What are heirloom seeds? Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been saved for generations from families all over the world. These seeds are usually open-pollinated (non-hybrid) and have been saved and grown by generations of backyard gardeners for a variety of vegetables and flower plants.
A true heirloom seed is always open-pollinated meaning that if the seeds produced from the plant are properly saved, they will produce the same variety and quality year after year. Hybrids on the other hand, are a cross between two separate plants and cannot be considered an heirloom.
What is the big deal with heirloom seeds you may ask? Well, as an example, remember those great tomatoes that Mom or Grandma used to grow or the ones that came from your local farmer at a roadside stand? They were grown from heirloom seeds in someone’s backyard and the quality, texture and taste does not compare to the ones sold in stores and supermarkets today.
Some gardeners say that in order for a seed to be considered an heirloom, it must be at least 50 years old. They also believe that there should be some history behind the seed such as a story behind the variety, or maybe some ethnic background, or perhaps the seed can be associated with a certain time in history. Whatever these beliefs are, it does not matter as long as you can get beautiful flowers and delicious home grown vegetables from heirloom seeds.
Is it difficult to find heirloom seeds? No, go here for a great variety of heirloom seeds for flower plants as well as vegetables. Here is a list of some heirloom seeds for flowering plants that I found. These are just heirloom seeds for flower plants. I will discuss heirloom vegetable seeds on another post.
Tulip Maytime – Botanical name is Tulipa Maytime
Here is a 1942 heirloom! Tulip Maytime was first introduced in the 16th century in Turkey. It is a sturdy heirloom that has been around for many years and it is unique in that the petals are urn shaped. The petals then curve outward to form a six-point star.
Hibiscus Boule de Feu – Botanical name is Hibiscus Syriacus ‘Boule de Feu”
This heirloom Hibiscus has been a favorite one for many gardeners for generations. It has double ruffled flowers which look like Rose of Sharon flowers. The flowers are a blend of rose, raspberry-red and deep pink and it has a maroon blotch at the center. The blooms open up in the morning as soon as the sun reaches them and they furl up tight at night.
Boule de Feu is a large shrub that deer will not touch and tolerates heat and humidity. When matured, it grows up to 12 feet tall and about 10 feet wide. It begins to bloom mid-summer and continues without stopping until the cold weather starts. Boule de Feu thrives in zones 5-9.
Its bloom’s tapered petals are somewhat washed with red-violet color that fades to white edges and when opened, it has a golden base. Although this tulip looks delicate, they are hardy in zones 3-8 and have a long blooming period.
Snapdragon Black Prince – Botanical name is Antirrhinum maius Black Prince
This is an heirloom snapdragon that has dark crimson blooms and bronze like foliage. It also has a strong cinnamon scent. It blooms in the spring and fall and the plants grow to 18 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. These are great for a border, a flower bed or even edging.
Sunflower Henry Wilde Seed Tape – Botanical name is Helianthus Hybridus Henry Wilde
Wow! Here is an easy way to start your Sunflower heirloom garden. The seeds come in a tape and you just cut the desired size, snip and water them. If you like sunflowers, get the seed tape. With seed tape, just put down the tissue paper strips where you want the plants to grow, cut them to fit the space you want, add a little soil over them, and water them.
In no time, you will have large golden yellow blooms on each 5 to 6 foot plants. The petals in sunflowers are bright and these have a brown-black center. Have some fun with this one and give it to your children to start their first garden! It is simple enough for them to handle and they will love their first flower garden.
Marigold Tiger Eyes – Botanical name is Tagetes Patula Tiger Eyes
Tiger Eyes is an open pollinated Marigold that has been around for more than a century and it originated from France. It is called tiger eyes because it has big bold eyes like flowers in deep red and bright yellow. The flowers measure about 2 inches across and have single lower petals in smoky red and the upper petals are sunny yellow.
Tiger Eyes grows up to 12 inches high and blooms all summer. It is ideal as a flower border, window box or even edging. The best part about marigold is that they kill root knot nematodes without the use of pesticides. So if you grow your own vegetables, planting marigold around them will eliminate nematodes.
Morning Glory Star of Yelta – Botanical name is Ipomea Purpurea Star of Yelta
Morning glory vines are beautiful but the flowers only open in the morning. But here is an heirloom morning glory that will actually remain open almost all day. The possibilities are endless with Star of Yelta. This vine is ideal for fences, walls, mailboxes, lamp posts, or just let it climb up a trellis.
The flowers are rich purple blooms and each has a bright pink star like form and a tiny white central dot. It flowers all summer until fall reaching up to 10 feet tall. Star of Yelta thrives in full sun and this vine grows well in any ordinary soil on the dry side.
So there you have it, some beautiful flower plants that you can start with heirloom seeds. And, remember that gardening should be fun and if you never used heirloom seeds before, maybe this is the time to start. Stay tuned for my next post where I will discuss heirloom vegetables.
To gardening success,
Diana
Here are some other flower gardening sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Best Flower Gardening!
Little Sprouts Grow Big Community Garden - Know Your Farmer ...
Tips for growing a cut flower garden
Warm up this winter at indoor flower shows - USATODAY.com
flower gardening - a set on Flickr
Washingtonpost.com: Live Online
12 places to see beautiful spring blooms - CNN
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