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 Seeds serves 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 treasured heirloom species, from 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 throughout with practical advice from
heirloom gardeners and lists sources for finding the seeds of many
old varieties. Because it also provides ample room for making
notes,
Gardening with Heirloom Seeds can 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.