Money Back guarantee: All seeds meet or exceed USDA germination standards. Sometimes conditions during shipping can damage seeds (for example, overheating). If seeds don't germinate this year, we will refund or replace seed.

Terms of sale: All seeds are sold for planting or preservation purposes only. Do not eat seeds or use for sprouts. Liability is strictly limited to replacement of seed or return of the purchase price of the seed. Seed is guaranteed for germination in the year of purchase only. By ordering seed, the buyer acknowledges this warranty.

A note about the asterisks: The asterisks(*) preceding names of packets mean that they are mixes of several interesting, and often colorful, varieties of vegetables.

All America Selections (AAS): All America Selections are noted in the descriptions as AAS winners. I try to sell open-pollinated winners, as they have been proven excellent producers in a wide variety of climates.

Organic Seed: The seeds grown organically are indicated right after the name of the variety. If we grow them (in Kansas), organic methods are used, but we did not pay for certification. Some seeds are ordered from certified growers. These are labeled organic, do not state "grown in KS."

No Treated Seed: We do NOT sell any treated seed.

Heirlooms: There are two definitions of heirloom vegetables. One is any variety that is over 50 years old. The other includes any variety that was preserved for a number of years by home gardeners rather than seed companies. We carry both types.

Seed quantities: If the quantity is given by weight, the average number of seeds per ounce or gram is listed with the note at the top of the heading for the species.

A note about beans: Beans planted in cold soil will rot, so don't put them in too early. Optimum soil temperature is 60-85 degrees. For best flavor, pick snap beans when young, much thinner than the ones you see in the supermarket. 90-110 seeds/ounce

RECIPE: Mexican beans Soak 1 cup dry beans overnight. Drain. Add 3 cups water, 1 clove garlic, 3/4 tsp dried epasote (or 2 tsp fresh), 1 bay leaf & 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until beans are soft. Serve with rice or tortillas, salsa and a vegatable.

Anasazi (organic): 90-95 days. Originally grown by the Anasazi cliff dwellers, this beautiful maroon and white bean is popular for soup or baked beans. Heirloom similar to Jacob's Cattle beans. 1.5 ounces

Black Turtle Bean: 85-105 days. Heirloom developed before 1806, first sold in US in 1832. Will stand very hot weather. Try this in Mexican dishes or instead of meat for a tasty vegetarian spaghetti sauce. Might need warmer soil than most beans to germinate. Rich flavor. 1.5 ounces

*Colorful Snap Bean Mix: 45-60 days. A mixture of green, purple and yellow (wax) beans for eating fresh or canned. Have a colorful garden without having to buy more seed than you need. 1.5 ounce

Contender/Buff Valentine: 40-55 days. Heat-tolerant plant grows 12-20 inches tall with 6-8 inch, dark green, stringless beans. Disease resistant, popular variety. Developed in 1949. These will also make good dry beans for soup, etc. 1.5 ounces

Royal Burgundy/Purple Queen: 50-60 days. Also called Purple Queen Bush. Stringless 5-6 inch purple pods are so easy to find in the foliage. Snap beans turn green when cooked. High yields and resists bean beetles. 1.5 ounce

Tendergreen: 45-56 days. AAS winner in 1933, it is a dependable, flavorful heirloom. The 5.5-7 inch pods are medium green and good fresh or canned. These will also make good dry beans for soup, etc. 1.5 ounces

Topcrop: 45-53 days. AAS winner in 1952. Heavy crops of green snap beans 6-7 inches long on 18-24 inch plants. Very popular. Will NOT make good dried (soup) beans. 1.5 ounces

Red Peanut/ Pink Half Runner: Sorry, Out of stock! A little taller than a bush bean, but not really a pole bean. 55-50 days. Use for snap beans if picked young or pretty pink dried soup beans. 50 seeds

Dragon's Tongue/Dragon Langerie/Merveille de Piemonte/Horticultural Wax: 55-60 days. This Dutch heirloom has 6-8 inch flat pods that are pale green/yellow with purple stripes. Can be eaten as snap or shelly bean. Stripes disappear when bean is cooked. 1.5 ounce

Golden Wax, Improved/Topnotch Strain: 50-52 days. This hardy, compact, disease resistant plant bears creamy yellow, straight 4-6 inch pods. Use fresh, canned or frozen. Very productive. 2 ounce

Fordhook 242/Mammoth Wonder/Potato Lima: 70-85 days. Also called Mammoth Wonder Bush or Potato Lima. This AAS winner from 1945 is still the most popular bush lima as it has some drought and heat tolerance. Plants grow 16-20 inches. Fat ivory seeds. 60 seeds

Christmas: 75-100 days. Also called Large Speckled Calico or Giant Butter. Prolific vines climb 9-10 feet. Large white seeds with maroon spots have a rich flavor. Bears well in very hot weather. 40 seeds

Willow Leaf Lima: 85 days to dry stage (butterbeans) Vines 8-10 ft tall, but will grow on a 5 foot fence and spread out on top. Very productive with small white seeds. Introduced in 1891 by Burpee. Some drought and heat tolerance. I only eat them as dried beans (butterbeans) but they can be eaten as green limas.

Zuni Shakalo: Very productive soup bean, but also rare. Pretty yellow and white speckled heirloom bean. 0.8 ounce

Blue Shackamaxon: Sorry, out of stock for 2008 This is the heirloom variety listed in the book Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by William Woys Weaver. He states it "was preserved among the Quaker farmers of southern Pennsylvania...said to be a Lanape (Native American) bean dating from before 1800." It grows probably 6-7 feet tall, but did well on my 5 foot fence. Black beans can be used in dried (soups, refried beans) or as shell beans (as in succotash).

For Yard Long beans see Cowpea/Southern peas

*Colorful Pole Snap Bean Mix All snap beans. Kentucky Wonder, Rattlesnake and one variety not listed in the catalog, probably purple. 1.5 ounces

Jimenez Pueblo: (In short supply, so if you order these, please list an alternate in case they are out of stock.) Very productive heirloom bean. Vines are 7-8 feet tall but do fine on a 5 foot trellis. Pods are sort of flat and green streaked with red. 0.8 ounce

Kentucky Wonder BS: 58-72 days. Also called Old Homestead Brown Seeded. This high-yielding snap bean was introduced before 1864. 7-10 inch pods grow in clusters. 2 ounce

Old Timey Tennessee Pole: Sorry, out of stock for 2008 Rare heirloom from the 1850s. Can be used as snap beans or dried soup beans. Pretty deep burgundy seeds. 50 seeds. I have very few seeds of this variety in 2007, so please list an alternative if you order these.

Rattlesnake/Preacher Bean: View photo
60-90 days. Pretty dark green pods are streaked with purple. Good drought resistance. The vines grow up to 10 feet tall. Does not do as well in the North. Purple streaks disappear when cooked. 1.5 ounce

Goldmarie/Gold Marie Vining: (SORRY, OUT OF STOCK, crop failure this year) 55-65 days. Yellow pole bean, slightly flattened. Very productive. The earliest of 9 pole beans I grew in 2005. 1 ounce

RECIPE: Vampiro (Beet/Carrot Juice Plus) Use a juicer to get the juice from two carrots and one beet. Squeeze the juice from one to two oranges. Remove seeds. Mix and drink. Makes one tall glass.

*Colorful beet mix: Nice mixture of red, golden and white beets. The red beets are a combination of round and cylindrical. 350 seeds

Bull's Blood (organic): 60 days to roots; 35 days for baby greens. The tops are a very pretty dark purple-red with excellent flavor. Looks lovely in the garden and in your salads. 100 seeds

Chiogga/Candystripe/Dulce de Chioggia/Bassano: View photo
55-65 days. Pretty red and white circle pattern when sliced. Pre 1840 heirloom from Italy is good for mild-flavored greens or beets. 300 seeds

Cylindra/Formanova/Butter Slicer: 45-80 days. Long, smooth, red beet is popular because is makes uniform 1.5 to 2 inch slices. If left whole, it cooks faster than round beets. Nice Danish variety. Heirloom introduced in USA in 1892. 350 seeds

Detroit Dark Red: 45-70 days. The most popular beet for home gardens, with blood-red 2.5-3 inch roots. Heirloom from 1892. Good keeper. 350 seeds

Detroit Golden/Yellow Detroit: View photo
50-55 days. Pretty round gold-yellow roots are best when young. Nice sweet flavor. Greens are good, too. 250 seeds

Ruby Queen: 45-70 days. This dark red, round beet was an AAS winner in 1957. Green tops are tinged with maroon. Holds its shape even if crowded and does well on poor soils. 350 seeds

Detroit White Beets: New this year. A white beet to add contrast to your recipes. This was bred for kitchen use, not a sugar or forage beet.

Italian Green Sprouting/Calabrese, De Cicco: 60-90 days from transplant. Good for home gardeners because in addition to the large central head, small side shoots extend the crop. This variety goes back at least to the 1920s. 600 seeds

*Colorful Cabbage Mix: A mix of Red Acre and two or three of the others in the catalog to give you different colors and different maturities, to ensure a longer harvest. Also delicious as baby greens.

All Seasons/Succession/Vandegaw: 85-95 days. Round with a flattened top, this cabbage will grow to 9-14 pounds. Stands heat. 300 seeds

Glory of Enkuizen: 75-100 days. The 8-10 pound heads are good for eating fresh or for sauerkraut. Stores well. Heirloom from the 1800s developed by Royal Dutch Sluis of Holland. 300 seeds

Early Jersey Wakefield: 60-75 days. Very popular heirloom was introduced in about 1840. Conical heads are about 5-7 inches in diameter and 10-15 inches tall. Will over-winter in some areas. 300 seeds

Red Acre: 75-100 days. Compact purple-red heads are just the right size for a small family. Stores well. 300 seeds

A Note about carrots: Carrots originated in Afghanistan. Carrots usually need sandy or soft soil, but a few of these varieties will tolerate some heavy soil. Check the descriptions. 600-750 seeds/gram

RECIPE: Colorful carrot salad Shred 3/4 cup each: orange, white and yellow carrots. Add 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, & 1 cup sour cream, yogurt or mayo. Mix. Optional: 1 tsp sherry and/or 1 tbsp honey.

*Colorful Carrot Mix: Equal parts orange, white, purple, red/orange and yellow carrots to liven up your menu. Fun for kids. 3 grams

Amarillo: Sweet yellow root has a flavor a little different from orange carrots. Mix it with orange carrots for a decorative carrot salad. Hard to find seed. 4 gram

Atomic Red: A newer variety with a pretty red color that gets more intense with cooking. The color comes from lycopene, a healthy compound also found in red tomatoes. 1 gram

Brilliance: Very high beta-carotene content makes these carrots deep red/orange. Nantes type, coreless. 4 gram

Chantenay: 69-72 days. Deep-orange stump-rooted variety is a 5-6 inch all-purpose carrot that keeps well. Heavy yields. 2 gram

Danvers: 65-75 days. Heat tolerant, deep orange carrot 7-7.5 inches long, grows in most soils. Eat fresh, frozen or canned. Dependable standard for the home gardener. 2 gram

Gold King/Gold King Select: Stump-rooted 6 inch orange carrot. If you have heavy soil, this should still produce a good crop. Good for canning and freezing as well. 4 gram

Kuroda Long (organic): Oriental variety does well in many types of soil. Sweet, makes good juice. 4 gram

Little Finger: 50-68 days. Also called Lady Finger, this French variety was bred for gourmet baby carrots. Harvest when about the size of your index finger. Eat fresh, canned or pickled. 4 gram

Nantes: 62-70 days. Also called Early Coreless. This bright orange 6-7 inch carrot is a good keeper. It is good for home gardens because it can be left in the ground until fall. Eat fresh or frozen. 3 gram

Purple Dragon (organic) Dragon carrots are purple on the outside and yellow inside. They grow small here in Kansas (maybe due to our very hot summers?) but grow average size in other climates. Fun variety. 2 grams

Snow White: 75-80 days. Pretty white carrot with green shoulders. Flavor milder than some carrots. Very nice cooked or raw. This one is worth trying. 3 grams

St. Valery/James Scarlet: 50-80 days. This sweet carrot can grow 10-12 inches long. Very productive, it has smaller leaves. Little core. 4 gram

Tendersweet/Imperator 58: 70-80 days. Also called Imperator 58. Deep orange carrot, 8-10 inches long. Stems have a purple tint. Very sweet. Good for freezing. 4 gram

Titan (organic): Uniform nantes type, uniform, bright orange color, resists cracking, high in carotene (which is converted to vitamin A). Grown in Kansas. 2 gram

Tonda di Pardi: These round French heirloom baby carrots are deep orange and very sweet. Harvest at 1-2 inches. Small carrots are good for clay soil.

