Organic Heirloom Seeds – Page 2 – Irish Seed Savers Association

Genovese Courgette

€3.50

Light stripy green fruits. Good flavour and very creamy. An early, productive courgette. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10

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An heirloom variety from the Bavarian region of Germany also known as German Bier Garten or Beer Garden. A plump white radish with great flavour. Traditionally sliced very thinly and dipped in salt and served with bread or a warm pretzel – washed down with a beer of course! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250

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Giant Prague Celeriac

€3.50

A variety that goes back to 1871, this is a great winter vegetable with good sized, globed roots and creamy-white flesh. Very tasty in soups and stews or even roasted, with a distinctive ‘celery’ flavour. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 500

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Gil Gil Coriander

€3.50

A hardy annual, with characteristic pungent leaves used in salads, curries and pickles. This variety was bought to us from the ‘Kenyan Seed Savers’, very vigorous and easy to grow. For a constant supply sow direct, sparsely and often from early spring onwards. ANNUAL Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 150

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Golden Rain Dwarf French Bean

€3.50

This prolific dwarf variety produces uniform plants with lovely yellow pods and wonderfully golden/brown beans when mature. The young pods can be steamed or stir-fried, and the mature beans can be cooked up in soups or stews.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30

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Grandmothers Sweet William

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

An early-flowering variety, coming to us from Vermont, USA. A lovely bright and fragrant mix in shades of pinks, purples and whites. Long, firm stems make it an ideal cut flower throughout summer. A short-lived perennial. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 350

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Grandpa Admires Lettuce

€3.50

A variety named for an American civil war veteran born in 1822. This lovely loose-leaved lettuce has large, crisp, juicy leaves that are light green in colour tinged with bronze. Grows well even in poor weather.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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Great Mullein

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

An imposing and statuesque native plant (up to 2 meters in height). In its 1st year, it produces large velvety basal leaves. In the second year, we are treated to a stunning single spike full of beautiful, small yellow flowers. In times gone by the leaves were dried, rolled and smoked and the seedheads were dipped in wax and used as candles, hence it's Irish Name Coinnle Muire (Mary's Candle). Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100

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Haldenstein Spinach

€3.50

Named for Haldenstein: the Swiss town where people have been growing this heirloom variety since before WWI. Our original seed source came from True Love Seeds in Philadelphia and we concur that the leaves are large and mild with a wonderful nutty flavor. The seeds are quite distinctive in that they are almost triangular and pointed compared with the clusters of round seeds one would expect. Spinach is rich in iron, vitamin C and E, potassium, and magnesium. It's no wonder Popeye ate so much! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250

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Haskoy Cucumber

€3.50

This unusual variety comes from a village in the Pontic mountains of Turkey. The cucumbers are perfect for salads or pickling. Approximately 10cm long, and green with slight white striping. Compact plants, not as tall or sprawling as other varieties. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 16

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Hayachinena Japanese Greens

€3.50

Wonderful vigorous mustard greens with lush big, brilliant-green leaves. The flavour of these leaves is delicious and not too strong compared with other more pungent mustards. Especially nice steamed and served with a lemon juice and soya sauce dressing. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 500

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Hollow Crown Parsnip

€3.50

A long-rooted variety, between 25cm to 40cm (12in to 16in). The name "Hollow Crown" refers to a characteristic deep dip in the head of the roots. The taste is top quality, buttery and sweet, and it mashes down to an excellent smooth texture. The history of this heritage parsnip can be traced back to 1820, and it has been grown and loved for its flavour and texture ever since. Note: Fresh parsnip seeds need to be purchased each year due to the fact that they are short-lived and will not remain viable for more than a year. Average Seeds Per Pack: 1000

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Hopi Red Dye Amaranth

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

This plant came from the Hopi people of Arizona and New Mexico, and is so-called because the stems were used to make a food colouring for their ‘Piki’ bread. The leaves can be used like spinach, and are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals. The plants can grow up to 1.4m, the flowers a vibrant, rich, deep red, making a stunning display as they hang in cascades 30-60cm long. Because of its height, this lovely plant benefits from some staking. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 600

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IBM Linseed/Flax

€3.50

This variety was repatriated from the Vavilov Institute for Plant Genetic Resources in Russia, and, as is the norm with most gene banks, background information is scant and we haven't been able to locate any references to this particular variety to-date. We have however unearthed the root of the expression "tow-head" or "toe-head," which was used to describe a person with blond hair; it comes from the name for the fine, oft-tangled fibers left behind in the hackles, when processing flax into linen! The familiar wispy blue flowers of this variety transform into beautiful golden orbs full of plump, nutritious seeds. It's very easy to grow and to save the seeds if you're happy to share some with the birds who have that inherent ability to determine the optimum time for seed maturation! Grows to 80cm, 5 seed heads per plant. Sow: March/April Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 300

