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towering marigolds, the flashiest zinnias & more, with peace seedlings

margaret — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 20:29:29 +0000

SO YOU THINK you’re familiar with marigolds and zinnias? Well, it’s time to take another look, I think, as I have been longingly in the seed list from Oregon-based Peace Seedlings. Among their offerings are multi-toned zinnias in shades you won’t have seen before, with names like ‘Day Glow Mix,’ and ‘Rainbow Eyes.’ And there’s a selection of not just at any little old marigold, like the ones in the garden center cellpacks—but instead extravagant 3- and 4- and even 6-foot-high plants loaded with flowers for cutting, or shrubby ones like ‘Red Metamorph’ that could form a beautiful garden hedge if planted in a row, or even a 10-footer that’s also known as Mexican tarragon, whose leaves are harvested as a culinary herb. Who knew? Dylana Kapuler and her partner, Mario DiBenedetto, founded Peace Seedlings in 2009, after helping Dylana’s parents, Alan and Linda Kapuler, with their longtime seed-breeding project called Peace Seeds. They have built on the legacy of Alan’s decades of organic seed breeding, and I was so glad to speak with them from Corvallis, Ore., to talk about some of that continuing work. Read along as you listen to the April 21, 2025 edition of my public-radio […]

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exploring ‘the exchange,’ seed savers’ online heirloom seed swap

margaret — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 17:15:06 +0000

YOU PROBABLY KNOW the popular Seed Savers Exchange catalog, which this year features 600 varieties of seed to choose from and supports the beloved nonprofit preservation organization by the same name that in 2025 is turning 50 years old. But maybe you haven’t clicked around in Seed Savers’ online seed swap that’s simply called The Exchange, where homegrown open-pollinated seed for more than 14,000 unique varieties is offered this year. Some of it from Seed Savers’ own vast collection, and others from hundreds of individual gardeners all over the country and beyond. It’s the ultimate seed rabbit hole for keen gardeners to explore, and then some. Josie Flatgard, Exchange and Outreach Coordinator for Seed Savers Exchange, based in Decorah, Iowa, told me about their preservation work, and how The Exchange fits into the mission—and how we gardeners can join in the effort and also access some heirloom seeds with compelling stories to tell. Read along as you listen to the Feb. 10, 2025 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here). heirloom seeds from the exchange, with […]

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surrendering to snapdragons, with joseph tychonievich

margaret — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 20:51:52 +0000

ANYBODY IN THE MOOD for something just plain pretty at the moment? Something to search the seed catalogs for, choosing among the many wildly colorful varieties, and then get ready to sow for a result that’s all hopeful and bright? Well me, too. So after I saw a photo of a bed of snapdragons the other day from last year’s garden of Joseph Tychonievich, I thought they might be just the thing to bring us all some delight. Joseph is a writer, a plant breeder, and of course a gardener and the creator of Josephgardens.com and a Substack newsletter by the same name. It was in his latest Substack post that I saw a photo of his lavish display of snapdragons from last year’s garden (above) and called him up to ask for more information. Joseph, who gardens in South Bend, Ind., enticed me further and told me how to grow them, and which ones to look for especially. Read along as you listen to the Jan. 27, 2025 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here). […]

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