Touchon/Nantes Special Long: 60-75 days. Also called Nantes Special Long. Deep orange French variety about 6.5-8 inches long. Coreless, disease resistant. For spring or summer planting. Does well in the North. 2 gram

All Year Round: 70 days. Ideal for home gardens as it will keep in the garden for a long time. Sow several times for an even longer season. Freezes well. 400 seeds

Snowball Self-blanching: 60-70 days. The 6.5-7 inch white heads will wrap themselves in cool weather, but not in the heat. Put it in early, or when warm weather hits, wrap the leaves around the heads as you would do with other cauliflowers. 400 seeds

Violetta Italia: 85 days. Very pretty plant is easy to grow. The flavor is a little like broccoli. Purple heads will turn pale green on cooking. 200 seeds

Georgia/Georgia Southern: Popular old standard developed before 1880. Tolerates heat and poor soil. Light frosts improve the cabbage-like flavor.

A note about corn: Corn does not tolerate cold soil. If planted too early, it will rot. Consult your county extension agent or a good gardening book for the correct date in your area. 125-190 seeds/ounce

A note about corn meal and flour: Corn flour is just ground finer than corn meal. All types of corn can be used for corn meal and corn flour when fully mature and dry. The flour corns are softer and easier to grind. You will need an electric mill to make good corn flour from dent or flint corn. Corn flour can be used as a substitute for wheat flour in many bread, cake and pancake recipes. It will not work in yeast bread recipes and might not work for angel food cake. It is great in carrot or zucchini cakes and breads. I haven't found a quick bread recipe that didn't turn out just as well with corn flour as with wheat. If someone in your family is allergic to wheat and not to corn, it might be fun to grow one of these corns.

RECIPE: Roasted or Grilled Corn Have the coals ready in grill or heat oven to 400. Remove silk but not husks from ears of sweet or dent corn (at milk stage). Soak in water a minute or two. Drain. Cook 15-25 minutes. Remove husk and serve with butter and salt.

On Ornamental Corns: Dried ears of corn make great fall decorations. I think all corns are beautiful, but Hopi Blue, Bloody Butcher and Strawberry are very nice. If you want a mix of sizes and colors, try Bear Island Flint corn. For Broomcorn, see the Sorghum section.

RECIPE: Sweet Hot Corn Bread 2 C corn flour (or half corn meal), 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/4-1/3 C sugar. Mix. Add 2 Tbsp oil, 2 eggs, 1 C milk and finely chopped mild to medium hot peppers to taste. Bake in greased pan at 350.

Bloody Butcher: 100-120 days. Versatile heirloom can be eaten very young (like sweet corn) or used for cornmeal. This heirloom has been around since 1845 and is famous for its height (10-12 feet), beautiful red ears and fine flavor. 1.5 ounce

Pencil Cob (organic) View photo
76-110 days. This is a fun one! Unusual ears have a pencil-thin cob. This is an old Shoepeg-type corn and should be sweet. It is very heat and drought tolerant. It is much easier to take off the cob than other dried corns.  1.5 ounce

Silvermine: Heirloom roasting corn developed in Sibly, Ill. in 1890s by JA Beagley. High yield of 11-12 inch ears, resists worm damage and does well on poor soils. 1.5 ounce

Tennessee Red Cobb: 100-120 days. Pre-1900 heirloom roasting corn. Dependable variety that is getting very hard to find. Many folks prefer the old roasting corns because they tend to have more flavor than the hybrids and less sugar. 1.5 ounce

Bear Island Flint (organic) View photo, more info
55 days. In short supply in 2008, if you order it please list an alternate on the order form.
The name is "flint" but it sure seems like a flour corn to me.  We grind it to make bread. Original seed gathered on a reservation in Minnesota. Dried ears are yellow, white and red, with occasional all burgundy ears and some ears speckled with many colors including lavender. Short plants. Grown in Kansas. 1 ounce

RECIPE: Atole (hot Mexican milk beverage) Mix 1/2 C masa or corn flour (made from dent, flint or flour corn) & 2 1/2 cups milk. Heat slowly, stirring often, until thick. Add 1/4 C brown sugar & 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts. If too thick, add more milk. Tastes a little like cream of wheat. This is a wonderful drink on a cold winter day. It can be made with any dry corn flour.

Hopi Blue: 75-110 days. Ancient corn was a staple of the Hopi Indians in Arizona. Beautiful dark blue kernels grind into a light blue flour. Stalks are 5 feet tall with 8 inch ears. 2 ounce

Seneca Blue Bear Dance, organic: View photo, more info
Beautiful, multicolored ears: Blue, lavender, white. Ears 6" long. Plants 4-6 feet tall depending on rainfall. Makes good bread and tortillas. Heirloom from a Native American woman in New York. Grown in KS. I have been growing this since 1991. 1 ounce

RECIPE: Corn Bread Casserole Mix 1 1/2 C corn flour (not corn meal), 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt. Stir in 1 C sweet corn (cooked or raw), 1 chopped bell pepper, 1/2 onion (chopped). Add 4 eggs, 1/4 C oil, 3/4 c milk. Mix. Pour into greased pan, top with 1 C shredded cheese (any kind) & bake at 350 until a knife comes out clean.

Country Gentleman: 83-100 days. Also called Shoe Peg. White sweet corn. Popular heirloom introduced in 1890. It grows 7-8 feet tall and has 7-8 inch ears with kernels in random pattern rather than rows. 2 ounce

Golden Bantam: 70-85 days. Introduced by Burpee in 1902. High yields on stalks 5-6 feet tall. Old-fashioned flavorful yellow sweet corn. 2 ounce

Stowell's Evergreen: 80-100 days. Heirloom with 9 inch white ears that won't ripen all at the same time, so home gardeners won't be swamped all at once. Two to 3 ears on 8-10 foot stalk. Nathan Stowell introduced this in 1848. 2 ounce

Strawberry Popcorn: The beautiful deep red kernels make it a favorite ornamental for wreaths and cornucopias or other fall decorations. Of course, you could also pop it and sit back and watch your favorite movie. 1.5 ounces

Lady Pea/Lady Finger: View photo
Tiny cream-colored peas for use fresh, dried or frozen. Tolerates heat and drought. A rare type of crowder pea. Grow just like bush beans. 50 seeds

Yard Long Fun bean to grow. Snap beans are just as tender as their shorter relatives, but can grow very long. The kids will enjoy these. A type of cowpea or Southern pea, this needs a trellis. 1.5 ounces

RECIPE: Cucumber salad Peel and shred one large cucumber. Add 1/4 cup golden raisins, 2 tbsp chopped chives, 2 tbsp fresh dill (or 1 tsp dry), 1 cup yogurt or sour cream. Salt and pepper are optional. Decorate with edible flowers.

Boston Pickling Improved: 50-55 days. Improved version of a pickling cucumber that has been around since the 1880s. High yields. 100 seeds

Delikatesse: 60 days. Superior taste. Use for slicing or pickles. This German variety has light green 10 inch fruits. 100 seeds

Homemade Pickles: 55-60 days. Bush plants are great for small garden. Harvest at from 1.5 to 6 inches, for baby or regular pickles. Good disease resistance. 100 seeds

Lemon: 58-70 days. Also called Crystal Apple Cucumber. This drought tolerant cucumber is lemon-colored and lemon-sized when ripe. Good sliced or pickled. Very popular and a fun shape for salads. 100 seeds

Marketmore 76, organic: 58-76 days. Very popular cucumber for cooler climates. Dark green cucumbers 8-9 inches long with mild, sweet flavor. 50 seeds

Rhinish Pickle: Medium-sized fruit for slicing or pickling. Somewhat early, for temperate climates. European variety. 100 seeds

Straight 8: 52-75 days. AAS winner in 1935. Excellent taste and tolerant to mosaic. Early and prolific producer of straight cucumbers about 8 inches long. 100 seeds

Sumter: 55-60 days. Medium sized salad cucumber for North or South. Good disease resistance. 20 seeds

Suyo Long: Wonderful Asian cucumber has a little different taste than other kinds. Heirloom Chinese variety. Ribbed shape makes pretty slices. Spines whipe off easily. Heat resistant. 40 seeds

Yellow Submarine: Not an heirloom, but I couldn't resist the name. Very large cucumbers are parthenocarpic, so you can grow them in a green house without bees to pollinate them. Yellow, like the name implies. Good disease tolerance. 35 seeds

White Wonder Cucumber (new this year) 35-36 days. Very popular 7-9 inch long, does well in hot weather, introduced by W. Atlee Burpee in 1893. ivory-colored when mature. For pickles or slicing. Very productive.

*Colorful eggplant mix: A mix of most the eggplants in the catalog. Different shapes and colors. Fun to grow. 40 seeds

Arumugam's Eggplant (organic): View photo
This eggplant originated in Tamil India, a very hot region. It is about the size of a fist with pretty green and white or lavender stripes. Grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Black Beauty: 72-85 days from transplant. Very popular variety has pretty purple-black fruits on a 24-30 inch plant. Fine flavor. 100 seeds

Casper/Casper White: View photo
70-75 days from transplant. Ivory fruits about 6 x 2 inches. This is one of the best tasting white eggplants with tender skin and it's pretty, too 30 seeds

Comprido Verde Claro/Jiló (organic) 75 days. Very rare heirloom. Bright green fluted, about 3 inches long. Turns red when seeds are ripe, which is past the edible stage. From Africa via Brazil. Jiló is the Brazilian name. Grown in Kansas. 25 seeds

Purple Dragon (organic): 72 days from transplant. For home gardeners, 9" lavender-purple fruit on a 30 inch tall plant. Thin (about 3" wide) oriental type. Organic. Pretty with good flavor. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Tamil (organic): Very rare variety from India. Fruit is about 3 by 4 inches, green, white and lavender streaks. Very productive, heat tolerant and drought tolerant. Grown in Kansas. 35 seeds

Udumalepet: 85 days from transplant. Pretty, with purple and pale green stripes. Eat when about 3 inches long. Very productive and should do well in the north, at least as far as southern Minnesota. Heirloom that is becoming very popular.

A note about flowers at Skyfire: All of the flower varieties in this catalog were chosen because they are very easy to grow. You will not need to give them special pampering to get these to germinate. With normal care, you should have flowers on your dinner table all summer.

Basils: Click to see four of the basils. Basils are as decorative as they are delicious, so take a look at the Herb section of our catalog for 10 varieties and mixes. Some have leaves that are pretty and purple, while all have small flower stalks.

Carrots: View photo of carrot flower
Carrots can flower the second year in the right climate.

Common herbs: The following herbs also have flowers that can decorate salads: Borage, Chives and Arugula. Read more about them in the Herb section of the catalog.

