Our Favorite Seeds to Plant this Spring!
At Heritage, we believe wholeheartedly in trying to live in the most sustainable ways possible. Some steps towards this may seem obvious like avoiding single use plastics or limiting our consumption of material items. However, it may not have occurred to you that the food we eat can have a drastic impact on our efforts to practice sustainability. When buying food from large chain stores, we have to take into account how far our produce has traveled, how much gasoline was used to transport it, and how much carbon and unnecessary plastic was used in packaging.
If you have the space and a bit of extra time, we encourage you to try planting your own garden this spring. It's a great first step in practicing sustainability and can be such a fun, rewarding project... especially if you have kids! Today, we're going to share some of our favorite seed picks for this spring. Some may be very familiar to you, but others we're sure you've never heard of before! And the best part... all of the seeds mentioned are grown organically in Ojai, California from The Plant Good Seed Company.
White Linen California Poppies
A native plant to California, the White Linen Poppies are a variation of our state flower! Since they're a native and drought tolerant plant, they're likely to thrive in your pre-existing environment without much fuss! They are incredibly silky to the touch and are infamous for attracting pollinators.
Another twist on a traditional tomato, Siskiyou Orange Tomatoes are stunning in any kind of salad, sandwich, or soup. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and serve a delicious, homegrown treat to your family and friends.
If you've ever grown a cut-flower garden before, you're likely very familiar with strawflowers. They grow incredibly well in dry climates and are a staple of many bouquets. Although small in diameter, they grow tall and in a wide variety of colors like pinks, reds, whites, and oranges. If you're looking to have flowers year round, these are the best option as they can be dried, hung, and preserved for years.
Even if you're not a fan of planting flowers, Bee Balm can be a beneficial addition to your garden because as the name suggests, it attracts bumble bees like crazy! Next to watering and sunlight, pollination is one of the most important aspects or growing healthy plants. Planting bee balm will attract bees to your entire garden and bloom in about 100 days from when first planted.
Another twist on a traditional veggie, Godzilla Broccoli is a fun one to have in your garden. It's a biennial plant meaning that you can plant it in either the spring or the fall, which can fill your garden during months where it otherwise may be empty. In ideal conditions, your Godzilla Broccoli can be harvested within 100 days of being planted.
Since our second Heritage store is located in Solvang, we thought there was no better way to represent this little town than with the Danish Flag Poppy! For any non-locals that might not know, Solvang is designed to mimic a traditional Danish town and has strong ties to Denmark. If you're looking for an out-of-the-ordinary type of flower, give these a try!
Perhaps the prettiest vegetable you'll ever see, Chioggia Beets are absolute stunners. If you're limited on garden space, this one is highly recommended because it grows short and densely. Not to mention, they are gorgeous when added to the top of a salad.
A staple in every cut flower garden, Cosmos are some of the easiest flowers for a first-time gardener. They're highly tolerant to heat and the drought, which is ideal for those of us living in California. Cosmos typically mature in about 2 months, so grab them now if you want early summer blooms.
Finally, one of the most unique (and rare) plants you can grow are Purple Tomatillos. Not only are they a gorgeous deep purple color, but they can be eaten fresh off the vine, ground into a salsa, and diced on burritos. They are a long-term favorite at Heritage and are very hard to find at most garden centers. With a growing period of 80 days, plant them within the next month to eat at your 4th of July festivities!