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92 Items
50 days. A delectable Chinese vegetable that is known for its tender and delicious edible stalks and flowers. This green can be planted in both spring and late summer for fall harvest. The greens are nutritious and very flavorful, but most growers in the know savor the flowers and stalks as they are a gourmet delicacy!
Growing Tips: Best planted in cool spring or fall conditions. Sow in place.
90 days. A Chilean aji pepper with a bodacious blend of citrusy flavor and heat. This slender, 4-inch pepper transforms from green to yellow and finally a pale red, and the heat intensifies as the fruit reaches maturity. This crispy fleshed pepper clocks in at about 30,000 Scoville Heat Units, which is six times hotter than a jalapeño. If you prefer your peppers on the milder side, harvest them when green. Our friend Ligia Parisi, who grows Aji Crystal at her farm in Chile, describes using them to create a delicious salsa called Pebre, which is similar to Pico de Gallo. This is an all-around versatile pepper that can be used fresh, for pickling, hot sauce, salsas, soups and dried and kept longer for seasoning.
Growing Tips: Start indoors in bright light 8-12 weeks before last frost date. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination. Peppers often appreciate a bit of afternoon shade during the hottest summer weather.
85 days. These dainty, dime-sized blooms are adorable. The petals are colored like fresh-churned spring butter with a dollop of jammy plum at each center. Plants average 3-4 inches tall by 4-6 inches wide. These one-of-a-kind dwarf violas look super sweet peeking out of tiny pots, tucked into the fairy garden or planted in borders and beds or window boxes. The blooms are edible, topping baked goods with a perfect touch of elegance.
Growing Tips: Perennial in zones 4-9. Start seeds indoors 8-12 weeks before last frost. Grow in full sun to partial shade. Best in cool conditions. Likes a cool, moist, woodsy soil. Occasionally self-sows.
85 days. A luxurious, antique variety with 1-2 inch blooms that are a dazzling ruby color with gilded gold eyes and edges. The crimson and gold tones make for a classic addition to beds, borders, containers and window boxes. This regal variety dates from before the 1940s.
52 days. An exquisitely gourmet heirloom pimento from the Blue Ridge Moutains of North Carolina. This super sweet red pepper is squat and small, about 3-4 inches wide and just 1-1.5 inches long, but it packs an incredibly flavorful, juicy punch. Thanks to its mountainous origins, this variety is appreciated for being more early maturing and even a little bit more cold tolerant than other peppers. The tidy plants are just 24-30 inches tall, but they are smothered in scrumptious fruit, perfect for pickling, stuffing, roasting, snacking and for making pimento cheese.
Quilled, pastel pink petals make Astra Rose an astounding and delightful spin on the beloved sunflower. You will love the departure from the ordinary, and pollinators find this to be an irresistible oddity as well! Multi branching with lots of heads, it stands 3.5 feet tall.
Growing Tips: Direct sow in spring, or start indoors 2-3 weeks before last frost. Set out after last frost, transplant carefully. Plants require full sun, rich soil and moderate soil moisture.
85 days. Rugged plants produce profusions of tiny purple blooms. This heat- and drought-tolerant annual is excellent in borders, landscapes, containers and in the cutting garden. This everlasting bloom is tidy and uniform, perfect for dried arrangements. The flowers make a lovely purple-pink tea that is especially popular in Asia.
Growing Tips: Sow seeds 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep, indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow after. Presoak seeds for 24-48 hours. Prefers well-draining soil.
50 days. A particularly delicate and tender swiss chard that stands up to a range of weather and pests. Use for baby greens or harvest the entire heads for bunching. Plants are best when cut at 7 to 9 inches tall.
Growing Tips: Sow in place, early spring to mid-summer, into rich, moist soil. Keep well watered; side dress with compost for best leaf production. Yields until very cold weather.
65 days. A unique, heart-shaped variety of bitter melon that is easier to prepare and with a more mild flavor. The large softball-sized fruit is an early producer. The long, rambling vines produce tons of smooth skinned, dark green, bumpy fruit. Thanks to a slightly thicker skin, this variety is considered an excellent shipper and a perfect choice for gardeners wanting to grow bitter melon for the first time. Fruit range from 4-6" across. A favorite for stuffed bitter melon recipes!
Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.
An heirloom grain from antiquity, Black Hulless barley is versatile, delicious and easy to grow! Whether you like experimenting with heirloom grains in creative baking endeavors, clever cover cropping rotation or for ornamental use in arrangement and landscaping, you will find Black Hulless barley a delight! This completely hulless variety stands about 2.5-3 feet tall with onyx black seed heads and awns, making for a unique, cat whiskers look that adds fun to floral arrangements. This hulless heirloom is easier to process and makes amazing baked treats!
Growing Tips: Sow into well-worked, moderately fertile soil in early spring, or late autumn in mild-winter areas. Does best in cool conditions, fairly dry soil.
60 days. Fantastic, sugar-sweet tomato flavor, that is fruity, with a hint of grape and plum flavors. If you relish the experience of digging into a bowl of high-quality cocktail tomatoes, then the Black Strawberry is your tomato. This 1-ounce fruit is marbled in blue, scarlet and gold. A bowl full resembles a luminous and luxurious bunch of gems, and indeed the flavor is decadent and indulgent, with perfectly sweet and tart balanced flavor! This extremely productive and early variety makes it an obvious choice for gardeners and market farmers who want rugged, early-producing plants, and do not want to sacrifice eating quality.
