2011 Garden - Seeds ordered and planted

Here are all the seeds we have planted this year, some are coming up and doing well... some not so much.

 

Dragon Tongue Bush Beans

This famous Dutch heirloom bean has an incomparable flavor. The tender and superbly delicious 7-inch pods are yellow, with amazing purple streaks! Also makes a tasty shelled bean. Popular with chefs and gourmets. Compact plants set high yields.

 Albino Beet

A pure white, fairly smooth, round, heirloom beet from Holland. Its super sweet white flesh is unusual and tasty. The greens are also good. This beet can be used for making sugar. One of the best eating beets we have tried.

Crapaudine Beet

In 1885, the French book, The Vegetable Garden stated this is one of the oldest varieties. Today some experts feel this may be the oldest beet still in existence, possibly dating back 1000 years. This unique variety is one of the most flavorful, with carrot-shaped roots that have rough, dark colored skin which looks like tree bark. Inside, the roots are very dark, with almost black flesh that is of superior quality and sought after by chefs who want real flavor.

Golden Beet

This variety dates back to the 1820's or before. The beets are a rich, golden-yellow and very sweet. A beautiful beet that won't bleed like red beets. The greens are also very tasty.

Lovely, lemon-yellow roots have sweet, bright yellow flesh. Good for a summer to fall crop; large 8-inch roots and strong tops.

 Atomic Red Carrot

Brilliant red carrots are so healthy and unique-looking, sure to add color to your garden. The 8-inch roots are high in lycopene, which has been shown in studies to help prevent several types of cancer. Crisp roots are at their best when cooked, and this helps to make the lycopene more useable.

De Bourbonne Cucumber

Tiny pickling cucumbers are ready in about 50 days. This old French heirloom is used to make the 2" long Cornichon pickles that are so tasty. Still popular in France for this purpose. High yielding vines will be popular with all those who preserve food.

Early Russian Cucumber

This early heirloom was introduced in 1854. It produces loads of short, medium-green fruit over a very long season. They are mild and sweet in flavor and uniform in shape. The vines are quite hardy, making it perfect for northern areas with short seasons; a great little cucumber for salads or pickles.

Gele Tros or Yellow Dutch Cucumber

This is a large yellow cucumber that was popular in Holland for making yellow sliced pickles. The Dutch call this cucumber the “ancient race”. The ripe fruit are quite colorful in their sunny yellow color. A fine old strain that is very rare now even in Europe.

 

Parisian Pickling Cucumber

The old French gherkin or cornichon pickler. Listed in America in 1892 by Gregory. Great for making tiny sweet pickles. Rare. 

 

Sikkim Cucumber

The historic cucumber of "Sikkim". Fat, large fruit can reach 15 inches long by 6 inches wide. The ripe fruit is a unique rusty red color and is good eaten cooked or raw. In Asia cucumbers are often stir-fried and are quite tasty. This variety is grown in the Himalayas of Sikkim and Nepal. Sir Joseph Hooker first discovered it in the eastern Himalayas in 1848. Here is part of what he wrote about it: "So abundant were the fruits, that for days together I saw gnawed fruits lying by the natives' paths by the thousands, and every man, woman and child seemed engaged throughout the day in devouring them." 

Minnesota Midget

This very small, very early heirloom was introduced in Minnesota in 1948. Measuring just 4 inches across, they have sweet, orange flesh and are perfect miniature versions of the "Classic Muskmelon". Compact, 3-4-foot vines produce good yields. I fondly remember these as the only melons our family could get to ripen in Charlo, Montana, about 20 years ago.

Charentias Melon

A famous, superb heirloom. A French 2-3 lb. melon with light grey-green skin. The bright orange flesh is super sweet and very fragrant.

Valencia Winter Melon

A rare old-time melon that was listed by American seedsmen in the 1830's but probably goes back much further; believed to come from Italy. Can keep four months into the winter. Very sweet cream colored flesh and dark green skin; rare and delicious.

Australian Brown Onion


Introduced in 1897 by W. Atlee Burpee; medium sized flattened bulbs, flavorful and pungent, yellow brown.

 

Bianca De Maggio 

Flat, Italian "cipollini" variety. These delicious, small white onions command a high price at specialty markets. Very sweet and mild, used in Italy for pickling, grilling and in salads.

Chinese Five Color Pepper

Screaming hot little peppers turn a rainbow of vibrant colors; from purple, cream, yellow, orange to red as they ripen.

Purple Jalapeno


A large Jalapeno pepper that turns deep purple before maturing to red. Full Jalapeno flavor and heat; great for salsa and other Mexican foods. Plants both productive and ornamental.

 

Red Mushroom Pepper

Wrinkled, flying saucer-shaped fruit are so unique looking. They are flat, 2 inches
across and a glowing red color when ripe. Very hot with a superb, fruity flavor and unique taste that keeps you wanting more. One of the prettier and tastier peppers you will grow, especially if you like them hot! Attractive plants set huge yields as long as you have lots of warm summer days. 

Giant of Sicily

Large 2-inch round summer radishes are bright red in color. Tasty and good quality. We offer pure Italian seed for this heirloom from Sicily. 

Long Black Spanish Radish

Long 9-inch black roots have pure white flesh that is crisp and pungent. This long version of Black Spanish is much harder to find than the round. For fall plantings. This is a very old European heirloom. 

Round black Spanish Radish

Large 5-inch winter type, probably grown since 16th century or before. Near-black skin and snowy white flesh; will keep all winter in good conditions. Fine, fairly hot flavor, good raw or cooked.

Cocozella di Napoli

Long, slender fruit are ribbed, pale greenish-yellow and striped with dark green; very firm and flavorful flesh; a unique and tasty Italian heirloom.