The diversity of edible plants never ceases to amaze me. Here are some rare vegetables and fruits that you may not have known existed, or have been looking for and could not find.
I have searched out little known vegetables and have found local PA German rare delicacies as well. You are sure to find something tantalizing to grow, eat and enjoy on this page.
All seed packs are $2.50 each
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NEW FOR 2009! EIN DOR CANTELOUPE- 100 days -This is a fabuous dessert melon which was developed on the Ein Dor Kibbutz in Israel. Very rare and hard to find in the United States. The range in size from 2 and a half to 3 and a half pounds (lbs.) It is light colored with very slight netting compared to American canteloupes. It releases from stem (slips) when ripe. This sweet melon got rave reviews in all my taste testings. People couldnt get enough of it swearing it was the best canteloupe they had ever eaten. It has a fruity, banana taste, with pale green flesh, (which looks white in this photo.) It is great tasting clear to rind. The fruits are a unique football shape. This melon was grown sustainably for me by my great friend Cliff in Idaho, since I just don't have the room for melon growing here in my Lancaster County gardens.
10 fresh seeds.
SORRY, SOLD OUT FOR THE SEASON! BLACK SALISFY (Scorzonera hispanica) also known as Spanish salsify black oyster plant, serpent root, viper's herb, viper's grass or simply Scorzonera, in PA German is called "Schlagenmord" which translates as "snake bane." The old timers around here still plant it around their gardens to chase away snakes. It is a perennial member of the sunflower family. It is cultivated as a root vegetable like regular salsify (of the genus Tragopogon), to which it is closely related.
The black salsify plant has heads of yellow ray flowers that look like little sunflower to which it is related. The thin black taproot can grow up to a yard long but it usually eaten when smaller. It has a black skin with white flesh underneath.
Black salsify is native to Southern Europe and the Near East . It is generally thought to have spread to the rest of Europe from Spain The name of the genus Scorzonera probably derives from the old French word scorzon, meaning snake. The Celtic and Germanic peoples are believed to have eaten the black salsify, which was considered a good defanse against the bubonic plague and snake bites until the 16th century. The plant was being cultivated as a vegetable in Italy and France by 1660, however, and soon after, the Belgians were growing vast fields of it. By 1770 it was already grown in America, especially by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Black salsify is considered very nutritious,with alot of vitamin E, and it is particularly suitable for diabetics. The thick black skin of the salsify root is usually considered inedible and can be removed either prior to or after boiling. If the skin is removed prior to boiling, the peeled root should be immediately immersed in water mixed with vinegar and flour, in order to prevent discolouring. Since the root sap is extremely sticky, it is often more convenient to peel it after boiling the root for 20 to 25 minutes (or microwaving it for about 5-10 minutes).
Black salsify is often eaten together with other vegetables, such as peas and carrots. But it is also popular in a white sauce, such as bechamel sauce or mustard sauced. Boiled salsify roots may also be coated with batter and deep fried. Microwaving suits them well. The young leaves can be eaten like salad greens as well.
In local gardens most people leave it in the ground until its roots have grown to sufficient size for harvesting; this can take two years. It also takes 2 years to get the flowers which like regular salsify dry up and look like huge dandelions.SORRY, SOLD OUT FOR THE SEASON
TUSCAN BLACK PALM CABBAGE, NERO DI TOSCANA, LACINATO KALE- Brassica oleracea, Acephala group - By any name this is a showstopper! These plants are so primeval looking that they have earned the nickname "Dinosaur Kale"! They have huge heavily crinkled (savoyed) leaves of black-green nearly 2 feet long. It grows up to 4 ft high in good, rich, soil.
This heirloom dates back to the 1700's and is prized for soups and stews in its native Tuscany, Italy. It is great cooked in olive oil with garlic. This truly is one of the most beautiful and adaptable kales you can possibly grow. It is very cold hardy , but also remains tender and sweet in summertime when other kales become tough and bitter. A touch of frost only sweetens it more. "Lacinato" kale makes a fabulous edible ornamental for both the kitchen or the flower garden. As the name suggests, it really does look like little black palm trees. (60 - 70 days) Please note: these are very young plants in the photo and they get a much darker, blacker color as they mature! 20 fresh organic seeds.
