How many varieties?! I just can help myself!!!
Below is a list, along with descriptions (provided by the seed catalogues), of the various things I have decided to grow this summer. The descriptions come from the following sources: rareseeds.com; mainepotatolady.com; seedsaversexchage.com; landrethseeds.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!
GREEN BEANS
Cherokee Trail of Tears - 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 plant. Mayflower - This is the bean that is said to have come to America with the Pilgrims in 1620. This old cutshort green bean has great flavor and the red/white beans are quite tasty. A long-time staple in the Carolinas. DRY BEANS Saint-Esprit 'A Oeil Rouge - This unique dry bean name, "Holy Spirit in Red Eye," is due to its unique markings near the bean's eye that resemble an angel, dove, soldier or nun, depending on a gardener's point-of-view. Also called "Soldier Bean," a once popular type in the Southern USA. It is an excellent soup and baking bean that is introduced on bush plants. This type of bean was known by many names, like "Beans of the Religious" and "Navel of Good Sister." California Blackeyed Pea - An old-standard variety; vigorous, high-yielding vines. Thomas Jefferson grew Blackeye Peas in the 1770's. Originating in Africa, cowpeas are easy to grow and are very popular in the South. A very ancient crop. LONG BEANS Red-Seeded Asparagus Bean - Very long pods grow to 24"! Very tender and tasty; no strings, small seeds; huge yields on 10' vines. They grow well under almost any conditions - very resistant to heat, humidity and insects; great for the South. Pick for snap beans when 12"-14" long; delicious stir-fried! The 'Vigna' genus does well for us all summer at Baker Creek. SOYA BEANS Envy - Early 80-Day variety is great for the North. Perfect for Edamame, fresh shelling or dried; nice green-colored beans have good flavor; developed by the late Professor Elwyn Meader, UNH. BEETROOT Bull's Blood - 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. Lutz Salad Leaf - Quite possibly the best storage beet known. Top-shaped red roots with concentric lighter zones. Pink-stemmed leaves are renowned for use like chard, superb in salads. Roots remain tender and sweet even when gown to quite a large size, having reached 3-4 lbs! Also known as "Winter Keeper." BROCCOLI Calabrese Green Sprouting - An Italian heirloom brought to America in the 1880's; 5"-8" heads and many side shoots. CARROT Cosmic Purple - This one is causing excitement at farmer's markets. Carrots have bright purple skin and flesh that comes in shades of yellow and orange. Spicy and sweet-tasting roots are great for marketing. St. Valery - The Vilmorins of France mentioned this variety in 1885 and said it had been grown a "long time" then. A large handsome variety with bright red-orange roots; smooth, 10"-12" long and 2"-3" in diameter. Sweet and tender. Rare. Our favorite! 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. Golden Bantam 12-Row - Released in 1922 by The Clark Seed Company of Milford, Connecticut. Although developed from the original Golden Bantam, this is definitely an improved type - larger ears mean higher yields, and the golden yellow corn stays tender longer. Equally suitable for freezing and fresh eating, this variety was for decades the standard for home and market gardeners. CUCUMBER Beit Alpha - A delicious, very sweet cucumber that is usually picked small and does not need peeling as the skin is very tender. This variety is very popular in the Mediterranean, having been developed in Israel at a Kibbutz farm. Now becoming popular with Americans because of the fruits' fine flavor and high yields. They are also burpless and have great shelf life. FENNEL Di Firenze - This is the anise-flavored vegetable that Italians love. Large 1 to 2 lb bulbs are delicious in soups, sauteed, baked, and raw in salads. This Italian cultivar is fairly early. The authentic "Finochio" for growers of quality. ORIENTAL GREENS Ching Chang Bok Choy - This baby bok choy is a standard for quality. Small heads are harvested when just 5: tall; they are so tender and mild. The medium green plants are ready for harvest in 50 days. Perfect for marketing. 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. LEEK Giant Musselburgh - An heirloom that was introduced in 1834 near Edinburgh, Scotland. Large, very thick stems; tasty mild flavor. Grows well in most locations; perfect for home or market. This old favorite has huge size and is very winter hardy. MELON Ananas D'Amerique A Chair Vert - This historic heirloom was grown by Thomas Jefferson in 1794. It was offered commercially in the USA in 1824, and it was illustrated in color in France in 1854 in the Vilmorin Album. This wonderful variety has become very rare. The fruit have netted skin and light green flesh that is firm, sweet, and highly perfumed. Productive plants can be trained up a trellis. Early Hanover - Lucious, small 2 to 3 lob green-fleshed melons are bursting with sweetness. This was a famous melon at the turn of the 20th century and was introduced by T.W. Woods and Sons of Richmond, Virginia, in 1895. Pick just before the melons freely slip from the vines for best flavor. This is a great variety to add to your home garden or market stand; heavy yields. Far North - One of the best melons to grow in short season areas, with melons maturing in as little as 65 days. One-pound fruit are filled