Nasturtiums, Jewel: Brilliant yellow, red, orange, pink, chamois, rose and some bicolor. Flowers are mild-flavored and beautiful in salads, while leaves are peppery like water cress. 35 seeds

Okra: This hibiscus relative is native to Africa. If corn grows in your climate, you can probably grow okra. It makes an attractive border and should be grown in full sun. Flowers are pretty and immature seed pods are edible. Pink Okra makes a nice potted plant about a foot tall, but probably needs too much sun to grow as a houseplant. (See Okra)

Ornamental hot peppers: The Purple Tiger and Candlelight peppers are so pretty you may want to mix them in with your flowers. The pepper is the edible part, not the leaves or blossoms. See under Peppers/Hot.

Runner Beans: The term "scarlet runner bean" is often used for all types of red runner beans.  Some people grow them only for the pretty vines and dainty flowers, but the pods can be eaten when very small. You will find 1 variety under "Beans, Runner."

Sesame, Dark Landrace Mix (organic): View photo
White flowers on plants 5 ft tall. Brown seeded, from Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Thailand. Flowers resemble foxglove. Would be nice as a background for shorter flowers. Seed are edible and have a tiny bit stronger (but good) taste than white sesame seeds.Grown in KS. 200 seeds

Snap or Dry beans: The flowers of snap or dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are edible. They taste like snap beans and are pretty in salads. If you use too many, the yield of beans will be low, but just before the first frost, why not? Or buy an extra packet just for the flowers! (See Beans)

Squash blossoms (free recipe with any squash seed order, if you remember to write it on the form): The flowers of all the squash I sell are edible, as are all Cucubita maxima, mixta, moshata and pepo. The stickers will soften when cooked. Sauté gently in butter. Request a free chicken squash blossom soup recipe with any squash or pumpkin order, or just put them in your own homemade chicken soup.  BEE careful!  Use only flowers that are just about to open: flowers that have already closed after pollination OFTEN HAVE BEES TRAPPED NSIDE!! 

Sunflower, Grey Striped Mammoth: This is the standard BIG sunflower grown for its single beautiful 10-12 inch yellow flower and edible seeds. 30 seeds

Viola Johnny Jump Up: Sorry, out of stock! "Jump Up" refers to how fast this pretty little plant grows. The tiny violet, pale lavender and yellow flowers are a lovely, fragrant garnish for a salad or cake. The plant stays under 8 inches, making it good for containers. Likes cool soil, part shade.

see also Ornamentals

A note about these varieties! DO NOT EAT ANY PARTS OF THE PLANTS OR FLOWERS IN THIS CATEGORY.

Bachelor Button, Polka Dot: Bachelor buttons are also called cornflowers. This dwarf plant needs full sun and will thrive in poor soil. Many colors including blue, pink, white, red and lilac. 300 seeds

Bachelor Button, Wild: View photo
All blue flowers on plants that are bushier that the usual bachelor button: 18 by 18 inches. Makes a nice border and will tolerate some heat and low water. 50 seeds

California Poppy Mix: View photo
A great small flower for hot, dry climates. Will bloom all summer in orange, pink, red, white and yellow. Very easy to grow. Lacy foilage. (Eschscholtzia californica)

Cosmos Sensation: Cosmos are so easy to grow that they should be in every garden. Lots of 3 1/2 inch flowers in several shades of lavender and white on 36 inch tall plant with pretty fern-like foliage. Flowers resemble daisies. 100 seeds

Cosmos Bright Lights (organic): Mostly orange colored (some yellow, some red-orange) flowers on 30" plants. Easy to care for, cosmos do well even in poor soil. Grown in Kansas. I put lots of these in the center of my vegetable garden this year and really enjoyed them all summer.

Dracocephalum moldavica/Dragon's Head Spikes of small violet-blue flowers on an annual about 2' tall. Leaves have nice scent. Flower is said to look like a dragon's head.

Four O'clock/Marvel of Peru: Bushy annuals about 2 feet tall and covered with flowers until frost. Flowers open late but stay open most of the morning. Yellow, pink and magenta. Old-fashioned favorite that is very easy to grow. 30 seeds

Hollyhock, Chaters Double Superb Mixed: Hollyhocks are perennials and will bloom the second year. These old-fashioned, double blooms in red, pink, yellow, salmon, white and maroon will be worth the wait. Plants are 5-7 feet tall. 100 seeds

Marigold, Crackerjack Mixed: Improved version, more fully double, 24 inches tall. Yellow, orange and gold. Some books say to plant these with tomatoes to keep bugs away. 200 seeds

Marigold, Jolly Jester: The 2 inch wide red and yellow-orange striped flowers look like pinwheels with their very distinctive stripes. Single petaled-flowers grow on 24-30 inch tall plant. Will tolerate poor conditions and bloom all summer. Fun to grow. 125 seeds

Morning Glory NOTE: Morning glories cannot be shipped to Arizona. However, the "Bush Potato" in ornamentals has similar leaves and small white flowers highly resemble morning glories, but they are a different species. The seed will not germinate for three months unless you soak them over night and nick the seedcoat, so bush potato will not be good for those who want easy to germinate plants. This is the only seed I sell that requires nicking the seed coat.

Morning Glory Mix: Many colors on vines over 6 feet tall. Plant on a trellis or strings in full sun for a colorful display all summer. Red, blue, lavender, pink and white. 75 seeds

Morning Glory, Chinese: View photo
Pale Blue flowers look like Heavenly Blue morning glory. Seeds germinate if you soak them in water over night before planting. Very pretty with vines to 10 feet or so. Can be transplanted when small. Needs warm soil. 35 seeds

Morning Glory, Grandpa Ott's, organic: View photo
Beautiful purple flower with a red throat. Bavarian heirloom that grows to 15 feet and will self-sow every year. Very hardy. One of the flowers that inspired Seed Savers Exchange. Grown in Kansas. 50 seeds

Morning Glory, Mount Fugi (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. Pretty flowers are red/magenta or blue with white edges and almost ruffled. They look somewhat like petunias. Vines about 5-6 feet tall or grow in containers to hang down. Grown in KS. 10 seeds

Periwinkle (Vinca) Little mix: View Photo
Excellent flower for hot, dry climates, but not for cool, wet climates. Charming little white, pink, violet or rose flowers are great for borders. Very easy to grow with few pest or disease problems.

Statice Mixed: Very heat and drought tolerant annual. Plants are short but send up blue, purple, yellow or white flowers on stems about 18 inches tall. Great for dried flower arrangements. Very easy to grow.

Sunflower, *"for the birds": If you want to attract birds to your garden, the sunflowers here will set seeds that they love. These flowers will produce edible seeds, but they are too small to be eaten by people. Usually contains 3 varieties which also make great cut flowers. This mix contains one variety that is a little larger than the flowers in the cut flower mix. 70 seeds

Sunflower, *cut flower mix: More varieties in this selection in 2008! A mix of 3-5 colors (maybe more) of small-seeded sunflowers, some in this catalog and some very pretty sunflowers not in the catalog. Each will produce lots of 3-5 inch diameter flowers, with many flowers on each plant. Plants are 4-6 feet tall. 70 seeds

Sunflower, Autumn Beauty: View Photo
Yellow, bronze and purple shades in flowers up to 8 inches across on plant 60 inches tall. Many are long stemmed. Good cut flowers. Tolerates drought. 70 seeds

Sunflower, Italian White: Small-seeded variety has pretty very pale yellow, nearly white petals with brown centers. This 4-6 foot tall plant will be covered with 4 inch blooms. Your neighbors will think you're growing giant daisies! This heirloom is great for cut flowers over a long period. 50 seeds

Sunflower, Grey Striped Mammoth: This is the standard BIG sunflower grown for its single beautiful 10-12 inch yellow flower and edible seeds. I repeated the description here just to keep all the sunflowers together, but you will also find it in the "Flowers with edible parts" section above. 30 seeds

Sunflower, Taiyo Japanese heirloom grows 5-6 feet tall with flowers up to a foot across. The center is huge, chocolate-colored and full of seeds for the birds in your backyard to enjoy. The petals are short and deep yellow. The description sounds somewhat like the Mammoth sunflower, but the plant does look different. Small seeds. 25 seeds

Sunflower, Velvet Queen: Small seeded variety has 5-6 inch deep coppery-red flowers tinged with yellow. The centers are brown. Each 5 foot tall plant will have lots of flowers for cutting. 70 seeds

Sweet Pea Royal Mix: Sweet peas like cool weather and are prized for their fragrance. This mix contains several brilliant colors on vines 4 feet tall. 50 seeds

Torch/Mexican Sunflower/Tithonia: View photo
Tithonia rotundifolia. Red-orange flowers about 2-3 inches across. Blooms all summer on 4 foot bushy plant. Tolerates high heat and low water conditions. Very easy to grow.

Vinca little: See Periwinkle

Zimbabwe Foxglove/Udonqa/African Foxglove: Sorry, out of stock for 2008! View photo
Pretty lilac flowers on long stems resemble foxglove. An annual, it grew 4-5 feet tall in our very hot, dry summer and may get a foot taller in good weather. It can be started in pots and transplanted. Easy and lovely. It has fewer flowers on a stalk than regular foxglove, but a very annual so you get flowers this year. (Ceratotheca triloba)

Zinnia, California Giant Mixed: Under the right conditions the flowers can grow to 5 inches across. Among the flower colors you will find pink, yellow, burnt orange, white and red. Some will have 2 shades of the same color. Plant grows to 3 feet. 125 seeds

Zinnia, Persian Carpet: AAS winner in 1952. Smaller than most zinnias, these bloom in both solid and bi-colored petals. Mostly red, gold, cream, orange and burgundy, with some double flowers. Nice, delicate cut flowers. 150 seeds

Zinnia, Red Spider (organic) Cute little red zinnias about 1 inch accross on a plant 2 feet tall. I grow then near the water faucet, so I don't know if they tolerate drought. They might need some support. Please list an alternate if you order these in 2008, as they are in limited supply.

Greens at Skyfire: Greens are extremely nutritious. You can find them under these headings: Collards, Herbs, Kale, Lettuce, Mustard, Spinach, Swiss chard and Turnips. Did you know that carrot tops can be added to soups? The younger leaves of pea plants can be used in salads and stir-fries.

Micro Greens/Baby Greens: You can grow your own special gourmet baby greens and enjoy the more delicate flavor of young plants. Have wonderful salads by buying several of the following: arugula, beets, Swiss chard, kale, kohlrabi, mustard and lettuce. Plant seeds only an inch apart or less and cut when 2-3 inches high.  If youi don't cut them off too low, most will regrow and you can have another batch of greens.  Buy individual packets of your favorites or order the mix and I will pick out several greens for you.

Malabar Spinach, Red: 60-80 days. A warm weather spinach substitute, this is a 10-30 foot long tropical vine, but does well on a 5 foot trellis. Keeps well in the refridgerator. Sow on surface: just press into soil and keep warm. Can be transplanted. (Basella ruba) 15 seeds

Melokhiya/Mazzocchi: (Corchorus olitorius) This deep green leafy vegetable is from Egypt, so it does very well in hot weather. Eat young leaves in salads, mixing just a few leaves with other greens. Hang the branches to dry to preserve them for winter soups and stews. Mild flavor. Grows to 5 ft.

Hint: If you are not familiar with the uses of herbs, www.wikipedia.org has histories, uses, and recipes.

