Hot Peppers – $2 each

1.       Aji Amarillo – hot; ¾" wrinkled fruits with a unique, smoky flavor similar to the Yucatan Habanero; green pods ripen to yellow.  C. baccatum.  120 days.

2.       Anaheim – 7” long.  Mildly pungent.  Use green (chile verde) or red.  Good for roasting or drying and making powder.  Or roast and freeze.  Popular for ristras!  From New Mexico.  80 days.

3.       Ancho – 4-6” long mild Poblano-type.  Poblanos are the best pepper for stuffing, but this is good for roasting, too (roasting adds a distinct chocolate flavor).  80 days.

4.       Arledge Heirloom – hot; 3” x 1 ¼”; upright fruits mature green to orange to red; from Louisiana.  Great for pickling!  80 days.

5.       Aurora – ornamental; great container or border plant!  10-12” tall.  Variegated (purple and green) foliage.  1.5” upright fruit, ripening lavender to orange to red.  90 days.

6.       Beaver Dam – Hungarian heirloom; medium.  Lime green to red; very productive.  4-6” long; great stuffing pepper!  100 days.

7.       Caribbean Red – very hot; 1 ½” x 1”; Habanero-type pods with fruity flavor, intense heat.  C. chinense.  90 days.

8.       Cayenne, Joe’s Long – hot:  twice the heat of a normal Cayenne.  5-6” long by ¾-1” wide.  Medium-thin flesh with pendant pods; matures mid-season, from green to red.  24-30” tall.  Great for drying, or use fresh in salsas and cooking.  From South Carolina.

9.       Cayenne, Thick – hot; 5-6” long by ¾-1” wide. Medium-thin flesh with pendant pods; matures from green to red.  18-24” tall.  Good for drying, pickling, and cooking.

10.    Cayenne, Thin – hot; 4-6” long by 1/3-1/2” wide.  Thin flesh, maturing from green to red, with pendant pods.  18-24” tall; mid-season producer.  Good for drying and cooking.  Fruits are often curled and twisted.

11.    Cherry Bomb – medium red Cherry pepper; 1.5-2” long by 1.5-2” wide, with very thick flesh.  18-24” tall.  Mid-season producer, can be pickled or used as a small-stuffer.

12.    Fatali (Congo) – exceptionally hot C. Chinense, 2-3x as hot as the orange Habanero (500,000 Scoville units)!  2.5” wrinkled yellow peppers.  Fruity and tropical – wow!  100 days.

13.    Georgia Flame – medium; 6-8” x by 2”; pods have thick, crunchy flesh; matures red; heavy producer from the Republic of Georgia.  120 days.

14.    Habanero, Chocolate – very hot; 2-1/2” chocolate-brown fruits; also called "Congo Black".  C. chinense.  90 days.

15.    Habanero, Orange – very hot.  2-1/2” bright orange fruit, 30-60x hotter than Jalapenos.  Used in Caribbean and South American dishes.  C. chinense.  90 days.

16.    Hungarian Hot Wax – medium; Banana/ Long Wax-type; 4-6” long by 1-1.25” wide.  Medium thick flesh; matures from pale yellow to red with pendant pods.  18-24” tall.  Great for cooking or pickling.

17.    Hungarian Rainbow Short – medium short, blocky type.  Yellow turning red.  80 days.

18.    Jalapeno (Standard) – medium; 2-3" with medium thick walls. Very prolific all-purpose chile pepper.  60 days

19.    Jalapeno (Early) – medium.  Like Jalapeno, but adapts to cool growing conditions found in spring gardens.

20.    Kung Pao – thin-walled peppers which dry easily.  30” tall plants with 4 ½” x 3/8” fruit.  Very productive.  90 days.

21.    Mulato Isleno – mild; 6” long.  Poblano- type.  Matures green to chocolate.  Great for stuffing or roasting.  Good for chile rellenos.  90 days.

22.    Paper Lantern – earlier producing, Habanero-type pepper.  3”-4” long, shades of orange to scarlet.  90 days. C. Chinense.

