Our 2015 Seed Picks

The outdoor gardening season is upon us in the northeast, and if you've been looking forward to it since last year, you've probably already started the bulk of your seeds by now.  For plants like peppers and tomatoes, you're at that almost-too-late point to start from seed, but if you're determined enough do not wait any longer.  You still have plenty of time for your fall and winter greens/vegetables, and we've got some great picks for this year.  The only seeds we sell are from High Mowing Organic Seeds - they're 100% organic and now Non-GMO Project Verified.  They are the first seed company in the United States to be recognized by that organization, look for the label:

We carry a variety of their seeds, but here are our favorites for 2015:

Sylvetta Wild Arugula - One of the spiciest and most flavorful of all of the arugula varieties (in our opinion), a great salad or micro green.  Plants grow slowly, stay compact and are very resistant to temperature extremes (slow to bolt and make for a great fall/winter crop).

Golden Nugget Tomato - These plants produce a LOT of tomatoes, starting pretty early on in the season.  1-inch, juicy fruit, resistant to cracking.

Rosie Basil - We love the unique dark purple color of this basil, plus it is very aromatic with strong stems and uniform germination.  Great as a micro green, too.

Bangles Mini Bell Pepper Blend - A pretty mix of different shades of mini bell peppers (fruit develop to about 1.5" wide).  Each plant has a different color of pepper that ripens to red, gold or chocolate. 

Chioggia Guardsmark Beet - An improved strain of the traditional heirloom Italian Chioggia beet, these have better uniformity and are bolt-tolerant.  Plus the "bullseye" markings just look cool.  

Toma Verde Tomatillo - It is very hard to find organic tomatillos, so why not grow your own?  Tart when picked early, fruit get sweeter as they ripen.  Make your own salsa verde.

Tadorna Leek - A great fall/winter crop, but they need a long season (110 days to maturity).  You want to get these going and in the ground ASAP, that way you can start harvesting them in the fall.  We like the Tadorna strain due to their strong disease resistance.  

Pirat Lettuce - This heirloom lettuce variety is one of our absolute favorites.  Not only does it have great flavor, coloring and texture, it can handle almost anything.  Heat tolerant, resistant to downy mildew, tip burn, white mold and bacterial head rot.  Perfect for an outdoor garden but works just as well indoors.  

New Seeds are In!

Today we received our first batch of seeds for the 2013 outdoor season!  This year we've decided to switch from Seeds of Change to a smaller, independently owned, farm-based and more local seed company, High Mowing Organic Seeds (from Wolcott, VT).  We've used their seeds for years in our own gardens and in-store displays and we are very happy with their quality and germination rates.  Plus they are, of course, 100% certified organic and non-GMO.

We've chosen a selection of our favorites to start out the season:

Astro Arugula

Black Beauty Eggplant

Cherokee Purple Tomato (Heirloom)

Chives

Early Jalapeño

Genovese Basil

Greek Oregano

High Mowing Mesclun Mix

Hungarian Hot Yellow Wax Pepper (Heirloom)

King of the North Pepper (an early ripening bell pepper that is good for growing in the north east)

Lacinato Dinosaur Kale (Heirloom, a personal favorite - great for dehydrating and making Kale Chips)

Lemon Basil

Magnum Orange Habanero Pepper

Mountain Princess Tomato (Heirloom, these are perfect for container gardening and when space/height is limited)

Nautic Brussels Sprout

Optima Butterhead Lettuce

Rainbow Chard (see photos!)

Red Oakleaf Lettuce

Red Russian Kale (Currently growing at the Nyack store)

Renegade Spinach

Ring -O- Fire Cayenne Pepper

Sage

San Marzano Tomato (another favorite, great for sauce and salsa even though it's considered a "paste" tomato)

Santo Cilantro

Sugar Ann Snap Peas

Sweet Thai Basil

Thyme

Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato (Heirloom)

An in-store favorite, Rainbow Chard (aka Silverbeet) - photos from the last time we grew it in Nyack:

Even the roots are rainbow!

If there are any seeds you'd like to see us carry, we are open to suggestions!  Check out the High Mowing Organic Seeds website and let us know.  We also take special orders.