Growing Tips: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Perennial grown as an annual. One of the rarest colors! This sumptuous mix is like a bowl of summer fruit, in colors from raspberries and cream to plum and dark cherry. The smoky blooms look stunning tumbling from a hanging basket or climbing a fence or trellis. Native to Africa, thunbergia is hardy from USDA zones 9 and warmer and quite easy to grow as an annual in cooler climates.
Growing Tips: Sow in place in spring. Space plants 8-12 inches. Removing spent blooms prolongs the blooming season. Self sows freely.
Also known as waterleaf, this tasty and versatile green is one of the most drought- and heat-tolerant edible plants we know. The seeds of this variety were shared with us by Solomon Amuzu of Ghana. He detailed how this plant was one of very few to survive the extreme droughts that Ghana has experienced since the 1980s. The whole plant is edible, from tender stem to leaves and flowers. This reliable and hardy edible food plant is used in salads, soup, stew and baking.
Growing Tips: Surface sow, just pressing into soil, indoors 4 weeks before last frost; transplant (or direct seed) outdoors 2-3 weeks after last frost. Prefers heat, humidity, abundant moisture. Overwinter cuttings indoors as a houseplant. Self-sows in mild-winter climates.
70 days. Rare and unique color! The airy and open form of this nicotiana creates a beautiful spray of delicate bronzy blooms. The plants stand from 2.5-3.5 feet tall with lime green foliage and stems and chocolate colored petals. This pretty annual ornamental is a long-season bloomer, attractive to pollinators and hummingbirds and can be used in beds and borders; just place them toward the middle or back of your design as they are fairly tall!
Growing Tips: Surface sow in early spring indoors (for transplants) or direct sow outdoors after last spring frost. Plants require full sun, rich soil and moderate moisture. CAUTION: Poisonous
(C. moschata) Average 75 days to maturity. A dwarf and super early maturing Waltham style butternut with some of the tastiest flesh we’ve ever tasted! Short season growers and those with compact spaces will rejoice knowing that the tidy vines reach just 3 feet long and bear medium sized, 2 to 4 lb fruit that is ready to harvest in just 75 days! Each hardy bush will produce 4 to 5 fruit considered to be long keepers.
Growing Tips: Direct seed, or set out transplants after last frost date. Don’t let transplants become rootbound; don't disturb roots while transplanting. Needs rich soil. Harvest when rinds become very hard.
Full-sized Dahlia plants, reaching 4' tall, cover themselves in sumptuous, large, quilled, fully double flowers spanning the range that Dahlia has to offer—jewel tones of scarlet, lemon yellow and pinks. Gorgeous at the back of the border, or a fine candidate for the cutting garden. Enormous blooms to 4" in diameter.
Growing Tips: Start indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost, or direct sow after spring frosts have passed. Require full sun, rich soil, warm temps and moderate moisture. Tubers may be overwintered in frost-free conditions and replanted following year.
These beautiful blooms are a striking departure from the typical flower colors. The petals come in a range of coffee tones, from mocha to light roast caramel, with a golden throat. Stunning 2-inch trumpet flowers are set atop stout, 8-12 inch stems. Plants are best suited to containers and the front of the bed or border, and they look especially stunning when planted closely (4 inches apart is best). Pelleted seed.
Growing Tips: Sow indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost. Barely cover, as light aids germination. Cold stratification for 2 weeks will improve germination. Plantings every 2-3 weeks until midsummer provide the best blooms. May require support.
Perennial (USDA zones 6-9) also grown as an annual. A complete rainbow of vibrant, sunny faces. This happy medley of colors is perfect for containers, beds and borders, and is also suitable for hanging baskets. 6 inches tall and 10 inches wide.
Growing Tips: Start seeds indoors in very early spring (or late summer for fall blooms). Grow in full sun to partial shade. Likes cool, moist, woodsy soil, cool to cold temps. Occasionally self-sows.
80 days. Here is an early variety of long bean imported from China. 20” pods are straight and smooth, bright green, and of excellent quality. This hardy long bean is easy to grow almost anywhere. Very tasty stir-fried.
Growing Tips: Tolerates extreme heat, humidity. Soak seeds overnight; direct seed after last spring frost. Trellis vining types; pick when pods reach 12-18 inches.
65-75 days. Enter an alternate galaxy when you step into the Chocolate Cherry sunflower patch. The petals range from deep obsidian to rich chocolate and black cherry and burst forth from deep onyx centers like a supernova. Some blooms have a vibrant yellow ring, or corona, around the pollen disk, just to add extra depth! This multi-branching variety stands 6-7 feet in height and the heads average 5-8 inches across. This is a top choice for garden design or cut flower sales thanks to a long vase life and lower pollen count than other heirloom sunflowers.
Annual. Full-sized Flowering Tobacco plants are robust. Flower spikes exceed 2 feet, and bear cherry red 2” trumpets until hard frost. The uniform color makes this one especially nice in mass plantings, or paired with Aztec Sweet Scent.
Caution: All tobacco is poisonous.
Perennial. Showy double-tiered blooms for a completely unique and eye-catching spin on a favorite reliable perennial wildflower. This pollinator attracting native wildflower is stunning in beds, borders, large containers and can be naturalized in meadows. The 36” tall plants are topped with large double-petaled blooms. In the first year you may notice more single blooms; by the second year over 50% of plants should produce double deckers.
Growing Tips: Start plants in containers indoors, keeping moist until sprouts appear and set out after last frost or direct sow in the garden, about two weeks before last frost.
Perennial winter hardy from USDA zones 5-7. Soft baby pink flower spikes waft that familiar lavender fragrance. Compact and tidy plants reach just 10-12 inches tall. This first-year blooming perennial boasts a gorgeous color contrast of silvery foliage and subtle pink spikes.
