10 Seeds that Give Big

Our seed packs deliver joy, hope, and beautiful art--along with high quality seeds. They make affordable gifts that delight any gardener. Each pack is designed by a different artist, who interprets the variety and its story through their own artistic medium. On the inside of each pack, we tell the story of the seed. This celebration marks the beautiful potential within the folds! Here are ten Art Packs that give in more ways than one:

1. The Gift of Greatness: Upstate Oxheart Tomato

Upstate Oxheart Tomato has always been one of those very special varieties. A regional family heirloom gifted to us years and years ago that we grew and fell in love with. The wispy foliage saves its energy to produce mega sized heart-shaped tomatoes, ranging from 1 to almost 3 pounds! And of course this tomato is a seed savers nightmare: each tomato produces only a very small number of seeds, making it ideal for the eater. This special variety has been unavailable for the past 2 seasons, and is our top requested variety, and not just because of the size. The flavor is complex and super sweet complemented by an unparalleled meaty texture. An excellent choice for preserving, give this variety to the tomato connoisseur in your life!

2. The Gift of Longevity: Sacred Basil

The act of gardening can certainly promote wellness, especially if the plants we grow have healing properties. Sacred Basil is also known as the "Elixar of Life" and is reported to promote longevity and act as an adaptogen. Growing this floral-scented basil really has no draw back what so ever: Its easy to grow from seed, scents the entire garden, and tastes amazing as a tea.

3.  The Gift that Gives to Many: Gift Zinnia

You can't ever really go wrong stuffing a stocking with Gift Zinnia! The vermilion blooms are a treat to all who behold them, people and pollinators! A plot of this zinnia attracts all kinds of beneficial friends to the garden, from bees, to butterflies to hummingbirds, who in turn give back to our gardens and the earth.

4. The Gift of Good Soil: Lacy Phacelia

We are a champion of Phacelia, whose tiny seeds pack big impact. A highly beneficial, easy to grow plant that is beautiful, but also acts as a great cover crop, building bio-mass quickly and with little work on the part of the grower. Phacelia is also known as "Bee's Friend" because the unfurling flowers are a rich source of nectar that bees can feed on 24 hours a day, which is not true for most blooms. This variety gets the garden and the soil buzzing with benefits!

5. The Gift of Care: Anise Hyssop

We can't stop singing the praises of Anise Hyssop, a sweet herb that makes a great, calming tea. Unlike 95% of our catalog, Anise Hyssop is a perennial, and one of the easiest to grow from seed at that, so once it is planted and growing it comes back year after year, and really, there is no better gift that one that gives for many seasons.

6. The Gift of Heights: Emerite Pole Bean

This variety is kind of like a gift to you, our dear customers! You've been requesting a pole snap bean for years, and it took us that long to find the best one and grow it for seed for you. Customers have been requesting a pole snap bean because they know how productive and carefree they are in a garden, setting tender beans for weeks longer than bush plants.

7. The Gift of Abundance: Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Just one of these pumpkins, cooked up and pureed can make about 4 pies, or 3 batches of soups, or the filling of a couple hundred ravioli! There's a revival going on to keep this variety alive, well, known and available. These seeds are from a collaborative grow out and represent a successful effort to steward this amazing variety. Learn more here.

8. The Gift of Practical Beauty: Variegated Nasturtium

The darling variegated leaves and bright jewel-toned flowers of this variety beautify containers, edges, and corners of the garden with ease. Simply sow the seeds 1 inch deep, keep watered, and within several weeks a colorful attractive nasturtium plant is there. Plus, the leaves and flowers can be added to a salad garden too: They are edible!

9. The gift of Good Timing: Midnight Garden Mix

It's true that we created this mix for the pollinators that come out at night, but the feedback we've gotten from all you hard working gardeners has been amazing. You spend weekends working in the garden, but work all hours of the day during the week, and don't have a lot of time to enjoy the beauty of your work. You've told us that Midnight Garden Mix offers enjoyment about the time you can spare in the evenings, when the sun is setting. The white, evening opening blooms reflect the light of the moon, and offer their peak scents just when you need to relax.

10. The Gift of Pure Joy: Kaleidoscope Carrot

Pulling a fresh, fat carrots from the ground is a joyful experience. There is nothing quite like extracting the hidden sweetness of a root that grows completely under the soil. Nothing, save watching someone pull a fresh, fat, colorful carrot from the ground for the first time--that is pure joy!