Heirloom seeds are more than the promise of next summer's crookneck squash or jewel-colored zinnias. They're living antiques handed down from one generation to the next, a rich inheritance of flavor and beauty from long ago and, often, far away. Antique flowers are wonderful to grow for their rich, deep perfumes, while old-fashioned vegetable varieties often taste better and keep longer than newer varieties.

Gardening with Heirloom Seeds serves as a resource for gardeners, cooks, and plant lovers of all levels of expertise who want to know more about finding, sharing, and propagating the seeds of heirloom flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

The book describes fifty treasured heirloom species, from Frenchman's Darling, a flowering herb whose seeds were pocketed by Napoleon Bonaparte when he invaded Egypt in 1798, to Snow White beets, an old Dutch favorite that will not stain the cook's fingers red. Most of the plants included here will grow all across the United States; a few are best suited for warmer climates.

The text is sprinkled throughout with practical advice from heirloom gardeners and lists sources for finding the seeds of many old varieties. Because it also provides ample room for making notes, Gardening with Heirloom Seeds can be used year after year and can become an heirloom in its own right--a personal journal to pass along to the next generation of gardeners.

Read an interview with the author and learn more about Gardening with Heirloom Seeds at the University of North Carolina Press.

To purchase Gardening with Heirloom Seeds, please visit the University of North Carolina Press or Amazon.com (Paperback) or Amazon.com (Hardcover)
Canadian gardeners, a Canadian edition is now available from Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

Coming soon: Mustard Seeds: Thoughts on the Nature of God and Faith From B&H Publishing Group in Fall 2008!