Wendy Mae’s Choice 2008 Heirloom Seed Packet Descriptions: Astro Arugula – 21 days baby, 40 days mature A spicy, cold-hardy salad green producing many leaves for “cut and come again” harvest. Long, dark green leaves with deeply cut lobes are very nutritious. These should be started indoors, as early as 4-6 weeks before the last frost, and are best tasting when grown in the cooler temps of spring and fall. They can be over wintered for a spring harvest. 1/32 oz. Maxibel Haricot Vert Bean – 65 days Unsurpassed as a gourmet market specialty, Maxibel is a heavy producer of 6-8” dark green and stringless, fancy, slender beans with delicately sweet flavor and tenderness. This snap, bush bean can be planted every two weeks, after the danger of frost has passed. Trellis pole beans with sturdy poles or fence. Pick frequently for optimal tenderness and yields. Resistant to anthracnose, halo blight, and several races of bean mosaic virus. Speckled brown seeds.1 oz Black Valentine Beans – 50-65 days This versatile heirloom bush bean does well as either a shell or dry bean. It is stringless and tender with a strong bean flavor, and a high yield. Plant every two weeks, after the danger of frost has passed. For dry beans, allow them to dry on the plant, then harvest and thresh. 1 oz. Kentucky Wonder Bean – 65 days This heirloom variety dates back to the Civil War. Ten inch vines give rise to 7-10” stringless, solid, meaty pods that vary from oval to flat and have a distinctive flavor all their own. They’re also known as “Old Homestead” or “Texas Pole.” These seeds can be direct seeded once danger of frost has passed. Pole beans require a trellis or mesh fencing for support, and regular harvesting will increase yields. 1 oz. Royal Burgundy Beans – 55 days Gorgeous deep purple, 5” stringless pods with green interiors. Entire bean turns green upon blanching in boiling water. Grows well in cool conditions and has resistance to several bean viruses, as well as showing greatest resistance to white mold among bush beans in 2005 trials. Light brown seeds. 1 oz. Black Turtle Dry Beans – 100 days Believed to have originated in southern Mexico and Central America over 7,000 years ago. One of the tastiest dry beans, these are also well known for their quality. Black Turtle beans make great soup and are especially delicious refried and eaten with Mexican food or as a dip. High yielding and easy-to-grow bush variety, this is an excellent dry bean for many purposes. For these dry beans, allow them to dry on the plant, then harvest and thresh. 1 oz. Jacob’s Cattle Bean – 90 days Taking its name from the spotted cattle in the biblical story of Jacob. This white kidney-shaped bean, with a maroon eyespot will cook up huge and tender for soups and baking. It is similar to the Anasazi bean of the Southwest but much better adapted to cooler, shorter-season growing areas. A favorite in New England for its excellence in baked bean dishes. Yields well even in cool summers. Scored high on resistance to BMV in trials. 1 oz. Detroit Dark Red Beet – 50 days These blood red, uniform globes grow up to 3” in diameter with a sweet taste and smooth texture. The greens are delicious too! Sown as soon as the soil can be worked and throughout the summer for a continual harvest. Excellent, high-quality storage variety, the beets can be stored at very cold temps (32 – 40o F) in damp sand or sawdust. 1/16 oz. Bull’s Blood Beets – 35 days baby leaves Grown primarily for striking dark red-purple leaves that provide incredible contrast in salad mixes and also have a tender, sweet flavor. Eliot Coleman’s choice for a red leaf in winter salad mixes. Roots are also tasty and tender when harvested early. Tolerant to heat and cool temps. Color intensifies as plants mature. Great variety for baby beets! Can be stored at very cold temps (32 – 40o F) in damp sand or sawdust. 1/16 oz. Chiogga Beet – 55 days A spectacular candy-striped beet brought to the U.S. from Italy in the 1840’s. Alternating rings of pink and white are unique and beautiful, making this variety a popular choice for specialty markets. Has a unique exterior look as well, with light green tops above light red roots. Loses quality when harvested too late. Can be stored at very cold temps (32 – 40o F) in damp sand or sawdust. 1/16 oz. De Cicco Broccoli – 48 days This produces 3-4” main heads and numerous yields of side shoots. De Cicco is a superior quality for freezing, and is a very early variety. Broccoli does best in the cool times of spring, early summer, and fall, and can either be planted directly into the ground, or transplanted when it’s 4-6 weeks old. 1/32 oz. Red Cored Chantenay Carrots – 65 days Produces a 5-7” thick-cored root, red-orange to center with excellent carrot flavor. Sweetens further in storage. Wide shoulders and fine grain make this a great choice for heavier clay soils. Introduced from France in the late 1800’s. Standard processing variety for high yields per acre. Store under very cold (32 – 40oF) and moist conditions for the winter. 1/32 oz. Scarlet Nantes Carrots – 65 days A very sweet, bright red-orange flash carrot with excellent keeping qualities, and that old-time carrot flavor. This is a standard for quality among open pollinated varieties. Fine grain and almost no core, with 6-7” roots that have blunt tips and small to medium tops. These carrots can be sown as soon as the ground can be worked and planted throughout the summer. Store under very cold (32 – 40oF) and moist conditions for the winter. 