I love growing heirlooms for many reasons, flavor, visual appeal, preserving biodiversity in the plant world and many more. For those who many not know, an heirloom is simply an open-pollinated plant from which the seed can be saved and (if grown correctly) will come back “true to type,” with the next generation looking just like the present one.
This is my heirloom wishlist, most of the links will take you to a page on Seed Savers Exchange, a wonderful non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. I am more then willing to accept these varieties from other sources (such as your own garden) of course! If you have seeds from an heirloom you think I would be interested in, let me know. Finding unique varieties is always fun (and if you can’t tell, I have a weakness for heirloom pole beans.)
Flowers & Herbs
- Bee Balm
- Borage
- Bunny Tails
- Chamomile, German
- Milkweed, Butterflyweed
- Mint, Lemon Balm
- Mint, Peppermint
- Oregano
- Sage, Culinary
- Sunflower, Italian White
- Sunflower, Teddy Bear
- Sunflower, Torch
- Thyme
- Zinnia, Benary’s Giant
Fruit
Vegetables
- Bean, Brockton Horticultural
- Bean, Cherokee Trail
- Bean, Climbing French
- Bean, Golden of Bacau
- Bean, Ideal Market
- Bean, Kentucky Wonder
- Bean, Lazy Housewife
- Bean, Rattlesnake Snap
- Bean, Speckled Cranberry
- Bean, Sultan’s Golden
- Beets, Chioggia
- Cabbage, Copenhagen Market
- Carrots, Dragon
- Carrot, Paris Market
- Lettuce, Amish Deer Tongue
- Lettuce, Green Oakleaf
- Lettuce, Slobolt
- Lettuce, Yugoslavian Red
- Pepper, Aji Crystal
- Pepper, Beaver Dam
- Peppers, Tapas, “Spanish Padron”
- Pepper, Healthy
- Squash, Australian Butter
- Squash, Round de Nice
- Tomato, Cherry Roma