NEW FOR 2009! ASTRAKHANSKI WATERMELON - RUSSIAN HEIRLOOM 75-85 days. This is a super short season rare watermelon. It hails from the city of Astrakhan, on the Volga River near the Caspian Sea. It is a larger refrigerator size, ranging from 8-10 pounds (lbs). The shape is roundish at 10-12 inches. See tape measure to get a idea of its diminuative size. This rare watermelon has a wonderful, delicious, delicate sweetness. The flesh is is pink and the seeds seem to vary in color and can be buff ,orangeish or brownish. The rind is dark green with stripes and mottling. It is a very pretty melon that doesnt get too huge like many, good for a small family or one very hungry watermelon lover. This melon was grown sustainably for me by my great friend Cliff in Idaho, since I just don't have the room for melon growing here in my Lancaster County gardens. This is also Cliff's great photo.
10 fresh seeds.
SORRY, SOLD OUT FOR THE SEASON! "EARLY CLUSTER" or " RUSSIAN CUCUMBER" -very early at 52-60 days. This small pickling variety was introduced into the United States from Russia in the 1850's. It is still popular after all these years because it grows so prolifically on a trellis. It just naturally grows erect right to the trellis, with its long tendrils reaching out to the support. It is carefree as you hardly have to do any any hand tying of the plant onto the trellis. This cucumber is very hardy, vigorious, and bears heavily all season till frost. I guess its Russian background makes it bear the most in late summer and early fall when all your other cukes have succumbed to the heat long before. It grows in clusters of 2 or 3 fruits. The fruits are pale green on the blossom end and darker green on the stem end. The fruits are about 6 inches long by 2 1/2 inches across. I wouldn't suggest this as a market cucumber, as it doesn't have consistent form. But it is just super for a home gardener and is never bitter. It just makes the best pickles! Here in Amishland the locals refer to all cucumbers as pickles, even when growing on the vine. My friend Cliff in Idaho grew out my seed stock for me sustainably. This lovely photo was taken by Cliff also.Try this one and you won't ever buy another hybrid pickler again! SORRY, SOLD OUT FOR THE SEASON
BACK FOR 2009! - EVA'S BURGUNDY LETTUCE - 5 Generation HEIRLOOM - EXCLUSIVE SEED SOURCE - This is an extremely rare heirloom lettuce. This is a winter hardy green with burgundy tips lettuce that has a shimmering, almost metallic sheen on the leaves. I believe this protects it from the cold. I have the only source of this seed available to the public. I got my original seeds from my 89 year old neighbor and friend, Eva, who just passed away this June. I truly miss her and all her stories and gardening knowledge she passed onto me. This lettuce has been grown on her family farm, in the same fertile valley here in Amishland, for 5 generations at least! It is a gorgeous ruffly, Romaine/Cos crisp type of lettuce. It is totally winter hardy. Eva said the best time to plant it is in the falltime and it will grow a little, then overwinter, no matter what the weather, with no cover. Mine was thriving and green under the snow every season.Extremely beautiful lettuce (see photos). The cooler the weather the redder or deeper in color it gets. In warmer weather it is greener. Very tasty and sweet and crunchy, and keeps on producing and almost never bolts (goes to flowering) or gets bitter. You must let lettuce go to flower in order to save seeds. This one got bigger than I have ever seen - 6 feet tall. All my neighbors kept asking what the huge, tall plants were in my garden!
This lettuce seed has never been offered to the public before. Only Eva's relatives and a few lucky friends (like me) have ever grown this lettuce. She has sold this as a cut lettuce at a local outdoor farmer's market here in Lancaster county for over 50 years. I feel that the special attributes (its wonderful taste and ability to overwinter, plus late bolting qualities in summer heat) should be shared with more people. You will love this lettuce. It is very easy to grow,and it makes a great early spring lettuce too. Plus it resists bolting in the heat of summer and last longer (actually all 12 months if cut regularly!) than any other lettuce I have grown or that you will ever find, believe me! Very limited amount of seed available. The seed is a very dark brown/black color. I acquired and grew another rare heirloom lettuce which had a similar look, called "De Morges Braun" but that was white seeded. I grew it side by side with "Eva's Burgundy Lettuce" and is not the same lettuce at all. I gave seeds of "Eva's burgundy Lettuce" for identification to my fellow seed saver, William Woys Weaver. He is a famous foodways historian and author of my favorite gardening book: Heirloom Vegetable Gardening. He grew it out and confirmed it is unlike any other lettuce he has found, and he felt it was a totally unique, formerly unknown heirloom lettuce. 15 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
BACK FOR 2009! SALSIFY, OYSTER PLANT, "HAWWERWURTZEL" (OAT ROOT) Trapapogon porifolius - These have been cultivated by the Amish and PA Dutch people here since the 1700's. My original seeds came from my dear farm friend Eva who just passed away this June at 89.I am ever indebted to her for sharing her family heirloom seeds, her knowledge she passed onto to me and her wonderful love of gardening. Her family has grown this rare vegetable for 5 generations. Very showy fluffy blue/purple flowers and tall grasslike leaves. A true edible ornamental! The seed must be planted while it is still cold, around mid-March here in Zone 6. The roots are sliced and served in a cream soup as "mock oyster stew" in one of many recipes. The very long thin white roots resemble parsnips in looks. The photos are of its lovely purple flower. Be sure to read my special growing instructions on my" Seed Starting and Growing Tips Page" to learn how to get perfect germination of this usually fussy germinator. 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
NEW "WHITE RABBIT" COLORED CARROT MIX- LIMITED QUANTITIES -ORDER EARLY!-PLEASE NOTE- THESE CARROT SEEDS ARE SOLD ONLY AS A MIX, NOT SEPARATELY!