23.    Paprika Red – mild; 4-6” long by 1-1.25” wide; medium thick flesh; matures from green to red with pendant pods.  18-24” tall.  Good for drying and making powder.

24.    Paprika Supreme – mild; 6-7” long by 1-1.25” wide.  Medium-thin flesh; matures from green to red with pendant pods.  18-24” tall.  Good for drying and making powder.

25.    Pasilla Baijo – medium; 2’-3’ tall, with 6-8” x 1” fruit.  Dried pods are used in Mole sauces.  Good fresh, better dried; glossy deep green maturing to chocolate.  Also called Chilaca or Chile Negro.  80 days.

26.    Pepperoncini – mild; 3-4”long by ¾-1” wide.  Medium thick flesh, maturing from green to orange to red with pendant pods.  18-24” tall.  Early-season producer.  Use in Italian cuisine and pickling green.

27.    Portugal – fiery; up to 8” long tapered fruits, dark green to glossy scarlet.  A jumbo Cayenne.  75 days.

28.    Pretty in Purple – medium hot; ¾” long.  Purple flowers; purple and green leaves.  Fruit turns purple to scarlet.  60 days.

29.    Red Chile – medium; 18-20” tall plant, with 2 ½” x ½” fruits.  Very productive.  Thin-walled, green to bright red; good for drying.  85 days.  C. frutescens.

30.    Scotch Bonnet, Yellow (Caribbean) – very hot; 1” long, lantern-shaped.  Habanero-type.  Often used in Jerk.  120 days.  C. Chinense.

31.    Serrano – hot; 2” x ½”, conical fruit; pods mature from green to red; prolific; an all-purpose chile for heat lovers.  Can be used green or red. C. pubescens.  80 days.

32.    Super Chile – hot; 2” upright fruit; good for containers; used in Asian cooking.  Very prolific.  75 days.

33.    Tabasco – hot, with a unique smoky flavor; 3’ tall plant with 1 ½” upright fruits.  Matures from yellow to orange to red.  Often used in Creole cooking. C. frutescens.  100 days.

34.    Thai – hot; 1.5” long.  Prolific.  Dries easily.  Often used in Asian cooking.  75 days.

35.    Tulip – very unusual, with 3 or 4 flat wings and a pointed, wrinkled center.  Thin and crisp, green turning red.  The seeds and veins are quite hot, but the wings are sweet and mild.  2’ tall plant, 1 ½” fruits.  90 days.

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Sweet Peppers – $2 each

36.    Albino – 7-10” long.  Cubanelle/Italian frying type.  Great for stuffing!  Harvest light green to fry.  70 days.

37.    Banana  – 6-7” long by 1.5-2”wide.  Medium thick flesh, maturing from greenish yellow to red with pendant pods.  18-24” tall.  Early-season producer.  Very prolific.

38.    California Wonder – 4” x 5” fruit, thick and mild; dark green to brilliant red.  Ideal for stuffing.  75 days.

39.    Chervena Chujski – Bulgarian heirloom.  Ripens green to brown to bright red.  Very sweet.  2” at shoulders to 6” long.  100 days.

40.    Chinese Giant – 6” wide x 4-5” long Bell.  Brilliant cherry red at maturity.  75 days.

41.    Chocolate – sweet Bell; 3.5-4” long by 3-4” wide, with thick flesh.  Matures from green to mahogany brown.  18-24” tall.  Early-season producer.  TMV resistant.  Very prolific.

42.    Corno di Toro (Red) – “Horn of the Bull”, and it’s that big, too!  One of the very best peppers I’ve ever tasted; sweet and juicy!

43.    Cubanelle – Italian frying pepper, 5” x 2”, with thin flesh.  Can be used yellow or red.  30” tall; bushy.  68 days.

44.    Doux D’Espagne – Italian heirloom.  Very long fruit with 3 lobes, maturing green to red.  Disease-resistant.  90 days.

45.    Garden Sunshine – very productive 12-16” plants.  Creamy-yellow to orange to red.  Best yellow or orange.  100 days.

