I have always been an avid gardener, and no matter where I live or how little space I have, I will find a spot to make a garden. Right now I have lots of tomatoes growing in my small city garden, and this year I was hoping to start growing heirloom tomatoes. Unfortunately, my local garden centers did not have a good variety of heirloom seeds, so I turned to the Internet. This is when I discovered Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and they impressed with their large selection and variety.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds offers around 1300 different heirloom seeds, and there are many rare seeds in the collection. To keep the heirloom seeds from being contaminated, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds grows the plants in cages, and they are very careful with isolating the different plants from each other plants.
Last weekend I started planting my first heirloom tomato seeds, and I am very excited to see how the tomatoes turn out. I have carefully labeled everything, so that I can see how each plant will grow, and growing heirloom tomatoes will take a little more planning and organization than I usually use when I am gardening. Still, I am excited, because these heirloom tomato varieties look fantastic.
A week later, the heirloom tomatoes have slowly begun to sprout, and I am very excited to see the first seedlings appear. I only planted 2 – 3 seeds in every soil pellet, because it is a bit late in the season to start planting here in South Florida. I will start up a new batch in August, and thankfully there are a minimum of 20 – 25 heirloom seeds in each package of heirloom tomato seeds from Baker Creek.
The Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato seeds were some of the first seeds to turn into seedlings
I have started planting eight different varieties of heirloom seeds including the Great White Tomato, the Ozark Pink Tomato, the Carbon Tomato, the Spear’s Tennessee Green Tomato, the Marmande Tomato, the Dad’s Sunset Tomato, the Yellow Riesentraube Tomato and and the Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato.
About the Heirloom Tomatoes In My Garden:
- The Great White Tomato produces large, 1-lb giant, creamy white fruits.
- The Ozark Pink Tomato Fruits are medium to large in size and are produced in abundance on very productive, disease resistant plants. This is the perfect tomato for all hot, humid areas.
- The Carbon Tomato, is the winner of the 2005 “Heirloom Garden Show” best tasting tomato award.
- The Spear’s Tennessee Green Tomato has been grown by the Spear family of Tennessee since the 1950′s, and it was brought to Baker Creek by a local customer who had been preserving it in his garden.
- The Marmande Tomato is a popular old French variety developed by the Vilmorin Seed Co, it produces medium-large sized fruits even in cool weather.
- The Dad’s Sunset Tomato is the perfect orange tomato with large 10 oz. fruits.
- The Yellow Riesentraube Tomato produces clusters of golden grape tomatoes.
- The Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato produces 1-lb fruits with yellow-and-red mottled flesh, and it has a sweet, fruity and somewhat pineapple-like taste.
I am very surprised at the fair price of the heirloom seeds, because regular seeds usually cost between $1 – $3 per bag at our local garden stores, and the heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds only cost around $2-3 for a pack containing a minimum of 20 – 25 seeds.
About Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed was started by Jere Gettle at the age of 17, when he printed the first Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog. Since then the company has grown to include more than 1300 varieties of heirloom seeds from more than 70 countries. All of the heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds are non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented. The company and farm is located 45 miles east of Springfield, Missouri, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has retail stores in Mansfield, MO, Petaluma,CA & Wethersfield ,CT.
If you want to know more about heirloom gardening, you can also read The Heirloom Life Gardener, a book written by Baker Creek owners Jere and Emilee Gettle.
Buy It
You can order a free copy of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog,
or you can order directly from the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds website.
Win It
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has generously offered a giveaway prize of an assortment of heirloom seeds to one of Frugality Is Free’s readers.
This giveaway will end Wednesday May 9th at Midnight EST.
Disclaimer: I received complimentary heirloom seeds samples for the purpose of writing a review and hosting a giveaway, no monetary compensation was received. Any opinions expressed above are based solely on my experience with the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds products.
I’d love to plant Basil. I noticed several varieties, including lemon and Greek dwarf.
Amazon Chocolate Tomatoes
Would love to get the Rossa di Verona Dragon Radicchio!! grammypenny@frontier.com
Heirloom Tomatoes or White Corn
I’f like to plant Cosmic Carrots and Malasian Red Eggplants.
I’d love to plant cucumbers!
I would love to plant some Roma tomatoes!
So many I want but the Orange Banana Tomato
caught my eye
Tall Double Mix – Strawflower would look good in my front yard.