1/32 oz. Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard – 25 days baby, 50 days mature From Burpee’s original Fordhook Farm in Pennsylvania, this Swiss chard has broad white stems set in brilliant green savoyed leaves. This had the best flavor in High Mowing Seeds 2004 trials, and is very vigorous and high yielding with good disease resistance. Sown as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, Swiss chard can often overwinter in zones 6 and warmer. 1/16 oz. Ruby Red Swiss Chard – 30 days baby, 60 days mature This Swiss chard, with beautiful shiny green leaves with deep red stems and veins, grows well under hot and cool conditions, for a long season of harvesting. Especially nice for a micro-green or baby leaf because stem and leaf veins color early. This improved strain has been selected for highly savoyed leaves, color contrast, and a minimal amount of “chocolate leaves”. Sown as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, Swiss chard can often overwinter in zones 6 and warmer. 1/16 oz. Golden Swiss Chard – 30 days baby, 60 days mature This specialty heirloom is sweet and stunning, with deep golden colored stalks and veins contrasted against emerald green leaves that taste wonderful. This very nice heirloom strain was rescued by the Abundant Life Seed Foundation and has been improved for color and vigor by High Mowing Seeds grower, Frank Morton. Sown as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, Swiss chard can often over-winter in zones 6 and warmer. 1/16 oz. Ahsworth (Yellow) Sweet Corn – 65-75 days Unique among open-pollinated corn varieties. Fred Ashworth called it “rat selected” because it came from the bin most preferred by rats. Maturing with the first of the early hybrids, Ashworth gives rise to plump, well-filled 6-7” ears of bright-yellow corn with the best of old-fashioned corn flavor. Pay close attention after half silk, as it does not hold well in milk stage so must be harvested on time for optimum sweetness. 1 oz. Roy’s Calais Flint/Milling Corn – 90-95 days dry Roy’s Calais corn is one of the things that first put the High Mowing Seeds Company on the map. An excellent old Vermont heirloom flint that was recognized as a variety worth recovering. Roy’s Calais makes excellent cornmeal and is also highly ornamental, being a mix of golden yellow and deep maroon ears. 1 oz. Boothby Blonde Cucumber – 63 days They have a delicate flavor and a sweetness that is surprising in a cucumber. This unique heirloom cucumber maintained for five generations by the Boothby family of Livermore, Maine is short, plump, and oval-shaped with a yellow-creamy texture, contrasted with black spines. Once they mature, they can be harvested regularly for continued production, the smaller sizes for pickling and the full size for slicing. 1/16 oz. Lemon Cucumber – 68 days This specialty cucumber prized by discriminating salad chefs, has 3” round fruits that resemble lemons, and will continually produce an abundance of crisp, sweet fruit throughout the season. Fruits turn from pale greenish yellow to lemon yellow (the best eating stage) and then turn bright golden yellow. Easy to grow and does well in short summers. Fruits are somewhat later but mature faster and perform well in cool conditions. Once they mature, they can be harvested regularly for continued production, the smaller sizes for pickling and the full size for slicing. 1/16 oz. Rosa Bianca Eggplant – 73 days This heirloom variety has unique lavender and white streaking. It’s medium sized, bell shaped fruit averages 2 lbs, and has a mild flavor and creamy texture. Transplanting is recommended for all eggplant varieties, and the seedlings should be hardened off for one week before planting. Does best in areas with warm night, can be lower yielding in extreme northern areas. Plastic mulch and floating row covers will aid in this, as well as keep away harmful pests like the Colorado potato beetle and tarnished plant bug. 1/64 oz. Red Russian Kale – 25 days baby, 50 days mature The green leaves with purple stems on this heirloom are sweeter and tenderer than most kale. The best flavor is found after the first frost, and they can be over wintered with little or no protection. The baby leaves are excellent eaten fresh in salads and the mature leaves are wonderful for steaming or stir-frying. This strain has been selected for cold hardiness and strong purple vein color. 1/32 oz. Lacinato “Dinosaur Kale” – 35 days baby, 65 days mature This unique variety has the richest, darkest blue-green leaves of any kale. Deeply savoyed leaves have smooth margins and are blade-shaped. This strain has been reinvigorated by Frank Morton and is widely appreciated for its superior flavor, vigor, and hardiness. Staff favorite at High Mowing Seeds. 1/32 oz. Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach – 42 days This heirloom variety with long, savoyed dark green leaves is noted for its exceptional flavor. It can withstand both heat and cold, making it a great variety for both spring and fall plantings. This hardy annual can be directly sown once the soil can be worked, and again in late summer for a fall harvest. Fall plantings may over winter in some areas. 