Growing Tips: Start seeds indoors in late winter. Sprinkle on moist paper towel, hold in fridge 30-40 days. Seeds will sprout; can be placed into pots and grown indoors until planting outdoors after last frost date.
This artsy pansy blends dusky tones of olive green with splashes of coffee, yellow and tortoise, giving the blooms an avant garde edge. These are certainly not your grandmother’s pansies! These tidy 10 inch tall plants will sparkle in beds, borders and in salads!
85 days. Prepare to be enraptured with this fruity mix, it is resplendent in beauty! This dazzling mix of colors reminds us of a fruit bowl, blooms come in blood orange, Meyer lemon, raspberry and tangerine tones. Heads are feathery and fluffy, referred to as fusagaito in Japanese. The 2-2.5 foot tall plants are excellent for beds, borders, containers and cut flower use! The celosia is believed to have been introduced to Japan in the 8th century, there the young leaves have been used as an edible green, the colorful heads have been rendered into a beautiful natural dye and the plants were also traditionally burned in the home to deter mice from entering the home. We love this brilliant fruity mix!
Growing Tips: Start indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting out after last frost, or sow seeds in place after frost. Cover lightly in fine, moist soil, and keep warm until germination. Grow plants in full sun.
This peppery and piquant heirloom, traditionally grown by the people of the Ewe tribe in Ghana, West Africa, presents a concerto of delightful aromas and possesses many delicious culinary uses. Evivi Ntor means “very tasty” in the Ewe language and we must agree! The flavor is floral with a hint of pine and citrus, nuanced and bold! This particular variety is among many others in the area that are disappearing. It is traditionally used in soup, stew, sauce, juices and also to flavor local drinks. We have found this unique and delicious basil to be a stellar choice for culinary experimentation! Solomon Amuzu, of Call to Nature Permaculture in Ghana, received a sample of seeds from an 86-year-old Ewe woman, and he has decided to revive and proliferate this treasured basil before it is lost. Image of Solomon Amuzu courtesy of Kamasah Godwin.
Growing Tips: Thrives in heat. May be sown in place in long-summer areas, or started indoors and set out after last-frost date of spring. Remove flower buds promptly to prolong harvest.
90-100 days. Soft pink spikes sway gracefully atop tall, slender stems, making this the most elegant celosia. This reliable and uniform variety stands 24-40 inches tall and is perfect for fine gardening and cut flower growing. The dainty spikes in plush pink tones makes for a perfect wedding flower or a soothing element in landscapes.
85 days. A dainty and delightful pansy, with starkly contrasted, bi-colored petals of lemon yellow and plum purple. These cold-hardy plants reach just 8 inches in height, making them an ideal choice for containers, hanging baskets, beds, borders and more.
90-100 days. Annual. A brilliant vibrant mix of strong-stemmed scabiosa, perfect for cutting and floral design, as well as landscaping. Plants reach 2-3 feet tall. Sturdy stems make this rainbow mix of colors a perfect choice for cut flower production. 1.5-2.5 inch blooms come in a wild range of colors.
Perennial zones 7-10, typically grown as an annual. Deliciously fragrant flower spikes in apricot, grape and raspberry colors! Prepare for the buzz of a diversity of beneficial insects and hummingbirds! These 2-foot tall plants are a welcome addition to the pollinator garden.
Growing Tips: Perennial zones 7-10. Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost date or direct sow after. Surface sow and press tightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.
Also known as "Ghoma," this cousin of the eggplant has densely nutritious edible leaves. This variety originally hails from West Africa. Like any other eggplant, this tropical perennial can also be grown as an annual, reaching 2-4' tall and about as wide. A gorgeous edible ornamental, the small leaves, stems, and flowers are all edible. The greens are popular throughout West, Central, and East Africa and in Vietnam as well. Try blanching and sauteeing, similar to collard greens.
The importance of bitter greens in the diet has been well studied, and this heat- and drought-tolerant green is a perfect staple green for anyone looking for a boost of healthful bitter greens. A top-notch tropical permaculture plant! Featured in William Woys Weaver’s 100 Vegetables and Where They Came From.
Caution: Do not ingest this plant without cooking.
Growing Tips: Start indoors in bright light 8-12 weeks before last frost date. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination. Setting out larger transplants helps to fight pest pressure.
75-80 Days. A tender and delicious classic old European selection. This is an excellent Chinese cabbage, with a gourmet flavor perfect for home gardens. The big, tall plants are heading to semi-heading. This high-yielding variety will make tons of stir fry, soups, and of course, kimchi!
Growing Tips: Prefers cool weather and ample, even moisture. Sow seeds or set transplants into rich soil. Time plantings for spring or fall harvest.
Our favorite butterhead type. A highly refined, gourmet butterhead with a downhome back history. This compact, silky soft lettuce is excellent in so many dishes. A butterhead better than any we have tried, this is a new staple in the salad garden or on your farm, reliable and next level eating quality. This heirloom was grown by a local man in the Dutch isles. He was known to deliver his signature lettuce variety in the basket of his bicycle, and he offered it in his small town for over 40 years. We are grateful that this man always allowed a small portion of the lettuce patch to go to seed so he could preserve the variety.
Growing Tips: Sow in thick bands for baby greens or space farther apart for head lettuce. Best grown as a spring or fall crop in most areas.
90 days. This gorgeous teardropshaped melon from Punjab, India, is dripping with sweetness, boasting a sky-high sugar brix level and exquisite flavor. Introduced in 1967 by Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, India, the Hara Madhu is an improvement on several old local landrace varieties from what is now the state of Haryana, just south of Punjab. Its incredible flavor is a testament to the local flavors of the region. It is improved to grow vigorously in a wide range of climates, including the U.S. 10-12ft long vines produce plenty of 2-3 pound fruit that are striped green and cream, with a white flesh and have a shorter shelf life.
