IT’S AN UNASSUMING little catalog; even in its printed incarnation, five-year-old Peace Seedlings is more a 20-page flyer than flashy or magazine-like. In its third season on the web, the company’s whole description and 2013 seed listing fits on one super-long, scrollable page, and you have to order by mail, with a check. Peace Seedlings makes me think of simpler days when there were more such treasure troves to discover as a gardener. It’s a list of what my retro-home-blogging friend Pam would call “woddities,” or wonderful oddities, and it makes me happy. I spent a delightful tea time yesterday imagining every plant in it in my mind’s eye, savoring each description from edible Andean tubers to a Hutterite bush bean that “makes epic creamy bean soup,” to purple-podded vining snap peas (‘Sugar Magnolia’ photo below) and long-stemmed marigolds and oh, those bodacious tomatoes up top. I’ll buy two lucky winners $20 worth of woddities from Peace Seedlings, in my latest giveaway.
When I began to garden, the really unusual stuff was always in unpretentious lists, un-fancy “catalogs” often organized by botanical Latin names, such as the famous one from the enigmatic J.L. Hudson Seedsman, or John Jeavons’ early offerings at Bountiful Gardens, or Dr. Alan Kapuler’s Peace Seeds. In more than 30 years of breeding plants, Kapuler has done it for the public domain—not to try to own or patent the resulting genetics, but to make available good crops to help feed people and the planet—making a little bit of peace.
No surprise that Corvallis, Oregon-based Peace Seedlings is an offshoot of his work, the undertaking of Alan and Linda Kapuler’s youngest daughter, Dylana, and her partner, Mario DiBenedetto.
I got my new-favorite beet, 3 Root Grex, from Peace last season; you might recall my article about that multi-colored wonder. Now I’m taken in at the possibility of other “grex” listings—grex means “flock” in Latin, and is not a true mix but an interbreeding population. The current catalog includes K-S Grex onions, in beautiful pinks and light yellows, and a turnip called 6 Root Grex—all Kapuler originals.
As are the crazy determinate tomato called ‘Geranium Kiss’ in that top photo of Dylana, described as, “stocky 2-foot determinate plants, w/ hyper-tresses of 20-70, 1-oz. fruits, 3-4 sets, a ‘one-stake wonder.’” Oh, my.
This is the place to explore unusual unusual edible roots and tubers, such as yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius, the “apple of the Andes”); or bright-colored varieties of oca (Oxalis tuberosa); or mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum var. pilifera), a nasturtium relative with an anise flavor, whose flowers attract hummingbirds…and listen to this:
“Traditionally grown in polycultures of potatoes, oca, ulluco in Andean South America because the tubers contain aromatic mustard oils that discourage rodents.” Any gardener who has harvested her potatoes only to find them chewed up by voles and the like should perk up at such a companion-planting possibility.
An excellent article in the “Corvallis Advocate” newspaper thoroughly details these interesting crops, and the Peace team’s work with them. That’s a mandala of them in the photo above, arranged by Mario.
I felt positively summery reading about big, bushy marigold plants covered in orange flowers that Alan Kapuler found in Baja, Tagetes erecta ‘La Ribera,’ or another shrubby-sized marigold with long stems and burgundy flowers edged in gold called Tagetes patula ‘Frances’s Choice.’ The Peace team strings them into leis for sale at the local farmers’ market (those are leis made from the China Cat Mix, above).
As you can see, this little list has me in deep trouble. I think the same will happen to you if you pay a visit, maybe over a cup of tea. Remember to close your eyes after reading each description and just imagine!
more from peace seedlings
- Browse the 2013 online catalog now
- Order a 2013 list by sending a SASE to 2385 SE Thompson St., Corvallis OR 97333
- Orders are placed the old-fashioned way, by mail–again, bringing me back to my happy recollections of my origins as a gardener!
how to win the peace seedlings gift certificates
TO ENTER TO WIN one of two $20 gift certificates I’ll purchase for you from Peace Seedlings, simply comment below by answering this question:
How many seed catalogs–in print, or online–have you found yourself browsing through this winter, and how many total places are you ordering from?
(My answer: More than 20, since I have lost count by now, and probably 5.)
If you’re feeling shy or just prefer not to say, simply comment with “Count me in” or some such answer, and you’ll be in the running. No worry.
I’ll select two winners after entries close at midnight Thursday, February 21. Good luck to all.
