An All America Selections winner in 1939, that was introduced by Clemson University. Still the most popular open-pollinated variety on the market. Vigorous plants grow 3-5' tall. Exceptionally uniform, deep green ribbed and spineless pods are best harvested when 3" long. Excellent quality.

• 50-64 days
• ±500 seeds/oz
• Organic
• Plants grow to 3-5 feet tall
• Pods are spineless
• Best harvested when pods are 3 inches long

This variety works for:

• Baking
• Frying
• Soup
• Pickling

Okra has a reputation for its slimy texture, but when it is cooked properly it is a delicious addition to your summer meals.

Chop your okra into half inch long pieces, dip in Buttermilk, coat in a flour and cornmeal mixture, fry and drain it for a crispy treat. You can also try a lentil and okra curry or create a gumbo dish with chicken or shrimp.

Don't miss out on spicy pickled okra with hot peppers and garlic, either!

Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors when the soil has warmed. Tolerant of heat and drought, but not of cold. Keep well picked for higher yields.

• Direct Seed: 2" Apart
• Seed Depth: 1/2"
• Thin: 6-8" Apart
• Light: Full Sun

Participants in Seed Savers Exchange’s ADAPT trials gave this pink beefsteak tomato top marks! It has a delicious, well-balanced, sweet flavor and moderate acidity. Thin- skinned fruit grow 2-3" long and 3-4" wide, weigh 5-13 ounces, and mature mid-season. J. Orris Murphy received this variety circa 1989 from the Dwayne Bushman family of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and donated it to SSE in the mid- 1990s. The Bushmans had maintained it for more than 100 years.

• 67 days from transplant
• Organic
• From the Collection
• Well-balanced, sweet flavor
• Thin-skinned fruit weighing 5-13 oz
• Fruit ripens throughout the season

This variety works for:

• Fresh eating
• Sauce
• Roasting
• Canning
• Freezing

Store your tomatoes at room temperature. The flavor and texture of tomatoes suffer when the fruit is chilled.

Heirloom tomatoes are bred for their flavor and simple preparation best allows that intense flavor to shine through. Tomatoes can be sliced and drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper or layer slices with basil and mozzarella for a Caprese salad.

Roasted tomatoes have a richer, concentrated flavor.

There are hundreds of salsa recipes to try and most are dramatically improved with the use of heirloom tomatoes. Tomatoes are also the main ingredient in Gazpacho, a cold soup that is perfect for summer.

Instructions - Sow seeds indoors ¼" deep. Tomatoes are sensitive to freezing temperatures, so wait to transplant outdoors until the soil is warm. Plant in full sun.

• Start Indoors: 6 weeks before last frost
• Germination: 7-14 Days
• Plant Outdoors: 24-36” Apart
• Support: Cage, stake, or trellis

This carrot was developed in the late 1800s in the town for which is it named: Danvers, Massachusetts. A leading variety for home and market gardeners alike, this variety stores well and produces high yields even in clay and heavy soils. Its bright-orange flesh is nearly coreless, sweet, and tender. The uniform roots grow up to 8" long.

• Conventional
• Stores well
• Good for clay, heavy soils
• Roots grow to 8 inches
• Nearly coreless, sweet, and tender

This variety works for:

• Fresh eating
• Steaming
• Boiling
• Soup
• Storage

Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables for fresh eating and have also become a staple of juicing. Grated carrots can be tossed into a salad or with zucchini and fried.

Try pairing your roasted carrots with ginger, mushrooms, and red wine vinegar or creating a carrot-curry soup to warm up on cold winter days.

Diced carrots are part of the "culinary trinity" of stock/broth, known as mirepoix, which also includes celery and onions. Mix 2 parts onions to 1 part each of carrot and celery to form the flavor base for many stocks, soups, stews, and sauces.

Instructions - You can sow carrot seeds as soon as the soil in your garden can be worked in the spring (about 3-4 weeks before the last frost). Seeds need consistent moisture until they emerge. Germination on carrot seed is slow and uneven. The light seed can be blown away by the wind or washed away when you water the beds. Sow the seeds less than an inch apart and thin them to 2-4 inches after they grow to a few inches. Roots will mature in 65-87 days. There are about 21k seeds in an ounce of Danvers carrot.

• Direct Seed: 1/2" Apart
• Seed Depth: 1/4"
• Rows Apart: 16-24"
• Thin: 2-4" Apart

• Deep purple heads
• Turns green when cooked
• 80 days from transplant
• ±8,100 seeds/oz

Delicious fresh or cooked, this Silician cauliflower grows deep purple in the garden but turns green when cooked. The voluminous variety will form side shoots after the main head is cut so be sure to space plants at least 20" apart as it will get quite large throughout the course of the growing season. A stunning addition to vegetable trays, this cauliflower retains its excellent flavor when cooked.

This variety was introduced in 1924 by Joseph Harris Company of Coldwater, New York, with the claim that “the remarkable thing about this new cucumber is its wonderful productiveness. For every pickle that is cut off, two or three more are produced.” Gardeners today love not only its productivity but also its crisp and juicy texture and melon-like taste. A very early pickling type, this variety bears fruits that are best for canning or fresh eating when 4-5" long. Early- to mid-season maturity.

