Have you ever had some information that was just too good to keep secret? Did you find yourself wanting to share it with everyone that you ran into? That’s how I feel whenever I grow something that turns out to be awesome!
I don’t want to keep it to myself, but instead, I want my kids to grow it and everyone else that is gardening to get to experience it as well. Since you probably are not going to be able to come to my house, and over tea, hear about some of my favorites, I would like to share them with you here!
First, if you are not familiar with Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com) quickly familiarize yourself.
I cannot say enough about the quality of their seeds as well as their customer service. Simply put, they are fantastic! In our gardens we use both hybrid and heirloom seeds, and we have a strategy for why we use what we use.
Heirloom seeds bring biodiversity to your garden. They increase the flavor, color and variety of your food, and they allow you to save seeds for future use.
If you are browsing the Baker Creek Seed website, here are a few that we’ve purchased that have turned out to be staples in our gardens and some of our favorites.
Beni Kodama Watermelon (rareseeds.com/watermelon-beni-kodama): This watermelon is perfect for raised bed and container gardening. It yields hand-sized watermelons that are sweet with a light pink to red interior. All you need is a tall and narrow trellis to provide this vine a place to grow, and you will have individual-sized watermelons relatively early in our Zone 7 growing area.
Amarillo Carrot (rareseeds.com/carrot-amarillo): This sweet, bright yellow carrot brings a fresh taste to the table. It is a slender, 6-to-8-inch carrot that is crunchy and delicious. When served with more common, orange-colored carrots, it is beautiful on your plate. Even our grandkids love them, and they can easily be grown in raised beds or containers.
Po’suwaegeh Blue Corn (rareseeds.com/corn-po-suwegeh-blue): This Native American heirloom corn is a great performer in Oklahoma. It is hardy and delicious. Yielding large 10-to-12-inch ears of corn loaded with rich blue kernels, it dries well and once milled is easily turned into absolutely delicious tortillas and chips. This corn is one that we will always find a spot for in our garden!
Murasaki Purple Sweet Pepper (rareseeds.com/pepper-sweet-murasaki-purple): This is one of the best kept secrets in edible gardening! This plant is ornamental and strikingly beautiful in your landscape. It produces pretty, little purple flowers that turn into sweet (not hot) 3-to-6-inch black pepper pods that everyone at my house loves! Dry one or two peppers during the season, and you will have seeds for plants the following gardening season.
Forellenschluss Lettuce (rareseeds.com/lettuce-forellenschluss): This sturdy, cold-hardy Romaine lettuce is a staple. WOW! It’s absolutely gorgeous and tastes delicious. We grow this every year in our hoop house, and it’s always a great producer. Cut leaves here and there, and you will be eating on this throughout the entire growing season.
Cherokee Purple Tomato (rareseeds.com/tomato-cherokee-purple): Even though this one may be familiar to many, it’s just too good to leave off the list. This Cherokee Indian heirloom tomato cannot be surpassed in taste. It’s deep purple and burgundy colors add depth and flavor to your home canned tomato products. It is not a heavy producer, but its fruit is large and SO delicious!
As eager as I am to share with you some of my favorite garden plants, the best news that I have has nothing to do with gardening. Oh, I can talk with you about how to grow food and what some of our favorite plants are, but that does nothing to address the real need that each of us have and that is how are we going to live this life here on earth and where are we going to spend eternity.
A day of reckoning is coming when each and every one of us is going to bow down and give an account to Almighty God for what we have done with His Son, Jesus Christ. Did we accept or reject Him? Friends, let me share with you that Jesus loves you. Yes, YOU personally. He laid down His life for you on the cross, so that you could live abundantly on earth with Him and, better yet, eternally (which by the way is a long time) in heaven with Him. This news is definitely too good to keep secret!
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).