Imagine the cruel irony of the wild bunnies who chose my rare colored carrot patch to make their nests when they had acres of plant life to choose from. I found to my dismay, that the rabbits had carefully pulled up all my lovely carrots and neatly stacked them to one side like little Lincoln Logs. Then they made their cushy fur lined nests for their little ones. Who knows why they didn't even eat the multi-colored carrots and just left them to dry up in the sun! It takes 2 years to get carrot seeds as they are a biennial so I lost 2 years of growing time as this was the second year when they would have flowered and set seed. Talk about heartbroken. l lost the last of my super rare "Purple Pakistani Carrots," the purple-red ones called "Kintocki," and most of my exclusive pink "Deshi Kashmiri Carrots" among others. So you will have a much more limited selection of carrot colors in the future. But then again, the rabbits choosing a carrot patch just for perfect little baby bunny nests was just so "Beatrix Potter-esque," you know?
Since the mama rabbits devastated my carrot patch, I will have mostly white carrot seeds in this mix for 2009. So voila, I changed the name to better reflect that. But you may still be surprised when you fist pull these out of the ground and see some of the wild hippie-dippie-trippie colors. "Wowie Zowie!" is what you are going to say when you see these. This is one veggie that is not boring. I am so sorry but I lost nearly all my seed stock carrots, (and carrots take 2 years to go to seed) due to the "Bunny Nests".
First, some history about carrots. The common orange carrot is a relatively recent phenomenon. It was first documented in Dutch paintings in the 1600s. But the first cultivated carrots, which originated in Afghanistan around a.d. 900, were purple. And then in the 10th century, yellow carrots were documented in the Middle East. Purple carrots have been cultivated in Afghanistan for a thousand years, while white and yellow carrots were common in Northern Europe before the 1600's These early purple and yellow carrots were used for human consumption as well as for animal fodder. By the 14th century, carrots had reached Europe and China. Europeans, preferring the yellow types for their tables, began selecting for culinary attributes such as flavor, texture, and storability. By the 1600s, white and orange carrots emerged on the scene, the latter being prized for the human diet, probably because of its rich color. Over the next 200 years, orange became the carrot color of choice.
Yellow carrots have long been valued in Europe as a winter storage vegetable and are now becoming available in North America as well. The color comes from a group of pigments known as xanthophylls, several of which are phytonutrients containing health-promoting properties. The most visually exciting of these newly available carrot colors is purple. Shades can range from dark violet to reddish purple. The pigment responsible for these beautiful hues is anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant that has shown promise in reducing certain forms of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Red carrots are still used in parts of Asia and now in North America. As part of a traditional New Year's dish in Japan, they are served cooked and sliced with other root vegetables. In India they are frequently cooked in clarified butter (ghee), to bring out their beautiful deep ruby red color. The pigment responsible for this color is the phytonutrient lycopene, the same pigment found in tomatoes and watermelons. When consumed on a regular basis, this phytonutrient has been shown to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Red carrots look and taste best cooked, offering a rich, earthy, almost zesty flavor.
Carrots are a biennial, which means it takes me 2 years to get seed. It is very difficult to stabilize these carrots and keep them separate from other varieties so they do not cross. I did everything I could to keep the blossoms separate and covered in order to keep the seeds pure, but there may be some crossing nevertheless. In fact the lovely wildflower "Queen Anne's Lace" is actually a wild form of carrot and will cross with regular carrots. The photo is of my carrots in flower, not Queen Anne's lace!
In this MIX there is a variety of mostly white carrot seed but also much smaller amounts may be included of the other colors listed. :
BELGIUM WHITE CARROT" - This is a very rare, and unusual color for carrots to us Americans, although in Europe it can be found in specialty markets. Larger, longer carrots are sweet and very mild and tend to have a touch of green at the very top right where the stalks of leaves grow. They may have an inch of the green showing above the soil line but the part underground is pure ivory white in color. There will be more of this color than any of the others in this year's mix.
