Category Archives: Heirlooms
Strawberry Mignonette
Mignonette is a French type strawberry that has smaller berries and a distinct flavor and aroma. Excellent edging border or container variety. Grow as an annual or perennial. GARDEN HINTS: Strawberries grow best in a sunny area with rich moist
Viola Johnny-Jump Up
HEIRLOOM. Very winter hardy and eager to self-sow in the shade of summer plants violas are cheerful surprises in the cool months. Johnny-Jump Up is tricolored in bright purple yellow and white. Violas will rebloom in fall if cut back
Popcorn Strawberry
This heirloom corn is a pop star producing several ears per 5-6′ stalk of highly decorative popcorn when spaced at 9″ apart. Short and rounded the 2-3″ ears remind us of large strawberries with row upon row of ruby-red kernels.
Pumpkin Musquee de Provence
A beautiful heirloom from the south of France with large 20 lb. flattened fruits that are heavily ribbed. Green when immature they turn a lovely deep brown when fully ripe. The deep orange flesh is a particular favorite of chefs
Tomato Brandywine Red
Flavorful but not acidic it is a large-lobed beefsteak-shaped tomato with a thin pinkish-red skin. Very vigorous. Best if staked caged or trellised. Perfect for slicing.
Cucumber Crystal Apple
Originating in New Zealand this unusual heirloom cucumber was first offered in 1934. When mature Crystal Apple’s pretty pale greenish white-skinned fruits resemble Granny Smith apples. To experience the smooth tender and cream-tasting fruits at their peak enjoy them when
Morning Glory Heavenly Blue
Magnificent 5″ cheerful blooms are bright sky-blue with creamy white throats. Fast-growing large vines with attractive foliage. Easy to grow. Grows best in full sun. GARDEN HINTS: For best germination soak seeds overnight before planting. For earlier bloom start indoors
Sweet Pea Eckfords Finest Mix
Today sweet peas remind one of a Victrola in the parlor. Considered very romantic some antique strains can be wonderful if chosen carefully; others can be duds. We’ve selected only the best for you. All have a slight honey or
Gourd Extra Long Handle Dipper
This is one ornamental gourd that’s worth watching. Leave it on the ground and marvel as the long swooping curved handle-up to 6′ long-twists and turns. If a straight handle is your thing training it on a trellis will do
Squash True Hubbard
True Hubbard has appeared in American gardens and been served on American tables since at least the 1780s. Weighing about 12 lb. each the squash has delicious yellow-gold flesh and deep green skin. The long-storing fruits are excellent in pies
Basil Leaf Green
Cook’s Garden Favorite. Basil found its way into American hearts gardens and kitchens only in the 1970s. Our national love affair with basil has lost none of its passion. We certainly cannot live without this magical herb. We love the
Lettuce Rouge d’Hiver
In 1885 this variety made its debut in the French company Vilmorin’s The Vegetable Garden. A compact romaine type the heads grow to 10-12″ tall producing large smooth leaves that are green at the heart and brownish-red throughout the body.
Tomato Quarter Century
In 1901 Burpee introduced this mild flavorful all-purpose heirloom tomato. Ready for salads or sauces the delectable fruits range in size from10 to 12 oz. Disease-resistant and heat-tolerant. Indeterminate.
Turnip Purple Top White Globe
Turnip lovers prize its deliciously sweet and tender white roots. The turnips are often 4″ and sometimes 6″ across handsomely blushed with pink to purple at the crown. Young leaves make the classic cooked ‘southern greens’.
Bean Red Swan
The late Robert Lobitz (1941-2006) was a man with a lifelong passion for bean breeding. This beautiful snap bean is one of his triumphs. A cross between a purple snap bean and a pinto bean Red Swan’s dusty rose-red color
Gourd Tennessee Spinning
In an earlier simpler time kids would carry these 3-5″ green striped gourds in their pockets to play with at school where they’d contentedly spin them on their desks. Hard-shelled when dried this ornamental gourd is a natural for use
Tomato Patty’s Yellow Striped Beefsteak
Cook’s Garden Favorite. We are working closely with breeders to improve upon some of the heirloom tomatoes available today. This striking beauty is reminiscent of ‘Big Rainbow’ but with higher yields larger more colorful fruits and most importantly richer fuller
Tomato Persimmon
An heirloom originally from Russia this beefsteak type has very large persimmon-colored 1 lb. fruits. Uniform and blemish-free the tomatoes have high flavor low acidity and a small seed cavity. Performs well in short-season areas. Indeterminate.
Tomato Green Grape
A favorite heirloom of farm markets and restaurants thanks to its unique tart flavor and attractive presentation. Originally created by crossing Yellow Pear with Evergreen Green Grape produces clusters of 6-8 yellow-green 1″ fruits.
Squash Italiano Largo Hybrid
Cook’s Garden Favorite. Hybrid. Deeply ribbed zucchini type summer squash with robust nutty Italian flavor. Fruits are long and thin with a slight curve and few seeds even if allowed to get large — which they will do. For a
