and we've been growing them, and saving their seeds annually since. From the SlowFoods Web site linked above:

Named by its Pennsylvania Dutch* growers, the ‘Hinkelhatz’ is a rare heirloom pepper which translates to “chicken heart,” a description of its size and shape. The variety is one of the oldest preserved by this group of Mennonites, cultivated for well over 150 years. It was illustrated in Charles L’Ecluse’s 1611 Curae Posteriores, though without a mentioned origin (presumed to be Mexico). The peppers are usually red or yellow, though a very rare orange variant exists preserved among a small group of Mennonite farmers in Maxatawy, Pennsylvania and is slightly more toplike in shape.

More at the link. Here's a recent human interest story from the local newspaper article (Hagerstown Herald Mail) on the Four-Square Garden.

The rest of the day was spent harvesting the last of the tomatoes, peppers, etc. - everything but the sweet potatoes, and cleaning up the garden.