Growing Tips: Melons prefer slightly sandy, very rich, well-drained soil. Be careful not to over water vines, especially as fruit is approaching maturity.
100 days to maturity. A mini butternut squash with a gourmet pedigree, widely regarded as one of the best-tasting squash of all time! This squash reaches just 4 to 5 inches long, making a single serving size and quicker to roast whole! Bred by renowned vegetable breeder Michael Mazourek of Cornell.
This dizzying explosion of bold little blooms will completely transform your design or landscape -- it is a show stopper! The small but mighty flowers are just 1 inch across, but the maroon petals dipped in lemon cream make them pop, floating atop long, wiry stems. This half hardy annual creates clouds of color that gently sway in the breeze; plants reach 3 feet tall. This plant is constantly humming with beneficial insects, from small native bees to bumbles and butterflies. It starts flowering in late spring, and when deadheaded will remain flawless and floriferous until fall! Self sows.
Growing Tips: Direct sow in spring, Surface Sow and cover lightly. Grows to 6 inches in rich, moist, well-drained soil. Self-sows readily.
25-45 days. A peppery mustard green that is beloved in Japan and commonly found in gourmet salad mix. The frilly, lace-like foliage packs loads of zippy hot flavor, and is excellent added to salads, soups and stir fry. A reliable variety for the farmer or gardener. It can be sowed densely (1 inch apart) and harvested many times for baby greens (25 days) or thinned to 4-6 inches apart and allowed to mature to full size (about 36 inches mature height). This cool season-loving green turns a deeper shade of purple when exposed to cold.
Growing Tips: Tolerant of heat and frost but best planted in cool spring or fall conditions. Sow in place. Prefers rich soil; harvest individual leaves or cut entire plant.
70 days. Perhaps the most high-octane colorful mix we have seen! These glorious double blooms dazzle in candy sweet colors of shimmering apricot, tangerine, cherry red and rose. These stunning flowers sway atop 8-12 inch stems, attracting beneficial insects such as hoverflies.
Growing Tips: Direct sow in late fall, or in spring as soon as soil can be worked. Surface sow, just barely covering. Grows best in cool, early spring conditions in rich soil, with moderate moisture.
90 days. A highly dramatic dwarf cockscomb, these mammoth, intricately folded heads come in a rainbow of colors and sit just 14 inches high. A rich mix of crimson, canary yellow, tangerine, magenta, and cerise. This astounding variety is short and stocky, just over 1 foot tall, but with massive heads reaching to 16 inches across! This is a perfect bedding, container or border plant, an easy to grow annual with fantastic eye appeal.
Perennial USDA zones 3-7. Cheerful yellow blooms atop lacy foliage. Also known as Marguerite daisy, this sunny yellow bloom is carefree and wildly attractive to pollinators, especially honeybees. An undemanding perennial native to the rocky steppes and dry grasslands of the Middle East will grow easily in dry and poor soil under full sun in your garden. Clumping plants reach 3 feet tall, blooms average 1.5 inch across. This is a fantastic traditional dye plant, yielding a gorgeous gold to yellow color for textiles and craft projects! Plants will eagerly bloom from summer to fall, deadheading will extend this beautiful show. Easily self seeds.
Growing Tips: Surface sow, gently pressing into soil; cover lightly. Keep moist until sprouts appear. Set out transplants after last frost of spring, or direct seed after frost. Self sows readily.
We are excited to offer this old, traditional komatsuna strain from Tokyo, Japan. Since it makes such a perfect spinach substitute, it’s hard to believe that Komatsuna is actually a mustard! The leaves combine the best qualities of spinach and mustard, with a mild and sweet flavor reminiscent of spinach but with the immensely powerful nutrition of a mustard! Frequently referred to as one of the “most underrated” leafy greens, Komatsuna is simply mouth watering. This leafy green is incredibly delicious, mild and tender. It holds superfood status in its native Japan, and in some studies it contained nearly twice as much calcium as whole milk per 100 grams! The leaves are also super high in beta carotene, as well as vitamins A, C and K. Komatsuna has been revered in Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean cuisine as a mouth-watering veggie for many years, and in America chefs and nutritionally minded foodies have identified it as a delicious, juicy and health-promoting green. Let the culinary experimentation begin!
85-90 days. Unique, tasty and versatile, the Korean Long tomato is a sauce or slicing tomato with meaty flesh and superb flavor. The long pinkish red fruit has a slightly curved pointed nose or tail and ranges between 6-14 ounces, with some fruit being more heart shaped. A crack-resistant paste tomato that is productive, reliable and bursting with heirloom flavor. This sumptuous and flavorful variety is delicious fresh or cooked.
A vibrant treasure from Japan. Stunning, tangerine to kumquat colored heads are intricately wrinkled, these spectacular blooms sit atop long, sturdy stems and are a floral designer’s dream! Flower farmers and home gardeners will love this punchy, citrus-colored cockscomb. The heads are medium to large, with a velvety sheen!
85-90 days. Annual. Extra abundant producer of blooms! Miniature daisies in clusters, with petals so fine they look like glistening silk thread, giving them their common name of Floss Flower. Each bloom is bi-colored a soft lavender-blue to white. The soothing tones make an ideal foil for warmer colors in summer ornamental beds. Blooms all summer long, height to 8”.
Growing Tips: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Do not cover seed, as light aids germination. Bottom water or mist to keep moist until sprouts appear. Grow in full sun to light shade. No pinching or support is needed.