46.    Golden Sweet – 4” long; 3-lobed.  Lime-yellow to rich, golden yellow.  Very juicy with great flavor!  70 days.

47.    Hungarian Spice – 1.5” x 6”, pendant with thin walls.  Matures to red.  Can be dried and ground to produce sweet paprika.  80 days.

48.    Italian Longhorn – sweet Cubanelle/Italian Frying-type.  5-7” long by 1-1.25” wide.  Medium-thick flesh, maturing from green to red with pendant pods.  18-24” tall.  Use in Italian cuisine, fry and add to foods, or roast.

49.    Klari – sweet baby Cheese pepper.  Tomato-shaped, ¾-1” long by 1.5-2” wide.  Thick flesh, maturing from white to red with upright pods.  12-18” tall.  Early-season producer.  Great for stuffing.  From Hungary.

50.    Marconi Red – Italian, 3-lobed pepper, up to 12” x 3”!  Good green or let mature for salads and frying.  Great taste!  70 days.

51.    Mavras – sweet Bell.  3-5” long by 3-4” wide.  Thick flesh, maturing from black to purple to red.  18-24” tall.  TMV resistant.

52.    Nardello – 6-10” long.  Cubanelle/Italian Frying-type.  Turns green to brown to red.  Very productive.  100 days.

53.    Orange Bell – blocky, with 4” x 3.5” fruit.  Spectacular taste!  110 days.

54.    Palladin – a large, blocky Bell pepper, with thick flesh.  Phytophthora root rot and TMV resistant.  A very showy, picture-perfect green pepper.  72 days.

55.    Pimento Elite – sweet and heart-shaped.  3.5” x 2.5”.  Thick flesh, maturing from green to red.  18-24” tall.  Use as a small stuffer, or eat it like an apple!  TMV resistant.

56.    Pumpkin – ornamental, with pumpkin-shaped leaves.  2” fruit withstands fall frost.  Cut them to dry w/ fruit attached.  100 days.

57.    Red Knight – sweet Bell.  4-5” long by 3-4” wide.  Thick flesh, maturing from green to red.  18-24” tall.  Mid-season producer.

58.    Valencia – matures from green to a deep orange without loosing firmness; 4 lobed. 70 days.

Eggplant – $2 each

59.    Florida Market – an old Indian heirloom crossed with Florida plants in the 40s, once used for commercial eggplant production.  This variety has subsequently become rare over the last 60 odd years and is now rarely offered by seed companies.  Produces large yields of glossy dark purple, teardrop-shaped fruit. Plants are strong and are especially good for market growers. Excellent for slicing, stuffing, and baking.  35" tall.  80 days.

60.    Black Beauty – the old, industry- standard.  An outstanding producer of large, nearly pear-shaped purple fruit, made popular by its excellent production abilities.  80 days.

61.    Pink Bi-Color – Italian Eggplant, white and pink blush, with 8” rose-colored/cream mixed fruits.  75 days.

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Horseradish – $2 each

62.    Horseradish – a member of the mustard family, the root is harvested in the spring and fall.  Grating the root releases the volatile oils that distinguish horseradish from all other flavors.  The ground horseradish is then mixed with distilled vinegar to stabilize the "heat."  This basic formula may also contain spices or other ingredients – salt, sugar, cream or vegetable oil.  Horseradish thrives on potash.  Cold winters provide the required root dormancy and long summers provide excellent growing conditions.  Horseradish has been used medicinally, as a lower back rub, a cough expectorant, and as a treatment for food poisoning, scurvy, rheumatism, tuberculosis, and colic.  It also has been used as an aphrodisiac.  Delphic oracle speaking to Apollo: "The radish is worth its weight in lead, the beet its weight in silver, the horseradish its weight in gold."

Flowers – $4 each

63.    Yarrow, Purple (Achillea Millefolium) – northern, temperate region perennial grown for its attractive flowers and aromatic foliage.  Easy in any soil and full sun; hardy and easily grown.  Good as fresh or dried flowers.  Medicinal:  used for coughs, colds, aches and pains, to stop bleeding, to help with childbirth, to heal bronchitis, and as a tonic.  Native American plant.