I’d love to plant Hawaiian Pineapple Tomatoes!
I’d love to plant cilantro, oregano, and basil!
I’d like to try the Bidwell Casaba Melon and Delicious 51 Melon. So many great seeds to chose from. Thanks!
I’d love to have the Cosmos and any of the Hollyhock flower seeds.
crochet4hats[at]gmail[dot]com
I would like to try the Blacktail Mountain Watermelon
I have never grown heirloom varieties, so I would love to try any of them.
liked on fb x3!
They’re out of catalogs!
I would like the entire herb section!
lokigsd@yahoo.com
I’d like to plant some Lavender seeds.
I would like this wildflower; http://rareseeds.com/wild-flowers/all-wildflowers/siberian-wallflower-wildflower.html
Sounds great!
I want to plant carrots this year…every year I have planted them the gophers get to them though :/
I actually would like to plant some cool gourds.
I would love to try the Tigger Melon. Not only is it pretty to look at, it sounds like it would be an awesome addition to any fruit Salad!
Chinese 5 Color Pepper or Goat Horn Peppers. We love cauliflower but I just can’t seem to grow it.
I’d love to plant Gibsonii – Castor Bean, Five Color Silver Beet Chard, and Pineapple Tomato! Thanks.
AUNT RUBY GERMAN GREEN TOMATO
I’d love any of the flowers & Monstrueux De Viroflay Spinach.
I would love to try the different varieties of Broccoli and Cauliflower. It all looks so yummy and interesting. So many items I had never even heard of! I requested a catalog.
I would like the Roma tomatoes
southern night tomato
the orange banana tomato looks fab
i’d like to plant some Hibiscus
Long Island Brussels sprouts
I would love to grow some heirloom Copia tomatoes. Thanks!
I’d like to get some Chinese Chives Mixed seeds.
Oh, I’d like to plant Snapdragons!
http://rareseeds.com/flowers-n-z-1/snapdragon.html
Thanks for the giveaway!
I would like to try the carrots. i have never tried to plant it before and i see there are a few varieties.
I would try to plant the A Grappoli D’Inverno Tomatoes plus the usual basil,oregano and chives
I would love to grow the Pearly Pink cherry tomato…of course, they’re out of stock…just my luck!
Looking forward grow tomatos that taste like the ones in my youth
The Pineapple Tomatoe looks so interesting.
I would love to try the black cherry tomatoes
Too many to choose from! Love heirloom tomatoes, they have so much flavor.
The Eggplant seeds
I would get the cherokee purple tomato.
Oh this would be SO awesome right now! I am just getting started on making my garden. Got the wood over the weekend!
I would get some watermelon, and those Hawaiin tomatos, those look amazing!!!!!!!
ozark pink tomatoes
Rue, Herb O’Grace
Everything, but especially A Grappoli D’Inverno Tomatos!
I would love to try the Old Italian Tomato
I’m planning on planting artichokes this year so Violetta Precoce Artichoke is what I would be looking at getting, they look so pretty and taste so good, a perfect combination for the garden.
I would love to try the non-GMO corn.
Greek dwarf basil. Mmmm good.
Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach…I love spinach
I want to plant some melons
My husband would love the beefsteak tomatoes
I would love the lima beans!
i like the Ballerina Double Mix California Poppy Seeds ans the Fire Chief Petunia Seeds
I am a roma tomato fan myself (nothing heirloom about that!) But mom wants to grow them in her 1/4 acre garden. Can’t discourage that variety for cooking and eating, eh?
[...] Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Giveaway 5/9 [...]
Malasian Red Eggplants
I’d like to try growing the Christmas Pole Lima beans.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
wild strawberries or pink bananas!
I would like to plant Honeydew Orange Flesh Melons
I’d like to plant the blue curled scotch kale.
Atlantic Giant Pumpkin
I would like to plant black beauty eggplant
I love tomatoes and would love to try to plant Costoluto Genovese Tmatoes
I’d love to have anything that can be canned. I did tomatoes last year and want to try another veggie this year – should be a good learning experience.
liked on fb!
lokigsd@yahoo.com
I would like to plant the Florida Market Eggplant
I love heirloom seeds! It’s all I will use to grow plants/food. I love sticking it to Monsanto’s evil butt
My daughter wants to try goji berries so thats what we’d plant
I’d love the onions – I’ve heard they are easy to grow!
