Modern heirlooms
Gardeners looking for the new often find
it in the old. Seed Savers Exchange, for example, lists three new edible
selections in its 2008 catalog. But how can the sweet, heavy-fruited
muskmelon called ‘Healy’s
Pride’, first grown in Illinois in 1952 by Elmer James Healy,
be new? Because until now, it was lost to the commercial seed trade.
By relocating and reclaiming long-forgotton seed varieties, SSE places
many old-timey favorites into the hands of modern gardeners. Other
new oldies in the catalog include ‘Japanese Trifele Black Tomato’,
which has a rich, full flavor and dark skin purported to rarely crack,
and the sweet, crisp ‘Bull Nose Bell Pepper’, grown by
Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. SSE’s seeds are sold only to
members, who support the nonprofit organization and its seed preservation
work through an annual membership fee of $35. Each year, members have
access to more than 11,000 rare varieties of vegetables, fruits and
grains. For more information, visit www.seedsavers.org, or write to
3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA 52101.