1/32 oz. Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – 28 days baby, 45 days mature This heirloom has very early yields of a full-sized head of light green, slightly crinkled leaves. Withstands heat, drought, and light frost. This was first introduced in 1850 and has been well loved ever since. These can be sown as soon as the soil can be worked, and throughout the summer and early fall for a continual harvest. To avoid bitterness, keep well watered during the midsummer heat. 1/32 oz. Red Oakleaf Lettuce – 30 days baby, 60 days mature The tight rosettes of deeply lobed, oakleaf shaped leaves will turn to a gorgeous deep burgundy as they mature. This long-standing variety does not turn bitter in the heat. Good resistance to downy mildew, tip-burn, white mold, and heat stress. These can be sown as soon as the soil can be worked, and throughout the summer and early fall for a continual harvest. 1/32 oz. Rouge de Hiver Lettuce – 28 days baby, 60 days mature An excellent red romaine of old French heritage. Its name means “Red Winter” and refers to its hardiness. Leaves are bronze to deep red, and have a rich, buttery flavor. Tolerant to tip-burn, white mold, and cold. Does better in heat if kept well watered. 1/32 oz. Purple Osaka Mustard Greens – 21 days baby, 40 days mature A favorite burgundy colored mustard variety with a spicy kick. Leaves will remain succulent to 12-14”, while the purple venation will become more pronounced as the leaves grow. Either plant outside in early spring, or transplant seedlings outside 2-4 weeks before last frost. Mustards prefer cooler weather of spring and fall, and can be protected from flea beetles by using row cover. 1/32 oz. Pirat Butterhead Lettuce – 60 days full size The tender light-green leaves with rouge-tinged margins envelop a succulent well-blanched heart on this head lettuce. This was the top winner in High Mowing Seeds 2003 lettuce trials with a flavor that far surpassed other varieties. Rates as the best butterhead in resistance to downy mildew, white mold, tip-burn, and bacterial head rots. These can be sown as soon as the soil can be worked, and throughout the summer and early fall for a continual harvest. To avoid bitterness, keep well watered during the midsummer heat. 1/32 oz. Parris Island Cos Romaine – 28 days baby, 55 days mature Vibrant green leaves are slightly savoyed forming 8-12” heads. This vigorous and uniform romaine produces compact heads that are notably slow to bolt. This is the standard Romaine type with tolerance of mosaic virus and tip-burn. These can be sown as soon as the soil can be worked, and throughout the summer and early fall for a continual harvest. To avoid bitterness, keep well watered during the midsummer heat. 1/32 oz. Rocky Ford Muskmelon – 80 days An excellent fine-grained, green-fleshed melon. Developed in 1881 out of a chance seedling from the variety Nutmeg. Has a heavy net and slight ribbing, and the vines are highly rust resistant. Prolific yields of firm fruit that ship very well. These should be started indoors 4-5 weeks before the last frost or planted outside once the danger of frost has passed. They like hot weather and grow slower in cooler summers. 1/32 oz. Walla Walla Onions – 110 days This famous heirloom comes from the Pacific Northwest, and is best eaten fresh. A medium to large mild onion with white flash and light brown skin. Very cold hardy but not a keeper. Onions should be started indoors 10-16 weeks before the last frost, and transplanted as soon as the soil can be worked. Long day. 1/64 oz. Green Arrow Peas – 64 days This delicious shell pea has set the standard for mid-season varieties. Heavy yields of 4-5” slim pods each contain 8-10 small, deep green peas. Delicious pea flavor, excellent for freezing. These can be sown as soon as the soil can be worked through mid-July in the Northeast. Soil temps between 50-70oF are best for germination, and continual harvesting will increase yields. 1 oz. California Wonder Sweet Pepper – 68 days green, 85 days red Large blocky, thick-walled stuffing pepper introduced by Burpee’s in 1928. Has an upright, everbearing habit that keeps fruit high on 24-30” plants. Forms glossy, 6 oz. deep green fruits that turn red quickly under a range of different conditions (use plastic mulch to hasten maturity into reds). Peppers enjoy the heat and will do best in the warmest spot in your garden. Good for both shipping and freezing. 1/64 oz. Early Jalapeño Pepper – 68 days green, 85 days red A traditional early strain of very hot, blunt 3”x1” peppers that can be eaten when dark green, or when they have ripened to a deep red. Delicious with that distinctive jalapeno flavor. Medium heat. Peppers enjoy the heat and will do best in the warmest spot in your garden. 