12th Day of Seed Catalogs

Seed Company Spotlight
The Thyme Garden
 
Location: 20546 Alsea Hwy, Alsea, OR 97324
Inquiries: [email protected]
Phone: 541-487-8671
Website: https://www.thymegarden.com/
Catalog Request: https://www.thymegarden.com/catalog
 
The Thyme Garden is a family operated seed farm and nursery along the Alsea River in Oregon’s Coast Range Mountains about 25 miles southwest of Corvallis on Highway 34. Started in 1989, this is an 80-acre farm with 3 acres of special cultivated gardens. I could see the farm fields, greenhouses and circular gardens from Googe Maps satellite view.
 
If you are on a quest for unique herbs this is the place. They grow and offer more than 400 varieties of plants. Want to eat more flowers? They have a wonderful collection. Want to grow fiber or dye plants? They’ve got it covered. Looking for a special variety of hop vine for your specialty brew that will thrive where you live? They offer over 30 different types and they’ll match the hop to your region of the United States!
 
I have not received their catalog yet but I look forward to its arrival. Here’s what they have to say about this little publication – “Our 64 page catalog doubles as an herbal encyclopedia, with 30+ years of information on the incredible variety of herbs, hops and flowers we have added to our collection. . . . lots of herbal lore, historic and current uses, and all the basics you want to know about an herb: each listing includes growing cycles (annual/biennial/perennial), light preferences, and height at maturity.” This sounds like perfect January reading.
 
The Thyme Garden sells their herb and hop starts at the Corvallis Farmers Market and at 1st Alternative Natural Foods Coop in Corvallis. You can visit the nursery and display gardens from April through August, check website for hours and dates. https://www.thymegarden.com/nursery
 
On your visit you can explore the special display gardens. Each garden holds a thematic group of plants. These six unique displays demonstrate how you might use these plants in your garden.
 
The Moon Garden. These plants have silver and gray foliage or white flowers that look great in the moonlight.
 
Household Herbs. This collection of herbs includes dye and fiber plants that people have used for centuries.
 
Thyme Garden. A whole garden of thyme, with an eyepopping collection that offers a wild mix of colors, fragrances, growing habits and texture.
 
Culinary Garden. The world and its culinary herbs are found herer, including rare and unique varieties.
 
Edible Flower Garden. Get more colors on your plate with edible flowers. They go way beyond borage, pansies and calendula in this display. Grow a rainbow salad.
 
Wildlife Garden. These plants provide colorful blooms and nectar for native wildlife and pollinators.
 
Two of their collections have really captured my imagination. Each collection includes packets of seeds, growing instructions and history of uses.
 
Dye and Fiber collection. Since I am new to growing my own dye plants and don’t really know where to start, I appreciate this collection of 6 plants. Hopi Red Dye Amaranth (Amaranthus) - Red Dye, Calendula - Orange Dye, Calliopsis - Yellow Dye, Golden Marguerite -Yellow to Orange Dye, Weld - Yellow Dye, Woad - Blue Dye
 
Everlasting Flower collection. I am a huge fan of cut flowers and this is a collection has long stand varieties as well as those that are great for dried arrangements. Collection includes seed packets, growing tips and basic drying instructions.
Baby’s Breath, Blue Star Eryngium, Bells of Ireland, Nigella, Statice, Strawflower
 
The more I learn about The Thyme Garden, the more I want to see it in person. I think a road trip is shaping up for 2024!

zinnias photo credit: Lisa Taylor

​All images unless otherwise noted are from https://www.thymegarden.com and are used for educational purposes only.

Garden with Lisa Newsletter
 
My monthly newsletter helps the year-round edible gardener stay on track. In each issue you’ll find lists of what to do inside and outside. Learn more with timely and practical tips for the organic gardener. Get the whole family involved with the monthly hands-on garden craft.
Sign up here: 
https://www.gardenwithlisa.com

---

​Seed Company Spotlight
Peace Seedlings
 
Location: 2385 SE Thompson Street, Corvallis, OR 97333
Inquiries: [email protected]
Phone: none listed
Website: http://peaceseedlingsseeds.blogspot.com
Online Catalog Only: http://peaceseedlingsseeds.blogspot.com
 
Update: I was so sad to learn of Alan's passing on November 11, 2023. Meeting him and hearing him talk about seeds was a highlight of my life. Thank you Alan, you are an enduring inspiration. 

I conclude the 12 Days of Seed Catalogs in the best place possible – Peace Seedlings, a small farm and seed breeding operation in Corvallis, Oregon. Peace Seedlings is Dylana Kapuler, her partner Mario DiBenedetto and baby Calypsa. They are the offspring of Alan and Linda Kapuler’s Peace Seeds. They are organic public domain seed breeders, growers and distributors who specialize in Andean tubers. Everything they sell is grown, cleaned and packed by Dylana and Mario. Since everything is grown in Corvallis and is regionally adapted to grow well there, this is a great resource for Maritime Northwest gardeners – especially summer crops that are harder to grow in our temperate climate.
 