• 50-60 days
• ±1,100 seeds/oz
• Organic
• Uniform 6 inch long fruit
• When one fruit is harvested, 2 or 3 more are produced

This variety works for:

• Fresh eating
• Pickling

Cucumbers are most often used raw and are perfect in salads. Some chefs prefer to peel the skin off the fruit as it can be bitter.

Cucumbers pair well with mint an dill, which can be added directly to your salad or to dressings. Cucumber and mint can also be added to smoothies and juice. Tatziki sauce is made from shredded cucumber, yogurt, and dill.

Pickling cucumbers, however, are best for preserving in a solution of vinegar, salt, sugar, spices, and water. You can create countless number of combinations for your pickles to use on sandwiches, as a relish, or eaten as side dish.

Instructions - When growing plants on a trellis, space seed 6-8” apart and thin as necessary; train the plants to climb the trellis with an initial guidance. Alternatively, make 12” hills at least 6’ apart. Plant 6-8 cucumber seeds per hill 1” deep. After germination, thin to 3-4 plants per hill.

• Direct Seed: 1" Deep
• Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds
• Thin: To 3-4 Plants
• Light: Full Sun

• Organic
• Solid, tightly folded heads
• Heads weigh 3-4 pounds
• Up to 15" long by 7" wide
• Short season
• 60-75 days from transplant
• ±6,800 seeds/oz

This early-maturing variety is delicious eaten fresh. The conical, solid, tightly held heads grow up to 15" long by 7" wide and weigh 3-4 pounds each. An historic variety, this cabbage was first grown in the United States by Francis Brill of Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1840.

• Hardy annual plants grow 12-14 inches tall
• Bright crimson flowers and dark blue-green leaves
• Flower and leaves are edible
• Great for container growing

(Tropaeolum minus) This classic Victorian nasturtium has dark blue-green foliage and brilliant crimson flowers on 12-14" plants. This variety has been grown in the United States since the 1890s, and today it is perfect for everyone’s favorite contemporary gardening method: containers. Beyond the garden, the edible flowers and leaves can add style and color to plates as a garnish—or as a peppery addition to salads and pastas. Hardy annual.

• Organic
• Best fresh-eating snap bean
• Bush habit
• 5-6" stringless pods
• Heavy yields
• Snap bean
• 55 days
• Contains 50 seeds

The bright, truly unique semi-double blooms of this heirloom promise to make your flower beds, containers, and borders the talk of the neighborhood! This variety’s vivid chartreuse color complements brighter summer flowers with style and harmonizes equally well with soft pastels. These easy-to grow zinnias reach up to 30" in height, prefer warm weather and full sun, and make a perfect addition to cut-flower arrangements.

• Conventional
• Annual plants grow up to 30 inches tall
• Beautiful chartreuse color
• Semi-double to double blooms
• Prefer warm weather and full sun
• Long stems make for a great cut flower

Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after last frost. Zinnias prefer well-drained average soil. Water regularly, keeping leaves dry. Remove spent blossoms frequently to prolong blooming.

• Direct Seed: 1/8" Deep
• Germination: 5-24 Days
• Thin: 10-12" Apart
• Light: Full Sun

• Organic
• Tasty tender leaves
• Red, orange, purple, yellow, and white ribs
• Can be grown in containers
• 50-60 days
• Contains 100 seeds

• New for 2022
• Works well in containers or in the garden
• Refreshing peppery flavor
• Quick to grow
• 14-30 days

Looking to add a little zing to your salads and sandwiches? This herb will do the trick! It flourishes whether planted in containers or in the garden, producing ruffled leaves with a refreshing peppery flavor. Quick to grow, it is also quick to bolt so consider succession sowings. 14-30 days.

• Organic
• Fruits grow to 8 inches
• Thick, crunchy flesh
• Excellent salsa pepper
• Very productive throughout the season
• Hot pepper
• 90 days from transplant
• ±3,800 seeds/oz

A piquant pepper from the Republic of Georgia, up to eight inches long, with thick, crunchy flesh. Two-foot high plants produce copious amounts of fruit throughout the season. An excellent salsa pepper. 90 days from transplant. Hot.

• Organic
• Flint/Popcorn
• 1-2 ears per stalk, each 6-8" long
• Plants 8-10' tall
• 110 days
  

Unique variety developed by SSE member Carl Barnes and more recently stewarded by Carl’s protege, Greg Schoen. A wide range of jewel-tone colored kernels makes each ear uncommonly beautiful. Use for crafts, ornamental decoration, grind into cornmeal, or pop and enjoy. 1-2 ears per stalk, each 6-8" on plants 8-10' tall.

• Organic
• Mild, fresh flavor
• Slow to bolt
• Looseleaf and cut-and-come again
• 50-60 days
• Contains 250 seeds

• Organic
• Tender, sweet kernels
• Ideal for freezing and fresh eating
• Sweet corn
• 70-85 days
• ±2,000 seeds/lb

Producing an early crop for home gardeners and market growers, this historic variety has an excellent sweet flavor and is ideal for freezing and fresh eating. The original strain of Golden Bantam was introduced by W. Atlee Burpee in 1902, and this improved strain was selected for even longer ears and greater tenderness.