(All photos copyright Peace Seedlings.)
Count me in. I have looked at too many on line! I only look for the unusual so am thrilled to see this site. How did I miss it?
Uh oh! I cannot get Peace Seedlings site to load….
Browsed 3-5. Already ordered from one but my garden is very small. I like to buy my seeds at the end the summer to save $. Some seeds keep for several years and others don’t so it is always best to check before doing that.
I have been browsing through about 7 or 8, always fun to get ideas. So please count me in!
I am obsessed by odd things to grow in my garden, and had never heard of Peace Seedlings. THANK YOU!!!
I have been going through 5 or 6, but most of my browsing is at work. I’m a cashier at Home Depot and I usually work the garden register. I browse the plants and the seeds and plan what I want to do. I have a bunch of seeds that I need to go through at home, though, so I haven’t ordered any.
I have 5 that I have here but I actually bought from a site I dont have one for.
At least 5, maybe more! I try to control myself!!
Count me in! I think I have 5 physical catalogues but I’ve lost count of the online ones. Peace seedlings sounds wonderful.
Count me in! I’ve just begun to look and am overwhelmed with all the choices…but can’t wait to order something interesting, fun and unique!
I have browsed at least 15 catalogs, and ordered from 4 of them, as well as getting seeds from wintersown.org. I asked my husband to save his distilled water bottles for this winter sowing, and after he saved about 20 he started recycling them. When the seeds started arriving, I was devastated. “Honey, I have about 1000 seeds to start, and you recycled most of the bottles!?!” His jaw dropped. I’ll need to keep a closer eye on him, or he’ll need to keep a closer eye on me.
Please count me in
Browsing every one that comes in, but ordering from only 2-3. Total in the mail so far is one, but I do dig into the online catalogs of Many. hahah
I’ve lost count of the catalogs, and don’t know how many I’ll be ordering from yet. Please count me in! Mary
Oh, about ten .
Oh man, at least 10 have come to me via the postal service, and I will probably order from about that many different companies. But I’m always glad to hear of someone new and I’m loving Peace Seedlings!
I’ve looked through 5 or 6 but haven’t ordered yet.
I order primarily from 2, but really ooggle about 5. Now it will be 6 as I must have these marigolds.
Hello! It’s me in upstate NY and yes, more snow expected this weekend! I only have the Berlin seed catalog and will order from them. Hope you pick me!
not sure how many I have looked at, but have only ordered from 3, as I only order from non-gmo seed companies. Bad spring fever here in Kansas City! a foot of snow and more on the way!
Hi Margaret:
I’ve only looked at a few online and the ones that have come in the mail. What’s worrying me is the ads that claim to draw butterflies to the garden then promise “insects won’t bother this plant.” I’ve been mentally composing a letter to the companies asking, “Do insects not bother the plant because it’s already been treated systemically to make it poison to them?” What if its a food plant for the butterflies? I’m worried. the butterflies have a hard enough time, having lost so many wildflowers to sprawl and spray not to mention corn pollen. And sellers are perfectly free to say “We don’t spray,” because systemic fertilizer/insecticide is not spraying. So anyway, we have trays of heirloom tomatoes, parsley, dill , buttercrunch lettuce and DH’s uselss begonias all sprouting. And we have about 11 inches of snow. Spring will be here soon.
“Count me in”
what a cool seed company – thanks for sharing – you can now add 1 more to the list I have gone through this winter – trying to firgure out where to plant it ALL is the hardest part – but always room for just one more – I have ordered from about 3 places already this winter – can’t wait to start planting!!
count me in on the giveaway -
count me in, thank you!
count me in, yahoo, love seeds!
seed nerds unite!
seeds, seeds, seeds, galore! count me in!
Browsed about 8-10, bought from 4. I’d forotten about JL Hudson. I used to love his catalogue.
ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED (but your continuing comments are always welcome). And the winner are:
Jason and Jean Glaser. Both will be notified by email. Thanks for all your seed-shopping ideas; fascinating (and glad to learn I’m not the only obsessed one).
Browsed….maybe 10; bought from 2 so far. :)
Browsed at least 8. Bought from 3.
I have looked at over 10 websites for seeds and ordered 5 packs but most of my seed I have gotten out of vegetables from the grocery stores. I would love to have some of the unusual seeds you have.
I’ve looked at probably 5 or so, and so far only ordering from one! Count me in.