For me, Alan and Linda Kapuler are the parents of West Coast seed saving and breeding. Peace Seeds started in 1975 with a focus on breeding plants for nutrition and preserving heirloom varieties. In the name of better health, Alan and his family have been breeding plants for nutrition rather than shelf life and appearance. Their Original varieties also happen to be regionally adapted, easy to grow, unique and beautiful. Peace Seeds and Peace Seedling seeds are all in the public domain so you can grow, save and sell their varieties, just give credit where it is due.
 
If you are lucky, you might run into Mushroom (Alan) and family at Energy Park at the Oregon Country Fair which is held each year in July outside of Veneta, Oregon. He might even have some seed to sell. www.oregoncountryfair.org  
 
Ever wondered how F1 Hybrids become open pollinated varieties? This article demystified the whole process for me. It has just the right amount of science, I was grateful for this education. You’ll find it on the “old” Peace Seeds website, http://www.peaceseedslive.com. It’s called Diploids, Hybrids, Landraces and Grexes and is written ​by Alan M. Kapuler PhD, Dylana Kapuler, Mario DiBenedetto, Linda Kapuler. Here’s a link to the pdf. http://www.peaceseedslive.com/uploads/9/4/8/5/94858306/diploids_hybrids_landraces_and_grexes.pdf
 
 
Dive into their electronic catalog, you’ll be delighted with what you find. This year, I’m after something new. Here’s what I found, descriptions are from http://peaceseedlingsseeds.blogspot.com
 
Onion – Rosy Opal. “Beautiful tasty large pink sweet onions. A great sweet onion that stores into winter. Bred by Peace Seeds and Peace Seedlings.”
 
Corn, sweet – Fire on the Mountain Sweet. “Vigorous cold hardy small colorful plants, with early beautiful dark multi-colored cobs, a child of Painted Hill Sweet Corn. Bred by Peace Seedlings.” 
 
Artichoke- Andrey’s. “5-foot tall, vigorous, hardy plants, from Andrey Baranovski of Belarus, seems like an artichoke/cardoon cross.”
 
Lettuce – Fever. “Bronze loose-leaf romaine, very beautiful.”
 
Radicchio – Winter Miscela. “Interbreeding population of 6 radicchios, beautiful winter salad. Peace Seedlings breeding.”
 
Bell Pepper – Peace Bell. “Peace Seedlings original. Years selecting to get this new open pollinated red bell. Dense plants loaded with large thick fleshed fruits.”   
 
Cucumber- Mideast Peace. “Great smooth skinned non-bitter type, 4 to 6 ft vines with many sets of 5-7 inch fruits. Peace Seeds original.” 
 
Beans, pole – Withner’s True Cornfield pole. “Heirloom passed on to Peace Seeds by the great orchidologist Carl L. Withner.”
 
Pea, snap – Ruby Crescent HT Snap Vine. “Beautiful red snap peas with purple flowers that grow on hyper-tendril vines, Peace Seedlings breeding.”
 
Tomato – Geranium Kiss. “Stocky 2 ft determinate plants, with hyper-tresses of 20-70, 1oz fruits, 3-4 sets, a ‘one stake wonder.’ Unique Peace Seeds original.”
 
Tomato – Peacevine Cherry. “Vigorous indeterminate vines, great tasting cherry high in vitamin C and GABA, an amino acid and neurotransmitter. Peace Seeds original.”
 
Zinnia – Yell Fire. “Tall plants with long stems holding transforming multitone flaming flowers. Peace Seedlings original.”
 
This is a grass roots company so there isn’t an online store and they no longer offer a printed catalog. It is a little like stepping back in time, when things were less electronic and more paper and pen. The instructions on the website.
 
You’ll write down your order, figure the cost, add shipping for seeds and additional shipping for tubers – put it in an envelope with a check or money order and send it the Seedlings directly. They will lovingly package your order and send it to you. I love everything about this company.

sour gherkin photo credit: Lisa Taylor

Opal Creek snap pea photo credit: Lisa Taylor

collard photo credit: Lisa Taylor

​All images unless otherwise noted are from http://peaceseedlingsseeds.blogspot.com and are used for educational purposes only.

Garden with Lisa Newsletter
 
My monthly newsletter helps the year-round edible gardener stay on track. In each issue you’ll find lists of what to do inside and outside. Learn more with timely and practical tips for the organic gardener. Get the whole family involved with the monthly hands-on garden craft.
Sign up here: 
https://www.gardenwithlisa.com


TWO MORE DAYS
There are many more worthy and excellent seed companies that aren’t in the group. On the 13th Day of Seed Catalogs I will post the rest of the list and their digits. AND for those of you looking for high quality tools, on the 14th Day of Seed Catalogs I will post my favorite tool companies for backyard gardeners.
STAY TUNED