Flax blue flowers (Linum perenne), also known as perennial flax, are delicate and graceful wildflowers that add charm to gardens and landscapes. With their sky-blue petals and slender stems, these plants create a stunning display, especially when grown in clusters. Blue flax is known for its resilience, drought tolerance, and ability to thrive in various climates. Blue flax is easy to grow from seeds, making it an ideal choice for beginner gardeners. It attracts pollinators, stabilizes soil, and provides visual interest throughout the growing season.

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Genus: Linum
• Species: Perenne
• Plant Height/Width: 18-30"
• Season: Blooms spring to summer
• Exposure: Full sun
• Attributes: Attract Pollinators

Dahlia flowers are a versatile and visually stunning addition to any garden, providing long-lasting blooms, pollinator benefits, and vibrant floral displays. While traditionally grown from tubers, starting dahlias from seed allows for unique and diverse flowers each season.

• Plant Type: Perennial zones 8 and up. Annual zones 8 and down
• Genus: Dahlia
• Species: Pinnata
• Plant Height/Width: 14"-18"
• Season: Midsummer through the first frost
• Exposure: Full sun partial shade
• Difficulty: Easy

Cosmos flowers (Cosmos spp.) are a favorite among gardeners due to their delicate, daisy-like blooms, feathery foliage, and ability to attract butterflies and bees. These annuals are incredibly easy to grow, making them ideal for beginner and experienced gardeners alike. Their long blooming period, from early summer until frost, provides a vibrant display of color in flower beds, borders, and wildflower gardens. With their adaptability to various growing conditions, cosmos flowers thrive in gardens and containers, requiring little maintenance. 

• Plant Type: Annual
• Genus: Cosmos
• Species: Bipinnatus
• Plant Height/Width: 36-48"high, 12-14" spread
• Season: Blooms summer to fall
• Exposure: Sun
• Difficulty: Easy
• Attributes: Attract Pollinators

Easy-to-grow, early perennial herb. Pretty white blooms in late summer. Public libraries are hotspots of culture, and sometimes hotspots of food culture. At the Gardiner Library, Insook, a frequent library patron and avid gardener, would regularly bring in food to feed the library staff. One such treat became the reason we now grow and sell seeds of Garlic Chives. Although it appeared to be a jar of chopped lawn grasses, Insook’s favorite kimchi, made entirely of garlic chive stalks, remains one of the best—and simplest—kimchis ever. We'll never forget that delicious flavor. To make your own garlic chive kimchi, search for recipes under buchu kimchi online.

A mix of red, pink, purple, yellow and orange. This antique flower harkens back to the days when the state fair was the place to be. Farmers and gardeners would bring their best harvests to try and win first prize. Tastiest tomato, heaviest pumpkin, sweetest corn, or best flower arrangement there were, and are, many categories to enter your homegrown goods. Vegetable and flower awards are making a comeback at state fairs, farmers markets, and granges all over the country. Enter State Fair at your state fair and see how you fare!

The 36-48" plants produce 4-6" blooms that are terrific as cut flowers.

Abundant, luminescent blooms. Sir Cedric Morris was a 20th-century British artist who not only painted an array of portraits and still-lifes but also practiced horticultural artistry, breeding new varieties of irises and poppies. For this poppy, he wanted to create a pastel palette of dusty pinks, muted purples, and blushed whites, all with a shell-like luster. The overall impression of a field of these poppies is that of an artist's palette, one on which the colors have been gently but unthoroughly mixed before being applied to the canvas.

Contains a range of colors including white, pink, maroon, and red.

A butterfly magnet that stays a manageable size. Spotted Joe Pye Weed is found primarily growing in the Northeast and upper Midwest regions of North America. Smaller than Sweet Joe Pye Weed, it reaches just 4-6 feet, which is much more manageable for most perennial gardens. The wide, fluffy, pink-purple flower clusters attract pollinators of all kinds. Easy to grow and will bloom the first year if started early.

Antique flowers with a delicious perfumy scent. Sweet peas were discovered by a Sicilian gardener in the late 1600s; he followed his nose, and their fragrance beckoned. By the early 20th Century, they were one of the most sought-after flowers for English gardeners. Breeding these flowers for color, size, ruffle, and adaptation to different climates became the rage. But something happened along the way: their fragrance faded. Let the heady perfume of this mix return you to the days when sweet peas weren't just for show but were also for smell!

Sweet peas are not the same as edible garden peas, in fact, they are toxic. Do not consume!

