Heirloom seeds & Gardening Advice (Franklin, Bristol: co-op, houses, buying)

[rccrain]

With Father's Day and my Dad's birth day coming up, I've decided to get him a bunch of heirloom seeds.

#1 What other than tomatoes, corn, and watermelon grows well in the TRI?

#2 Have you successfully dealt with a vendor where you purchased seeds one year; then successfully used the purchased seeds to grow productive plants and harvest future usable seeds for the next year? If you have, I'd love to know where to find such a vendor (either local or online).

Thanks.

[TN.RidgerunninGal]

Living on a farm, I can tell you a couple of great places to get seeds... In Gray there's Gray Farm and Garden- friendly and helpful folks and they have a good variety of plants and seeds. Mize's downtown J.C. on the corner of State of Franklin and Watauga is also home town folks who have or used to carry good seed variety as well as plants. Almost any vegetable grows well here especially pole beans and half runners. The Co-op in Jonesborough is another good place for seeds and plants. There are lots of green houses in the area, Onks, in Sulphur Springs, Vest's out past Milligan going toward the laurels and of course Evergreen's. I am trying to recreate some groves my grandfather had by buying Paw-Paw trees Persimmon trees and Early Yellow transparent apple trees.. I am having to buy these from Burpee's catalog. They are not cheap but are the best. Happy gardening and good luck I think that is a swell Father's Day idea.

[bound2TN]

Originally Posted by HomegrowninTN

Living on a farm, I can tell you a couple of great places to get seeds... In Gray there's Gray Farm and Garden- friendly and helpful folks and they have a good variety of plants and seeds. Mize's downtown J.C. on the corner of State of Franklin and Watauga is also home town folks who have or used to carry good seed variety as well as plants. Almost any vegetable grows well here especially pole beans and half runners. The Co-op in Jonesborough is another good place for seeds and plants. There are lots of green houses in the area, Onks, in Sulphur Springs, Vest's out past Milligan going toward the laurels and of course Evergreen's. I am trying to recreate some groves my grandfather had by buying Paw-Paw trees Persimmon trees and Early Yellow transparent apple trees.. I am having to buy these from Burpee's catalog. They are not cheap but are the best. Happy gardening and good luck I think that is a swell Father's Day idea.

Thanks for the info. Any seed stores in Bristol? I was interested in getting some raspberry plants---any thoughts?

[NorthernLights]

I don't know about raspberries but this year I ordered from Seed Savers Exchange since my brother got me a cool 20 dollar gift cert. for Christmas. I bought a bunch of good stuff. The only hybrid I have in this year is Burpees Brandy-Boy tomato and it's almost three feet tall and doing great like last year when it was a good producer of Brandywine type tomatoes but much earlier like the better Boys it was crossed with. A good hybrid in my garden. I also have Soldaki a polish heirloom and Nyagous tomatoes which are both doing great so far. I also got a greek oregano from them that actually tastes like oregano. Burpees oregano tasted like grass last year and was totally pitched in the compost pile. The Seed Exchanger's Thai Basil I planted this year, from the tiny clippings I've gotten so far tastes outstanding. Good Anise/Thai flavor. Very happy with their seed so far myself. The Cilantro from them is doing great too.
Seed Savers had many varieties of berries including a "Sunberry", a supposed Burbank cross, and a Moon and Stars Melon I didn't get enough room to try this year that I also purchased from them that I hope to try next year.
Other heirloom suppliers are:
Baker Creek out of MO
D. Landreth from PA
Eastern native Seed in Great Burlington MA,
Amishland Heirloom,
happy Cat Organics,
Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster PA,
Heirloom Seeds in West Elizabeth PA,
Seeds of Change in Santa Fe, NM
Heritage Harvest out of Manitoba Canada,
and Monticello at the Thomas Jefferson Center which I have personally used with pretty good success as well.
Oh yeah, and Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah IA

[TN.RidgerunninGal]

bound2Tn
In Bristol, try Southern States Feed and Seed. We buy feed from them and they have a good variety of seeds and plants. Also the folks there are very helpful. I have bought from Burpees catalog for years usually with good results, Sorry, I don't know much about raseberries, but I have loads of blueberries and strawberries which do well here. If we have a normal year with regular rain -no droughts- almost anything will grow here, Good luck

[sethmctenn]

I've not bought seeds from them but I have bought seedlings from Christy at Shy Valley Farms. Incredible plants that have done very well. There's a group called Southern Appalachian Plant Society that could lead you right!