"LUNAR WHITE CARROT" - Another gorgeous white carrot , but not so large as the "Belgium White". There will be a lot of this color carrot also in this year's mix.
"COSMIC PURPLE CARROT" - Another purple type of carrot that is very sweet and not so "wild " tasting as my other purple carrots. It has purple skin and on the inside it is bright orange
"ATOMIC RED CARROT" This carrot had a pinkish coral tinge to its redness and looks a bit like the "Deshi" in color but is sweeter and not so "wild " tasting, as well as not being such a landrace type as the "Deshi". This is another carrot that tastes best when cooked.
"TOUCHON" Orange French Heirloom ~NEW COLOR THIS YEAR This is an old French Heirloom carrot, known for its earliness. It's tender and sweet and does not have a hard core like many heirloom carrots. This is considered a nantes type carrot meaning it has a stumpy root not really pointed at the end. Matures in about 65 days and is shortish at 6 inches long.This is the only orange carrot I ever grow. There won't be a lot of this color in this year's mix. 20 of my own fresh organically grown seeds
PSYCHEDELIC HEIRLOOM RADISH MIX MIX ~BACK FOR 2010- Scarce and RARE Varieties This is a mix of radishes! I have grown many heirloom radishes for years and never get around to offering them to my customers because I just hate getting the seeds out of their seed pods. Then I decided, you can do that and have the fun of getting a wild mix of several colors too. This is not the bland pastel colored Easter Egg Mix you always see in seed catalogues. Included in this mix are these 3 traditional and quite rare historic radishes. (NOTE: THIS IS A MIX ONLY; I DO NOT SELL THESE VARIETIES SEPARATELY! Please don't ask for these as separate items)
You will get a small handful of pods for these radishes:
• PHILADELPHIA WHITE BOX RADISH aka Earliest White Forcing Radish -Rare- circa 1880- Round , small, white, super early, winter radish that was popular for market growing and "forced" in greenhouses . It hails from the Philadelphia region, and was sold by the nation's oldest seed house, David Landreth & Sons, (founded in 1784). Very delicate flavor, which in the 1880s was often cooked like baby turnips.
• HAILSTONE HAILSTONE - Fast growing, super early, pre 1900 heirloom. Pure white and round, rather small and can be planted very close together. Crisp and no larger than 1 inch in diameter. Really small leaves. Flavor holds well.
• LONG SCARLET SHORT TOP RADISH - Nearly Extinct! EXCEEDINGLY RARE~~- In Italian called: "Ravanello Il Candela di Fuoco", which loosely translates as "Radish Fire Candle". This radish isn't red or scarlet, it is brilliant fuchsia! A glow in the dark hot cerise that looks like a giant hot pink carrot when pulled out of the ground. I got my original seeds from Italy where it still found. This one likes deep well tilled, very soft soil as it will bend otherwise. The look on people's faces when I pull it out of the ground is wonderful! Good crisp taste, very slim and fabulous on a plate.
NOTE: THIS IS A MIX ONLY, I DO NOT SELL THESE VARIETIES SEPARATELY - A pack is a big handful of the mixed dried seed pods.
STRAWBERRY SPINACH SORRY NOT AVAILABLE IN 2010- aka Beetberry, Strawberry Blite, Chenopodium capitatum -
Salad~Dessert in one plant! This is a very rare ancient vegetable dating back 400 years! It was rediscovered at old monasteries in Europe. It is similar to Lamb's Quarters in habit, although smaller. Grows 1 1/2 Feet high. Triangular, toothed leaves are thinner than spinach, very nutritious and high in vitamins. The tender shoots are used in salads or cooked like spinach. But the real surprise is that at each leaf axle there is an abundance of sweet, strawberry-like fruits which some say resemble mulberries. Will reseed vigorously.
NEW HEDGEHOG CUCUMBER~(Cucumbis Africanus) - (Pre - 1900) Heirloom - ~ Super Rare~ Weird and Strange Shape~
I have always had a soft spot in my heart for hedgehogs, those beloved spiny wild creatures in nearly every British children's story. I wanted one for a pet in the worst way as a child. Now the African Pygmy hedgehogs are being imported and sold in America as pets, but alas, I still don't have one as it is illegal to sell them in Pennsylvania. Ah well, but I still have hedgehogs in my garden, (see where this is leading?) because I found the rare African wild cucumber named “Hedgehog" for its obvious resemblance to this little creature. Absolutely adorable climbing cucumber relative with pretty little yellow blossoms and funny leaves. These really took off and climbed up from the barrel where I grew them and covered my fence with these tiny and very spiny little fruit. These are edible and suitable for making small gherkin like pickles, but personally I wouldn't risk life and limb to pick them, they are that prickly! Great as a conversation piece and very ornamental. They also dry nicely for a very different kind of Fall decoration along with your gourds.