Showy spikes of bright magenta blooms bring in the pollinators. This vertically spiking plant, also known as Gayfeather, unfurls blooms from tip to stem, like a flame descending a sparkler stick. No wonder it is so attractive to so many pollinators: its showy spikes draw in crowds of butterflies, moths, bees, nymphs, and hummingbirds. The larvae of the spectacular Bleeding Flower Moth, depicted in the artwork, feed on the leaves of Liatris species such as this. It is also attractive to humans, who appreciate the ombre tones of the spike as it moves from the bud to flower stage. 

Double blooms in pink, cream, and white. Put your ear up to a big sea shell, and you hear the whole cosmos ebbing and flowing. You needn't go to the shore to witness this, though; just plant a patch of these cosmos. The big, lofty plants sway to and fro in the summer breezes like waves. The flowers are held aloft, each coiled, tubular petal like a small, colorful shell. Lay beneath the tall fronds and look up: behold a reef of bright purples, pastel pinks, and soft whites. The sky shimmers like the reflective underbelly of the water's surface. Your garden is an ocean.

Petals in shades of pink, cream, and white curl into a sea-shell shaped tubes. Grows very bushy and tall; perfect in corners or middle placement in gardens. Easy to grow and very nice, though short-lived, as a cut flower. A well-loved variety among pollinators.

Help ease the threat placed on Monarch populations. Monarch butterflies, with their strikingly streaked caterpillars, gold-foiled chrysalises, and tiger-striped wing patterns, are one of the most beloved of all butterflies. We humans flock to witness monarch migrations, but we are also responsible for their decline. Loss of habitat and exposure to pesticides threaten monarch populations from Canada to Mexico. Grow Milkweed, the monarch caterpillar's host plant, to create a monarch sanctuary in your own backyard. Create a companion planting of Butterfly Weed for very happy butterflies. 

Prettily patterned petals on low-growing plants. These mesmerizing pink and white starburst-patterned blooms present in an array of configurations, but they all combine a low-growing habit with stems that allow for cut flower use. Named in honor of the Polish "Mazurka" dance, these blooms sweep and dance merrily across your borders and beds. Be sure to grow more than a couple plants if you'd like to see the full expression of the various patterns that are typically present.

Contemporary heirlooms. Where do our garden heirlooms come from? Sometimes from the hands and minds and tastes and hearts of visionaries. Heirlooms are a flashback in time, but they're not static. One of the people that future gardeners will be telling stories about is Frank Morton. For over 25 years, Frank has been selecting and crossing, discovering, and creating new open-pollinated varieties of lettuce, kale, broccoli, herbs, and flowers. Rather than seek to control, patent, or license these exciting crosses, Frank releases them to the public, encouraging what he calls "Ecological Crop Improvement." One of his creations is this colorful Flashback Calendula, so named for the splashes of deep red color on the backs of the petals. It's destined to become an heirloom of tomorrow! Select seed from your favorites and create your own artistic interpretation.

Brief beauty, long-lasting health. Gorgeous poppy petals, as thin and delicate as crepe paper, don't last long. The seeds, however, are vessels of endurance. Rich in omega-3s, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, a wide range of vitamins, and all of the essential amino acids, poppy seeds are exceptionally nutritious, contributing to health and, it is said, to longevity. Used in culinary creations all over the world as a spice, condiment, garnish, and dessert base, poppies yield hundreds of thousands of seeds from just a few plants.

This mix is taller than the Mother of Pearl Poppy, with bigger seed pods and a longer season of bloom. Colors range from pink to lilac.

Includes a variety of pink, purple, blue and scarlet poppies.

Single-petaled blooms in red, pink, and yellow adorn burgundy foliage. All that's left of the Bishop of Llandaff's Palace in Wales is an iron-gated arch entrance flanked by crumbling stone towers. But his gardens live on in the progeny of his dahlias. Though dahlias are most often grown from tubers, seed-grown dahlias are more fun. Why? Because dahlias are octoploids, meaning they have four times as many chromosomes as most other flowers, so the seeds produce a spectacular diversity of architectural leaves and blooms in a myriad of forms and colors. Part of the joy in planting the Bishop's Children is that if you find one you love, you simply harvest and store the tubers to plant next year. Congrats: you are a plant breeder!

Bishop's Children blooms in mix of red, burgundy, magenta and the occasional yellow flower on foliage that ranges from purple tinged to deep burgundy.

Feathery button-size blooms of true blues, whites, and pinks. JFK wore this flower at his wedding as a tribute to his father. When he did so, he stepped into dialogue with centuries of symbolic meaning given to this bloom. It was once worn by bachelors to test if their courting was successful (if the bloom withered quickly the young couple's love was not to last, so they said). But it has also been the symbol of various, mostly progressive, political movements. In our minds, these flowers are as masculine an accessory as a tie, a briefcase, or a derby hat.

