Lucid Gems, with their black/orange peel and striking yellow/orange fl esh. Purple tomatillos are sweeter than green varieties and can be eaten right off the plant. “Purple sweet potatoes are found


Look for Non-GMOs


The Non-GMO Project label on U.S. food products assures consumers they have no genetically modifi ed ingredients. Now a few seed companies are starting to display the butterfl y label, as well. “As demand for non-GMO choices continues to rise, farmers are seeking more non-GMO seed,” says Megan Westgate, executive director of the Non-GMO Project. “Similarly, smaller farms and home gardeners are choosing to plant more organic and non-GMO varieties.” High Mowing Organic Seeds, in


Wolcott, Vermont, is the current leader, with 700 Non-GMO Project- verifi ed seeds. Company President Tom Stearns explains, “We continue to hear about GMO concerns from our customers and while we are certifi ed organic, that doesn’t say anything about GMO contamination.” His team helped develop a verifi cation program for seeds because they wanted third- party verifi cation of their claims. “We’d spent a huge amount of time implementing preventative measures and did GMO testing, but felt this wasn’t enough,” he notes. Stearns reports that there are many more genetically engineered plants than most people realize. “Some 40 GMO plant species include petunia and endive,” he says. Plus, “Contamination risks exist even when a GMO crop isn’t commercially approved, like when GMO wheat escapes fi eld trials.”


Source: EcoWatch.com


in Hawaii, but aren’t common on the mainland,” explains Gettle. “Molokai Purple sweet potatoes keep their deep purple color even when cooked, and are much higher in antioxidants than the orange variety.” To be novel, serve the Albino beet. Baker Creek’s customers use it raw in salads, roasted or fried and don’t let the greens go to waste.


Monique Prince, a clinical social


worker in Chester, New Hampshire, grows heirloom organic radishes, greens, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and pumpkins in eight raised beds. She received Ganisisikuk pole beans


(seventh-generation seeds) and Abnaki cranberry runner beans from a Native American client. Rather than eat the bounty, she’s accumulating the seeds to save the varieties.


Herbs Thai basil loves summer heat. Make batches of pesto, then freeze it in ice cube trays for later. Christina Major, a nutritionist in Trevorton, Pennsylvania, grows heirloom herbs that include borage, with its edible fl owers, and marshmallow, which is a decongestant when added to tea. Her 300-square-foot garden supplies summer veggies such as scarlet runner beans, more than 50 kinds of perennial herbs for year- round use and heirloom raspberries, gooseberries and blackberries “that are eaten as fast as they’re picked,” she says.


Heirloom enthusiasts like to


exchange seeds to try new varieties. “From December to March, traders swap seeds and plot their gardens,” says Major. “I got 20 kinds of tomatoes by connecting with other traders on Facebook.”


Flowers Of 400,000 fl owering plants in the world, 20 percent are in danger of extinction. “Instead of marigolds


34 Central Florida natural awakenings


and petunias, consider old-fashioned annuals. Trying new things is fun,” says Gettle. Four O’clocks, familiar to many Midwesterners, come in a several colors and are easily cultivated from their abundant seeds. The succulent Ice plant, with its white-pink fl owers, looks like it was dipped in sugar; its edible leaves taste like spinach. Black Swan’s burgundy poppies have a frill-like edge, while Mother of Pearl poppies offer subtle watercolors. “Save seeds, share with neighbors and pass them on to the kids,” advises Gettle. “They’re evidence of our culture.”


Connect with the freelance writer via AveryMack@mindspring.com.


Safe Seed Sources


In switching to heirloom varieties, fi rst replace species known to have been subjected to higher concentrations of pesticides. The Environmental Working Group’s no-go list includes apples, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas, potatoes, hot peppers, kale and collard greens. Here are sources of alternative garden heirloom species.


Baker Creek Seed Company, Mansfi eld, Missouri RareSeeds.com Video at Tinyurl.com/BakerCreekSeed Purchase Baker Creek Seeds locally at South Seminole Farm in Casselberry www.sseminolefarmandnursery.com


Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa, nonprofi t SeedSavers.org


Hosts largest U.S. seed swap


BBB Seed, Boulder, Colorado bbbseed.com Regional wildfl ower seed and grass seed mixes


Strawbery Banke Museum, Portsmouth, New Hampshire Tinyurl.com/SeedSavingTips


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