Arugula/Salad Roquette: 55 days. Slightly peppery taste. Widely used in salads in Europe, mixed with lettuce and other greens. It also makes a pretty garnish. 100 seeds

Basil, *Colorful, Flavorful Mix: A mix of all the varieties we have. Very pretty, tasty and the aromas will be wonderful. Try them all at the price of a single packet. 400 seeds

Basil, Anise: The green leaves are fringed and anise-flavored. Use in tomato sauces and as a seasoning for fish. 350 seeds

Basil, Cinnamon: Wonderful cinnamon scent is used in teas and potpourris. Pretty lavender stems and flowers. 350 seeds

Basil, Clove Scented: Green leaves with clove-like scent. Wonderful in tea or just grow it as an ornamental. Can be used mixed with apples in cobblers and crisps. 350 seeds

Basil, Large Leaf Italian: Classic sweet basil. I prefer this to lettuce in sandwiches. Try it in a "BLT" or turkey sandwich or make pesto for pasta. 500 seeds

Basil, lemon: See Basil, Sweet Dani below

Basil, Lettuce Leaf: The larger leaves are great for sandwiches as well as all the usual tomato-based dishes sweet basil is common in. Flavor is very similar to sweet basil. 350 seeds

Basil, Lime: Bright green leaves have a citrus-like flavor. 300 seeds

Basil, Mammoth (organic): Photo and more info
The same great taste of classic sweet basil, but with much larger leaves. A great size for sandwiches and the large size makes it easy to pick just the leaves to allow the stems to produce more basil. Basil is great with most tomato dishes. Grown in Kansas. 75-100 seeds

Basil, Purple Ruffles: AAS winner. Very popular as an ornamental. Purple leaves and pink flowers. A few plants will have green leaves, so start a few extra in pots. 200 seeds

Basil, Siam Queen: View photo
AAS winner. The prettiest basil, this anise-scented plant can be grown as a houseplant, so you can have fresh basil in the winter. Nice flowers, too. 100 seeds

Basil, Sweet Dani (lemon): View photo
AAS winner has a stronger lemon flavor than regular lemon basils. We grow this and dry it use as tea or to add to other teas or in tomato dishes. Excellent plant. Looks similar to regular sweet basil. 100 seeds

RECIPE: Low-cal pesto Place 1 cup basil leaves (mix lemon and Italian if desired), 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/3 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp water or chicken broth. Blend. Serve with pasta or vegetable spaghetti (spaghetti squash).

Borage: Finely chop leaves to add a mild cucumber-like flavor to salad. The pretty blue star-shaped flowers are edible, too. Pull out the center of the flower (just the petals) and sprinkle them on a salad. 100 seeds

Chives: (see also Garlic Chives) Chives are very easy to grow. Put them in a pot in a sunny window in the winter and snip off what you need with a scissors. This perennial will grow about 6 inches tall. 500 seeds

Cilantro: The seeds are called coriander. The leaves look like parsley and it is often called Chinese parsley, but it has a very different flavor than parsley. Popular in Mexican cuisine. Use in salsa or sprinkle on soups or salads. 150 seeds

Dill, Mammoth: Try fresh dill on steamed or boiled, buttered new potatoes. Use seeds and leaves for pickling. 400 seeds

Epazote: Easy to grow herb that is supposed to reduce gas when cooked with dry beans for soup or re-fried beans. Likes hot weather. Dry some for winter use. They really make a pot of beans smell wonderful. Sow on the soil surface in small pots to transplant into the garden. 100 seeds

Fenugreek (new in 2008): Trigonella foenum-graecumThe name means Greek hay. This herb is often used in the Middle East or India. The leaves have a bitter taste, similar to celery, and can be eaten fresh or dried. The seeds have a wonderful maple fragrance and are sometimes added to pickles or ground in curry powders or, in Egypt, made into a tea. Sometimes used as a cover crop in the US.

Garlic Chives: Very easy to grow. Nice delicate garlic flavor is great in lettuce salads, cucumber salads or sprinkled on potatoes. Not at all strong like the bulbs and will eventually produce white flowers.

Parsley, Green Italian: This flat-leaf Italian parsley is more flavorful than the curly-leaved types. Parsley lives 2 years. Fresh parsley has so much more flavor than dried, so you will probably want to transplant some of it to the greenhouse or south window for the winter. 600 seeds

Sage, broadleaf: Traditional herb for turkey stuffing and sausages. The tea has been used medicinally for centuries. 150 seeds

Thyme: Thyme is easy to grow, but best started in pots, because the seeds are very small. It can be kept going from cuttings if it gets too leggy. Fresh thyme is wonderful sprinkled on salads or in soups or cheese sauce. Don't wait for it to get as big as the plants in nurseries.  Sow lots of seeds in a 12 inch pot and cut off the tops of the stems when 3-4 inches tall--sort of like baby greens. 

*Colorful Kale Mix Mix of red and green kales. Try them as baby greens in salads and stir-fried dishes.

Red Russian/Ragged Jack (organic):View photo
50-65 days. Originally from Siberia, it was brought to Canada about 1885. Very pretty red-purple-green leaves. Becoming popular. Frost tolerant. 200 seeds

Siberian Improved, Dwarf: 60-70 days. Plants 12-15 inches tall. Frilled edges on thick blue-green leaves. Easy to grow. 750 seeds

*Colorful Kohlrabi mix: A mix of the white and purple types, about half each.

Delicatesse White: Kohlrabi is a cabbage family member that should be more widely grown in the US. White bulbs have a mild, pleasant flavor. Easy to grow. 800 seeds

Early White Vienna: 50-65 days. This mild-flavored member of the cabbage family was developed before 1860. Pale green bulbs develop just above the ground. Eat raw in salads or cook with butter or cream. Plant several sowings for a steady supply. 800 seeds

Early Purple Vienna: (new in 2008) 55-69 days. Also called Di Vienna Violetto. Old favorite home garden variety with purple bulbs. Just as easy to grow as white.

A note about lettuce: To extend your lettuce season, make several plantings. For lettuce that will mature in mid-summer, plant in shade and eat it young. If you eat just the outer leaves of leaf and romaine types, the crop will last longer than if you harvest the whole plant at one time. 7-800 seeds/gram

All Year Round lettuce: 64-75 days. English lettuce that stays solid in hot weather. Very slow to bolt. Good for the far north. Plant spring or late summer. 2 grams

Ben Shemen (organic): 60-70 days. Butterhead lettuce bred for hot climates. Dark green sweet lettuce. Limited quantities; list alternate on order form. Grown in Kansas. 1 gram

Buttercrunch/Butter King/Buttercrunch Bibb: 50-70 days. AAS winner from 1963. Large bibb lettuce is dark green with a reddish tint. Slow bolting lettuce developed at Cornell University. 2 grams

May Queen/Regina di Maggio: Butterhead lettuce. This very early lettuce is good for sowing in coldframes, but also should do well in summer. Pretty green outer leaves with yellow inner leaves. 2 grams

Merveille de Quatre Saisons/Marvel of Four Seasons: 45-70 days. Marvel of Four Seasons is a French Bibb type lettuce introduced about 1885. The outer leaves are reddish with cranberry tips and the hearts are pale green. Holds its excellent flavor in heat, but bolts. 2 grams

Mignonette Bronze/Early Surehead: 65-67 days. Compact plant with green-bronze head that has a creamy interior. Slow to bolt in hot weather. Heirloom introduced in 1898. 1 gram

*Colorful lettuce mix: A mixture of colors in leaf and romaine lettuces. All spring lettuces, but many are slow to bolt. You will have some lovely salads! 1.5 grams

Black Seeded Simpson: 40-65 days. Standard green leaf, popular for many years. Stands heat and drought. Introduced in the 1850s. 2 grams

Bronze Arrowhead/Bronze Arrow/Bronze Beauty (organic): View photo
40-60 days. AAS winner in 1947, this heirloom has dark green leaves with bronze shading. This has excellent heat tolerance and can be uses as a "cut and come again" lettuce. Limited supply; list alternate on order form. Grown in Kansas. 1 gram.

Chadwick's Rodan (organic): 60 days. beautiful red and green medium-sized lettuce developed by the english gardener Alan Chadwick. Limited qualtity; list alternate on order form. Grown in Kansas. 1 gram

Cracovienses: 45-60 days. Beautiful, very long, wavy green leaves with a purple tint. This heirloom from Eastern Europe will retain its buttery flavor even in the heat. Pre-1885. 1 gram

Grandpa Admire's: View photo
60 days. Pretty green, crinkled leaves have a blush of red-bronze. Slow to bolt and tolerates more heat than most lettuces. Grandpa Admire was a Civil War veteran. His granddaughter gave this seed to Heritage Farm many years ago. Fine flavor. 150 seeds

Green Ice: 45 days. Very slow to bolt, so you can enjoy its crisp, green, savoyed leaves longer. Glossy leaves are fringed. Less likely to be bitter than almost any other lettuce. 1 gram

Mascara: 65 days. Beautiful frilly red leaves retain their dark color even in heat. Fairly slow to bolt. Grow it in the front of the garden, because you will love its ornamental qualities as well as the taste. 1 gram

Oakleaf: 38-60 days. Leaves actually look like oak leaves. Old-fashioned favorite that stands heat and doesn't get bitter. Very popular. 2 grams

Red Sails: 40-66 days. AAS winner is slow to bolt, so you can enjoy its ruffled red-bronze leaves longer than other lettuces. Much higher in vitamins A and C than supermarket lettuce. Grow in spring, summer or fall. PVP 1986. 1 gram

Salad Bowl: 45-68 days. AAS in 1952. Wavy, notched leaves will not get bitter in hot weather. Light green and fast growing. Planted in July in our 90+ heat, we had wonderful baby lettuce all through August and September. 2 grams

Sanguine Ameliore/Strawberry Cabbage Lettuce (organic): 45-50 days. Old French variety introduced into the US in 1906. Green leaves splashed with red. Very nice. Limited quantity; please list alternate on order form. Grown in Kansas. 1 gram

Sunset, organic: AAS winner. One of the prettiest red leaf lettuces I have ever grown. It is heat tolerant. Hard to find now because it sets so few seed. A favorite at SSE's Heritage Farm.

Freckles: 55-70 days. This heirloom is becoming very popular because of its beautiful, tender green leaves speckled with red. Resembles Speckles butterhead, but larger. 1 gram

Rouge D'Hiver: 55-65 days. Also called Red Winter or Cimmaron, this beautiful European heirloom lettuce will tolerate heat if kept watered. Color varies from greenish red to dark red. I grow it every year in my own garden. 2 grams

Valmaine: 70 days. Dark green, slightly savoyed leaves with a heart that blanches to creamy yellow. Developed in 1963 and becoming rare. 2 grams

Yedi Kule Cinsi (organic): View photo
65 days. This rare Turkish romaine lettuce does well in the heat. Leaves are green with good flavor. Grown in Kansas. Limited quantity; list alternate on order form. 1 gram

See also Watermelon Click here for Watermelon

*Melon Mix (new in 2008): A mix of 4 different melon from the catalog, two muskmelons and two either honeydew or casaba. 30 seeds

Amarillo Oro: Yellow melons with white fruit. Spanish variety with very long vines. 40 seeds

Golden Honeymoon: 92 days. Earlier and smaller than a regular honeydew, so it should be welcome in smaller households. Leave on vine until fully ripe. Prolific and a good keeper. 40 seeds

Green Climbing (organic): Small fruit with green flesh, prefers a warm dry climate. Heirloom from France has a lovely fragrance (what home-grown melon doesn't?). Ripens best when it climbs; might need to be tied to trellis. Grown in Kansas. 20 seeds

Cavaillon Espagnol: View photo
Large heirloom from the 1800s has green fruit with a salmon center. Delicious, but becoming rare. Limited quantity, so you might want to list a substitute if I am out. 20 seeds

Collective Farm Woman: Sorry, out of stock for 2008--see you next year! 80-85 days. This heirloom has rapidly gained popularity since its introduction to the USA in 1993 by Seed Savers Exchange. This old Ukrainian variety has very sweet, fragrant, pale-yellow flesh and grows to 7-10 inches.

