Heirlooms: The Best New Introductions of 2012

It always strikes me as ironic when I open an heirloom seed catalog and find seeds marked "New." The very nature of heirlooms is defined by a plant's historical appearance in someone's garden. Yes, yes, I know. The term "new" indicates that the seed is an offering that had not previously been available from the company. But I still find it funny.

These are not your standard grocery store offerings. It's a cucumber, but it's not green. It's a pepper, but it looks like a gourd. It's a head of lettuce, but it's pink. The possibilities are endless.

Here are my top 5 picks for 2012 re-introductions:

1) Round Tomato Shaped Pimento Pepper, by Seed Savers Exchange

How can you not love a sweet red pepper in the shape of a pumpkin-gourd? Besides the intriguing and unusual shape, I'm all for trying any pepper labeled as having a fruity-tasting flesh. Plus, this heirloom is a native of Indiana -- my home state. Definitely my top pick.
http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1551(OG)

2) Riddle Melon, by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Besides loving the name, I love the egg-shape, smaller size, and variety of exterior colors. Sweet white flesh sounds amazing. From the former Soviet Union.
http://rareseeds.com/riddle-melon.html

3) Tat Soi Asian Green, by Seed Savers Exchange

I love the shape and color of this lettuce -- a dark emerald green with spoon-shaped leaves that gives the overall appearance of a rose. This would look lovely in a vegetable garden or flower bed. Mild flavor, good raw or cooked.
http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1558(OG)

4) Purple Pear Tomato, by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Cherry tomatoes are one of my favorite summer snacks, and this pear-shaped bite size tomato would be a unique addition my current mix of red and sungold varieties. I love its purple-pink skin and cute shape. From Ukraine.
http://rareseeds.com/purple-pear.html

5) Mammoth Sandwich Island Salsify

Salsify has always ignited my curiosity, but I have never grown it because its usual spindly roots seem too delicate for my midwestern clay soil. However, this salsify looks stockier than most, almost the thickness of a carrot. Classic oyster flavor, from the Mediterranean.
http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=1554

Non-Heirloom New Varieties

I absolutely love Renee's Garden miniature-sized garden vegetables.  This year, I've found 2 new must-try's.

1) Little Jade Baby Baby Cabbage

Since I don't have a lot of room in my garden, I love to find varieties of vegetables that can work well in pots or smaller beds. This baby napa cabbage, with sweet crispy flesh, is a must-try.
http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/seeds-hm/vegB.htm#cab

2) Astia Container Zucchini

Most gardeners I know complain that they have so many zucchini to give away. I have never had this trouble in my zucchini patch and tend to hoard every fruit I get. But, I always feel guilty when I don't share with my brother's family, who also love to garden but don't have room for a squash plant. This compact variety would work well in a pot on his deck, and thus alleviate my need to share.
http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/seeds-hm/vegR.htm#astia

Visions of my 2012 garden

My garden is all put away for the year. The last of the plants have been pulled, the soil has been tilled, and the ground has been left barren to await new life this spring. And I must confess, I miss my garden terribly. After lovingly watering it all season long, trimming back its odd growth, and picking the fruits of my hard work, the empty little plot holds none of the splendor it did just a few months ago. Such is the cycle of the seasons.

December is a barren month in my garden; the flowers long dead, vegetables long pulled, frosty ground, and dark, sunless exposure. But I have a confession to make -- it will not be long before new life bursts from the ground. I've dreamed of nothing else since my first 2012 seed catalog arrived in the mail last week. That night, I rushed thru dinner and dishes at record speed, wanting nothing more than to curl up underneath a blanket with the catalog and a marker. My first go-around with the catalog seemed like a dream. I imagined trellacing pole beans, picking several types of squash, offering sunflowers to the birds, and canning bushels of tomatoes. I lusted over beets, raddishes, and ground cherries, none of which I've ever planted before. And by the time I was finished, I had easily marked off enough plants for an entire farm! How I wish I had more space than my 12x18 suburban plot. I should have been a farmer.