Limited quantity- limit of 1 pack per customer please. 10 fresh organically grown seeds.
NEW - JIMMY'S WHITE CUCUMBER - Only Seed Source! (Pre - 1900) Heirloom - LIMITED QUANTITIES ORDER EARLY ! ~LIMIT 1 PACK PER CUSTOMER! - I received my original seeds of this outstanding heirloom cucumber from my gardener friend Jimmy. The seeds of this creamy white variety have been passed from family member to family member since before 1900. Traced back to Eastern Kentucky (Magoffin County), then to NE Ohio (Summit County) and recently to SE Pennsylvania (Chester County).This cucumber vine is a vigorous grower and likes to be planted near a fence or trellis. Sweet and aromatic fruit are fully matured when 8 to 10 inches long and 2 to 3 inches in diameter, turning from white to orange if left on the vine for seed saving purposes.. Best eaten if harvested when 4 to 6 inches long.You are really going to enjoy both the creamy white appearance and mild taste of Jimmy's White Cucumber. Once you have tried white cukes you will never go back ot the bitterness of green ones again. To the best of my knowledge , I am the only source for "Jimmy's White Cucumber". 5 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
NOTE: Limit of 1 pack per customer, quantities over stated limit CANNOT be honored due to limited quantity of this rare heirloom! Thank you for understanding!
JOB'S TEARS ~NEW FOR 2008~(Coix lacryma-jobi )~"KARRELL" or "FLUSSKARRELL" in PA Dutch~
Nearly every Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish garden around here in Lancaster County used to have this ornamental, tropical corn-like grass growing in it. You still find it growing in some gardens even today. Job’s Tears have been grown in this area since the early 1800's. It is named after the seed pod's similarity to tears in shape, and the suffering of Job in the Old Testament. However they are also called: David's tears, Saint Mary's tears, Christ's tears (Lacryma Christi), and just plain tear drops. These are very shiny grey to black hard seeds that have a nice little hole in them making them perfect of stringing into necklaces and rosaries. For durable, necklaces that will not become brittle in time, ordinary dental floss threaded on a needle works best for stringing them. Native Americans used these seeds for teething rings. This is a great plant to grow for crafters and for children, who love to pick the dried seeds and string them. 15 fresh organically grown seeds.
CLAYTONIA aka Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata (syn. Montia perfoliata)- LOOKS LIKE FAIRY BOUQUETS!- VERY LIMITED SUPPLY - ORDER EARLY!
- This is absolutely one of the cutest and most enjoyable little edible plants you can possibly grow! First a little bit of history.Calytonia's common name, "Miner's Lettuce", comes from the fact that miners during the California gold rush days, used to eat the plant, which then grew wild, for salad greens. It certainly helped when nothing else green and fresh was available at that time of year. Also has very high vitamin C content. They may not known about vitamins back then but they did know it made them happier and healthier to eat such "greens" in late winter when they had no other fresh vegetables. The generic name, Claytonia, is after John Clayton, a botanist in the 1600's. The specific name, perfoliata, refers to the leaves that are attached at the base that completely encircle the stem -that is what perfolitata translates as. Succulent little leaves start by being diamond shaped,( as in the diamonds on card suits). Then as the plant matures a bit later, it forms these perfect little funnels, that look exactly like old fashioned nosegays (or " tussie mussies" as they were called in colonial days). They even have teeny,tiny little white flowers inside that are so perfect they look like the fairies made them, I swear. A charming and adorable plant that always pleases children and those young at heart. This plant likes cold weather and is one of the first to sprout in late winter if not earlier in my zone 6A garden. They self seed easily , so it is delightful to see where they appear each season like magic. They will bolt and disappear when it gets hot.Planting in a woodland setting or with alpine plants might extend the season, but I have not tried that as yet. The entire plant grows maybe 8" across, although it can get up to one foot wide, growing in a llittle mound. Very refreshing, succulent,"wet" taste of the leaves lends itself well to early spring mixes or mesclum salads. It took me years to collect enough seeds to sell, because just when the claytonia made seeds it would suddenly disappear before I could collect them. I finally learned the exact timing and voila, now you can enjoy these lilliputian delights for yourself . Sorry, my photo does not do justice to this plant's beauty, it is a very early shot before the funnel is fully formed. Very limited supply, order early. Remember you only have to plant this once! 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds
HORNING'S FARM GROUND CHERRY ( Physalis pruinosa) - RARE & EXCLUSIVE ! Local Mennonite Heirloom - aka (in Pennsylvania dialect: "JUDDEKAERSHE" - WINTER CHERRY, HUSK CHERRY, STRAWBERRY TOMATO - To the best of my knowledge, I am the only person who has grown out seeds of this local heirloom ground cherry and am offering it for sale. I live amongst a number of Mennonite and Amish farms here in Amishland in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.These cute little fruits are related to both tomatoes and to the "Chinese Lanterns" (they are in the physalis family so that is why they look a lot like little tomatillos). This local heirloom comes from a field on Mr. Horning's dairy farm. In among this huge field filled with swan and birdhouse gourds, grew a very different looking ground cherry from any I have seen around here. They oftentimes grow wild on the edges of fields. This variety was more of an orange color on the actual fruit, and had an extra sweet fruity taste. I asked Mr. Horning ( who is Mennonite) permission to pick them and he laughed and said " take em all ! We can't possibly eat all of them." The locals make fine preserves and pies in falltime when the fruits ripen and fall to the ground, hence the name. When I asked if he knew anything more about their history or where they came from, he laughed again and said: " they always have grown here, and I am the 4th generation in my family to farm this land." So, if you are looking for something rare, unusual,and very easy to grow and eat, this is it. Ground cherries are typically grown like tomatoes, although they grow so easily you can just throw the fruit or seeds on the ground and they will come up like gangbusters! They self seed readily so choose a spot where you wish to continue growing this plant. It tends to sprawl and crawl in the wild but can be staked a bit to "behave" better.
Since the seeds dry up very hard in their husks, I will send you ONE entire husk and you just throw it on the ground or soak it to help remove the teeny tiny seeds. 1 Pack is One entire dried fruit.
PIERCE LESHER FARM GROUND CHERRY aka HUSK CHERRY, GROUND CHERRY, "JUDDEKAERSHE", WINTER CHERRY, STRAWBERRY HUSK TOMATO ~NEW FOR 2008~
~In the tiny village of Reamstown , where I come to pick up my mail, there is an historic old farmstead, dating back to the early 1800's. The cut red sandstone barn is meticulously built and still has its original hand hewn iron hinges and door handles. The builder must have been really proud of the barn he built because unlike any I have ever seen here in Lancaster County, the name of the farm is painted in large black letters over lime white: " Pierce Lesher Farm" under the overhang by the main doorway. The recently restored stone home and separate summer kitchen sits next to it as well as numerous out buildings. The fence posts are hand carved out of stone with holes for the logs as the sidepieces. The only history I was able to research about the farm was that when the Reams town Fair set up until the last fair held in 1853, they had foot races that were on the hill of his farm. Anyway, I have always gravitated over to this farm since the day my car broke down in front of the barn. I had lots of time to explore while waiting for the tow truck. I noticed then the groundcherries growing by the fence alongside the road. I picked a few and took them home and grow out some plants from the seeds. These are the progeny of those first few fruits. These cute little fruits are related to both tomatoes and to the "Chinese Lanterns" (they are in the same physalis family, and they look a lot like little tomatillos). The Amish and Pa Dutch use them in jellies, jams, pies, etc. ( be sure to see the recipe for Ground Cherry Pie in my Recipe section) These fruit must ripen and slip from their husks and the plant before they can be eaten. The locals often pull up the entire plant in the fall and hang them upside down in an airy place. They stay preserved in their husks and can be harvested all winter, hence the name "Wintercherry." These plants grow on sprawling bushes about 2-4 ft. tall with long drooping branches that drop down and spread 3-4ft. on the ground. These will self seed, so plant them where you really want them and they will come back year after year. One whole dried organic fruit from this season-that's lots and lots of seeds! Be sure to see my extremely rare "Huberschmidt Ground Cherry ", "Horning's Farm Ground Cherry" and "Eva's Ground Cherry" also.