Honey Rock/Sugar Rock: 74-88 days. This AAS winner from 1933 is also called Sugar Rock. It has a tough greyish green skin and thick deep salmon flesh. Fruit weighs 3-4 pounds and there should be 5-7 per plant. Good for the North. 40 seeds

Minnesota Midget: 60-100 days. The compact vines make it great for small gardens and the large crop of 4" melons are just right for a single person. Unique flavor and high sugar content. Developed Minnesota in 1948. 30 seeds

Persian Small: 115 days. Dark green ribless rind with bright orange flesh. Melon is 4-5 pounds with small seed cavity. It's deep root system requires less water than some melons. Distinctive flavor. 40 seeds

Fancy Mustard Mix: All the mustards in the catalog. Pretty mix of red, curley fringed green and plain green leaves. 1000 seeds

Florida Broad Leaf/Large Smooth Leaf: 40-60 days. Dark green oval serrated leaves are 8-10 inches long. Popular in the South. 1000 seeds

Giant Red: 45-60 days. A pretty Japanese vairety, with deep purplish-red savoyed leaves and white ribs. Slow to bolt. Strong flavor. Often used pickled. Becoming very popular. 1000 seeds

Southern Giant Curled: 35-60 days. The most popular mustard for home gardeners. Sow spring or fall. Cold resistant. 1000 seeds

Tendergreen mustard: Smooth dark green leaves are usually eaten cooked, but can make nice baby greens in a tossed salad. Mustard greens are better grown in cool weather. 1000 seeds

*Colorful Okra mix (new in 2008): Can't decide which okra to plant? Buy this and try several. Mix of at least 3 varieties, one red and two green okras. (All standard size pods: Pink ornamental okra not included.)

Burgundy: 50-60 days. Also called Red Burgundy. AAS winner in 1988. Pretty 4-5 foot tall plant has green leaves, burgundy stems and burgundy pods. Another vegetable you might want in the flower garden: okra has pretty flowers. 200 seeds

Burmese (organic): View photo and more info
60 days. Heirloom from Burma. usually spinless pods, mostly light green. Pods are supposed to be tender at 10", but mine were better at 4". Plants only about 4' high, but very productive. Dry pods tend to split. 100 seeds

Clemson Spineless: 55 days. AAS winner. The 6 inch long pods are produced on plants 3-4 feet tall. An old favorite.

Cow Horn: Heirloom, hard to find. Up to 7 feet tall with 10 inch pods that actually taste best at the more usual size of about 3-4 inches. 125 seeds

Pink Okra: New this year, but look in the ornamental section just below, because the pods are very small.

see also Flowers

Pink Okra (organic) Very pretty deep pink-magenta flowers on a plant only about a foot tall. Great container plant--I grew some in 12" pots. Edible but is in the ornamental section because the pods are very small. Okra is related to hibiscus, so expect the flowers to be similar. They stay open much of the day, but close in the evening. Rare plant.

Ornamental Corn: Dried ears of corn make great fall decorations. I think all corns are beautiful, but Hopi Blue, Bloody Butcher and Strawberry are very nice. For Broomcorn, see the Sorghum section.

Ornamental Greens: Sunset and Mascara lettuces and Rainbow Swiss Chard are as pretty as any flower. Red Russian Kale is also pretty. Rainbow chard just wows everyone with 5 gorgeous colors: I'm told it is even good on pizza! (Look under Swiss Chard)

Ornamental Peppers: Under "Peppers/Hot" see Purple Tiger and Candlelight. Purple tiger is about 3 feet tall with varigated leaves and Candlelight is great for small, potted plants.

Ornamental Squashes: All of the pumpkins are considered ornamental, but Jack Be Little is small enough to include in cornucopias or other fall arrangements. Winter squashes that are pretty are Kuri Red, Turk's Turban, Queensland Blue and Marina di Chioggi.

Bush Potato: Operculina brownii. Rare vine that resembles a morning glory and grows only about 5-7 feet long. Small white flowers somewhat hidden in foliage. Does not produce edible tubers. Soak seeds overnight and nick so they germinate faster. The seed will not germinate for three months unless you soak them over night and nick the seedcoat, so bush potato will not be good for those who want easy to germinate plants. This is the only seed I sell that requires nicking the seed coat. Will climb a fence, sometimes with a little help getting started. Grown more for the foliage than flowers.

Coleus, rainbow mix: Pretty mix of 17 types of colorful leaves. Likes shade. Needs some light for germination, so don't cover the seeds. 100 seeds

Oregon Sugar Pod II (new in 2008, replaces Dwarf Gray Sugar): 60-70 days. This is the flat Chinese Snow Pea that is so good in stir-fries. The 30 inch vines need little or no support (especially if grown close together) and are prolific producers of sweet light green pods. Produces 20% more peas than other varieties. Freezes well. Mildew res. 175 seeds

Sugar Snap: View photo
53-57 days. AAS winner, so you know it is good. Sugar snap peas are eaten when plump like string beans, so you get more food with less work. Very sweet eaten raw or briefly steamed. Don't microwave. 48-72 inch vines need support. 175 seeds

RECIPE: Green pea salad On a bed of chopped leaf lettuce, place peas (briefly cooked), shredded carrot and chopped green onion. Serve with honey mustard dressing (1 tpsp each honey and mustard, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup oil & 1 clove finely minced garlic.)

Alaska Extra Early: 52-58 days. Hardy plant bears very early, heavy crop of garden peas on 30 inch plant. Wilt resistant. 5-6 peas per pod. 175 seeds

Lincoln: 65-70 days. Also called Homesteader. This very productive pea does very well in warm weather and also grows well in the North. Vines are 18-30" tall. 175 seeds

A note about peppers: If pepper plants still have fruit ripening when frost threatens, transplant them into a large pot and move them into the greenhouse or place in front of a very sunny window. Under proper conditions, they might survive and bear fruit again next year.

RECIPE: Salsa fresca (fresh salsa) Dice 1/2 cup red tomatoes and 1/2 cup yellow/orange tomatoes, 1/4 cup bell peppers and 1/4 cup onions. Take seeds out of 1 Anaheim or Conquistador (mild), or Fresno (medium) or Jalapeno (hot) chili. Mince very fine or blend with 1/4 cup tomatoes. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Mix.

A warning about hot peppers! The seeds of hot peppers are the hottest part! Do not touch your eyes after handling them! Even for planting them, it might be best to wear disposable gloves. Wear gloves to prepare the fresh peppers for cooking. Do not allow children to handle these!

*Hot Pepper Mix: A mixture of mild to very hot peppers that can be eaten green or red. A few may ripen to colors other than red. Many different sizes. No Habaneros. 30 seeds

Anaheim: 70-90 days from transplant. Plants are 24-30 inches high with 6-8 inch long tapered chilis that are usually eaten green when they are slightly hot to medium hot, but will ripen to a bright red. Very popular. 75 seeds

Ancho 101 (Poblano): 90 days. Called Poblano when fresh, Ancho when dried. A favorite for South-of-the-border recipes. Dark green fruits will turn brownish when dry. 1000-1500 Scoville heat units. 30 seeds

Candlelight: 80 days from transplant. Very ornamental, mildly hot, 1" long, 1/4" wide peppers start out green, then turn yellow, orange and red. The 12-16" plant is just covered with lovely chilis. Most ornamental peppers are very hot, so this is a welcome change. 25 seeds

Cascabel/Rattlesnake: This is the pepper I have been looking for! The red flesh has a wonderful very rich pepper flavor, but low heat. You adjust the heat by omitting or adding the seeds, so you can suit almost any taste. Round, about 2" across and dries well. 25 seeds

Cayenne: I'm not selling the "Long Thin" anymore, but the Jose Luis below is a cayenne type and very nice. It is organically grown.

CseCsei (organic): View photo
65 days. 34/ inch by 2 inch red psppers have strong (and very good) chili taste with almost no heat, even in seeds. USDA Grif9078 01, from Hungary. Grown in Kansas. 25 seeds

Fresno: 75-80 days from transplant. Very hot fruit starts out yellowish green and matures red. Chilis are about 1x2 inches on 24-30 inch plants. Eat at mature green stage. Tolerates Tobacco Mosaic virus. 50 seeds

Habanero Yellow: 90-100 days. C. Chinense. Native to the Yucatan, this is one of the hottest peppers on earth: much, much hotter than jalapeno. Wear 2 layers of latex gloves to handle it. For hot pepper fanatics only! 25 seeds

Hot Claw (organic): Plants about 2 ft tall with green > red peppers about 1/4 by 1.75 inches. Very hot. Grown in Kansas.

Jalapeno M: 75 days from transplant. This is the very hot chili often used on nachos. It is usually used green, but will mature to red. Thick-walled fruits about 1" by 3.5 inches. Use fresh or canned. 80 seeds

Jose Luis Majorca, organic: From Majorca, an island off the coast of Spain. Long (4"), thin, red cayenne-type chilis, fairly hot. Easy to grow. Brought from Majorca by a friend whose family had grown them for several generations. Dries well. Grown in Kansas. 20 seeds

Long Green Buddha, organic: 70 days from transplant. Plant is 2 feet high with chilis about 3/4 inch at the top and 3-4" long. Good yields. Strong bell pepper taste when green and mildly hot when red. I seed them, put them in soup whole and slip the skins off before serving. 20 seeds

Navaho (organic): View photo
This pepper it is becoming rare, but I had a great harvest in 2008. Very productive. If you like good flavor with only a little heat, this might be for you. Thick flesh in a 6-8 inch red chili. Dries well. Anaheim type with no heat when green except for seeds. Most have very little heat when red, but on occasion you will get one hot bite. 35 seeds

NuMex Joe E. Parker: 75 days from transplant. This mildly hot pepper has 6-8 inch long fruit with thicker flesh than some chilis. Plant is 2.5 to 3 feet tall. Peppers change from green to red. 50 seeds

Purple Tiger (organic): View photo
These may be the same peppers other companies sell as "Tri-Color Variegata" ornamental pepper. The peppers are shaped like mini-jalapenos and the foliage is gorgeous: green, white and pink. The pepper changes slowly from purple to bright red. 15,000-30,000 heat units (VERY hot). Grow it where you can show it off. Grown in Kansas. 25 seeds

Sante Fe Grande: 75-80 days from transplant. Also called Caribe. Hot pepper about 1.5 x 3.5 inches. Starts out yellow, then turns red-orange. Heavy yields. For fresh use. 80 seeds

Serrano: 75-90 days from transplant. This very hot chili is about 1/2 inch wide and 2-2.5 inches long. This 24-35" plant is prolific and everbearing. Peppers start out green and mature red-orange, with medium thin flesh. 80 seeds

Willing's Barbados (organic): View photo
100 days. Prolific, tiny red very hot peppers. Capsicum annuum var. aviclare. Introduced as an ornamental by John Bartran (1760), from the collection of Dr. George Thomas (1808-1887) via ML Thomas (1975). It would probably not be considered "ornamental" these days. This slow growing heirloom is a small plant. It grows well in pots and can be brought inside to sit in a sunny window over the winter. Grown in Kansas. 20 seeds

*Colorful Sweet Bell Mix: It is rare to find so many open pollinated colors of sweet blocky bell peppers. A mix of most of the sweet bell peppers in the catalog: green, red, yellow, orange, purple,cream, and chocolate (maroon). Colors will change as they mature. Delicious at any stage. Mostly heirlooms. 35 seeds

California Wonder: 68-89 days from transplant. Everbearing plant 24-30 inches tall produces large green or red sweet peppers. One of the most popular varieties for the home gardener. 80 seeds

Choco/Sweet Chocolate (organic): 85-90 days from transplant to ripe peppers. Elongated, thin bell, sometimes twisted, with a very different sweet flavor. Peppers are reddish chocolate/burgundy inside. Very productive. Not the same as Chocolate pepper. Grown in Kansas. 25 seeds

Feherozon (organic): View photo
75 days unripe, 90-100 days ripe. Starts pale yellow-green then turns red. Different flavor from other bells, but very nice. Hungarian, short plants, thick wall. Grown in Kansas. 25 seeds

Orange Bell (organic): 60 to green, 60 to orange. An ordinary name for a pepper with extra-ordinary taste. Heritage Farm says it is the best-tasting orange pepper they have every grown. High yields, too. 20 seeds