Perennial hardy from USDA zones 4-9. This lemon balm is much more strongly lemon scented than any other lemon balm variety! Leaves are infused with intoxicating flavor and fragrance. The crawling habit makes this an enthralling container plant as it “spills” from hanging baskets and pots. It also makes a delightful, scented ground cover and is a delicious tea plant to add citrusy notes to your blends. Small white blooms appear in summer. Height 6-12 inches, 20-24 inches wide.
Growing Tips: Start indoors, covering seeds very lightly and keeping moist until sprouts appear. Set outside after last frost or direct sow in the garden, two weeks before last frost. Cutting back after flowering encourages reblooming.
45-55 days. Bush. The famed treasure of Sicilian cooking! A gourmet traditional heirloom from Palermo, Sicily, that is highly regarded across Italian cuisine. Fruit average 12-15 inches and are a unique sage green color with faint speckles. This buttery textured variety is instrumental in a number of dishes from zucchini parmesan to salads and pastas. We love to create tasty dishes of all kinds, playing on the nutty sweet flavor and tender texture. Wonderfully productive and flavorsome!
Growing Tips: Direct seed, or set out indoor-started transplants after last frost date. Don’t let transplants become rootbound; don't disturb roots while transplanting. Needs heavily amended soil. Harvest frequently.
Perennial hardy from USDA zones 4-9. This lemon balm is especially lovely, with leaves infused with the intoxicating scent of mandarin orange! The crawling habit makes this an enthralling container plant as it “spills” from hanging baskets and pots. It also makes a delightful, scented ground cover. A delicious tea plant to add citrusy notes to your blends. Small white blooms appear in summer. Height 6-12 inches, 20-24 inches wide.
85-95 days. A delicious and vigorous variety from the U.K., this Welsh-bred rutabaga was developed with the allotment garden in mind, which means it is well suited to compact growing spaces like the backyard garden. It is a tasty and reliable rutabaga with tolerance to club root and mildew. The yellow fleshed, purple tinged roots reach up to 8 inches in diameter and are well suited to late fall/winter harvest and storage.
Growing Tips: Sow late spring to midsummer for fall harvest. Requires 80-90 days to reach large size. Stores best in cool (33F), humid conditions.
Perennial in zones 8-10, annual in cooler zones. This fantastic nicotiana creates a glittering cloud of rose to cream-colored blooms. Each plant is covered in a mix of rosy shades, making for an incredible show. These blushing blooms are displayed on airy, open four foot plants, excellent for the back of the border or the cottage garden and beloved by pollinators.
100 days. Annual. A vivid mix of double flowered asters, with impressive disease tolerance. This blend of bold purple, pink, red, white and apricot is a perfect fit for containers, beds, borders and of course, cut flower design! The sturdy stems reach 24-30 inches in length. 2 inch diameter flowers with fluffy petals and yellow centers. Tolerant to fusarium.
Growing Tips: Sow in place in spring, or start plants indoors and grow for several weeks. Carefully set out after last frost. Requires full sun and rich soil. Removing spent blooms prolongs the blooming season.
85 days. Annual. This stunning magenta and white-striped aster was specifically selected by renowned breeders in Japan for its merit as a cut flower. Indeed the strong 24-30 inch stems and sturdy but super pretty 2-inch blooms make for a stellar addition to arrangements as well as the garden bed, containers and borders.
40 days. Annual, reseeds easily USDA zones 6 and warmer. A native wild plant, it makes a delicate, refined salad green rich in vitamin C. This exceptionally easy to grow annual has become a mainstay of market farmers and home gardeners, as it is a cold-hardy, cut- and-come-again green to grow in spring, winter and fall. Samples of wild claytonia were collected in 1735 by botanist John Clayton. The common name miner’s lettuce is a reference to the prospectors in the 1800s California gold rush who would forage this common wild green to fend off scurvy. This light and refreshing green will grow in a variety of soils and thrives in cool and cold weather. It is commonly grown throughout winter in fairly mild climates and can grow over winter in the north with just a bit of protection. It is a supreme choice for temperate and northern permaculture design as it makes a carefree and nutritious edible ground cover, returning each season from dropped seeds.
A mammoth heirloom okra from West Africa that produces gargantuan edible leaves and delicious pods. This outstanding okra was introduced to us by Jon Jackson, a retired U.S. Army Airborne Ranger and founder of Comfort Farms, a non-profit agriculture program focused on helping veterans to heal and learn sustainable farming practices. Jon’s mother hails from Liberia, West Africa, so on a quest to learn about his ancestral farming roots, he came across this remarkable variety of okra that is considered a productive and reliable staple in his mother’s homeland, as well as in other parts of West Africa. Jon grows the seeds for this okra on his farm in Georgia. There, the late-maturing plants grow to 15 feet tall with elephant ear-sized leaves, but the plants will express themselves differently depending on the climate in which they are grown. Other gardeners report plants averaging 6-8 feet. The pods are an unusual round shape and not entirely spineless. They are exquisite and versatile in cooked dishes, and can even be eaten raw when young. The leaves are also edible when cooked, and in their native range they are traditionally made into soup.
All images in this listing are courtesy of Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms.
Growing Tips: Soak seeds for 24 hours. Direct seed after last spring frost. Pick pods while young and tender. Loves heat and humid or dry conditions.
A vibrant and eye-popping Japanese type morning glory that is considered a rare find in the U.S. Large blooms range from 3-5 inches wide in violet, lavender, rose and magenta hues. These frilly-edged flowers have snow white margins, making for an illuminating effect. This climbing vine averages 6-8 feet in length and covers a trellis or fence beautifully.