HUBERSCHMIDT GROUND CHERRY - aka in Pennsylvania dialect: "JUDDEKAERSHE", WINTER CHERRY, HUSK CHERRY, STRAWBERRY TOMATO - SOLD OUT FOR THE SEASON - I searched for years for the elusive Huberschmidt Ground Cherry which is a rare local Lancaster county Pennslyvania German/Dutch heirloom. It predates 1800 or before. I finally was able to acquire seeds for it last season and grew it out for the first time. It is like a miniature version of my local ground cherry which I have grown for years,which I sourced originally from my 89 year old farm friend, Eva. Her own husk cherries ( see them listed below) had been growing on her farm for generations. This is a much smaller plant, with a less sprawling habit, and more bushy. The actual fruits were half the size of Eva's ground cherry. The fruit must fall from the plant fully ripe before eating them in any way. The Huberschmidt Ground Cherry was a much paler color. It was nearly white or very pale yellow. The husk or paper like covering was not nearly as pronounced, and on some fruit barely showed at all. It has that distinctive sweet tart taste that the locals treasure for pie and preserve making. I have a very limited quantity of seeds of this rare variety of fruit this season, but should have plenty more next year as this is a great self seeding kind of plant. One whole dried fruit , as the seeds are impossible to remove once it is totally dried, you are getting probably 50-100+ seeds in each fruit.
SORRY SOLD OUT FOR SEASON
NEW FOR 2008~ EVA'S GROUND CHERRY,~aka HUSK CHERRY, GROUND CHERRY, "JUDDEKAERSHE", WINTER CHERRY, STRAWBERRY HUSK TOMATO~
These seeds were grown and saved by my neighbor and friend, Eva, who passed away at 89 last year. Her family has grown this variety of "ground cherry" as she called them, for 5 generations on her farm in the valleys of Schoeneck (translates from the PA Dutch as: Beautiful Corner).These cute little fruits are related to both tomatoes and to the "Chinese Lanterns" (they are in the same physalis family, and they look a lot like little tomatillos). The Amish and Pa Dutch use them in jellies, jams, pies, etc. ( be sure to see the recipe for Ground Cherry Pie in my Recipe section) These fruit must ripen and slip from their husks and the plant before they can be eaten. The locals often pull up the entire plant in the fall and hang them upside down in an airy place. They stay preserved in their husks and can be harvested all winter, hence the name "Wintercherry." These plants grow on sprawling bushes about 2-4 ft. tall with long drooping branches that drop down and spread 3-4ft. on the ground. These will self seed, so plant them where you really want them and they will come back year after year. One whole dried organic fruit from this season-that's lots and lots of seeds! Be sure to see my extremely rare "Huberschmidt Ground Cherry ", "Horning's Farm Ground Cherry" and "The Pierce Lesher Farm Ground Cherry" also.
SKIRRET - Siumsisarum These are very rare and hard to find seeds. I am very proud to be offering it. The name (sium) is from the Celtic siu (water), referring to their wet habitat. Skirret is derived from the Dutch "suikerwortel" meaning "sugar root." It is also known as "skirwort."It is a vegetable grown for its sweet, edible roots. This member of the carrot and parsley family Umbelliferae) originated in the Far East. It is still used widely in China and Japan, but is a very minor crop in the United States. Has a taste superior to Carrots, not unlike parsnips. The roots are white inside and the flowers are white, too. Emperor Tiberius liked it so much that it is said he demanded it as a tribute from the Germans who had evidently introduced the plant from China. Skirret or Water Parsnip, was once popular in the American colonies, but is rarely grown now. If you enjoy Hamburg Root Parsley and Salsify, you should try Skirret. It is grown for its numerous, swollen, fleshy roots, which look a lot like skinny Dahlia tubers. Sweet, white, and pleasant tasting roots are often cooked like Salsify or Scorzonera (Black Salsify-May be tricky to grow from seed, although I had no trouble at all. I would advise starting it indoors in peat pots 8-10 weeks before before putting out. Plants grow to 5 feet tall, with very ornamental, lacy white flowers, not unlike Queen Ann's lace, see photo. 20 very tiny fresh organically grown seeds.
PURPLE ORACH ORGANIC PURPLE RED ORACH-MOUNTAIN SPINACH Chenopodium
hortensis - LIMITED AMOUNT OF SEED - ORDER EARLY - 30 days- This stunning purple red mountain spinach is a wonderful late summer and fall green. An annual plant, it will grow to 2-3 feet and will have thick, savoyed, large, arrow shaped purple leaves with spinach-like quality. I prefer it picked fresh from the garden but it can be steamed or used in cooking like spinach leaves. Contains 3 times the vitamin C as spinach. The photo is of a very young plant- it gets much more intensely cerise purple in color when it matures- this photo does not do it justice. 10 of my own Organically grown seed.