Purple Beauty: 75 days. Beautiful new pepper with mild, sweet flavor. Stays purple a long time before turning deep purple-red. Sturdy plants. Becoming very popular. 25 seeds

Quadrato Asti Gaillo (organic): 75-80 days. This lovely Italian pepper slowly turns from green to golden yellow. Sweet flavor. Large and blocky. 20 seeds

Red Belgian (organic): 80 days. This is more of a semi-bell, wide at the top and pointed at the bottom. Short, productive plants that will do well in containers about 12 inches across. Starts pale yellow > orange > red. Delicious flavor when orange and red differs from ordinary sweet red bells. My favorite. Great for stuffing with cheese or for pickling, as well as salads and other recipes for bell peppers. Grown in Kansas. 20 seeds

Golden Treasure Sweet: Sorry, out of stock for 2008--it will be back in 2009! View photo
80 days. Large Italian pepper is 1.5-2 inches at the top and tapers to a point at 8-9 inches long. Sweet with medium thick flesh, it starts out green and matures to a pretty golden yellow. Skin is thin. One of my favorites, but it is becoming very rare.  Great flavor for chili rellonos with no heat.  35 seeds

Sweet Banana (Hungarian Wax Sweet): 58-75 days. Also called Hungarian Wax Sweet or Yellow Banana. Heirloom variety from Hungary. Starts green, turns yellow, orange, then red. Prolific plant 16-24 inches tall bears sweet tapered peppers about 6 inches long. 75 seeds

Tequila Sunrise: 75 days. Very pretty, orange, pointed peppers about 4-5 inches long. These heirloom peppers are lovely sliced in rings for a salad or just used for snacking on whole. Plants are about 14 inches tall. 20 seeds

See also Squash/Winter: Some of the winter squash are also decorative, especially Marina di Chioggia, Turk's Turban, Queensland Blue and Long Island Cheese. Click here for Winter Squash

*Pumpkin, Mixed Sizes: A variety of sizes, all classic orange pumpkins, for your Halloween decorating, but all are selected for good pie baking. So have your jack o' lantern and eat it, too! No minis or mammoths, to make your seed spacing easier. You can request that I add a few of the mini- pumpkin seeds if you like. 25 seeds

Cinderella-Rouge D'Etampes: 84-100 days. Very popular for Halloween because of its bright orange skin. Popular with home gardeners because its bush vines take up only about 6 square feet and the flavor is excellent. Pumpkins are somewhat flattened, but very nice. 15 pounds. 12 seeds

Fairytale: 100 days. Unique shape! Deep ridges in an orange pumpkin 8 inches deep and 12-18 inches wide. Bred for great taste from 3 heirlooms, you can use this like a winter squash. Stores well. 12 seeds

Jack Be Little: View photo
95 days. This cute 3-4" mini pumpkin is grown strictly for decorations. Plant it early so it can fully mature on the vine before Halloween and it should last almost a year. Lovely in fall decorations such as cornucopias. Flavor may not be very good. 15 seeds

Jack O' Lantern: 75-115 days. Also called Halloween or Large Connecticut Yellow Field. Orange, with shallow ribs, this is great for carving, but also makes good pie. This 10-18 lb pumpkin also stores well. 25 seeds

Jarradale: 100 days. Blue-grey skin on a slightly flattened, deeply-ribbed pumpkin from 6-10 pounds. Australian variety has thick, sweet orange flesh with very good flavor and long storage qualities. It is becoming more popular in the US. 15 seeds

Jeune de Paris/Yellow Paris: Amy Goldman says Henry David Thoreau obtained seed for this in 1857! Orange, almost ribless, somewhat flattened, 42 pounds (sometimes larger), yellow flesh. Decorative, but not for conventional Jack o' lanterns. 25 seeds

*Jelly Bean Mix: 25-40 days. Colorful mixture of many varieties to brighten up your salads. Great fun for kids, too. 350 seeds

Bartender Red Mammoth: 35 days. Good for semi-tropical conditions. Heavy yields of bright red 9 inch radishes. 350 seeds

Black Spanish Round: 53-80 days. This heirloom was introduced before 1824. Large root (3-4") with black skin on a white-fleshed radish. Sow in July or August if you plan to have radishes all winter, as it stores well in moist sand. Great for homesteaders. 350 seeds

Candela di Ghaiccia (organic):Italian white radish, 5 inch long, crisp with mild pungency. Has not been available commercially in the US for about 10 years. Grown in Kansas. Limited quantity; please indicate a substitute if I am sold out. 150 seeds

Cherry Belle, organic: 20-30 days. AAS winner in 1949. This round red radish from Holland is a good keeper. Excellent for either early or late sowings. 200 seeds

Comet: 23-26 days. AAS winner in 1936. Globe shaped red root is best when 1 inch diameter or smaller. Crisp and doesn't get pithy as fast as most radishes, which makes the season longer. 350 seeds

French Breakfast: 20-30 days. Popular rose-scarlet radish with a white tip. Heirloom from 1880s. Top quality, pungent flavor. 350 seeds

Hailstone: View photo
23-30 days. Also called White Globe or White Button. Pure white, firm and crisp. Can be planted in spring or fall. 350 seeds

Japanese Minowase (a Daikon): Popular old Japanese radish can grow up to 24 inches long. Usually planted in summer. It can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled. Grate it raw into salads or into soup.

Icicle, White: 27-32 days. Also called Lady Finger. Standard long white radish since 1896. 350 seeds

Saxa: 18 days. Yes, this is a very fast grower. Pretty round red radishes in less than 3 weeks. You don't need much patience for this one.

Popping Sorghum: View photo
White seeds can be ground like corn for flour or popped like popcorn. It has a milder flavor than other sorghums and tastes somewhat like rice or millet. Grows 8 feet tall. Very drought tolerant. Seed head can be used as decoration.

America: AAS winner in 1952. Dark green leaves similar to Bloomsdale, but will take a little more heat and needs less moisture. Sow in spring in long-day areas. 250 seeds

Bloomsdale: Sorry, out of stock for 2008 39-60 days. Standard variety of spinach has been around for many years (pre-1908). Sow early for heavy yields. 250 seeds

New Zealand: View photo
50-70 days. Also called Perpetual Spinach (not the same as perpetual chard spinach beet). This is not a true spinach, but it tastes similar and has the virtue of not minding hot weather, so you can have "spinach" all summer. Brought to Europe by Captain Cook in the 1770s. Self sows in California. 25 seeds

Squash blossoms (free recipe with order): The flowers of all the squash I sell are edible, as are all Cucurbita maxima, mixta, moshata and pepo. The stickers will soften when cooked. Saute gently in butter. Request a free chicken squash blossom soup recipe with any squash or pumpkin order.

RECIPE: Skyfire summer squash Slice summer squash 1/2 inch thick. Fry in butter or olive oil on one side untill golden. Turn. Place a very thin slice of tomato on top, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover the pan and cook until the squash is just soft.

*Summer Squash Mix: A colorful mix of white scallop, green scallop, yellow crookneck, and at least two zucchinis. Nice mix of colors and shapes. 40 seeds

Crookneck, Early Yellow Summer: 42-60 days. Early version of yellow crookneck summer squash. Pick at 5-6 inches. Mild flavor. Introduced in 1900. 40 seeds

Lubnani/Lebanese White Bush: 52 days. Looks like a fat white zucchini, but we think it tastes better and sweeter. Can eat very young like zucchini or wait until it weighs 1-2 pounds. Grows in many climates, North or South. 40 seeds

Prolific Straightneck: 50 days. AAS winner from 1938 and still popular. Lemon yellow squash. Use just like yellow crookneck. Pick when 5-6 inches long for best quality. 35 seeds

Scallop Early White Bush: 47-65 days. Very popular white patty pan, so early it just might beat the squash bugs! Fine-flavored summer squash. 50 seeds

Scallop, Bennings Green Tint: Pretty olive green heirloom developed in 1914. Pick young. Use just like white scallop. Make sure you pick them young when they are most tender. (The green color can fool you.) 40 seeds

Trombone/Tromboncino: Looks like a trombone. Very long, thin summer squash with a bulb at the end. Straight if grown on a trellis, but curved if grown on the ground. Use like a zucchini, but it has much more flavor. One of my favorites. This is a C. moschata. 12 seeds

Zucchini, Black: 44-64 days. Also called Black Italian Marrow. Bush, productive, everbearing plant produces green-black zucchinis with fine flavor. Best when 6-8 inches long. Popular variety. 40 seeds

Zucchini, Round: Pretty round version of the favorite green zucchini. Decorative and it adds a little variety to your meals. 40 seeds

See also Pumpkins: Most of my pumpkins were selected because they also make good pies. Some will store well, so they make good winter squash. Click here for pumpkins

*Winter squash mix: A mix of 5 different winter squash. Different shapes and colors. Make a pretty cornucopia in the fall and a lot of vitamin A-rich squash all winter. 25 seeds

Acorn, Table Queen Bush: View photo.
58-90 days. One of the best table squashes. Hard dark green shell with ribs and yellow to orange flesh. Prolific bush version can tolerate poor soil. Good keeper. 25 seeds

Banana, Pink Jumbo: 105 days. Long, submarine-shaped squash wht pinkish orange skin to about 24 inches. This is used a lot for pumpkin pies because of the excellent sweet, dry, fine-grained flesh. Wonderful storage qualities. From around 1900. 40 seeds

Butterbush, Burpee's (organic): Sorry, out of stock for 2008 75 days. Back by popular demand! Bush plants are good for small gardens and 1-2 lb butternut squash are just right for small families. Will store until mid-winter. Good table quality and for pies. 25 seeds

Butternut Waltham: 85-115 days. AAS winner. 3-6 lbs, high yields, stores well, yellow-orange flesh has nutty taste, very popular. Good keeper. 25 seeds

Cushaw Green Striped: 75-115 days. Caribbean heirloom, pre-1893. Green stripes on creamy white hard skin, with sweet, fine-grained yellow flesh. Eat boiled, baked or in pies. Old favorite. 25 seeds

Kuri, Red: 92 days. Also called Baby Red Hubbard or Orange Hokkaido. This red-orange Japanese squash has a tear-drop shape and smooth-textured flesh. The 4-7 lb fruits make good pies and great fall decorations. 20

Long Island Cheese: Sorry out of stock for 2008 108 days. Heirloom squash (1807) with tan skin and deep orange flesh. Lightly ribbed and flattened like a wheel of cheese. Used for pies in New York and New Jersey a long time ago. 20 seeds

Marina di Chioggia: Deep green and covered with bumps, this 10 lb squash is extremely decorative and delicious. Use this Italian winter squash in ravioli or gnocchi. Likes moist sandy soil. The Jews of Venice nick-named it "Zucca Barucca." 12 seeds

Queensland Blue: 115 days. Striking blue-grey color makes it great for decorations and excellent keeping qualities make it a good winter staple. About 8 pounds. Australia, 1932. 15 seeds

Sugar Loaf/Tan Delicata: 100 days. Selected in 1992 from Delicata (an 1894 heirloom), this plant grows about 12 feet long. Smaller squash make about 2 servings each, so it is great for small families. Yellowish orange flesh has mild flavor. 40 seeds

Turban, Turk's: 80-125 days. Also called Aladdin's Turban, this squash is both decorative and good-tasting. This has been grown for over 200 years. Will store fairly well if not bruised. 15 seeds

Vegetable Spaghetti/Spaghetti Squash: 70-115 days. From Manchuria in 1890, this squash can be a low-cal pasta substitute. Just bake whole and scrape out the "spaghetti." Pick when the skin changes to tan and it will store up to 6 months. Very popular. 20 seeds

Zebra Mystery, organic SORRY CROP FAILURE THIS YEAR. We hope to have it back in 2008: 100 days? The only winter squash that made it through our intense heat and drought in 2003. The insects didn't bother it much either. Long vines with 10" pear-shaped green and white squash. Delicate flavored flesh, very tasty seeds. Organic, grown in KS. 20 seeds

Rainbow/Five Color Silverbeet: 60 days. This is the Australian Five Color Silverbeet. (Silverbeet is their term for chard.) Red, pink, yellow, orange and white center ribs of leaves are so pretty you might want them in the front of the flower garden. 150 seeds

Perpetual Spinach Beet/Leaf Beet (organic): View photo
50-60 days. Old European strain of chard. Leaves are deep green with white ribs. Transplant to the greenhouse in the fall and have greens all winter. Our favorite. Good flavor. Tolerates some frost. 100 seeds Grown in Kansas.