What’s not to like? This looseleaf lettuce variety matures early, has a deliciously sweet taste and excellent texture, and looks spectacular, with lush green leaves tinged with red. Plants reach 7-9" in height and 12-16" in diameter at market maturity. Listed for years on the Exchange by Arkansas resident John Small, this lettuce was a staple in the garden of John’s great uncle, Joseph Bremer, a country doctor who, as John recalls, tended an “unusually productive garden which always included ‘Goose’ lettuce.” Seed Savers Exchange previously offered this variety in its 1997 Spring catalog. Looseleaf, 50-60 days. Organic.

• Organic
• Cold- and heat-tolerant
• Looseleaf lettuce
• Early Maturing

Instructions - Sow continuously for a constant supply of lettuce. Best grown in cooler weather. Plant in full sun or partial shade.

• Organic
• Heavy dark purple tinge on leaf edges
• Buttery and crisp leaves are slightly sweet
• Butterhead
• 40-55 days to maturity
• Contains 250 seeds

• Perennial plant in zones 4-9
• Plants grow to 7 to 30 inches tall
• Savory, pungent light green leaves
• Contains 250 seeds

• Organic
• Green fruits grow to 2 inches
• Plants grow to 3-4 feet
• Fruits are ripe when they burst through the husks
• Very productive
• 70-80 days from transplant
• Contains 25 seeds

• Organic
• Green blistered leaves with purple stems
• Leaves grow 5.5 to 8.5 inches wide by 15 to 18 inches long
• Developed by the Greenpeace Experimental Farm in Britsh Columbia
• Excellent flavor is enhanced by frost
• 40 days from transplant
• New for 2021

Yes, this purple-stemmed Siberian kale is nutritious and delicious, producing crunchy, crisp leaves with a sweet flavor (made sweeter with frost!) and only a hint of bitterness. Green, slightly blistered leaves have lobed margins and purple petioles and measure 15.5-18.5" long and 5.5-8.5" wide. The variety hails from the Greenpeace Experimental Farm in British Columbia, Canada, a self-sufficient organic farming community formed in 1974 on Denman Island by Jim and Marie Bohlen, co-founders of the Greenpeace environmental organization. 40 days from transplant. Organic.

• Vibrant green leaves
• Plants grow to 18 inches high
• Leaves are finely curled
• 60 days from transplant
• ±8,800 seeds/oz

(Semi-tall Green Curled) Vibrant light green, finely curled leaves on robust 18" plants. This North German staple is tasty eaten fresh and can be harvested well into the early winter. 60 days from transplant.

• New for 2022
• Enticing clove-like aroma
• Annual plants
• Plants will grow to 18-24 inches
• Can be used fresh, dried, or made into tea

There’s more than one reason that ‘Tulsi’ (or holy) basil—considered a sacred plant in the Hindu religion—has been widely cultivated for millenia. It boasts an enticing clove-like aroma, grows fast, tolerates frost well, and is reputed to combat stress and boost the immune system. This versatile herb can be eaten fresh, dried, or made into tea. The green-leafed plants have a bush growing habit. 70-90 days.

• New for 2022
• Bunching onion
• Grows slender, up to 12-14 inches
• Great for salads, soups, stews, and stir fries
• 60-80 days from transplant

Look no further for a hardy, reliable, and, yes, flavorful bunching onion! The stalks of this tender Japanese perennial grow and divide from the base, reaching 12-14" when mature. Enjoy fresh in salads or grilled as a side dish. This variety will overwinter.

• Yellow skin with red on the blossom end
• Juicy and sweet fruits grow to 1 pound
• Beautiful bicolor beefsteak is great for slicing
• Heavy producer
• Indeterminate - Fruit ripens throughout the season
• 85 days from transplant
• Contains 50 seeds

• Self-seeding biennial plants grow to 6-8 inches
• Mixture of many colored blossoms
• Will grow in containers
• Good for ornamental border plantings

• New for 2020
• Sweet, nutty flavor and stores well
• 90-100 days

(C. pepo) This gold-orange, green-striped delicata squash variety has an irresistibly sweet, nutty flavor, and stores well. Like all delicata squash, it can be prepared straight from harvest without curing. Vines reach up to 6,' while the fruits measure 6"-8" in length and 3" in diameter and weigh up to a pound. Bred by Dr. James Baggett at Oregon State University, ‘Honey Boat’ was introduced in 1990 and has proved popular among squash lovers in the years since. 90-100 days.

• Pole bean
• Stringless pods
• Excellent quality
• Early and productive
• Snap bean
• 65-70 days
• Contains 50 seeds

• Organic
• Fruits grow up to 9 inches
• Crisp, slightly tart flavor
• 58-65 days
• ±950 seeds/oz

This Japanese climbing variety bears tender, crisp, and slightly tart 9"-long cucumbers that are excellent for slicing or pickling. Listed by J.M. Thornton & Company in 1894, this variety’s strong grasping tendrils make it ideal for growing on a trellis or fence, but it can also be grown on the ground.