ASPARAGUS
—Mary Washington. (100) VASP-MW. Packet: $2.50
This fine heirloom asparagus was introduced in 1919. It was developed to very successfully resist asparagus rust, and has been a top variety for decades. Produces tall green spears with purple-tinged tips. Soak seed overnight before sowing. Space plants a foot apart in sandy, well-drained soil. Harvest the second or third year after planting.
CARROT
—Kyoto Red. (500) VCAR-KY. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $6.00
Ounce: $15.00
Japanese heirloom variety. Long slender roots are deep strawberry-red, with a sweet, light flavor. Traditionally eaten on Japanese New Year, often cut into the shape of plum blossoms to represent fertility in the next year. Great for eating fresh, grilling, roasting, or juicing.
CORN
—Green Horn. (75) VCOR-GRN. Packet: $2.00
1/4 Pound: $6.00
Pound: $20.00
Beautiful reselected flint corn with green-blue kernels. Good flour corn, also lovely fall ornamental.
—Six Shooter. (100) VCOR-SIX. Packet: $3.00 ORGANIC
1/4 Pound: $12.00
Pound: $30.00
It's getting hard to find open-pollinated sweet corns now, and this is a nice one. Produces large ears of tender white kernels. Under good conditions it can give you 6 full-sized ears per stalk, hence the name. Also makes 'tillers', smaller side shoots that don't take energy from the main ears and can be left to form smaller ears. Reaches 7 - 8 feet tall. Sold by R.H. Shumway Seeds in 1968, and maintained and spread by the Pendergrass family in Tennesee. Organic.
POPCORN
—Firecracker. (100) VCOR-FI. Packet: $2.50
Small slender 5" ears with multicolored kernels of blue, white, and red. Husks and stems are purple-red Striking colorful ornamental and delicious popcorn.
LETTUCE
—Bloodstone. (200) VLET-BL. Packet: $3.00 ORGANIC
Beautiful small heads of rounded leaves with deep red streaks on green. Not only tender and tasty, but highly ornamental. A Frank Morton gem. Organic.
—Ruby Zoisite. (200) VLET-RZ. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
Another gorgeous mini-lettuce from Frank Morton. Deep green rounded leaves speckled red, with lovely golds and reds at the heart. Organic.
MELON
—Japanese Tiger. (40) VMEL-JT. Packet: $3.00
Small oval melons with pretty green and yellow tiger striped skin. Pale green flesh, crisp, sweet, and refreshing. Enjoyed in Japan as a dessert, or added to salads. Melons reach 10 - 12 ounces.
MILLET
NEW—Millet German Foxtail. (1000) VMIL-GF. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC
Ounce: $5.00
1/4 Pound: $15.00
Setaria italica. One of the oldest crops, this annual summer-growing grass gives both excellent grain and high-quality hay. Tolerates a dry growing season. First grown in China about 6500 BCE, and it remains an important crop for arid regions. Organic.
ONION
—Crimson Forest. (500) VONI-CF. Packet: $2.00
Ounce: $8.00
Nice red-purple bunching type. Good in containers and small spaces.
PARSNIP
—Parsnip, Turga. (250) VPAS-TR. Packet: $3.00
Ounce: $12.00
Hungarian heirloom with thick roots and smooth white skin. Crisp, sweet, and rich-flavored. Does well even in clay soil, and can be stored in the ground until the ground freezes, and cold weather sweetens the roots. (Not organic - mistake in print edition)
PEPPER
—Poblano. (50) VPEP-POB. Packet: $2.50
1/4 Ounce: $6.00
Ounce: $14.00
Triangular 3 - 5" chiles with a mild, rich flavor, the classic pepper for chiles rellenos. Called poblano when fresh and dark green, and ancho when ripened to dark red and dried. When dried they are used in a number of delicious sauces, such as mole poblano.
—Tabasco. (50) VPEP-TA. Packet: $3.00
1/4 Ounce: $12.00
Small, slender, upright peppers cover the bushy 4 foot tall plants. Ripens from green to yellow to red, with a spicy flavor. Said to have been introduced into Louisiana in 1848 from the Mexican state of Tabasco, and after the Civil War became the sauce made famous by the McIlhenny family on Avery Island.
SQUASH
—Gill's Golden Pippin. (30) VSQU-GIL. Packet: $3.00
Ounce: $15.00
Small golden acorn squash, known for its rich, sweet flavor. A whole roasted squash is a serving for one person. Sets abundant fruit and stores well. Introduced in the mid-1900s by Gill Brothers Seed Co. in Portland Oregon.
—Hopi Orange. (40) VSQU-HOP. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $8.00
Rounded deep orange fruits, slightly ribbed, with flavorful yellow flesh. Excellent keeper, to 10 - 15 pounds, great for roasting, soups, and pies.
—Jaune Et Verte. (25) VSQU-JV. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $7.50
1/4 Pound: $22.50
Cucurbita pepo. Strikingly lovely French patty-pan type, maturing to alternating stripes of dark green and cream-yellow. Round with scalloped edges. Can be eaten at any stage.
SWISS CHARD
—Magenta Sunset. (100) VSWI-MA. Packet: $2.50
Ounce: $5.00
1/4 Pound: $12.00
Dark green ruffled leaves with vibrant hot pink to magenta stems and veins. Great for colorful micro-greens, baby greens for salads, or grow to full size for cooking. Somewhat heat tolerant.
TOMATO
—Bundaberg Rumball. (50) VTOM-BUN. Packet: $3.50 ORGANIC
Dwarf compact plants to 3 feet, bearing heavy crops of medium-sized round cherry tomatoes, brick-red to brown, with a pleasant mild flavor. Developed by the Dwarf Tomato Project from a cross between Black from Tula and Budai Torpe, selected by Richard Allen, introduced in 2015. Organic.
—Tomato Grandma Aiello's. (25) VTOM-GA. Packet: $2.50
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Medium-sized pink-red heart-shaped fruit with tender skin, juicy and delicious. This rare variety was brought from Calabria Italy by Maria Mazzie Aiello in 1929, and has been grown and saved by her family for three generations. Sent to us by Maria's granddaughter Nicala Aiello. Large indeterminate plants, give support.
—Uluru Ochre. (50) VTOM-UL. Packet: $3.00 ORGANIC
Medium to large slightly lumpy tomatoes, an unusual yellow-orange-brown ochre color. Tender, juicy, sweet, and tasty. From the Dwarf Tomato Project, a cross of Orange Heirloom and Rosella Purple. Sturdy plants to 4 feet. Selected and named by Patrina Nuske Small, named for the great Australian monolith Uluru (Ayres Rock). Organic.