How many varieties of tomato?!
Below is a list, along with descriptions, of the various things I have decided to grow this summer. The descriptions come from the following sources: rareseeds.com; mainepotatolady.com; seedsaversexchage.com; newhopeseed.com. These were all the places that I got my seed. I can't possibly say nice enough things about these companies. They have provided me, year after year, with fresh, interesting, heirloom seeds. I would recommend them to anyone deciding to start growing their own produce.
Exciting things, I know. This is more for my information than yours...don't get too bored on me!
Exciting things, I know. This is more for my information than yours...don't get too bored on me!
BEANSCherokee Trail of Tears Pole Bean- This heirloom was brought from Tennessee by the Cherokee people as they were marched to Oklahoma by the Federal Government in 1839 over the infamous "Trail of Tears" that left so many dead and suffering. This prolific variety is good as a snap or dry bean and has shiny, black beans. Hardy, vining plants.
Missouri Wonder Pole Bean- Old-time cornfield type. Vines produce flavorful pods even under stress. The dry beans look like pintos. Introduced around 1931 and grown in corn fields, as corn stalks supported them quite well. 70 days maturity. BEETS Bull's Blood Beet- This beautiful beet has deep reddish-purple leaves. Very sweet and delicious, the baby leaves are a rage in salads. The beets are tasty, too, and have pretty pink rings inside. 50 days maturity. Early Wonder Beets- An old heirloom, pre-1811 variety. Early, smooth, round beet; makes lots of tall tender greens too! Perfect pickled, fresh, cooked, or in borscht. 50 days maturity. BROCCOLI Calabrese Green Sprouting Broccoli- An Italian heirloom brought to America in the 1880s; 5"-8" heads and many side shoots. Romanesco Italia Broccoli- The true and popular Italian heirloom with spiraling, applegreen heads that are so superbly flavored. This variety is widely grown in northern Italy. A must with many of the finest chefs. BRUSSEL SPROUTS Long Island Improved Brussel Sprouts- The standard open pollinated variety since the 1890s. Heavy yields of delicious sprouts. 100 days to maturity. CORN Dakota Black Popcorn- Dark reddish-black ears are quite attractive for fall decorations, or popping into tasty popcorn. This variety is easy to grow, and does well in almost all growing climates. Fun for children's gardens. Stonewall's Evergreen Sweet Corn- This is among the oldest sweet corn that is still in production, predating 1949. It is still a favorite of many, producing tasty white kernels. The plants used to be pulled up when completely ripe, and hung upside-down in a cool pantry; the ears would last well into the winder, in a semi-fresh state. In 1873, the seeds sold for 25 cents per pint. Harvard-grown Sweet Corn- Supplied by Barb Dopp, grown for the church garden, manufactured in Harvard, Illinois. The seeds were neon pink! CUCUMBER Marketmore 76 Cucumber- Dark green, 8"-9" fruit; great slicer! Good yields. Excellent flavor. A real standard for superb eating cukes. 70 days to maturity. Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber- Incredible, small cucumber-like fruit are shaped like baby watermelons. They are good added to salads or can be pickled. They have a cucumber-like taste with a touch of lemon. The ornamental vines have tiny leaves and flowers and are perfect for the cottage garden. Very unique and fun for kids. Huge yields. Read about these in "Mother Earth News". 70 days to maturity. LETTUCE Red Wing Lettuce Mix- "The All Red Formula Mix" At last a lettuce mix that contains a wide range of the best brilliant red (and red-splashed) specialty types. Our growers love this beautiful mix and so do the chefs. Merveille des Quatre Saisons Lettuce- A pre-1885 French Heirloom; crisp and tender. The fine-flavored leaves have a reddish color. It is becoming popular again. 48 days to maturity. LEEKS Carentan Leek- Long, thick (2" across), vigorous, and fast growing; delicate; deliciously mild flavor, great fresh or cooked. The Carentan leek was mentioned by Vilmorin in 1885. An old European favorite that is becoming rare. Very adaptable and yields are good. MELON Ananas Melon- Sweet and juicy white flesh. A rare white muskmelon; fruit are around 5 lbs. An old 1800s heirloom. Grown by Thomas Jefferson in the late 18th century. 100 days to maturity. Delicious 51 Melon- 4-5 lbs, round-oval muskmelon, salmon-orange sweet flesh. A popular home garden variety; early. Healy's Pride Melon- Introduced in 1952 by Elmer James Healy of St. Francisville, Illinois. Large, heavily netted melons weigh up to 10 lbs. Sweet old-time muskmelon flavor. 