Growing Tips: Annual. Direct sow as soon as soil has warmed to 55 degrees. Soak seeds for 24 hours before planting. Provide support for the rambling vines, and expect flowers all summer.
90 days. A nutritious, richly flavored and high-yielding broccoli rabe from Puglia region, Italy. This variety yielded more and larger heads than others we trialed. Plants average 2-3' tall. This gourmet brassica is a delicacy in Puglia, where it is used in a range of dishes, often sauteed with garlic, and drizzled with a bit of olive oil as a side dish or atop good quality bread. A famous Puglia dish is broccoli rabe with orecchiette pasta--simply sublime!
Growing Tips: Sow very early indoors, or direct seed outdoors 2-4 weeks ahead of last-frost date and again in midsummer for fall harvest. Best in cool weather.
The famous “tree okra” of Ghana! Unique pods are tender and of a deep green color, sometimes tinged in red. This prized variety is superior to most Okra from in the Americas. An exceptionally tall and delicious variety known to be long lived in its native range in Ghana, West Africa. The name literally translates to “tall okra”, and the plants can reach up to 12 feet tall. Solomon Amuzu, of Call to Permaculture Farm in Ghana, tells us this variety can live for up to 15 or 20 years in the tropics, if well maintained! It is also used for its flavorful leaves are widely used among the Akan, Ewe, Ga and Fante people, the leaves have a wonderful spinach flavor when cooked is soups, stews and curries. Plants produce dark green pods that are rich in mucilage. You can prune this variety to keep it shorter. This historic variety can have a slight bit of variation in color and fruit shape, but is among the best we have tried in our Missouri gardens.
80 days. Indeterminate, regular leaf. Indescribable beauty meets stellar flavor with the orange accordion tomato. This highly ruffled, massive tomato in high voltage orange color is packed with nutrition and sweet, fruity flavor. This head-turning tomato is a must have for market gardeners and home growers alike. Its deeply lobed fruit has few seeds and juicy, meaty flesh, making it suitable for sauces and slicing. Its monstrous fruit can easily reach 20 ounces each and makes a perfect stuffing tomato, too!
Perennial USDA zones 5-10. A supremely vigorous and easy-to-grow thyme that wafts heavenly citrus fragrance. This is a perfect choice for the poorest soil on your property; orange thyme is famous for its ability to thrive in even the most nutrient depleted and dry soils. It is a stellar choice for landscaping, rock gardens, containers and the herb garden. A fabulous culinary herb that reaches just 8-12 inches tall. For peak flavor, harvest leaves just before it blooms. Allow the plants to bloom for a carpet of petite pinkish-white flowers that the pollinators will love. Arcane and highly sought after, it is a gourmet herb that lends unique, citrusy notes to savory and sweet dishes.
Growing Tips: Surface sow indoors in early spring, barely covering seed. Set out after last spring frost, 6 in. to 1 ft. apart. Or direct sow in garden 2 weeks before last frost. Shear older plants for compact growth.
80 days. One of the truly great Hungarian peppers. Yellow, flat, ribbed, pumpkin-shaped fruit has the tremendous flavor that peppers from Hungary are famous for. The flesh is very thick, crisp and juicy. This rare variety was collected at a farmers’ market in Matrafured, Hungary, but developed at Szentes, Hungary. A winning variety.
Perennial. A dazzling double-petaled echinacea in the most charming rosy tones. This enchanting traditional medicinal plant is a perennial that will bloom in its first year. Easy to grow, reliable and quite hardy; the 36-inch tall plants boast stunning double petaled heads. An enchanting choice for the herb garden, beds, borders and wildflower meadows, also excellent as a cut flower.
Annual. A carefree annual with dazzlingly colorful rewards! These low, spreading plants reach just 4-6 inches tall and send amazing beams of rainbow colors into the stratosphere. They are the easiest way to brighten a difficult, dry landscape! This sun-loving plant makes a drought-tolerant ground cover and is an exceptionally easy-to grow blast of color for your landscape! Native to Cape Peninsula in South Africa, this variety is presumably named for Dr. David Livingstone, a Scottish-born physician and missionary who extensively traveled the African continent in the 1800s. The plants native range is in relatively infertile desert soils, which lends an explanation to its resilience. Do not over water, these like slightly dry, well-drained soil.
Growing Tips: Sow outdoors after danger of frost. Prefers slightly moist, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade. Do not overwater. Plants do not like humidity. Blooms will continue into summer in cooler climates.
100-120 days. A pretty, peachy colored riff on the world’s hottest pepper! Whether you’re a capsicum collector, an ornamental appreciator or just a pepper freak chasing the next Scoville high score, this pod is for you! The gorgeous, screaming hot, peachy pods may clock in at 1.5 million Scoville units. They owe their fire to their parental genetics, the Carolina Reaper, which is considered the world’s hottest pepper! A super long season pepper that demands hot weather, it must be started indoors early and kept in hot growing conditions! Plants reach 3-4 feet tall.
This exotic looking beauty has the best taste of any paste tomato we have tried. The flavor of this big paste tomato will put a regular Roma to shame! Incredibly flavorful and so sweet! The super-long, 6-inch fruit of this paste tomato has very few seeds and thick, sweet flesh. Try making this meaty, sweet variety into paste or marinara. You won’t be disappointed! Our favorite for snacking, too!
Amazing petals are quilled, giving this favorite medicinal flower an even more fascinating look. This calendula is sure to be a flower grower’s favorite with its striking colors of yellow and orange and unique beauty.
Growing Tips: Sow in place in fall or spring, or start plants indoors and grow for several weeks, setting out after last frost. Plants require full sun, rich soil, and moderate moisture. Often self-sows.