with sweet, orange flesh. Said to be introduced by Ukranian settlers in the southern prairies of Canada, it was improved at Morden Experiment Farm and Minnesota Horticulture Department, introduced commercially in 1950. Iroquois - Large 5 to 7 lb fruit, thick deep-orange flesh, of good quality. This melon is very good for the Midwest and Northeast. Developed by Dr. Munger of Cornell University, 1944. Old Time Tennessee - An old favorite of mine. Produces huge, oblong melons that weigh 12-14 lbs and have a deeply creased rind. Their orange flesh is superior, being loaded with unique fruity undertones and a sweetness not often found in modern melons. High sugar content. Fragile melons are not good keepers but are winners with gourmet foodies. This old Tennessee heirloom was almost lost to modern gardens. Sweet Passion - An Ohio heirloom that has been grown since the 1920's. According to legend, the sweet orange flesh is said to cause a state of passion if eaten straight from the garden on a moonlit summer night. It has succulent flesh that is very sweet, aromatic, and very finely flavored. Fruits weigh 3-4 lbs and are produced on vines that have some drought and wilt resistance. OKRA Burmese - We are proud to offer this heirloom variety from Burma (Myanmar). Large pods are tender, spineless, and finely flavored. The plant starts yielding early, and production lasts until frost. ONION Brunswick - Long-day type - First offered in 1870, Brunswick is a deep red-to-purple flattened type. Usually very mild and sweet, it nevertheless stores very well. Stuttgarter - A tasty old favorite that sets medium-large, yellow onions with a good, pungent flavor. This variety is among the best keepers and produces well. Plant some of these for winter eating and store them clear through to next spring. GARDEN PEAS Tall Telephone - Long vines reach up to 6 feet with support, and large pods yield 8-10 peas each. The peas are large in size, being sweet and tender. This popular garden favorite was introduced in 1881 and is still a standard with many. SNAP PEAS Sugar Snap - This is the wonderfully sweet, edible=pod pea so popular with consumers and gardeners. The delicious, tender pods are great raw (eaten before you ever leave the garden), stir-fried, or in salads. They also freeze very well. An AAS winner from 1979. HOT PEPPER Black Hungarian - Unique, black-colored fruit that are the shape of a Jalapeno. They are mildly hot and have a delicious flavor. The tall plants have beautiful purple flowers that make this variety very ornamental. Rare and colorful! Jalapeno Craig's Grande - A big, fat Jalapeno that is perfect for making lots of salsa. Perfect for anyone who loves Jalapenos. It has thick, flavorful, hot flesh. Developed at Redwood City Seeds. SWEET PEPPER Jupiter - A large commercial variety that i perfect for home and market growers. This variety produces green fruits that are a block 4.5" x 4.5". They ripen red and get thick, sweet walls. A good producer of quality bells, plants are also disease resistant. Orange Bell - Super sweet, brilliantly 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. Quadrato D'Asti Giallo - 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 - sweet and rich! One of the best varieties for marketing, this Italian gem gives very heavy yields. This superb pepper is a real winner! |
POTATO
Beauregard - A great choice for northern growers with short growing seasons. Rose skin and moist orange flesh. Fat and heavy roots have good flavor and store well. Vigorous, high-producing plants have heart-shaped leaves and prolific blooms. Dark Red Norland - Customers sometimes ask, "What should I choose for early spuds that steam up well?" I always recommend Dark Red Norland; it's easy to grow with consistent yields of beautiful round red tubers from large to small. Steam or boil some of theses babies for those first early meals straight from the garden. Resistant to scab; fair storage. Purplish-blue flowers on a medium-sized plant. Mountain Rose - 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. Adirondack Blue - Several years ago I trialed Adirondack Blue and was impressed with the results. Round to oblong, slightly flattened tubers have glistening blue skin enclosing deep blue flesh without the white vascular ring. The moist, flavorful flesh is superb for mashing or salads; it's a favorite in taste tests. Very high in antioxidants. Spreading plants with tinges of blue have clusters of pure white flowers. Kennebec - Released by the USDA in 1948, Kennebec is still one of the top-ten varieties grown in Maine. And no wonder! It's very dependable under most growing conditions, with high yields of large, white-fleshed tubers. Good field resistance to late blight. You can cook Kennebec any way - boil, mash, or bake - and enjoy a superb meal every time. Excellent storage. Loads of white flowers cover this large plant. Green Mountain - Famous for its marvelous flavor and exceptional baking qualities. An heirloom released in 1885, bred in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Produces a high yield of light, tan-skinned white-fleshed tubers that store exceedingly well. Resistant to verticullum, black leg, and fusarium storage rot, but susceptible to scab and viruses. Large, spreading plant with big, white flowers. RADISH Early Scarlet Globe - The classic round red radish. Crisp white flesh is mild and tasty. Has better warm weather tolerance than many. Giant