80-85 days. ONION Yellow of Parma Onion- Long-day type. Large, golden onions are oblong-globe shaped. This late onion makes an excellent keeper; a rare and hard-to-find Italian variety. Bronze D'Amposta Onion- Attractive reddish-bronze onions are good sized and sweet; an intermediate day type. A great variety for fresh eating, as it is not too hot tasting. A decent keeper in storage and a good overall red-type. Named for the small city of Amposta, Spain. PEA Little Marvel Garden Pea- Vigorous bush plants, heavy yields, and fine-flavored peas. A great home variety. An heirloom from 1908. 60 days to maturity. PEPPER (SWEET) Charleston Belle Pepper- The first nematode-resistant bell pepper. Large, beautiful fruit are smooth and of good quality. A great pepper for the South or areas where nematodes are a problem. Attractive, compact plants produce fairly early. Developed by the USDA in Charleston, South Carolina. Golden Cal Wonder Pepper- colorful golden bells that are very sweet and tasty. Gold peppers are superb for fresh eating, great for kitchen or market gardens. The productive plants produce early and are good for northern climates. Orange Bell Pepper- Super sweet, brilliant orange fruit are blocky, and good-sized with thick flesh that is flavorful and among the best tasting of all peppers. Plants produce large yields of this most magnificent pepper. Ozark Giant Pepper- What a pepper! This variety produces huge, long bell peppers that have delicious, thick flesh. They start out green and turn bright red. Very productive plants and great flavor will make this old Ozark variety a favorite. Quadrato D'Asti Giallo Pepper- The giant yellow Quadrato bell pepper has huge fruit that are a favorite here. The largest variety we have grown, beautiful and blocky, with very thick walls, the flavor is outstanding. 80 days to maturity. Quadrato D'Asti Rosso Pepper- Very thick, brilliant red flesh that has a delicious rich-sweet taste. One of the largest red bells, it is excellent for frying, salads, or stuffing. Producing large yields, this beautiful variety is the perfect pepper for home and market growers. Very popular with many fine markets in Italy. Superb! 80 days to maturity. Red Mini Bell Pepper- Oh, so cute! Tiny, red bell peppers are only about 1-1/2" tall and wide; they have thick red flesh that is very sweet. 2' tall plants produce loads of these little winners and early, too! |
POTATO
Red Thumb Organic- Dug as small "babies", these bright red-skinned thumbs of delicacy have bountiful dark pink flesh. Pleasing flavor and firm flesh is perfect for roasting in olive oil and rosemary, then caramelizing. Serve with your favorite steak and salad. An interesting fingerling for the specialty market. Very productive small- to medium-sized plant. Late maturity at 90-110 days. Colorado Rose Sustainable- With Cherry Red as one of its parents, Colorado Rose was bred for high yield and early bulking. Attractive oval red tubers with white flesh are great for those early summer salads or roasting. Resistant to hollow heart, second growth, and bruising. Medium semi-erect plant with purple flowers. Early maturity at 55-70 days. Mountain Rose Organic- With red skin and red flesh, this new release from Colorado joins Purple Majesty in being very high in antioxidants. Developed from All-Red and a white-fleshed chipping variety, Mountain Rose shows good promise as a specialty variety for chefs and market gardeners. A moist but not waxy texture makes it suitable for most uses. Early to medium maturity and high yields. resistant to second growth, hollow heart, shatter bruise, and some viruses. Slightly susceptible to fusarium dry rot. Semi-erect plants with reddish-purple flowers. Early maturity at 55-70 days. Purple Majesty Organic- Majestic purple flesh inside satiny purple skin beautifully describes this newly-released variety from Colorado. All Blue crossed with a white fleshed chipping variety has produced a royal potato exceptionally high in anthocyanin, an antioxidant. Oblong tubers make stunning chips or fries. Resistant to most viruses, susceptible to fusarium dry rot. Ideal for early market or summer eating; good for short term storage only. Mid-season variety at 70-90 days. Canela Russet Organic- A late maturing russet with high yields and smooth attractive appearance. Long, oblong-flattened tubers have heavy russet skin and white bright flesh. Tubers set in the middle of the hill and average 9-10 tubers per plant. Performed well in our trials in 2008 and tastes good too! Excellent for fries and baking. Resistant to viruses and has a long dormancy. Late maturity at 90-110 days. Georgia Jet Sweet Potato- A spectacular variety with extremely fast growth (#1 size potatoes in only 90 days) and extra-high yields. Ideal for norther gardeners, even New England. Five years testing in the northern state of New York shows that Georgia Jets produce 2-1/2 times the yield of standard varieties. Yields in other sections are exceptional as well. Georgia Jets have deep orange inside color with moist flesh and marvelous taste. The outside skin is so red, it is almost purple. RADISH Saxa 2 Radish- Popular European radish that matures in just 18 days; wow, they are quick! The earliest radish we have grown. Bright red, smooth, round, perfect globes are crisp and delicious. Pretty and productive. Ready when tops are just 4" tall! SQUASH Table Queen Squash- Dark green Acorn-type fruit. Iowa Seed Co. introduced this variety in 1913 and is possibly of native American origin. The small fruits have sweet, orange flesh. 