Grow an Antique! Heirloom Plants

Have you noticed something lately? There is a definite trend in gardening today to preserve the plants of yesterday. There's no doubt about it; call it a grassroots movement, call it a backlash if you will. Gardeners are definitely on to something good: Heirloom plants.

This is really nothing new. Many frugal gardeners have saved the seeds and cuttings from many of their favorite plants throughout the years. Yet there is a growing concern among many gardeners about the loss of the old varieties of plants, both ornamental and vegetable. Technology has improved many species of plants, there is no disputing the fact. But, sometimes plants have been over-hybridized to the point that they barely resemble their heritage in appearance or, for that matter, flavor.

I am sure there are some of you who would disagree with what I am about to say: Sweet corn is a prime example of the hybridization frenzy. In the past twenty-five years, research has given us supersweet hybrids. They do hold their flavor, and they certainly are sweet! Still, they have lost something in the process. The tenderness is missing and that delicate "corny" flavor has been overwhelmed by too much sugar. The only thing that I believe the newer hybrids have as an advantage over the old varieties is that they do not turn to starch very quickly, if at all. Indeed, I have stored this corn for more than three days, and while it might toughen up a bit, it has remained unusually sweet. Say what you will, it still does not have the same flavor or texture, even when eaten straight from the harvest.

Now I will get down from my soapbox! There are many reasons for saving the old plant varieties. One is to provide a gene pool for the purpose of future research and development. By breeding an heirloom back into the heredity of a particular plant, traits that have been lost through over-hybridization can be recovered. Another reason for growing and preserving older varieties of plants is to prevent their extinction. Stop for a moment to consider this: Some of these old plants might someday be valuable in pharmaceutical research. Now, that is a very good reason to prevent the loss of a plant species, in my opinion! The final reason for growing antique plants is to preserve our cultural heritage and for the pure joy of growing them.

Some might argue that the old varieties have fallen out of favor because of undesirable traits, such as lower disease resistance and lower yield. Possibly, but many of these varieties, while they might be a challenge to grow, offer all of us a connection with our horticultural past. The advantage they have over their modern-day progeny is often one of better fragrance, texture, flavor, and charm. It is worth the extra effort and work to grow these plants of our ancestors.

If you do decide to plant a few of the old ones, there are many resources and outlets where the gardener can obtain seeds and plants. I suggest that if you are new to heirloom plants, start out slowly. Discover by trial and error what plants do well for you. Slowly add a few more of these plants into your garden every year.

Make plans to grow an an antique or two this year! I guarantee if you try it, you might very well become "hooked"!

Here is a list of resources to help you get started on your journey into heirloom gardening:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Heirloom Seeds
Victory Seeds
The Chef's Gardens
Seeds Of Change
Nichols Garden Nursery
Select Seeds
Hart's Heritage Seed
Diane's Flower Seeds
Underwood Gardens
Amishland Heirloom Seeds
Old House Gardens Heirloom Bulbs
Aunt Martha's Garden