You're invited to our annual seedling "sale"! April 20th from 9am-1pm, with seedlings being offered at a suggested donation of $4/seedling or 4 seedlings for $15. 3833 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto Cash, Zelle, Venmo or PayPal will be accepted. Very limited quantities of some seedlings - come right at 9am for best selection!
TOMATOES:
Red and/or Pink Tomatoes:
Chef’s Choice Pink VFT - Potato-leaved plants produce impressive yields of 12-16 oz. beefsteak tomatoes with deep pink sweet, meaty flesh and an irresistibly good taste. These fruits have a perfect acid-to-sugar ratio resulting in flavor that is reminiscent of heirlooms, but are easier to grow, yielding early harvests of delicious, crack-resistant tomatoes. Indeterminate.
Costoluto Genovese – A superb heirloom Italian tomato. A favorite since the early 19th century for robust, tangy, "tomatoey" sauces, it sets a long, heavy crop of lobed, 6-8oz red fruit that have fantastic flavor. Treasured in Italy for many generations, these are the secret ingredient in countless family recipes. Excellent for juicing, and delicious on sandwiches and in salads. Indeterminate.
Crimson Carmelo (saved seed) - Bred in France especially for fresh eating, these will satisfy all your tomato fantasies. The round, red, 4-5” fruits have the perfect sweet to acid balance that translates to exquisite taste. The tomatoes are produced in abundance on vigorous disease resistant and widely adapted indeterminate vines.
Cuor di Bue - This curious and striking tomato is an exotic twist on the oxheart tomato type. Fruits have a bottom-heavy shape reminiscent of a pouch with a gathered top, and they weigh in at 7-8oz. each. One of the tastiest saucing types with dense flesh and lustrous, orangey-red skin. Indeterminate.
Mamie Brown’s Pink - Large, pink beefsteak type with a perfect sweet/acid flavor balance. Tomatoes are flat to slightly heart shaped and double fruits are common. Meaty solid center with few seeds, unusual for a beefsteak tomato. Indeterminate.
Marmande (PATIO)- Medium-large sized beefsteak tomato that is lightly ribbed with a flattened globe shape, with weights from 8-16oz. The red flesh is juicy and meaty with minimal seeds, and offers a savory classic tomato flavor, as well as a hint of sweetness. The strong, semi-determinate bushy tomato plants grow upright and will need some support. Can be grown well in large containers.
Mexico – A very large, indeterminate, regular-leaf, prolific tomato plant that yields huge sets of 1-2pound irregular-shaped, dark-pink beefsteak tomatoes with terrific bold, tomato flavors. Plenty of sweetness with complementary acid flavors. A perfect tomato for slicing fresh and thick for sandwiches and sliced up in salads.
Olena Ukrainian – Indeterminate, vigorous, potato leaf plants produce generous crops of 12-20 oz. fruits that are smooth to fluted, blemish-free, pink and meaty, with complex sweet flavors. One of the most splendid heirlooms from Ukraine.
Purple Brandy - These tomatoes are as rich-tasting as fine brandy. The deep pink-purple beefsteaks are 8-16 oz., and have exquisite flavor - a super blend of just the right sugar and acid. Large, potato-leaved plants grow a good harvest of these outstanding fruits. Indeterminate.
Red Brandywine - The nation’s favorite heirloom tomato! Large, vigorous plants have potato leaf foliage and produce rosy-red, tender fruit that can weigh up to 2 lbs. Old-fashioned juicy tomato flavor. Perfect to eat right off the vine, or slice for sandwiches. Indeterminate.
Silvery Fir Tree - (PATIO) – A gorgeous variety with distinctive carrot-like silvery-gray foliage on compact 24" plants. Bears a heavy crop of round, slightly flattened 3-3½" red fruits. Unique decorative variety that is a real eye-catcher. Does well in hanging baskets or on patios. Determinate.