Heirloom Tomatoes – $2 - $3 each

64.    Amish Paste – oval, 8 oz. with thick flesh and outstanding sweet flavor.  Heirloom.  Produces well, even under harsh conditions.

65.    Arkansas Traveler – old release from Arkansas, known for its ability to produce tomatoes in hot weather.  Pink variety, with 8 oz fruit.  Good main season tomato when blooms occur during hot weather.  80 days.

66.    Beefsteak – short, compact plants with 10-14 oz. fruit.  Old-fashioned, rich flavor.  Exceptional yield!  75 days.

67.    Boxcar Willie – large globe; matures red, mid-season.  Great slicing tomato.

68.    Black Prince – Russian heirloom.  Round 8-12 oz. fruit.  Purple-red with green-black shoulders, turning almost full black in hot sun.  Delicate skin and rich flavor.

69.    Brandywine – Amish heirloom from 1885.  Potato-looking leaf.  Large, pink fruit (1-1.5 lbs.) with intense, full-bodied flavor.  90 days.

70.    Brandywine, Yellow – same as Brandywine, but yellow!  90 days.

71.    Celebrity – medium globe; matures red, mid-season.  Resistant to Verticillum and Fusarium Wilt, nematodes, TMV, and Alternaria.  Determinate (fruit matures over a short-period, rather than all-season long.  Determinate varieties are good for canning or making sauce!).

72.    Cherokee Purple – medium pink-purple; given by Native Americans to early Appalachian settlers.  Large (8-12 oz.), round fruits, generally crack free.  Exceptionally sweet; tastes a bit smoky.     80 days.

73.    Garden Peach – small globe; matures light yellow.  Mid-season producer; looks like a small peach with fuzzy skin.  Great in salsa.  Very prolific!

74.    German Johnson – Pennsylvania Dutch heirloom, grown as far south as the Carolinas.  Large, rough pink fruits with yellow shoulders.  Mild and meaty; low-acid.

75.    Green Zebra – unique medium globe; matures green to golden green with darker stripes.  Mid-season producer.  Great for salsa or slicing.  80 days.

76.    Jubilee – golden orange, slicing tomato with excellent flavor!  8 oz. fruit.  90 days.

77.    Mortgage Lifter – said to have prevented bankruptcy, due to a successful heirloom cross!  Huge (2 lb.), meaty, sweet, pink fruits.

78.    Mr. Stripey – heirloom from the mid-Atlantic.  Large, ridge-shouldered fruits, yellow with pinkish-red stripes.  Mild with low-acid.

79.    Old German – an heirloom originally from the Mennonite community of Virginia.  Great slicer!  Huge (1.5-2”) fruits, with an unusual boat shape.  Golden yellow with pink-red stripes, going through to the core.  75 days.

80.    Pineapple – large, Beefsteak-type.  Yellow-gold with red stripes and sweet, fruity flavor.

81.    Plum Yellow – Russian variety from Seed Savers Exchange.  Fruit size, shape and color is like a lemon, with a sweet citrus flavor.  75 days.

82.    Roma – 2 oz. red, pear-shaped tomato.  Paste type; easy to can!  Determinate.       75 days.

83.    Thessaloniki – smooth, red, baseball-sized Greek heirloom.  Resistant to cracking and blemishing.  Heavy producer.  80 days.

Tomatillos - $2 - $3 each

84.    Tomatillo, Large-Fruited – “Husk Tomato”.  2-3” green, round fruits, covered with papery husk.  Mild flavor, slightly tart with apple undertones.  Essential for salsa verde.  70 days.