I found out last year that my husband only likes the BIG limas, not the baby ones (I planted baby limas). So I’d like to grow the King of the Garden lima beans.
As I get older I am trying to get my garden more durable. This sounds like just what I’m looking for. I would like flowers, vegtables and herbs.
I would like to try the Crystal Apple cucumbers…very interesting looking.
The Old Italian Tomatos would be good. Wonder why no fruit? Berries.
I love tomatoes fresh from the garden, so I’d love to try the Heirloom tomatoes.
I want to try the Laurentian Rutubaga seeds and Soapwort!
I would LOVE to try the Hawaiian Pineapple Tomatoes
I would love to plant the African Horned cucumber melon
I like these
http://rareseeds.com/flowers-a-c/asters-china/double-rainbow-mix-asters.html
melissalucky43@yahoo.com
I like their poppy seed to use for baking, and so many of their basil varieties for cooking.
Would love to have the Chinese 5 Color peppers!
Drat! they are out of catalogs for this year.
Corn!
The Rhubarb seeds that I planted didn’t make it through an unexpected frost, so I would love to try Baker Creek’s.
really would like to try any tomato seeds
Would love to try Heirloom Seeds when it is our time to plant (South Florida it is Aug not April). I have a small city lot, but I find room to tuck a plant in here and there.
No better way to eat than plant heriloom seeds!
I love the Perkin’s long pod okra. I order from Baker’s every year.
chestnutyouth(at)hotmail(dot)com
the orangeglo watermellons look fun
I’ve always planted hybrids and I would love to plant heirlooms and safe the seeds for future plantings.
Oh the Giant of Sicily Radish look yummy!!! I would definitely want to try that variety and some other varieties of radishes.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Kelly (at) mysimplewalk (dot) com
basil!
i’d love to try the Chocolate Stripe Tomatoes. i LOVE heirloom tomatoes, haven’t tried these yet though!! thanks for the chance!
The Black Pineapple tomato’s look awesome
tomatato
Tomatos and Carrots
[...] wanted to give all of you an update on my Heirloom Tomatoes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I almost lost them, as I had the seedlings standing out in the [...]
I would like the Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea
Heirloom tomatoes
Chocolate tomatoes sound interesting.
The sugar ann snap pea.
I want to plant Broccoli
I am most excited about the tomatoes but especially the “chocolate” tomatoes. Who knew that was an option?
I would like to try and grow the Chadwick Cherry tomatoe
I would like to plant cosmic carrots
I would like to try the seeds for the pretty Birds Eyes wildflowers.
[...] Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Giveaway 5/9 [...]
Yellow prairie coneflower
Candytuft
Cilantro and tomatoes!
I would plant borage for sure. I would love to plant Paul Robeson tomatoes, Mammoth Sandwich Island salsify, and Black Amber sorghum.
I’d love to try the lime basil or verde basil!
The Chantenay Red Core Carrots look great! I would love to plant them!
i would like to plant some stripped tomotoes
I would love to play some marjoram. So many uses.
I would like to plant the purple tomatillo seeds. Thanks for the giveaway.
Friariello Di Napoli Pepper seeds.
I would like to get asparagus started, I guess it takes a few years before you can harvest it.
I would like to try the Quadrato D’asti Rosso Pepper. I love roasting red peppers and putting them on sandwiches and pizza.
Marina di Chioggia pumpkins!! I love how ugly they are!!
I would love to start a garden! Haven’t had one since I was a kid, and oh how i love some fresh Veggies!
I’d plant every vegetable in season. I’ve never had a house just an apt so I’d love to buy a plantern for some squash. Cool giveaway!
I would like the Japanese long cucumber. I could eat my weight in fresh cucumbers. I’ve never had heirloom cucumbers, but if there is as much difference in them as it is in heirloom tomatoes compared to regular, look out. A definite winner.
I would like to plant Costoluto Genovese Tomato
like to try the european meselon mix
I would probably chose the Southern Small Package. There are so many choices!
the dwarf queeny mixed hollyhocks!
I would like purple Habernero
Heirloom Tomatoes
I’d like to plant Beauty Queen tomatoes, Hillbilly or Flame tomatoes, Blue Speckled beans, Catskill Brussels Sprouts and Flame Lettuce. Lots of deliciousness and colors!