Ruby: 55-60 days. Also called Rhubarb Chard because of the very ornamental red stems. Leaves are crumpled dark green. Yields all summer. 250 seeds

Tomatoes are organized by color: Orange-Yellow, Pink-Purple, Red, Red/Paste, then The Other Colors (colors that don't fit the other categories, such as white or two-color varieties).

I grew about 35 rare heirloom tomatoes in 2007 and 18 of them were good enough to list in the 2008 catalog.

A note about tomatoes: Tomatoes don't usually set fruit in hot weather, but the ones that do are indicated in descriptions. Determinate (DET) are shorter and often set just one batch of fruit. Indeterminate (IND) are taller, need staking and will keep producing until frost.

*Beefsteak mix: If you want a colorful garden of big tomatoes to show off, this might be the packet for you. Yellow/Orange, Pink, White and, of course, Red varieties. Most of these will be heirlooms. 30 seeds

*Cherry Tomato Mix: This is a mix of several different colors of the cherry tomatoes in the catalog and maybe a few surprises that aren't listed. 30 seeds

*Fun Shapes Tomato Mix: Different shapes and sizes and colors, mostly heirlooms and some not offered in the regular catalog because I have very little seed of each variety. 30 seeds

*Heat Tolerant Tomato Mix: A mixture of all the tomatoes I have that should set fruit at higher temperatures than most. Let me know how they do in your area. Different mix every year, but the best ones are always in the mix. 30 seeds

*Heirloom Tomato Mix: Grow tomatoes in a wide variety of colors and sizes from only one packet of seed. These will really decorate a salad! All untreated seeds. 30 seeds

*Prolific Tomato Mix 2008: This is a mix of the most prolific of the tomatoes I have grown in Kansas. Different mix every year. Most of these are in the catalog separately. Red and yellow fruits of various sizes. 30 seeds

Amish yellow (organic) new in 2008: View photo
Pretty medium size yellow tomato, very productive, good taste. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Barnyard: 80 days, indet. Pretty, oval, orange, 6 ounce fruit. Very productive in good climates, and pretty good in very hot weather. Nice tart-sweet tang. Looks good, tastes good. 30 seeds

Beefsteak, Kentucky: 115 days from transplant, so get it in early. IND. These heirloom tomatoes are quite impressive both for their huge size and deep orange color. If you want big tomatoes, this might be the one to get. 30 seeds

Cherry, Blondkopfchen, organic: View photo
75-80 days. Pretty, sweet, yellow cherry tomato from Germany (Gatersleven). Produces huge crop in climates like MI, MN, WI, NY, but medium crop in intense heat of KS. Heirloom, IND, 5-6 ft tall, flowers form in large clusters. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Cherry, Coyote, organic: View photo
70 days. IND. Cute yellow heirloom cherry tomato.. Prolific if temperatures don't stay above 90 too long. Nice plant. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Cherry, Dr. Carolyn (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. Large cherry, very productive, lemon yellow, nice acid flavor if eaten almost ripe, mild flavor when fully ripe. Named after Dr. Carolyn Male (SSE member and author of book 100 Heirloom Tomatoes). Grown in Kansas. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Cherry, Estonian Yellow, organic: Small round yellow tomato will tolerate some cold. Heirloom from Tallinn. Flowers in large clusters. Fruit won't crack. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Cherry, Golden Nugget: 55-70 days from transplant: DET. Large yellow cherry tomato on 24 inch plant. Prolific. Mild flavor. Developed by Dr. James Baggett at Oregon State University. 30 seeds

Djena Lee's Golden Girl: 80 days. An heirloom since 1929, originally grown by the Lee family in Minnesota. They say it won first prize at the Chicago Fair for 10 years in a row. IND. 30 seeds

Earl of Edgecombe (organic) new in 2008: View photo
75 days. Beautiful bright orange 3" fruits. Heavy production in full sun, but mine did OK in partial shade. Very nice flavor. New Zealand heirloom. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Gelbe Dattlwein, organic: View photo
1" yellow pears, flowers in huge clusters, from Germany. INd plant, about 5' tall. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Jubilee: 72-85 days from transplant: DET. AAS winner. Also called Golden Jubilee. The mild flavor of this beautiful orange tomato has insured it a place in home gardens for nearly 50 years. It resembles a persimmon. Heavy yields. Best not grown too far North. 75 seeds

Moon Glow, organic: 75 days. Beautiful med size, slightly oval, deep orange 6 oz fruit with very good flavor. Productive. 3-4' vines. Should do well in the north, as my original seed was from Canada. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Nebraska wedding: 105 days from transplant: DET. Pretty 3-4 inch orange tomato with a sweet/acid flavor. Heirloom from the Great Plains. Heavy yields. 30 seeds

Olga's Round Yellow Chicken, organic: View photo
70 days. Indet. 5-6 oz deep orange round fruit has excellent flavor and very productive. Few seeds. Nice tomato with a cute name. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Persimmon: 80 days from transplant; IND. Heirloom from the 1800s, these golden orange tomatoes average between 1 and 2 pounds. The low-acid fruit are very flavorful and have few seeds. 30 seeds

Poma Amoris Minora Lutea (organic) new in 2008: View photo
75 days. Small yellow tomato, very productive, originally from Hortus Botanicus, Padua, Italy, 1553. Primitive type shown in herbals. Nice flavor. Almost as small as a cherry tomato, but on plants 6-7 feet tall. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Sunray: 85 days indet, medium-small, beautiful orange, excellent flavor, good yeild in spite of hear and drought. Slightly sweet, about 2-3 inch fruits. 30 seeds

Sweet Orange Roma: View photo
Pretty orange fruit about 2 inches. Produced fairly well in terrible heat, so should do well in normal weather. Nice flavor. 30 seeds

Tangella (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. 80 days. Very large cherry with beautiful deep orange color and good flavor. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Yellow Pear: 75 days. Tasty little yellow pear-shaped tomatoes. Very similar to the red pear tomatoes. Sweet. 30 seeds.

Yellow Pygmy: View photo
Cherry. Pretty plants with yellow fruit about 3/4 inches. Tiny plants about 1 foot tall are great for container gardening. Nice flavor. 25c seeds

Yellow Stuffer: 76 days from transplant; IND. This pretty tomato seems like it is trying to disguise itself as a bell pepper. It was bred nearly hollow to stuff like a bell pepper and bake or fill with your favorite chicken salad recipe. Fun to serve dinner guests. 20 seeds

A note about pink and purple tomatoes: Most of the tomatoes called "pink" or "purple" are more reddish with a slight pink or purple cast, so please don't expect pale pink or bright purple fruits.

Beefsteak, Watermelon: 75 days from transplant: IND. Heirloom from the 1800s. Huge beefsteak tomatoes up to 2 pounds have mild flavor. Very meaty with pinkish skin and purplish tint inside. 30 seeds

Caspian Pink: 80 days from transplant; IND. This Russian heirloom is considered by some to taste even better than Brandywine. Fairly new in the US, it should gain popularity rapidly. 30 seeds

Dutchman: 80 days from transplant; IND. This non-acid heirloom was grown before 1920. It has mild flavor and is very meaty. Fruits are large, flat and have few seeds. 30 seeds

Eva Purple Ball: 75-80 days from transplant. Heirloom from Black Forest, Germany, late 1800s. Disease resistant 4-5 ounce tomato prefers heat and humidity. 30 seeds

Giant Belgium Pink: 82-90 days from transplant: IND. Huge fruits average 1-2 pounds but occasionally weigh 5 pounds. Low acid, mild flavor and very sweet. They say it has a high enough sugar content that some people make wine from it. Humm? 30 seeds

Kansas Depression, organic: 90 days. Indet. 2/3 lb beefsteaks, good flavor. Heirloom. Potato leaf. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Lahman Pink (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. Meaty almost solid flesh with nice flavor, 3" fruit. indet. Good yield. Heirloom. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Liberty Tree, organic: Almost red when ripe, this prolific 4-5 inch beefsteak type was preserved for years by Faxon Stinnet of the Central Prairie Seed Exchange. Fruit ripens well indoors when picked green just before a frost. Won't set in heat. Indeterminate. Long season. 30 seeds

Mortgage Lifter: 82 days. Heirloom tomato from the 1930s. Dark pink tomatoes weigh 1 pound and are very meaty, with few seeds. This delicious tomato was so popular, the breeder paid off his farm in 6 years selling the plants. 30 seeds

Nectar Rose, organic: View photo
80 days. Indet. Pretty 3-4 oz fruit makes great salad tomato. Very good taste. Heirloom. 30 seeds

Old Pink Plum, organic: View photo
Plants are very drought tolerant and fairly heat tolerant. Produces well in KS, very well in WI. Fruit are plum-shaped and not much larger than a cherry tomato. IND Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Pink Petticoat, organic: View photo
80 days. Pretty, slightly pleated pink-red tomatoes. Medium size. IND. Sweet, nice flavor. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Porter, organic: View photo
75 days. There are at least two tomatoes named "Porter." This is a nearly-red, plum-shaped, plum-sized, meaty, heirloom tomato. Prolific, very drought- and heat-tolerant medium-sized plants. Reliable. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Purple Calabash, organic: View photo
75-90 days. Unusual heirloom. Some people love the taste, some don't. Same for the looks. Purple-green-brown shoulders, medium-sized fruit, slightly pleated. Fairly good production if your climate isn't too hot. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Togo Trefle, organic: 80 days. Very productive in heat and drought. Small tomato from Togo in West Africa. Pretty pink-red tomato with fruity taste. IND. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Amish Paste: 80 days. Indet. Amish heirloom from Wisconsin, but originated in Lancaster, PA. Large, dark red fruits are acorn-shaped. 30 seeds

Bearo, organic: View photo
The virtue of this plant is that it can get 12-15 feet tall. I use it to shade the greenhouse. It produces red paste tomatoes over a long season, but like most tomatoes, it does not set well in the heat. Limited quantity. 20 seeds

Burkina Faso, organic: View photo
75 days. West African, 2 1/2" long with pointed end, great flavor. Plants are about 3.5 feet tall and very productive. Might be good in containers in full sun. Grown in Kansas. I received some very nice emails about this one in 2007. 25 seeds

Heidi (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. 75 days. Small roundish, very productive, thick walled paste, originally from Cameroon. Does well in very hot weather. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Red Sausage: 75-85 days from transplant: IND. Very prolific heirloom paste tomato with few seeds. Lovely sausage shape resembles a hot chili pepper. Roma type up to 6" long. Great for sauce or catsup. Good flavor. 30 seeds

Rio Grande (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. 75 days. Wonderful red paste tomato. High yield, great flavor, tolerates high temperatures, good for salads or canning. Originally from Italy. My best tomato of 2007. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Romeo and Juliet, organic: Prolific little red plum/pear shape. Very good paste tomato. Indet. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Royal Chico, organic: View photo
71 days from transplant. Determinate paste tomato with slightly pear-shaped fruits larger than Roma. Good leaf coverage. High yield. Becoming hard to find. Plants 2-3 feet tall. Organic, grown in Kansas. 25 seeds

Wuhib (organic) new in 2008: View photo
80 days. Bright red plum-shaped 2x2.5" very productive, meaty, paste tomato. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Adventure (organic) new in 2008: View photo
Medium size, indet. regular leaf, very good flavor. Heirloom. 25 seeds

