I've been selecting seed for the corn above for 6 years. Its parentage is Cherokee White Eagle, Kuli Black, Inca Red, Wade's Giant, and stowell's Evergreen. Within the next 6 years, I hope to have it all unified into a nice purple (and therefore anthrocyanin rich) flour corn. I'm only planting dark kernels from all but White Eagle and Evergreen next year. The anthrocyanin was so rich in this year's flour that it baked black cornbread. I'm noticing that they tassel at different times, so I plucked a tassel from a white eagle stalk for pollinating the Inca varieties when they made cobs. I plant mostly White Eagle because of its superior flavor over the others. It bakes blue when alone.
I've been growing open pollinated sunflowers for some time. I'm still using the seed begat from the first ones I grew when I was a 9 yr old kid 19 years ago. It is Russian Mammoth and pollinated in crosses with my neighbors' unknown varieties, as well as with some open pollinated seed from a friend who had had a wide variety growing at his place. I usually grow them for the leaves which I prize for their medicinal qualities, the seeds are just a bonus that I leave in piles outside for the squirrels in the winter.
I'd like to develop a superior pumpkin for my wet summers, and so far my best luck has been with Candy Roaster, Howden, and Atlantic Giant in terms of coming ripe before the rain molders the leaves beyond the point that kills the plants. If any other winter squash are known to last well in wet weather with good mold resistance, please let me know. I tried buttercup and spaghetti, but neither produced good ripe fruits in time.
I have found that a cross of English and suyo long cucumbers does well here, but I forgot to save seed, so I have to start over.
Morning Glories might be a strange plant to bother with, but bees and drone flies love it and it's beautiful, so why not. I've been crossing them with Moonvine for as long as I've messed with sunflowers. Now they stay bloomed all day. so my less-than-early rising self gets to see them before they close at night.
I plan to breed rice in the future, drawing from hardy Japanese, Russian, and Mongolian varieties.
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