The Atomic Red Carrots are cool. Love the retro family!
Roma tomatoes
I would like to try the white corn
chadwick cherry tomato and pinepple tomato
I would like to plant heirloom tomatoes, like Copia, Uncle Mark Bagby, Roman Candle and more.
chrisdeglen(at)gmail(dot)com
Calabrese Green Sprouting Broccoli (among other things!)
Heirloom Tomatoes
Big Rainbow tomatoes
We already grow lots of different herbs, tomatoes and variety peppers – but I would love to add Bok Choy and Japanese Long Cucumbers and I’d also like to an area of solid lavender.
Also, we have this piece of land on the far side of the property that I have always wanted to turn into like a Wildflowers field or meadow – so I love a variety of Wildflower seeds, too
(Also signed up for the Newsletter and the 2013 Catalog.)
I would like the Country Gentleman Sweet Corn
I would love to plant several of their different variaties of tomatoes and other plants like their golden delious squash
cucumbers
amy16323(at)gmail(dot)com
I’d like to plant some Roma tomatoes! Thanks!
I would love to plant cucumbers.
I would like to try the Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard.
I would love to grow asparagus!
I would like to try the Granny Cantrell German Red Tomato seeds.
i would like to plant the Henderson’s Pink Ponderosa Tomato
I think I’d have to try the white corn.
I want to try the Giant of Naples Cauliflower.
would like to try Orange Sun Pansy seeds
brich22 at earthlink dot net
subscribe via email using ardy22 at earthlink dot net
brich22 at earthlink dot net
The Tonda Di Parigi Carrot!
I would most like to grow the Bhut Jolokia Pepper–my husband is obsessed with it!
Tomatoes
The Chris Cross Watermelon
mightynaynay(at)cs.com
For flowers , I would like Petunias and dianthus or Pinks. For Spring it would be Rhubarb.
heirloom tomatos!
To be honest I would like to try that small southern heirloom package.
I would like to try the Shin Kuroda 5″ Carrot. Seems perfect for my square foot garden!
I think I’d like to grow Asian bean Moonshadow, Lemon Cucumbers & Japanese White Eggplant.
I’d love to plant Roma tomatoes but its too late in the year and we never get enough sun
I can’t wait to move to Florida so I can have a big garden full of tomatoes oranges and peppers…. yum!)
I would plant my fav Zucchini Squash – Black Beauty
I would love to plant the Brugmansia or Angel’s Trumpet.
kat_emerick@yahoo.com
I think I would try something different like the Ground Cherry. Thank you!!
Japanese Pickling Eggplant, Japanese White Egg, Blue Curled Scotch Kale, and many more
We love veggies!
i would love to plant squash yum
I would like to grow some dishcloth gourds
I want the Purple Beauty Pepper
I’d like to plant the Gold Medal tomatoes, Kolb’s Gem or American Champion watermelon, and the Tomatillo Verde.
Michelle Tucker
I would love to grow these daisies http://rareseeds.com/wild-flowers/alaska-shasta-daisy/alaska-shasta-daisy-wildflower.html
Violetta Precoce Artichoke
I have their catalog, would love to win some seeds!
I would like to plant the Red Wonder Wild Strawberry.
[...] Heirloom Tomato giveaway ends tonight, so I wanted to give you an update on my family’s Heirloom Tomatoes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. It has now been four weeks, since I first planted the heirloom [...]
Heirloom Tomatoes
I would love to try the Jalapeno- Craig’s Grande in my garden!
Amazon Chocolate Tomatoes
I would like to try to grow some carrots and some Candytuft flowers.
Hawaiian Pineapple Tomatoes–never heard of them before until your post!
*kelly
kelly-tillotson@hotmail.com
I would like to plant the Crackerjack Mix – Marigold, African
fb/ shirley greenawalt zolenski
twitter, gfc, stumble/ daveshir2005
google +/ shirley pebbles
I’d love to plant the dill, tomatoes, and flowers. Thank you for the generous giveaway…
I would plant anything! I have been wanting to try these!!
I’d pick the Creme Brulee Tomato from the Soviet Union, Stevia , and the tall strawflower
Great website! I could “browse” for hours!
I would love to plant the Beefsteak Tomatoes.
We eat lots of Spinach, so I would try that!
[...] winner of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds giveaway [...]
[...] winner of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds giveaway [...]