Whittemore Heirloom - Considered one of the best and complex tasting tomatoes by Seed Savers Exchange staff, these impressively large pink beefsteak tomatoes have large lobes and deep ribbing. Some fruits may have moderate cracking, but they are remarkably blemish-free with respect to their size—a whopping 1½-2 pounds and nearly 5-6" in width. Indeterminate.
Black Tomatoes:
Black Brandywine (saved seed) - Deep maroon heirloom tomatoes that reach 12-16 oz. and have great flavor - earthy and sweet at the same time. It was selected from a cross between a red Brandywine and a brown Beefsteak tomato. A great slicer, and delicious in salsa and sauce. It does well in heat, and is a heavy producer! Indeterminate.
Black Krim - One of the oldest and most popular heirloom varieties of black tomatoes. Heat tolerant plants produce meaty, flattened globe shape, 8-12 oz beautifully colored beefsteak fruits: unusual dark red/purplish/black skin with dark green shoulders and reddish black flesh. Extremely rich true tomato flavor! Fruits darken in color and get sweeter with extended heat exposure and maturation. Excellent for salads, slicing and juicing. Indeterminate.
Japanese Black Trifele (saved seed) - A truly transcendent tomato. Pear-shaped fruit has green-streaked shoulders, deepening to a burnished mahogany and finally to a darkened, nearly black base. The meaty interior has similar, opulent shades and an incomparable, complex and rich flavor to match. The fruit reach 2 ½–3 inches long and wide and are very crack resistant. Indeterminate, potato-leafed plants.
Orange and/or Yellow Tomatoes:
Chef’s Choice Bi-Color Hybrid – Vigorous plants produce large, 7-8 oz. flattened beefsteak fruits with beautiful pinkish-red internal stripes within a yellow flesh. The lovely stripes extend to the base of the outer fruit skins. These heirloom-looking tomatoes are as sweet as they are beautiful with excellent flavor and texture. Indeterminate.
Chef's Choice Orange - This tomato has a wonderfully bright, almost neon, internal color and superior flesh taste and texture for an early maturing orange tomato (75 day). Excellent for soups and sauces because the intense color does not fade or discolor when cooked. Disease resistant and very productive.
Gold Medal – Yellow with streaks of red makes these tomatoes very attractive and a gourmet’s joy when sliced – perfect for BLTs! Fruits are flattened and very large – 2-3 lb. - and incredibly sweet and flavorful. Strong plants with good disease resistance. Indeterminate.
Nebraska Wedding - (PATIO) Reliable producer of stunning 4" round fruits with orange skin and well-balanced flavor. Plants are typically under 36" tall, but benefit from staking. Called the "ultimate love apple" in Amy Goldman's colorful story in The Heirloom Tomato. Determinate.
Persimmon - Produces large amounts of beautiful, deep orange, 14-18 oz. meaty tomatoes with few seeds and sweet fruity flavors. One of the best of all the orange tomatoes. Great for eating fresh, slicing for salads and sandwiches or making a deliciously gorgeous soup. Indeterminate.
Small/Cherry Tomatoes (red, black or yellow):
Chadwick Cherry - Rich, sweet, full tomato flavor makes this 1-oz cherry tomato popular with home gardeners. Large, climbing vines set huge yields and are disease resistant. Developed by the late horticultural expert Alan Chadwick. Indeterminate.
Gardener’s Delight – Vigorous vines produce 2oz dark cherry-red tomatoes in abundance on many clusters of 6–12 fruits all summer until frost. The tomatoes have a delightful sweetness and classic summer flavor and resist cracking very well. Indeterminate.
Piennolo del Vesuvio (saved seed) – An early to mature heirloom 1-2oz red grape tomato known as the “hanging tomato of Vesuvius”. Pienollo’s phenomenally low water content and fairly thick skins allow them to be hung, traditionally, for months indoors to extend the season. Their concentrated flavor after even one month of hanging is heavenly! Indeterminate.