1/64 oz. New England Pie Pumpkin – 105 days This old New England favorite is considered by many to be the single best-tasting pie pumpkin. Brought to Nantucket in 1832, its flash has higher dry matter and is stringless. Dark orange-skinned fruits in a range of small sizes between 4-6 lbs. These can either be started indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost, or planted outside after all danger of frost has passed. To store them for winter, it is best to harvest them before any frost. Stored under cool and dry conditions, they will last for several months or more. 1/8 oz. Howden Jack O’Lantern Pumpkin – 115 days This is what all other Jack O’Lantern pumpkins are compared to: uniformly round and large, and up to 30 lbs, with a rich orange color, a hard rind, thick walls, and sturdy handles. Sizes up reliably and tolerant to black rot. Developed in the Berkshires of Massachusetts in the late ‘60’s by John Howden. These can either be started indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost, or planted outside after all danger of frost has passed. To store them for winter, it is best to harvest them before any frost. Stored under cool and dry conditions, they will last for several months or more. 1/8 oz. French Breakfast Radish – 26 days This scarlet-rose 2-3” oblong radish has a bright white tip, and crisp white flesh that is mildly pungent, yet distinct. A favorite in Paris markets since before 1879. Can become pithy if harvested late. 1/16 oz. Mivashige White Daikon Radishes – 50 days These popular Japanese-style radishes are strictly for fall and winter, and grow to large size (2-6 lbs) while remaining crisp and tender for pickling and storage. Pure white with a pale green band near the crown. Sow in late July or August for fall harvest. 1/16 oz. Burgess Buttercup Squash – 95 days This squash is a New England tradition, with dark green skin, and a round, squat shape. Typically produces 3-4 fruits of 3-5 lbs per plant, with sweet yellow-orange stringless flesh. HMS improved strain. If harvested before any frost, this winter squash can be stored for winter. Under cool and dry conditions, it can last for several months or longer. 1/8 oz. Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash – 50 days A standard variety with bright, lemon yellow to golden skin and a creamy white interior, this is delicious, especially when picked at 5” long or smaller. Very prolific and carefully selected for yield and shape. Summer squash can be started indoors, or planted outside when all danger of frost has passed. It does best in full sun and well-drained soil. 1/8 oz. Dark Green Zucchini – 50 days This is a top producer with heavy yields of smooth, medium green zucchini. The uniformly straight fruits have fine-flavored firm flesh. Zucchini can be started indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost or planted outside one danger of frost has passed. Frequent harvesting when fruit is small and tender will encourage further yields. 1/8 oz. Yellow Perfection Tomato – 70 days This rare English heirloom is a low-acid type. Its golden fruits are very sweet, and are about 2” across. An indeterminate, potato-leafed variety, these have a vining habit and need to be trellised or staked to keep them from falling over. Prone to cracking in wet weather. Best started indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost, then transplanted after the danger of frost is passed. 1/10 g. Brandywine Tomato – 82 days Has the distinction of being almost exclusively responsible for revival of interest in heirloom tomatoes. Very large and prone to cracking, the average Brandywine can be a somewhat daunting challenge to slice. But wait until you taste one. The pink flash is silken smooth and has that unusual, well, “Brandywine” taste to it: just the right blend of tart and sweet with some other flavors you just can’t describe properly. Indeterminate, potato-leafed. These had best flavor ratings in High Mowing Seeds 2004 trials. Best started indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost, then transplanted after the danger of frost is passed. 1/10 g. Mountain Princess Tomato – 53 days A good suited slicer, grown for generations in the Monongahela National Forest regions of West Virginia. Fruits are red to orange, with a 3” diameter. Determinate. 1/10 g. Purple Top Globe Turnip – 55 days A popular 1800’s heirloom which has become the standard American turnip, these 6” round smooth roots are white beneath the soil and purplish-red above, but retain good condition until quite large. Has sweet, mild, fine-grained white flesh. Excellent keeper. Sow in early spring. 1/32 oz. Sugar Baby Watermelon – 78 days Also known as Icebox watermelon, this excellent northern short-season variety produces reliable yields of 8-10 lb, solid dark green, perfectly round fruits. Flash is deep red and very sweet. Tough rind resists cracking. This strain is adapted and selected for cool growing and high yields. These should be started indoors 4-5 weeks before the last frost or planted outside once the danger of frost has passed. 1/16 oz. Moon and Stars Watermelon – 95-100 days Once thought to be extinct, Moon and Stars has been rescued from obscurity and has become a widely popular specialty watermelon. Extolled for its unique appearance as well as its very sweet, bright red flash. Ha a dark green rind decorated with beautiful yellow spots of large (moon) and small (star) size. Also has spotted foliage. Needs heat to set fruit (use plastic mulch), so it may pose a worthy challenge to northern growers. These should be started indoors 4-5 weeks before the last frost or planted outside once the danger of frost has passed. 1/16 oz.