of Sicily - Large, 2", round, summer radishes are bright red in color, with great taste and good quality. We offer pure Italian seed for this heirloom from Sicily. SPINACH Giant Noble - This is the giant of the spinach clan. Plants spread to 25"! Tender leaves are great for canning, steaming, or salads; for those who want quality and quantity. Introduced in 1926. New Zealand Spinach - Not the same species as common spinach, this variety takes the heat and keeps producing all summer long. Tasty. Was listed by Fearing Burr in 1863 in his book Field and Garden Vegetables of America. Not frost hardy. SUMMER SQUASH Striata D'Italia - Medium-long zucchini fruit, 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. SUNFLOWER Arikara - This native variety produces tall 10-foot plants with many beautiful large, bright yellow flowers and black centers. The seeds are edible and were used by the Arikara tribe in North Dakota. This heirloom produces flowers over a long period and was a real winner in our garden. SQUASH/PUMPKIN Connecticut Field - 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. Cushaw White - A rare Cushaw type; white skin and sweet, pale orange flesh. Easy to grow, huge yields, and good resistance to squash bugs. A popular heirloom from the South. Delicata - High sugar content. Fruit are 1-3 lbs each, and skin color is rust-white with green stripes. Delicate sweet flavor. This old heirloom was introduced in 1894 by Peter Henderson and Co. Illinois - Also known as White Crookneck Pumpkin. Large white-to-ivory, club-shaped fruits reach 30" long and weigh 18-25 lbs. The flesh is pale yellow, and the fruits keep fairly well. The variety was widely grown in Southern Illinois, often in cornfields, and was preferred there for pies. Our foundation seed came from collector Kevin McCarty, who writes that the variety was grown continuously on a particular Illinois farm from 1830-1980, the original seed having been provided by Abraham Lincoln's parents! New England Sugar Pie - The noted small sugar pumpkin of New England. the orange fruit weigh 4-5 lbs and have fine, sweet flesh that is super for pies. Described by Fearing Burr in 1863. Table Queen - 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. Vegetable Spaghetti - This is the popular squash with stringy flesh that is used like spaghetti. Introduced by Sakata Seed Co. of Japan in 1934. May have originated in China. TOMATO Dr. Wyche's Yellow - This heirloom was introdueced to Seed Savers Exchange by the late Dr. John Wyche, who at one time owned the Cole Brothers Circus and used the manure of elephants to fertilize his heritage gardens. The 1 lb fruit is solid and smooth; their color is a glowing tangerine-orange that always stands out in the kitchen or off the vine. One of the best heirloom orange types for market, with its smooth texture and tropical, sweet taste. Heavy yields. Brandywine - 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! Cherokee Purple - 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. Amish Purple - 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. It has world-class flavor and comes from an Amish community in Wisconsin. Chadwick Cherry or Camp Joy - 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 this one! Henderson's "Crimson Cushion" - "The Crimson Scarlet Brother of Ponderosa", huge size, and delicious, rich flesh. Said to be introduced in 1892 by Peter henderson, the flesh is very thick and of great quality. This is probably the tomato that made red "Beefsteak" type tomatoes famous. Illini Star - The star in any garden, this winner was developed by our friends, Merlyn and Mary Ann Niedens. This variety sets on heavily with 6-oz 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. Ananas Noir - (Green Pineapple) A most exciting new tomato, it is wonderful in every way. This unusual variety was developed by Pascal Moreau, a horticulturalist from Belgium. The multi-colored, smooth fruit (green, yellow, and purple mix) weigh about 1 1/2 lbs. The flesh is bright green with deep red streaks. Everyone loves their superb flavor that is outstanding, being both sweet and smokey with a hint of citrus. The yield is one of the heaviest we have ever seen! Be the first at your farmer's market to have this new classic. Yellow Mortgage Lifter - 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 - 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 size from tiny to several inches across. Leaves are also specked 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 catalogue says, "...an extraordinary variation...and that it has such a delicious taste." It was sold then for 20 cents a packet. Unique variety! Sugar Baby - The number one icebox-sized melon! Early! 6-10 lb melons are great for the North and have sweet, deep red flesh. HERBS Basil (Genovese) - The famous Italian heirloom is very popular with many cooks. Cilantro (Slo-Bolt) - This is a slow-bolting version of Cilantro/Coriander that produces flavorful leaves over a longer period. Oregano (Vulgare) - This is a beautiful and delicious Italian flavoring herb. Also medicinal. Great for Italian and Greek cooking. Parsley (Giant of Italy) - A very large Italian strain of parsley with great flavor. Perfect for sauces. Sage (Broad Leaf) - Used in Europe and America to flavor many meats, stuffings, vinegars, and more! Fragrant leaves are also used in potpourri. 20"-tall gray-green plants are quite attractive. |