80 days to maturity. Striata D'Italia Squash- Medium-long zucchini fruits, somewhat thicker at the blossom end, light ribbing, 8"-9" long. The skin is striped in light and dark green. Superb flavor and texture. This variety is popular in Italy for its flavor and early yield. 50 days to maturity. SQUASH (PUMPKIN) Connecticut Field Pumpkin- The heirloom pumpkin of the New England settlers and Indians, several hundred years old, golden fruit weigh about 20 lbs each. This is a truly old variety; can be used for pies; the traditional American pumpkin. 100 days to maturity. TOMATO Brandywine Tomato- The most popular heirloom vegetable! A favorite of many gardeners, large fruit with superb flavor. A great potato-leafed variety from 1885. Beautiful pink fruit up to 1-1/2 lbs each! 80 days to maturity. Cherokee Purple Tomato- An old Cherokee Indian heirloom, pre-1890 variety; beautiful, deep, dusky purple-pink color, superb sweet flavor, and very-large-sized fruit. Try this one for real old-time tomato flavor. My favorite dark tomato and one of our best selling varieties. Henderson's "Pink Ponderosa"- huge size, some over 2 lbs, a meaty pink-red beefsteak introduced by Peter henderson and Co. in 1891, and the most famous of their varieties. In 1903 their catalog said "Quality Beyond Praise, Rich and meaty-sliced. Thick and delicious canned." Still popular with gardeners. 87 days to maturity. Amish Paste Tomato- Many seed savers believe this is the ultimate paste tomato. Giant, blocky Roma-type tomatoes have delicious red flesh that is perfect for paste and canning. World class flavor and comes from an Amish community in Wisconsin. 80 days to maturity. Chadwick Cherry Tomato- Delicious, sweet flavor makes this 1-ounce cherry popular with home gardeners. Large vines set huge yields and are disease resistant. Developed by the late horticultural expert Alan Chadwick. He sure had a winner with this one! 80 days to maturity. Illini Star Tomato- The "star" in any garden, this winner was developed by our friends, Marilyn and Mary Ann Neidens. This variety sets heavy crops of 6 ounce round, red fruit with superior flavor for an early type. For quick and steady production, this one is hard to beat. The vines need little staking. 65-70 days to maturity. Sub-Arctic Plenty or World's Earliest- One of the very earliest tomatoes, the compact plants produce lots of 2 ounce fruit. It is one of the best for cool conditions and will set fruit in lower temperatures than most. It has even been grown in the Southern Yukon. Developed by Dr. Harris, Beaverlodge Research Station, Alberta, Canada. 49-59 days to maturity. Yellow Mortgage Lifter Tomato- A beautiful yellow version of the regular Mortgage Lifter. It has the same great size and taste except this variety is bright yellow in color. Always popular with attendees at the heirloom Garden Show, this big heirloom is richly flavored and quite rare. A favorite! WATERMELON Moon and Stars Watermelon- Legendary heirloom variety rediscovered in Macon, Missouri. Can grow to over 40 lbs. The dark green rind has bright yellow spots on it! Spots range in site from tiny to several inches across. Leaves are also speckled in yellow. It has very sweet, brilliant red flesh. This is becoming one of the most popular heirloom varieties, a winner! Originally introduced by Peter henderson and Co. in 1926, it was called "Sun, Moon, and Stars". The catalog says, "...an extraordinary variation...and that it has such a delicious taste." It was sold then for 20 cents a packet. Unique variety! 95 days to maturity. Picnic Watermelon- These beautiful, oval melons have dark green, glossy rinds and deep rd flesh. It has become very rare. 90-100 days to maturity. BASIL Genovese Basil- The famous Italian heirloom is popular with many cooks. CILANTRO Slo-Bolt Cilantro- This is a slow-bolting version of cilantro/coriander that produces flavorful leaves over a longer period. OREGANO Vulgare Oregano- This is a beautiful and delicious Italian flavoring herb. Also medicinal. Great for Italian and Greek cooking. Wild Zaatar Oregano- We offer seeds from Israel for this plant that grows wild in Israel, Jordan and surrounding areas. Doubtless a common herb in Bible times, and still one of the tastiest! It has great flavor that blends hints of Oregano, Thyme, and Marjoram. A favorite. PARSLEY Giant of Italy Parsley- A very large Italian strain of parsley with great flavor. Perfect for sauces. SUNFLOWER Tiger Eye Mix Sunflower- This mix is a stunning assortment of bronze, red, brown, and yellow, and many are multicolored with an "eye" look. Medium to large flowers come in both double and single. Many blooms per plant make these some of the showiest flowers in the garden. |