70-80 days. Indeterminate. A gilded salad tomato with superb flavor, introduced by the legendary tomato breeder Tom Wagner, who bred the Green Zebra tomato and many other delectable heirlooms. The 3-5 ounce fruit is scrumptious and snackable with a unique color pattern. This newer variety will display slight variations in size and color, making for fun surprises!
60 days. Beautiful, fragrant and tasty purple foliage makes this basil both gourmet and ornamental. Plants reach just shy of 1 foot tall, with a tidy, round form and plum purple color. Excellent in raised beds, window boxes and other creative containers as well as in beds and borders.
75 days. Reliable and well-adapted plants produce high yields of this delicious onyx-colored pepper. These compact plants average 18 inches in height, with large, 4-inch black fruit that ripen to deep purple. These gorgeous peppers are flavorful, crisp and juicy with a thick wall, perfect raw or cooked. Note these peppers will lose their color in cooking.
Average 90 days to maturity. This ancient grain from Tibet has been having a remarkable resurgence in popularity, as it has been recognized as a supremely nutritious and exceptionally tasty hulless heirloom barley. In 1924, an American collected this purple barley in Tibet and brought it back to the U.S., where the seeds were stored at the USDA seed repository for nearly 100 years. Victoria and Tom Blake, two professors at the University of Montana, told Pat Hayes of Oregon State University about an amazing purple barley in the seed bank, which they called Purple Karma. Hayes plucked this remarkable variety from obscurity and was floored with its delicious nutty flavor. Since then, this purple tinged, awned barley variety has gained a cult following among foodies and farmers alike.
85 days. Beautiful bi-colored blooms make this pansy stand out in a crowd. Snow white and boysenberry-colored petals really pop. These sweetheart blooms are versatile for a number of uses, from filling pots and window boxes to beds and borders. A darling edible flower.
70 days. Cheerful and hardy, the lemon-colored petals reverse fade to a soft coral for a stunning transition. Blooms reach 2 to 4 inches across with a peach-colored eye and plants stand 1.5 to 2 feet tall, absolutely ideal for cut flower production. The judges of the 2022 All America’s Selection lauded this very easy-to-grow variety for its heat tolerance, consistent colors and long- season blooming.
Perennial in USDA zones 5-10. Heavenly fragrance and stunning raspberry-colored flowers make this agastache irresistible to pollinators, and a favorite in our trial gardens! Plants average 15 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Attractive to a wide range of pollinators and also resistant to deer and rabbits. Blooms from early summer to mid fall.
Growing Tips: Perennial zones 4-10. Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost date or direct sow after. Surface sow and press tightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.
85-90 days. A unique spin on a cottage garden favorite with blooms in reddish berry tones! This taller variety stands about 24 inches in height, and the flowers are a unique shade between boysenberry, jam and plum… an exquisite departure from the usual! This breathtaking heirloom pops in arrangements, landscapes, beds and borders.
50 days. Completely unique. The Red Rat’s Tail radish is praised for its many tender, crisp, purplish seed pods rather than its root. The plants are exceptionally easy to grow, and highly rewarding, too, producing oodles of lightly, spicy pods that can be compared to a pungent green bean! Pick pods when they are tender and young, about 5-6 inches long. They can be eaten raw, cooked or even pickled. A South Asian delicacy.
Growing Tips: Sow spring radishes in several small successions for a continuous harvest.
Delicious and high-yielding variety! A rugged and reliable red-seeded cowpea to replenish your soils and fill your belly. This old Southern standby, also formerly known as the Tory pea, dates back to the 1850s. It was especially popular in Alabama and South Carolina. Farmers of yesteryear regarded it highly for the copious foliage or organic matter it produced, making it an exemplary soil-improving companion crop to corn. Since the early 1900s, a number of seed catalogs have lauded this variety for its drought and heat tolerance. A look back through antique American catalogs, especially those from companies in the Southeastern U.S., shows that Red Ripper was a must have on the farm as a sustainable soil builder and delicious treat. This heirloom creates long, running vines, smothered in long 12-14 inch pods that are loaded with nutritious peas, up to 18 in a single shell! The flowers are a beautiful blue and the immature pods make a perfect green bean substitute. In its native range in Africa, the cowpea has historically been grown alongside millet and sorghum as a nurse crop to improve soil. George Washington Carver also sang the praises of this almost-miraculous soil saver. The seeds for cowpeas were brought to the Americas by enslaved Africans, and over subsequent centuries this legume has revived ravaged soils and nourished many.
Growing Tips: Soak seeds overnight; direct seed into warm soil in sunny location after last spring frost. Tolerates heat, drought, humidity, but does best with ample moisture. Trellis to conserve space.
This elegant apple green eggplant is a culinary treasure in Japan. This traditional variety has been grown in Saitama Prefecture since the early Meiji period. A dense and creamy texture make this a highly gourmet choice. Uniquely colored, and globe shaped with a flat bottom.
85 days. A reliable and profuse producer of everlasting flamingo pink globes. Plants reach 2-3 feet tall and are very low maintenance, and they are perfect for tidy borders, low water gardens, containers and the cut flower patch. This long-season bloomer provides color for months and it makes a fantastic, vibrant dried flower. The little pink heads make an amazing pink tea that is popular in Asia.
85 days. These dazzling white globes may look dainty, but don’t let them fool you -- this is one of the longest lasting and most rugged flowers around! These 2-3 foot tall plants create a blizzard of snow white across beds, borders, landscapes and in the cutting garden. This everlasting bloom is tidy and uniform, perfect for fine floral arrangements and weddings.
