Score!

So today was the big field trip to Jerry's to see about the Manzano peppers. I didn't know quite what to expect, it might be a total bust. It turned out to be just the opposite. He was much less nervous in his own element, very generous with his time and knowledge.

At the end of a long driveway sat 2 huge greenhouses. Inside sat hundreds of plants, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, greens, flowers, etc.

The shrub pictured below is 8 or 10 Manzano pepper plants started last year. They are about 6 feet high, after only 1 year! That's a vigorous plant. These are planted in the ground and stay indoors all year. He also has large 4-5 foot plants in pots that spend the summer outside and come in for the winter.









I was stunned to put it mildly.






I didn't expect to see any fruit on these plants, let alone ripe fruit. And he generously gave me this one to take home.













Of course I cut it open as soon as I got home. Sure enough the seeds were black. And although Jerry warned me that it might not be hot, it had plenty of heat, not so much as to blow your head off, just right. So I bought 3 plants in gallon pots.










They had lots of other exotic plants, like this blooming cactus.















But the super big bonus was a full shopping bag full of oyster mushrooms. Yes, he grows these too, and forced a big bag on me. And wouldn't let me pay him for them.












Mel helped me inspect them. And she did a quality control taste test.
















It was a great day of botanical aquisition. I am very excited about growing these peppers.
Oh, I also brought home 2 more tomatoes, a Valencia, and a Cherokee Purple. And 2 more peppers an Aji Angelo and a Fish pepper. Of course I don't need them, but Jerry's low-key enthusiasm caused me to lose my mind.

And he charged me...$15 for the lot.

In addition I got a tip on a great Volkswagon mechanic in Portland. What more could you ask for? Nice people.