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Irish Glacier Brussels Sprouts

€3.50

This variety, once very popular with commercial growers, was given to us by the Wellsbourne gene bank. Barry Murphy, who bred the original from a farm collection of Irish brassicas, describes it as an outstanding variety, with small tight sprouts and good for freezing. The plants are very neat and uniform.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 300

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Irish Green Pea

€3.50

One of our most popular varieties, repatriated from the Vavilov Gene Bank in Russia. The plants grow up to 1.5m, so need good support. They produce an abundance of delicious sweet, round peas, 6-8 per pod, described by many as ‘a wonderful crop’. The plants have good mildew resistance and are less prone to sprouting in the pod during a wet summer. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50

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John’s Purple Carrot

€3.50

This wonderful variety has been selected from a bunch of orange carrots by John Purves in Oxford in the 1970s. Over time he obtained a pure line of purple roots, quite beautiful and unique, crisp and extremely flavoursome. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700

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Josh Toombs Purple Pod Pea

€3.50

This wonderful heirloom pea came to us from Josh Toombs in Co. Antrim. Josh got in touch with Irish Seed Savers when he was 79 years old because he wished to share this pea with other gardeners. It had been preserved in his family for over a century. The decorative pink and mauve/purple flowers produce a classic dark purple pod. Peas are good eaten fresh when young and immature or left to dry on the plant which make an excellent storage pea. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50

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Kuttiger Carrot

€3.50

Kuttiger is an old-type white carrot, first established in Europe in the 15th century. Now quite scarce, these types were very commonly grown until the introduction of orange carrots. With its snowy-white colour, broad shoulders, and stocky shape, this variety could be mistaken for a parsnip in appearance, though in taste it still has the mild and subtly earthy flavour of a carrot. Average Seeds Per Pack: 700

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Lady’s Slipper Achocha

€3.50

A very vigorous vining plant, related distantly to cucumbers, but much easier to cultivate. It thrives in cool summers, and can be grown outdoors or indoors. The vines should be given supports and planted about 1m apart to provide plenty of growing space. Its abundant little green fruits grow in pairs, and picked young, taste similar to cucumbers and young French beans. The fruit can be eaten fresh, pickled in brine or vinegar, stir-fried in oil, or stuffed and braised. Pick fruits while young; if left to mature they will eventually burst open to reveal a spine of black woody seeds within. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 4

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Lambs Lettuce

€3.50

This hardy salad crop, also known as field salad or mache, has been cultivated and eaten for hundreds of years. The small green leaves have a soft texture and a mild, gentle flavour, invaluable in winter salads. Average Seeds Per Pack: 300

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Land Cress

€3.50

Also known as American cress, these dark green leaves have a spicy flavour like water cress, but the plants are much easier to grow. Compact plants form attractive lobed leaves in rosettes. They thrive in the summer and autumn, but will also happily carry on throughout winter due to their cold tolerance. It’s surprising this delicious, peppery plant isn’t grown more widely! Average Seeds Per Pack: 1400

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Lebanese Salad Rocket

€3.50

These rocket seeds were brought back to Mud Island Community Garden by garden member Mark Kawa from the Lebanon. They nick-named it Lebanese Rocket when planting the seeds with little hope for such a hot climate plant, but it has thrived in winter and summer. If not regularly picked it quickly goes to seed but the leaves do not go as bitter as others. The delicate champagne coloured flowers are equally delicious and mild. If properly managed it can grow to a mass of about 30cm and planted as edible filler in the flower garden. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700

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Lipstick Pepper

€3.50

These fruits ripen to a beautiful, glossy, deep red, and are delicious both raw and cooked. A very dependable cropper, rich and sweet even in cool summers. The plants are compact but productive (equal to or better than many F1 hybrid types). Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25

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Lucullus Chard

€3.50

This variety is of Italian heritage and was named after the Roman General ‘Lucius Luccullus’, renowned for his splendid banquets and vast gardens some 2000 years ago. It was introduced in 1914 and won the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Quite hardy through the winter, with heavily ‘crimped’, bright, lush green leaves and white stalks that are almost like asparagus when cooked. Young flowering stalks in spring can be eaten like sprouting broccoli. It has the seal of approval from ‘Scoil Chroi’, in Galway who shared that “Lucullus was a big hit with students of all ages, they loved it, devouring it raw”.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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Major Doon Swede