Piennolo Giallo del Vesuvio – Yellow fruits are shaped like a rounded pear with a sharp nipple blossom end tip. Tomatoes weigh in at 1-2 oz., and the flavor is rich and sweet and continues to concentrate over time. They are perfect for long storage through the fall and winter. Harvested by the truss in Italy, they are often hung in long twine loops as tomato 'ristras' for up 6-8 months after harvest. Indeterminate.
Velvet Red - Striking silvery gray dusty miller-type foliage – just beautiful in the garden! Heavy yields of 1oz. round, red cherry tomatoes with excellent sweet flavor. Occasionally a non-silvery plant will appear. Indeterminate.
SQUASH:
Bianca de Trieste - This ravishing light skin Zucchini is a feast for the eyes and palate. Creamy light green colour is matched by rich refreshing taste. Early maturing 6″-8″ fruits come garlanded by deep green foliage gracefully mottled in silver. A must for zucchini lovers.
Blue Hubbard – A blue-gray-green slightly ridged and warted winter squash variety with a very long storage time. Fine-grained yellow-orange flesh is very sweet and excellent for pies, baking and soup. Be aware that some squashes can grow up to 40 pounds, so be ready to share with your neighbors!
Butta F1 Hybrid Zucchini - With its big yields and unique, light-yellow color, Butta make a great addition to your garden. Squash are produced on vigorous bush plants that have an open growth habit, which allows for an easy harvest. The creamy colored fruit have a blocky, tapered shape and ivory white flesh.
Cocozelle - An open-pollinated summer squash, this zucchini is everyone's favorite for rich, super delectable flavor. Perfect for small-space gardens, this bush-form plant takes off early and begins setting fruit abundantly. Dark green with lighter green stripes, you will find Cocozelle a great multi-purpose zucchini—steaming, frying, slicing, baking, freezing, and even canning. To extend the harvest, be sure to pick some of these zukes young - this will stimulate new fruiting, keeping you in great eating for a few extra weeks.
Nano Verde de Milano -Italian heirloom. Traditional productive variety with dark green skin, few seeds and cylindrical shape cm 18-20 long.Vigorous, high-yielding plants.
Tonda chiara de Toscana - Round, light green zucchini. Bushy growth makes it suitable for containers. Good for freezing, eating raw when small, and sauteed when a bit larger. Also perfect for stuffing and baking.
CUCUMBERS:
Beit Alpha - A delicious, very sweet cucumber that is usually picked small and does not need peeling, as the skin is very tender. Became very popular in the Mediterranean, having been developed in Israel at a kibbutz farm, and now well-loved world-wide, due to the fruit’s fine flavor and high yields. This cuke is also burpless and lasts a long time in the fridge!
Early Prince Hybrid - Developed for early maturity, strong disease resistance, and high yield potential. The 7 to 8 inch dark green fruit are smooth and attractive. Resistance includes anthracnose, scab, and cucumber mosaic virus. The vigorous plants are very prolific because of the increased percentage of female flowers.
Garden Sweet - An exceptional burpless slicing cucumber with sweet flavor. Medium green 10 to 12" long, cylindrical, smooth fruits on vigorous plants. Has good disease resistance.
Jibai Shimoshirazu - The sweetest cucumber we have tasted, this Japanese variety is a perfect snacking cucumber with no bitter flavor! Produces shorter, slightly thicker fruit than other Japanese varieties. Can be grown on the ground or on poles and is vigorous. Deep green fruit is about 7-8 inches long. Adapted to high temperature, humidity, and is disease and powdery mildew resistant.
Spacemaster Bush -Requires only a third of the space normally needed for cucumbers, and has sweet-tasting, 7-8" fruits that are dark green in color. Plants are mosaic-resistant very prolific. Enjoy the sweetest and most space-efficient cucumber snacks around.
Telegraph - Reliable yields of long, thin-skinned, crunchy fruits with a refreshing flavor. First developed in England in 1897, it is a favorite of many growers for its productivity and great texture. Plants are large and robust. Fruit is thin and long and has a small seed cavity. Should be trellised to ensure straight fruit.