Also known as Cornflower, the Bachelor Button can reach heights of 3 feet and is a great cutting flower.

Fry or roast to blister, and salt for the perfect savory snack. Blistered Shishitos are the pinnacle of appetizers. Flash-fried in a pan and served with dipping sauce, they are now a popular starter on tables across America. But their roots are in Japan, where they were popular long before reaching Western plates and palates. the name "Shishito" means "Lion Pepper." Fiercely flavored with a stable temperament, Shishitos are indeed lion-like. Even the plants look a bit feline, with their heavy harvests of green peppers hanging shaggy and full like giant manes.

If you've ever had a plate of green shishitos, prepared to perfection, salty and perfectly spicy and softened by a brief sauté, you've undoubtedly thought about growing your own. And why not? Finding the peppers in stores is difficult; growing your own is straightforward, inexpensive, and allows you to binge each summer on a very special treat.

So reliable and sweet, it deserves a crown. After finding this New York heirloom featured on the cover of a 1934 Harris’ Seeds Catalog, we were intrigued. Here is what they had to say about it. "Outstanding 1934 Introduction. Extremely Large, Early and Very Prolific. We put it mildly when we say that those who tested this new pepper last year were extremely pleased with it. The immense size, earliness and heavy yield make King of the North a variety that will give enormous yields of fine fruit even here in the North. The plants are medium size, branching and literally covered with fruit. The flesh is thick, mild and sweet." Was this pepper still deserving of a crown after all these years? In order to find out, we trialed it on our home farm- only to discover some of the famed regional adaptations had faded. After careful selection work, we're proud to say that this pepper is once again King of the North(ern growing conditions) with fast-maturing fruits that ripen to royal red even in short seasons. Grow these sweet bells in your own garden to see why they reign supreme! 

Mix of Russian and Siberian kales in shades of green and red. Innovative plant breeder Tim Peters developed this mix, originally called Gulag Stars, by blending Brassica napus kale varieties (Russian kales) with shinier Brassica rapa varieties (mustards and Asian Greens) using a method known as bud pollinating. Almost like astral projection, this allows two related but separate species to be swirled together. The result is this delightful mix, a blend of kales with shapes, colors, textures, and sizes that vary from plant to plant like colorful star-forming nebulae

The flavor of this kale similar to other Russian kales, a bit sharper than Dino Kale or Vates Blue Curled Kale. Plant this variety if you enjoy the flavor of Asian greens, but long for something more substantial and longer lasting in the garden. Makes a great baby leaf for salads. It's also a great variety for the budding breeder or seed saver. Kale is a biennial; grow the plants in year one, overwinter the ones you like, and save the seeds in the second year.

Smaller, punchier, and hardier than standard arugula. What makes one plant tame and another wild? People have co-evolved with plants over thousands years. We have changed plants and they have changed us. Many of our sweetest foods are the most cultivated. But some plants have held onto the spicy, spiky, and wild ways they use to ward off hungry creatures that might browse” and destroy” them. Wild Arugula is right on that cusp, tame enough to be delectable, and wild enough to keep our taste buds on their toes.

If you already like arugula, you'll like wild arugula even more. If you already dislike arugula, well, steer clear. Wild arugula has an amplified arugula flavor, while its smaller leaves and pretty color make for a refined impression. Grab a small handful and toss chopped into a salad for a terrific arugula bite, or steam older leaves for use as a side green.

Perfect mix of flavorful greens and lettuces. This salad mix is anything but virtual. USB (Ultimate Salad Bowl) won't plug into any port on your laptop, but it will burst with flavor when you upload your harvest into a big salad bowl. It will also assist in one of the greatest challenges of our era: unplugging ourselves from technology. Let this bright and tasty mix of greens beckon you to your garden; it will fill you more fully than any electronic feed.

Best eaten raw as young leaves; most are cut-and-come-again types. Colors range from light greens to dark reds, from speckles to stripes. Consider planting USB at your garden's edge to create a decorative and edible border.

Contains Arugula, Ruby Red Chard, Tres Fine Endive, Mizuna, Tatsoi, Red Mustard, Red Russian Kale, Red Oakleaf Lettuce, Buttercrunch Bibb Lettuce, Green Salad Bowl Lettuce, Parris Island Lettuce, Red Salad Bowl Lettuce, and Royal Oakleaf Lettuce.