Herbs - $2 each

85.    Basil – native to India, Africa, and Asia.

In Italy, it is considered a sign of love.  When a woman puts out a pot of basil, it means she is ready to receive her suitor.  In France, it is called herbe royale.  In India, it is sacred, dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna.  Though used mainly as a culinary, there are many medicinal uses for basil.  Try a cup of basil tea as an after dinner drink to aid digestion.  Basil tea is also used to cure stomach cramps and vomiting.  An extract from the seeds has been shown to have an antibacterial effect.  Combine it with wood betony and skullcap for nervous conditions or with elecampane and hyssop for coughs.  Rub leaves on insect bites to reduce itching.  Basil essential oil has many aromatherapy uses.  A drop on the sleeve can be inhaled for mental fatigue.  Combine it with hyssop, bergamot or geranium oils for a massage oil to aid in healing depression.  Blend 6 to 8 oz of stimulating herbs (such as thyme, sage, rosemary, mint, lemon verbena, lavender and/or marjoram) in a muslin bag to steep, for an invigorating herbal bath in cool water.

Genovese – yields 7-8 cuttings; best for pesto, a Genoa specialty.

Italian Sweet – best for using fresh or dried.

86.    Cilantro – great for salsa and Asian dishes.  Plant early, as it bolts in mid-July heat.  Cilantro, also known as Chinese parsley, is the dried leaves of the herb, Coriandrum sativum, an annual herb of the parsley family, and from which coriander seed is obtained.  Cilantro is believed to have been one of the earliest plantings in North America, where the cilantro leaves, rather than the seed, became more popular.  Cilantro is mentioned in the Medical Papyrus of Thebes written in 1552 B.C. and is one of the plants which grew in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  Ancient Hebrews added Cilantro to an herb mixture used in the ritual of Passover.  Greek and Roman physicians hailed its medicinal powers.  A power of conferring immortality is thought by the Chinese to be a property of the seeds.  Coriander is a stimulant, an aromatic and a carminative, especially for colic.

87.    Dill – eat fresh or save for seed.  The taste of dill leaves resembles that of caraway, while the seeds are pungent and aromatic. Freshly cut, chopped leaves enhance the flavor of dips, herb butter, soups, salads, fish dishes, and salads.  Both the flowering heads and seeds are used in flavored vinegars and oils.  Medicinal uses:  To brew a stomach-soothing tea, use two teaspoons of mashed seeds per cup of boiling water.  Steep for ten minutes.  Drink up to three cups a day. In a tincture, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day.  To treat colic or gas in children under two, give small amounts of a weak tea.  Many herbalists recommend combining dill and fennel to ease colic in infants.

88.    Oregano (Greek) – 2’ plant, with small, lobed leaves used extensively in cooking.  Small white flowers; cut back after flowering.  Perennial; plant in well-drained areas.  Great bee and companion plant.  Drought-tolerant:  the little hairs on the plant's leaves and stems are an indicator of what the climate is like in Greece. The hairs provide shade for the plant and slow down transpiration (or water loss) from the plant. This allows the plant to survive some pretty hot, dry weather.  Greek Oregano is so spicy that fresh leaves numb the end of your tongue.  Chopped and mixed with garlic, salt, and olive oil, it makes a great marinade for pork, beef, or roasted potatoes.  Medicinal uses:  Greek physicians used marjoram and oregano extensively, both internally and externally.  The cosmic warmth it has accumulated from the sun helps put right bad colds, cramps, and digestive disorders.  Hot fomentations of the dried leaves and tops, applied in bags, are helpful for painful swellings, rheumatism, and colic.  An infusion of the leaves taken as a tea relieves nervous headaches, induces sleep, stimulates excretion, and is recommended as a spring tonic.

89.    Marjoram – a tender perennial, with sweet pine and citrus flavors.  Marjoram is cultivated for its aromatic leaves, either green or dry, for culinary purposes.  The tops are cut as the plants begin to flower and are dried slowly in the shade.  It is often used in herb combinations such as Herbes de Provence and Za’atar (a Middle-Eastern spice mix traditionally containing toasted sesame seeds, savory, hyssop, thyme, cumin, fennel, and sumac).  Marjoram may be used in sausages, lamb, beef, pork, chicken, fish, tomato dishes, stuffings, breads, salad dressings, and chowders.  Marjoram has a very ancient medical reputation.  The Greeks used it extensively, both internally and externally for fomentations.  It was a remedy for narcotic poisons, convulsions and dropsy. Among the Greeks, if Marjoram grew on a grave, it augured the happiness of the departed, and among both the Greeks and Romans, it was the custom to crown young couples with Marjoram.  Oil of Marjoram is a stimulant, a carminative, an emmenagogue, a diaphoretic, and a mild tonic.  It relieves spasms and colic, and gives relief from pain in dyspepsia.  A few drops, put on cotton-wool and placed in the hollow of an aching tooth frequently relieves the pain.  Externally, the dried leaves and tops may be applied in bags as a hot fomentation to reduce painful swellings, and to treat rheumatism and colic. An infusion made from the fresh plant will relieve nervous headache.