SORRY, SOLD OUT FOR THE SEASON! RED RUSSIAN KALE AKA Ragged Jack -Stunningly beautiful and easy to grow. What more could you want from a vegetable. Oh yes, its delicious and sweet and exceptionally good and healthy for you! So beautiful, you can use it in your flower beds as an edible ornamental. Delicate flavor is sweeter after a frost or eaten very young in salads. Large oak leaf shaped leaves with purple red veins. It turns redder and more vibrant as the weather gets cooler. Very frost tolerant. If you never liked kale before, try this one, you will change your mind for sure! Last season I did an experiment in growing many types of kale and this one won hands down. SORRY, SOLD OUT FOR THE SEASON
SOLD OUT ITEMS (below)
SIKKIM CUCUMBER~ *** SOLD OUT FOR SEASON*** VERY RARE~VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES~ORDER EARLY ! ~LIMIT 1 PACK PER CUSTOMER! (Cucumis sativus var. sikkimensis) -This year I finally was able to acquire some seeds to this rare cucumber which I had been searching for for years. This is the information given to my by the French seed saver, who I got my original seeds from:
"The historic cucumber of 'Sikkim'. Fat, large fruit can reach 15" long by 6" wide. The ripe fruit is a unique rusty red color and is good eaten cooked or raw....A nice, short, fat fruit with peculiar maroon color netting the skin. Can be eaten young or used in winter dried arrangements like ornamental gourds. To 1 kilo...... In Asia cucumbers are often stir-fried and are quite tasty. This variety is grown in the Himalayas of Sikkim and Nepal. Sir Joseph Hooker first discovered it in the eastern Himalayas in 1848. Here is part of what he wrote about it: 'So abundant were the fruits, that for days together I saw gnawed fruits lying by the natives’ paths by the thousands, and every man, woman and child seemed engaged throughout the day in devouring them.' .... This is one of the most remarkable varieties of the common Cucumber known, and was first botanically noticed by Sir Joseph Hooker, in 1848."
These cucumbers look remarkably like cantaloupes, both in size and in the netting on the skin. The only difference is that the color seems to be a bit darker. Mine were not, however, a rusty red color,they were more like a deep tan with deep brown netting. The leaves of the plant are fully 3 to 4 times the size of normal cucumber vine leaves and are very exotic looking. The flowers also are huge.
Inside the flesh is snow white and crispy and holds it crunch, literally, for weeks unrefrigerated. When you save viable seeds properly of cucumbers you let the fruit ripen a great deal on the vine. Then you pick them and let they lay about for a few more weeks before cutting them open for seeds , which are then fermented in the same way as tomato seeds are saved. I swear the flesh was totally sweet and edible even weeks off the vine. I have never seen such a good "keeper".
Extremely rare curcubit. Since I lived in the Western Himalayas for 2 years, I was very gratified to finally be able to find and grow this cucumber. I may have even seen it at the markets where I lived in Northern Kashmir but probably thought it was a cantaloupe melon.
I fastidiously kept this variety unadulterated by wrapping the plants totally in agricultural row fabric, and only opening them up to be pollinated. My other cucumber varieties were kept wrapped at that time and each of those were opened on a revolving schedule. the photos are of young fruit.
*** SOLD OUT FOR 2008 SEASON ***
KAISER ALEXANDER CUCUMBER SOLD OUT FOR 2009
~ EXCEEDINGLY RARE! Only USA Source~ VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES-ORDER EARLY! I had heard of this cucumber for years but couldn’t get the seeds for it until this past season for growing out this summer. It resembles my other strange looking cucumber, the Sikkim. But this one hails from Russia and is even more cold hardy. It has that similar strange skin like crackled varnish. Like the Sikkim, It also resembles a cantaloupe with netting on the skin and in size. This fruit does stay more cucumber like in shape as well. The leaves are not nearly as huge as the Sikkim and it’s more delicate in growth. Very sweet, pure white flesh wit absolutely no bitterness whatsoever. It is a wonderfully long keeping fruit. To save cucumber seeds properly you must let it kind of rot on the vine at maturity first but these just sat there and kept ever so nice and fresh looking for months after maturity. Really a great conversation piece that is also delicious eating. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only commercial source of this rare seed in the USA.
SOLD OUT FOR 2009
WEST INDIA BURR GHERKIN *** SOLD OUT FOR 2008 SEASON *** RARE - This is not a true cucumber but has been pickled and used as such since the 1700's. Minton Collins introduced this to America in 1793, according to the famed gardening author William Woys Weaver. It is originally from Africa, but came to Jamaica and the West Indies via slave trade by the 17th century. Use the very small fruit for gherkin pickles, when it is 1 inch or smaller. Really rare heirloom. Grows really easily and since it is not a true cucumber it is very resistant to disease.
*** SOLD OUT FOR 2008 SEASON ***
