Gardening With Heirloom Seeds

by Coulter, Lynn

• ISBN13: 9780807856802
• ISBN10: 0807856800
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-06-19
• Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Pr

Summary

Heirloom seeds are more than the promise of next summer's crookneck squash or jewel-colored zinnias. They're living antiques handed down from one generation to the next, a rich inheritance of flavor and beauty from long ago and, often, far away. They are sometimes better adapted to pests and harsh conditions than many modern varieties and often simply smell or taste better. Gardening with Heirloom Seedsserves as a resource for gardeners, cooks, and plant lovers of all levels of expertise who want to know more about finding, sharing, and propagating the seeds of heirloom flowers, fruits, and vegetables. In these beautifully illustrated pages, Lynn Coulter describes fifty old-fashioned species that have their roots in the past, from the Frenchman's Darling, a flowering herb whose seeds were pocketed by Napoleon Bonaparte when he invaded Egypt in 1798, to Snow White beets, an old Dutch favorite that will not stain the cook's fingers red. Most of the plants included here will grow all across the United States; a few are best suited for warmer climates. The text is sprinkled with practical advice from heirloom gardeners and lists sources for finding the seeds of many old varieties. Because it also provides room for notes, Gardening with Heirloom Seedscan be used year after year and can become an heirloom in its own right--a personal journal to pass along to the next generation of gardeners.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
A Celebration of Seeds	1	(6)
The Garden in Spring	7	(70)
Beet	9	(6)
Cabbage	15	(6)
Columbine	21	(5)
Garden Pea	26	(6)
Larkspur	32	(5)
Lettuce	37	(5)
Pink	42	(4)
Poppy	46	(7)
Radish	53	(6)
Snapdragon	59	(4)
Spinach	63	(5)
Sweet Pea	68	(9)
The Garden in Summer	77	(186)
Amaranth	80	(5)
Carrot	85	(7)
Corn	92	(5)
Cornflower	97	(7)
Cosmos	104	(5)
Cucumber	109	(6)
Cuphea	115	(4)
Eggplant	119	(5)
Four O'clock	124	(6)
Foxglove	130	(5)
Garden Bean	135	(7)
Heliotrope	142	(5)
Hollyhock	147	(5)
Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate	152	(5)
Lima Bean and Runner Bean	157	(6)
Melon	163	(6)
Mignonette	169	(4)
Morning Glory	173	(7)
Nasturtium	180	(6)
Nicotiana	186	(5)
Nigella	191	(7)
Onion	198	(6)
Pepper	204	(5)
Petunia	209	(5)
Salvia	214	(7)
Scabiosa	221	(7)
Southern Pea	228	(5)
Squash	233	(6)
Sunflower	239	(6)
Tomato	245	(6)
Watermelon	251	(6)
Zinnia	257	(6)
The Garden in Fall	263	(34)
Aster	266	(4)
Chard	270	(6)
Kale and Collards	276	(5)
Pansy	281	(5)
Pumpkin	286	(4)
Turnip	290	(7)
The Garden in Winter	297	(6)
Bibliography	303	(2)
Where to Find Heirloom Seeds or Visit Heirloom Gardens	305	(4)
Index	309