Abe Lincoln: View photo
80 days, indet. Medium sized, about 5 ounces, with slightly sweet, mildly acid flavor. Good sliced or in salads. Originally sold by the Buckbee Seed Company in the 1920s. 30 seeds

Adelia: View photo
80 days. My best producer this year in high heat and drought. Average size, indet, good flavor. A seed collector found this old variety found in a jar in 1984. Good find! 30 seeds

Alicante: 72 days from transplant. English heirloom that is broiled for breakfast and still stays firm. Heavy crop of excellent red fruit. 40 seeds

Arumugam's Tomato: 80 days, Indet.. Nice little red tomato. Very productive in heat. Originally from a village in Tamil Nadu, India in 1997, where it is grown in the shade of banana trees. 30 seeds

Asimina (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. From Greece, good producer of 3" fruits, very meaty, good taste. Nice size for canning whole. 25 seeds

Beefsteak, Red, organic: 80 days from transplant: IND. This classic, large, red, meaty beefsteak tomato is also called Red Ponderosa or Crimson cushion. Sometimes a little ribbed, the sub-acid fruit grow to 10 ounces or larger. 30 seeds

Bonny Best: 65-85 days from transplant: IND. 6-8 ounce round, meaty tomatoes. This heirloom will grow in almost any climate, but is especially good in the north. Eat fresh or can. Introduced in 1908. 50 seeds

Borgo Cellano: View photo
85 days, indet. High yield even in a terrible year of heat and drought. Pretty cherry tomatoes are slightly elongated with a tiny point on blossom end. 30 seeds

Box Car Willie: 80 days from transplant: IND. This heirloom produces excellent yields of 10-16 ounce tomatoes for canning, freezing and fresh eating. Old-fashioned flavor and it resists cracking. 30 seeds

Brandywine, Red: 80-100 days from transplant: IND. This famous Amish heirloom is named for Brandywine creek in Chester County PA. Large indeterminate vines produce tomatoes over 8 ounces. Not for humid climates. 30 seeds

Brazil, organic: 75 days. Very productive, 2 3/4", juicy. Great heirloom for salads. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Break O'Day (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. Round, medium size about 2 1/2", good taste, fairly early and productive. Plants not large: 4-5' tall. 25 seeds

Calabacito Rojo: View photo
Very good yileld of large cherry tomatoes, slightly flattened and slightly ruffled. Good flavor. Very pretty. Did well in spite of very hot, dry summer. Grown in Kansas.

Cherry, Anait (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. 70 days, very productive cherry tomato with a different, fruity flavor. Originally from Tasmania, Australia. No cracking. 30 seeds

Cherry, Dukes (organic): 75 days. Extremely productive! Slightly flattened fruit about 1" diameter. Heirloom from Dukesfamily in central Georgia. Tolerates heat. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Cherry, Fence Row, organic: View photo
75-85 days. Productive cherry tomato, very popular with seed collectors. Found growing in a Paril, IL fence row in 1975. Sets heavily in a variety of climates. Good flavor. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Cherry, Gardener's Delight: 50-80 days from transplant: IND. This German heirloom grows in clusters of 6-12 fruit. Fairly large cherry tomatoes are crack resistant and bear until frost. 30 seeds

Cherry, Grandpa's Minnesota Hardy (organic) new in 2008: View photo
80 days. Very productive, indet. good flavor. From a Seed Savers Exchange member's father who grew it at least since 1959. 30 seeds

Cherry, Koralik, organic: 60 days. Very productive, tasty, Russian heirloom. Plants are only 2-3 ft tall, so might be good for container gardens. Does pretty well in heat. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Cherry, Large Red: 70-80 days from transplant: DET. Sweet, juicy 1.25-1.5 inch tomatoes on productive vines. The green fruits make good pickled tomatoes. 100 seeds

Cherry, Mexico Midget, organic: View photo
Best cherry tomato of 2003! Many thanks to Herb, a customer who sent me this seed last year. Prolific bearer of small red cherry tomatoes even in heat and drought. Plants are over 5 ft tall. Great flavor. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Cherry, Pelican, organic: View photo
80-90 days. Produces lots of red cherry tomatoes on a vine about 3 ft tall. Good, sweet flavor. Tolerates drought and some heat. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Cherry, Reisentraube: 70 days from transplant: IND. This German heirloom was grown by the Pennsylvania Dutch as early as 1850. Name means "giant bunch of grapes" and it does produce large clusters cherry tomatoes. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Cherry, Sugar Lump: 65-75 days from transplant: IND. This heirloom from the 1800s really earns its name. The very sweet, deep red cherry tomatoes form in clusters of 6-12 fruits. 30 seeds

Cherry, Veracruzano, organic: About 1/2" diameter currant type on 5-6' plants from Teziutlan. Very productive. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

College Challenger, organic: View photo
75 days, productive, round, med size, ripens well indoors, good taste. Very heat tolerant. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Czech Select: Seems to produce well in heat, medium size. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Firesteel, organic: View photo
70-80 days. Good yield of round, red, 8 oz tomatoes with good flavor. Usually does well in heat and drought, without cracking. Was a commercial variety in the 1930s. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Gezahnte, organic: Pleated, pear-shaped red heirloom tomato from Basel, Switzerland. The name means "toothed." Fruit is 3-4 inches long and slices are almost star-shaped. Very productive even in heat. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Giant Syrian: 75 days, indet. Good yield of large meaty fruit, with strong acid flavor. Would make good juice. My favorite for taste in 2006. 30 seeds

Godlove, organic: 80 days. Oval/plum shape. Productive in heat. Heirloom from Risdon and Opal Godlove of Ada, KS, who called them "Heck" tomatoes because they got them from Mrs. Heck. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

King Humbert, organic: View photo
80 days. Very pretty pear-shaped, salad-sized red tomato. This heirloom from Italy is very productive in most climates, medium in extreme heat. IND. Should dry well. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Livingston's Paragon: 80 days or more, indet. Medium-sized red fruit produced late in our very hot summer. 30 seeds

Long Keeper, organic: 78 days from transplant: IND. Medium-size red tomato. Bears a little bit better in heat than most. Plant late so you have a crop to pick just before frost. Even if not ripe, store at 60-70 degrees so they will ripen slowly over 1-3 months. Grown in KS. 35 seeds

Manalucie: 75-95 days from transplant: IND. Deep red 6-8 ounce heirloom tomato is resistant to cracking and if picked pink, will ripen slowly, so you can have home-grown tomatoes after frost. Sets well in heat and humidity. Disease resistant. 30 seeds

Memory to Vavilov: 65 days. Compact plant with 1.5-2" fruit, det. Heirloom named after famous Russian plant scientist. Probably would do well in pots. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Millet's Dakota (organic) new in 2008: View photo
75 days. Very, very productive with very good flavor. Easy to peel. Meaty, nice size for canning. Listed in Oscar Will's Seed Annual 1934 as hardiest and most drought resistant. Developed in North Dakota. 30 seeds

Moneymaker: 75-80 days. This 4 ounce round tomato sets in any weather. Reliable old English greenhouse tomato adapted to high humidity, but produced very well for me years ago in Southern California. Indet. Good old-fashioned tomato. 30 seeds

Mule Team: 78 days from transplant: IND. The 8-10 ounce fruit have a slight tang. The name comes from the ability to withstand disease and tolerate drought. Good yield of meaty, red fruits. 30 seeds

New Yorker: 60-70 days from transplant: DET. This compact plant was the first to bear fruit of 60 varieties I grew in 2002. Sets in cool weather, and in hot climates, you might get a few tomatoes before the oppressive heat sets in. Fruit are 4" and round. 30 seeds

Olomovic: 82 days from transplant: IND. This medium sized red tomato set fruit even in 90 degree plus heat. Bred in Czechoslovakia by Milan Sodomka. Does well in the North and Midwest. May crack but that shouldn't reduce its value in the home garden in hot areas. 30 seeds

Omar's Lebanese: 70 days, Very productive in most climates. Meaty with rich flavor. From Lebanon. 30 seeds

Pearson: 80-90 days from transplant. Dependable determinate tomato since 1910. Old-fashioned acid flavor makes it great for canning as well as fresh eating. Excellent yields of large fruit, even in hot, dry areas. 100 seeds

Peking, organic: Heirloom. Heavy producer of salad-sized, round, red tomatoes. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Placero (organic) new in 2008: View photo
Very productive small Cuban tomato, slightly pleated, good flavor, seedy. Very nice. SSE member named Herb got this from Orlando at Mission Mundial in Cuba and very kindly shared it with me. 30 seeds

Polish Linuisa: 73 days from transplant: IND. This heirloom from the 1800s was actually developed in New York. Very sweet, delicious, slightly pear-shaped 7-10 ounce fruit on a disease tolerant plant. 30 seeds

Pomodori a Grappiolo d'Inverno, organic: View photo
80 days. 100 year old Italian variety. Name translates as "winter grapes" and they were bred to uproot the whole plant to hang upside down to ripen slowly for winter keeping. Small plum. Grown in KS. 30 seeds

Porter Improved/Porter's Pride: 65-78 days. Another tomato for heat and drought conditions. High yields in high temperatures ans low humidity. Fruits average 4 ounces. Tolerates Alternaria Stem Canker, Verticillium, and Fusarium Race 1. 30 seeds

Principe Borghese 70-75 days from transplant: DET. This Italian heirloom is the one to grow for sun-dried tomatoes. The 1-2 ounce, meaty, plum-shaped fruits grow in clusters.

Prue (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. 75-85 days. Very good flavor in a sauce or juice tomato. Fairly good yield. From a Mr. Prue who grew these in the 1940s. 25 seeds

Red Fig (organic) new in 2008: Photo to come. 85 days. Small pear-shaped, with neck more slender than Red Pear and slightly yellowish tint. Heirloom documented to 1805 in Album Vilmorin. Mild flavor.30 seeds

Red Pear: 75 days. Cherry-sized, pear-shaped tomato 1-2 inches long. Fun little tomato for salads. DET. 30 seeds

Red Supreme: Small plants would be great for container growing. Produces lots of small tomatoes for salads.

Riesetomate or Riese tomate or Reise tomate, organic: View photo
80 days. Strange, very strange. It looks like a fused cluster of cherry tomatoes, but is really one medium-large fruit. Don't even think about peeling it! Pull the lobes apart and eat like cherry tomatoes. Very productive German heirloom. Organic, KS. 30 seeds. Riese tomate is a German name and probably the correct spelling.

Rutgers: 75-100 days from transplant: DET. Dependable, crack-free 6-8 ounce tomato developed by Campbell's in 1928 and improved in 1940. Determinate plants are widely adapted and always a favorite because of its great flavor. Good for canning. 100 seeds

San Francisco Fog, organic: View photo
75 days. Bred for warm days and cool nights of San Francisco Bay area. Red 2" round tasty fruit, productive. Grown in KS. 25 seeds

Santorini, organic: Wow! Prolific through heat and drought, this flattened, slightly scalloped, red, 4 oz tomato has that old time flavor that you expect from an heirloom. IND plants get about 5 ft tall. My best salad tomato of 2002 and 2003. Organic, grown in Kansas. 30 seeds

Siberian: 48 days from transplant: DET. Yes, it is early! As the name might imply, it tolerates cold weather and is popular in short season areas. Tolerates shade. I suspect in hot summer areas, you might get a crop of these 3-5 ounce fruit before the heat arrives. 30 seeds

St. Pierre: 84 days from transplant: IND. This European variety is tender, sweet, slightly acidic and has thin skin. Produces well in adverse (cool) weather. Grows in clusters of 3-5 fruits. Hardy. Superior flavor. Good for canning. 40 seeds

Stakeless: 75-85 days from transplant: DET. Sturdy 18-24 inch plants need no su