€3.50

This Northern Irish heritage variety is a superb, purple-topped globe swede, with an excellent sweet flavour. It’s great raw and stores well – if you don’t eat them all straight away of course! Probably the same cultivar as Major Dunne, based on observation trials. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450

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Malselvnepe Turnip

€3.50

This Norwegian landrace is a hardy variety, well suited to growing in northern climates. The squat, medium-sized turnips are pale yellow in colour, and have an excellent flavour. Good for cooking as well as eating raw if you enjoy the strong flavour! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450

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Martock Broad Bean

€3.50

This robust landrace bean has references as far back as 1293 in English manorial account rolls. It is an attractive plant, with lovely purple/maroon mottled flowers. The pods of the beans are small but extremely numerous, containing small, brown, meaty, delicious beans, used fresh or kept for drying. Average Seeds Per Pack: 20

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Mayo Common Cabbage

€3.50

The seed for this cabbage came from a project in the 1980s that involved collecting ‘on-farm saved’ seed crop varieties. This particular ‘common’ or large headed Dutch-type came from farms in Knocknakillew, near Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. Sown in late spring it produces mighty heads, light green in colour. It over-wintered well, in fact some heads were still compact and harvestable well into the following season! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250

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Midnight Madness Chard

€3.50

This visually stunning and delicious chard is from an organic seed company in 'Ontario, Canada'. Gorgeous deep burgundy leaves and deep purple and orange stalks are plentiful throughout the growing season. A lovely addition to salads and soups. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200

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Mila’s Bulgarian Red Pepper

€3.50

This tapering variety of pepper produces beautiful, thick-walled, juicy, sweet, scarlet fruits. The plants are vigorous and productive, with tapering fruits of 10-15cm in length developing in abundance throughout the autumn. They have waxy skin which may help them to be storable for longer. These seeds came to us via Clare Island from Christophe and Ciara who had grown them in their garden tunnels. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25

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Mizuna Greens

€3.50

A Japanese green that grows as a large rosette of finely lobed leaves, crisp with a characteristic peppery flavour. To have a continuous supply of young leaves keep cutting regularly. Can be used to spice up a salad or be used in stir fry. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 500

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Monstrueux D’Elbeuf Leek

€3.50

A traditional French cultivar, grown originally in the alluvial plains of the Seine River in Normandy. It has quite short, wide, chunky stems, and lovely bright green foliage. Good for autumn harvesting, this flavoursome leek is well worth growing.

Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250

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Mrs Rucks Tomato

€3.50

This lovely bush variety presents a huge amount of scarlet small-to-medium, juicy fruit. An early ripener, their flavour is mild, fresh, and tangy. An early ripener. Mrs. Ruck was a lady of Audley End Estate in Essex (now managed by English Heritage) and had passed on the seed when she moved away. Our seed came to us via the Eden Project in Cornwall. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 40

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Muesboni Runner Bean

€3.50

This heritage German runner bean is a vigorous, reliable, early cropper. It produces bright red flowers followed by reasonably stringless beans. Average Seeds Per Pack: 15

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Nance Semi-Vining French Bean

€3.50

This treasured American heirloom is a semi-vining green bean variety, producing beautiful pink flowers and delicious sweet, slender pods. The mature beans, which can be saved for drying, are a beautiful creamy white colour with dark brown speckles. A productive and vigorous variety. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30

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Necker Queen Climbing French Bean

€3.50

A robust and high-yielding early climbing variety. Green, round, stringless pods producing creamy white beans. Performs well in poorer weather conditions. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 30

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Nordland Pea

€3.50

A rare snow pea variety first grown out at Irish Seed Savers in 2011. It came to us from the Seed Savers Exchange in the USA with few details. We don't know if it has some connection to Nordland in Norway, Nordland in Germany, or Nordland in the USA? What we do know from this year's grow out is that it grows tall up to 1.8m, produces a good crop of crisp, distinctly sweet mangetout, and tolerated the wet weather in Co. Clare. Best picked and eaten while young. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50

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Old Boer White Pumpkin

€3.50

A unique and rare treasure. A white-skinned variety, beautifully contrasted with very sweet vibrant orange flesh. Perfect for roasting, pies and baking. Historically popular in South Africa, named for the Dutch Boers. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10

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Old Jake Swede

€3.50

This purple-skinned variety purportedly came from a shipwreck on North Haven Island off the coast of Maine, USA. It has excellent flavour and hardiness, keeping well into spring. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450

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