Perennial, hardy from USDA zones 3-8. This mix provides fantastic sweet fragrance as well as intriguing eye appeal with its gorgeous weeping, spidery blooms in a range of pinks, reds, and whites! Plants reach 16 inches tall. This fascinating species of Dianthus is native to Europe and Asia. Plants make a stunning impact when planted en masse or as an eye catching accent plant.
Growing Tips: Sow seed indoors in early spring and keep moist. Room temperature is best. Can sow seeds outside from spring to fall for bloom the next year.
A stunning display of mammoth blooms in pretty pinks, purples, lavenders and whites, with happy yellow centers. These are incredibly charming! The unique thin petals really pop with pastel tones. These massive heads reach an impressive 3.5-4" across, making a real statement. A cutting variety with sturdy 2' tall stems, it is also perfect for landscaping and container growing. Thomas Jefferson was an enthusiastic fan of China asters and they were a favorite in old American gardens.
90-100 days. Annual. Berry bright and merry, this mix honors our favorite summer fruit tones, from the blackberry to the scarlet woodland strawberry, a gorgeous range of color! A pollinator magnet and delightful cut flower, truly versatile.
Annual. Wildly illuminating purple and white petals make this Swiss giant type pansy glow in the garden! The tidy 8 to 10 inch tall plants are covered in massive, 3" flower heads. A superb selection for beds, borders and containers. Gorgeous edible blooms on this classic pansy of yesteryear!
70 days to bloom. Perennial grown as an annual. Dainty bi-colored blooms perch atop super dwarf plants that grow just four inches tall and six inches wide. These cuties are excellent for containers, hanging baskets, beds and borders. Their cottage garden charm is perfect for the garden, and the edible flowers look darling on the plate!
An extra sweet, mini eggplant that is shaped like a little finger, hence the name! An electrifying edible ornamental and scrumptious traditional Thai variety. The 2-3" fruits of this adorable little edible ornamental arestriped in mint and forest green tones, and they drip in abundance on tidy plants. The mini fruit can be used whole. Try them tossed into curries and stir fries or slide onto skewers for a perfect bite-sized treat. Jere Gettle found this variety while on a trip to Thailand.
85 days. A gleaming golden viola that adds a ray of sunshine to designs. Plants are smothered with golden blooms, and the petals have purple veining, making a gorgeous tiger stripe. This viola is ideal for container planting, especially when grown alongside tulips! Also perfect for beds, borders and window boxes. Try topping your culinary creations with these regal blooms.
A favorite edible flower in lovely shades of rose color, perfect for topping cakes or other culinary creations. The leaves are also edible and make a spicy green in salads. Pollinators love this pretty pink flower, too! Plants have a mounding habit and reach 14 inches tall. A 2020 All Americas Selection Winner
Growing Tips: Start indoors 4-8 weeks before last frost or sow outdoors after frost. Sow in fine, moist soil, and cover lightly.
90 days. A beautiful take on the classic Trinidad Scorpion pepper. This stunning cocoa-colored chili pepper may be about 100 times hotter than the jalapeno. We recommend wearing gloves when harvesting and to be cautious eating it raw. The short, stubby, 2 inch long, wrinkled, chocolatey-brown-red peppers are borne on productive plants. The peppers have a more mellow, less acidic flavor with smoky undertones and hints of a nice earthy sweetness -- perfect for hot, hot sauces!
This tomato came in to my grandfather’s collection from his friend Dr. Harold E. Martin (1888-1959), the creator of Dr. Martin’ s Lima Bean. Dr. Martin used it as a breeding parent to create the True Black Brandywine tomato which I discussed several years ago in The Heirloom Gardener. Fejee Improved or True Beefsteak appeared as a new cross or selection about 1883 in the seed catalogs of David Landreth and Robert Buist of Philadelphia. Ideal for slicing, the fat, oblate fruit about 4 to 5 inches in diameter features maroon or brownish-purple flesh with a red “bloody” center as shown in the picture. It received the name Beefsteak because it resembled raw aged beef. Treat as a late season tomato. Due to the heavy fruit, plants should be staked or caged.
Enjoy a rainbow of HUGE flowers! Annual. A charming mix of bold tones from blue to plum, gold and tangerine, even including a splash of bi-colored petals. This glorious potpourri of gem tones will enliven your beds, borders, flower pots and even the dinner plate, as the petals are edible! Tidy and compact plants reach just 8-10 inches tall, making them a perfect choice for window boxes!
A delicious melon that has made a trip around the world! This variety has been grown in Lanzhou, China since it was introduced there in the 1940s by U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace. The white skinned, honeydew type melon has thick, heavy and sweet flesh that is rich in Vitamin C. Wallace founded the Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed Company, and in the 1940s he shared the seeds of this melon with Chinese locals.
85 days. This is a gorgeous viola with blooms the color of wine and plum, with a small yellow eye. This versatile cool-weather flower is very well suited to beds and borders, as well as container plantings like window boxes and pots on the front porch. This edible flower makes a delightful decoration for your most eye-catching recipes.
85 days. Indeterminate. A mammoth, heart-shaped, canary-yellow fruit that is remarkably delicious! This midseason variety produces loads of 1 pound fruit with dense, sweet flesh and very few seeds. This heirloom originally hails from Siberia, Russia, and it is beloved for its excellent flavor. Some fruit will reveal light pinkish streaks inside. A truely royal tasting variety that is very rare in the Americas.
Averages 50 days to maturity. This Argentinian heirloom squash has a creamy, butterly soft flesh and an edible rind. It is also called avocado squash, due to the low moisture content of the flesh, making it creamy in consistency. A semi-bush habit and very productive with relative squash bug resistance and excellent heat tolerance.