90.    Sage (Extracta) – a culinary herb with pungent leaves and purple flowers.  Full sun to filtered shade.  Don’t overwater.  Perennial.  This selection of regular garden sage is higher in essential oil content making it more desirable for medicinal use.  But its most important property may be in its use in Shamanic Smudging, a practice used first by Native peoples to create harmony and peace, including cleansing, purification, protection of physical and spiritual bodies, banishment of negative energy, and creation of sacred space.  Sage has been used as both a mouthwash and a gargle to treat mouth and throat infections.  It is a strong astringent, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.  Modern research now reflects the ancient world's association of sage with women's health and fertility.  It has been used to treat digestive problems and diarrhea and is a great help in drying up milk during weaning.  Chinese women use sage hair rinse to avoid having their hair turn gray and it is a great seasoning for poultry and soups in the kitchen.  The anti-microbial properties as well as the tannin-based astringent activities of sage (active ingredient of dental-care herbal medicinal preparations) benefit the reduction in plaque growth and the inhibition of gingival inflammation.  Furthermore, due to the anti-viral activity of its water and alcohol extracts, sage is included as an active ingredient in combined plant preparations for the treatment of acute and chronic bronchitis.

91.    Thyme –

Mother of Thyme (Pulegioides) – tiny, mauve flowers on a hardy dwarf shrublet, 4-14” tall.  Makes a nice ground cover.

Winter Thyme – standard garden thyme. Much valued for edging.  Good honey plant.

Purple Creeping Thyme – yup; it’s purple, and it creeps!  Good ground cover, and good in rock gardens.

Orange Thyme –  orange-scented thyme (well – what else did you expect?!?)

Valued since ancient thymes (he, he!  were you paying attention???) as a powerful medicine, it is mentioned by Pliny and Virgil and others.  Thymol, from the oil, is antiseptic and a powerful miticide.  Crushed thyme sprinkled in beehives kills varroa mites, and soaked in olive oil is the best remedy for ear mites in pets – much better than commercial remedies.  Thyme is a perennial native to the Mediterranean.  It prefers a sandy, dry soil and plenty of sun. If you live in a cold climate, protect the plants in winter by mulching heavily.  Thyme has a strong piquant and lemony flavor. For fresh use, the flavor is best just before flowering.  It enhances the flavor of meat, fish and poultry dishes.  For chicken and fish marinades, bruise fresh sprigs of thyme and tarragon, and combine with red-wine vinegar and olive oil.  It can also be used in herb butters and cottage cheese.  Thyme was grown in monastery gardens in southern France and in Spain and Italy during the Middle Ages for use as a cough remedy, digestive aid and treatment for intestinal parasites.  A solution of thymol is used in Listerine mouthwash and Vicks VapoRub because of its well-known antibacterial and antifungal properties. Thymol also has a therapeutic effect on the lungs.  Ingesting or inhaling the oil helps to loosen phlegm and relax the muscles in the respiratory tract.  Thyme is used in herbal teas prepared for colds and flus.  In addition, thyme has antifungal properties and can be used to treat athlete's foot.  Ancient Egyptians used this herb in embalming.  The Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples.  It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms.  This enchanted herb was a favorite of the fairies.  Medicinal use of thyme should be avoided if you are pregnant.  Large doses may cause intestinal problems.  If you experience diarrhea or bloating, cut back on the amount you're using or discontinue use altogether.