Delightful as an ornamental and an edible variety. For the Swiss, peas are part of their national identity. Primitive garden peas were found during excavations beneath houses of the ancient Swiss lake dwellers, which date back to the Bronze and Stone Ages. Much later, but not too far away, Austrian monk-scientist Gregor Mendel used peas in his famous experiments to demonstrate the heritable nature of specific traits. These experiments led to an essential understanding of genetics that still informs seed savers and seed breeders today.

Tall, robust vines double as an ornamental with large bi-colored flowers in shades of pink and burgundy. 5' vines produce high yields of 3-4" pale, sweet pods.

Easy to grow, ornamental, and nutritious. What's at the end of the rainbow? For gardeners, it's a bountiful harvest; for cooks, it's a delicious meal; for artists it's a colorful plate. This multi-colored Swiss Chard mix satisfies everyone's end-of-the-rainbow wishes, with succulent-stemmed leaves in shades of red, yellow, orange, and cream. Grow this chard and you'll see: a good garden is more valuable than a pot of gold.

Consider planting in a spot where its ornamental value can be appreciated. It's easy to grow and tends to perform quite well even when slightly neglected. One of the tastiest ways to prepare chard is to heat some oil over low heat in a tall pan, toss in some sesame seeds until toasted, then add a heap of chard until it wilts. Add soy sauce and a little sweetener: so good!

Glimmering lettuces cute enough to eat Small vegetables are not just for small gardens. They are, in fact, for all who enjoy exceptional eating. Little fingerling potatoes have a texture and flavor unmatched by any larger roots; slender, diminutive French beans simply melt in the mouth; and these tiny lettuce heads, maxing out at about 8" in diameter, deliver delicate texture and sweetness rarely seen in giant heads. They are also charming in the garden: their compact, tidy forms contribute an air of formality and neatness, especially when laid out in a grid. Cut into wedges at the mature-head stage, they make stunning, glimmering salads.

Contains Little Gem, Tom Thumb, Lollo Rossa Dark, Tango, and Ashley lettuces.

A crunchy rainbow-hued mix of carrots. Trying to trace the origins of the modern orange carrot is like looking through a kaleidoscope. Shapes and colors reflect and refract, and the more time you spend looking, the more they change. The carrot's geo-genetic story starts with a white and wild bitter root, touched by the sweet yellow sun of the Middle East, growing under purple mountains and bright vermillion sunsets, its seeds passed by thousands of hands of many hues. This prismatic mix reflects the colorful evolution of the carrot.

A bee-utiful mix of eye-catching striped cherry tomatoes. When new open-pollinated varieties are released they can sometimes get lost in the maze of hybrids touted to growers. If these new OP varieties don't catch on, they may disappear. We trial new varieties to discover which ones deserve some serious buzz. Over the past decade, plant breeder Fred Hempel has been using classical breeding practices to create colorful and delicious new varieties he calls "Artisan Tomatoes." We adore Hempel's Bumble Bee line the striped cherries are both pretty and tasty.

Contains Purple Bumble Bee, Sunrise Bumble Bee, and Pink Bumble Bee cherry tomatoes. Grow a few plants this year and you'll find yourself buzzing like a bee to each. Indeterminate.

Standard flat-leaf variety grows long stems and robust leaves. The most popular herb in the Western world, parsley has a bright, unmistakable tang that unites and amplifies the flavors of any dish. Of Mediterranean origin, it is now grown nearly everywhere. In temperate climates it is biennial; with the protection of a cold frame or snow cover, it comes back each spring and can be harvested for about a month before it goes to seed. This large-leaved, heavy-yielding variety is wonderful in gremolata: chop finely, then mix with lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil; salt to taste.

This variety produces big, flat, leaves on robust plants; a true giant!

Edible, ornamental, and perennial–an essential part of every kitchen garden. A patch of chives delights all of the senses. The sight, smell, touch, and taste of chives  even the sound of the hollow stems popping open when snapped in half, all are full of intense energy. Soft spines return vividly early in spring. Soon after, delicate buds form, their pale hoods veiling the soon-to-be orbs of dense purple spikes that burst open like supernovas. Edible, ornamental, and perennial, these hardy culinary clusters are an easy and essential part of every kitchen garden.

The smallest of all the Alliums, chives are considered by some to be the only species of Allium native to both the Old World and the New. The sulfur smell of the plant is said to repel garden insect pests while the flowers attract beneficial pollinators. This clumping onion survives winter in the Northeast and often blooms in early May. The green shoots are the first to come up in the spring, and can be used in warm winter tonic to ward off cool days. Be sure to let your chives flower though; they are a wonderful, oniony edible flower.