Vorgebirgstrauben - The name is a mouthful, the vines are heavy producers, the cukes snappy-crisp, and the flavor fresh and never bitter. Produces an abundance of fruit with dimpled bumpy skin, perfect for pickling.
OTHER SEEDLINGS:
Borage - An easy, fast-growing, annual herb with vivid blue flowers and the flavor and scent of cucumbers. Often grown as a flowering plant to entice pollinators into vegetable gardens. Borage is considered an excellent companion plant for tomatoes, squash, and strawberries.
Lemon Balm - Lemon balm, known as a calming herb, helps everything from anxiety to indigestion. It’s a perennial member of the mint family, and its leaves having a light lemon fragrance. Makes a lovely tea.
(Native) Prairie Flax (Linum Lewisii)-A gorgeous CA perennial native with tiny, bright blue blossoms. Noted for its heat and drought tolerance, this beauty grows up to 12-18 inches. Flowers appear mid May through July. It is usually found in full sun, but it will tolerate semi-shade.
(Native) California Aster (Symphyotrichum)- The cheerful California Aster is native to coastal California. This perennial blooms from summer to fall, with petite flowers in subtle shades of blue and lavender. Butterflies and moths are attracted to the nectar, and it serves as a host plant for several species of both insects. Spreads easily by rhizomes.
Thornless Blackberries - 1 gallon pots, suggested donation of $10/pot - Large, juicy blackberries on thornless canes - they make wonderful jam (if you don't eat them all before you can get them in the house!) They propagate slowly and stay in place, propagating easily by cane tips touching the ground and rooting in the winter.
Honeysuckle - 5 gallon pots, suggested donation of $15/pot - gorgeous, fast-growing vine with sweet-smelling flowers and the ability to cover an arbor in no time at all! Attracts birds, bees and small children who like to suck the nectar out of the base of the flowers :).
Sweet Tea Vine (Jaogulan)- One of the world’s most important tonic herbs, Jaogulan contains twice as many ginsenoid saponins as ginseng. It strengthens the immune and nervous system, improves circulation, stimulates the liver, lowers cholesterol, and is anti-aging. A vigorous perennial groundcover vine that will climb if given the opportunity. Jiaogulan dies back to the ground every winter.
Sage - An aromatic, rather woody perennial shrub. It’s scientific name, Salvia, means “to be in good health”, “to save”, or “salvation” while officinalis is an old reference to an herb store, pharmacy, or drugstore. Sage is often mentioned as the herb of immortality, domestic virtue, health, and wisdom. and has been cultivated for both culinary and medicinal purposes for many centuries.
Yellow Columbine - A herbaceous perennial that displays a mounding clump of blue-green foliage and tall stems of upward-facing, clear yellow spurred flowers. Easy care, reliable and so rewarding. Columbine flower is beautiful in mixed borders and scattered about the garden.
Strawberries - suggested donation of $2.50/pot - grow your own delicious, organic strawberries! Easy and self-propagating. A true treat in the garden!
Garden Huckleberries - An antioxidant-rich garden berry that undergoes the most miraculous flavor transformation when cooked and just lightly sweetened! For very best flavor it is important to harvest at the correct stage. Berries will be a shiny, green to black when under-mature; at this stage the flavor will be unpleasant and the green berries may be slightly poisonous. The berries mature to a dull black color and should be slightly soft to the touch; at this point the berries are perfect to eat and quite tasty. The truly spectacular flavor of these berries is revealed when the berries are cooked and sweetened; this brings out a fruity, blackberry-like flavor that is simply sublime.
Aloe Vera Pups - Suggested donation of $2/pup - an excellent plant with a range of therapeutic properties, especially as an ointment for the skin and gums.
Magenta Spreen - Also known as “Tree Spinach or Giant Lamb’s Quarters”, this gorgeous and delicate leafy green may be used raw or cooked and is often substituted for baby spinach. Larger leaves stand up to sautéing, steaming and braising, however young tender leaves should be enjoyed raw. Can grow to heights of almost three meters!