Bailey Van Tassel

  • About
  • Blog
  • Garden Club
  • Garden Design
  • Shop
  • Contact
woman organizing heirlooms seeds
08 Dec 2021
Uncategorized

Why I Choose Heirloom Seeds for My Garden

I had no idea that all seeds were not created equal when I started gardening. I learned thanks to the education of gardening research that seeds have different qualities and that there are heirloom seeds, organic seeds, and non-GMO seeds. Then someone told me about how you can’t just grow vegetables from your grocery store veggie seeds, and I was blown away! How can you control that, I wondered? I’ll tell you. 

Why you can’t always grow vegetables from grocery store veggie seeds

I honestly can’t believe that this is real, but welcome to food as big business. Here’s the deal on the grocery store veg – it’s designed to keep you coming back, and it’s often ripened by a gas treatment in the back. That’s how the tomatoes stay shelf-ready, but also why they don’t taste that great.

Grocery store vegetables are often grown as hybrids so that you specifically can not use the seeds to regrow food. It’s intended to just produce one generation of fruit. This type of seed is not original to what nature intended and is a man-made modification. 

These seeds are also often from vegetables that haven’t reached maturity, and therefore the integrity of the seed is lower, and may not yield good fruit. 

Additionally, grocery store vegetables, even if farmed “organically” may be grown in soil or themselves have been treated with a pesticide, herbicide, or fungicide that contains toxins that you don’t want in your body or the DNA of your vegetable seeds for generations to come. 

organizing heirloom garden seeds

Hybridized seeds

Hybridized (or just hybrid) seeds as mentioned above are bred to not produce any vegetables after their one-time display (the veggie that you buy at the store). These vegetables are often a combo of two types of tomato (for example), modified over and over. 

There are some instances where hybridized seeds are beneficial to grow, and that’s when they’ve been bred to produce better. Some seed companies are dedicated to increasing the quality of seed and therefore cross-pollinating some plants to create a new variety. In this instance, choose a seed company (I like Johnny Seeds for this) that you trust that is still committed to organic practices. 

Heirloom seeds 

Heirloom seeds are the best. These are seeds that have been saved for generations, typically in one family or garden. They are saved from the highest quality plant and are typically the truest to their original variety of plant. Heirloom seeds are open-pollinated, meaning that they will be most true to their parent plant and are not hybrids.

The highest quality seeds

The highest quality seeds will have multiple qualities. They will be organic, non-GMO, and heirloom. That means that you can save the seeds, they are not hybridized, and they have not been touched by chemicals and toxins (at least not deliberately). This ensures that your vegetables are the best quality and have the highest nutrient density. This also means that you can save your seeds season after season and start becoming independent of needing to even buy seeds.

How to save seeds 

When it comes time to save seeds, the key is to save seeds from plants that did not succumb to any disease or fungus, that produced delicious and high-quality fruit and flowers. For some plants like vegetables, you find the seeds either within the vegetable/fruit, or within the flower (this means you will need to let some lettuce, herbs, or leafy greens “go to seed” so that the seeds can be saved. Going to seed means that you let the plant fully mature, produce flowers, and then dry out and die in the ground before harvesting the seeds. This does mean sacrificing some of the plants you grow (lettuce, after it goes to seed, tastes bitter), but if you plan for that in the beginning you’ll do just fine. 

woman holding seed organizer

Organizing My Seeds

There is a method to the madness here. A girlfriend turned me on to this trick, and it’s to use a photo organizer for your seeds, then categorize them by season or sow by date. I’ll upgrade my organization this month to be by the month of direct-sowing.

I also use a smaller seed caddy for everything that I am succession sowing, so that is out at the ready for when I need it.

HERE is the big photo organization system that I use.

HERE is a great wooden caddy. that can be used for seeds.

My Favorite Seed Companies

I have stuck to about five companies when it comes to purchasing seeds online.

Johnny Seeds tends to have the best selection of seeds, and they have a ton of info on what is hardy to specific zones or pest-resistant. They run out fast though.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is another favorite and I love looking at their catalog. Their seeds are heirloom and they have a ton of rare and unique seeds.

Territorial Seed Co. is where I get my garlic each year and any seeds that I can’t find elsewhere.

Seed Savers Exchange is a great non-profit to support because they are dedicated to preserving endangered seeds, heirloom seeds, and rare open-pollinated varieties for home gardeners.

Floret Flower for flower seeds because they’re the best.

Starting your plants from seed can feel intimidating, but I assure you that it’s the best way to go, once you get the hang of it. Starting off with high-quality heirloom seeds will ensure a higher germination rate and seeds that want to sprout.

If you have any seed companies that you love, comment and let me know!

If you need help planning what to grow – go HERE

.

2 Comments
Share

You May Also Like

Tips for Growing Tomatoes and Basil

March 8, 2021

Healthy Habits: 5 Wellness Updates

January 3, 2022

Raised Garden Bed Reveal

April 12, 2022
  • Melody
    January 5, 2022

    I had heard of Baker and Floret but not the others! I’ll have to check the rest out! I’m so bummed though that last year NONE of my seeds from Floret grew. I literally tried starting them 3/4 times and used all the seeds and got absolutely nothing!

    Reply
    • Bailey Van Tassel
      Melody
      January 15, 2022

      I’ve had limited success with some of their varieties as well :/

      Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Comment

Previous Post
Garden Trellis DIYs: My 4 Favorites
Next Post
Soil Amendments to Boost Your Garden Mid-Season

Recent Posts

  • woman cutting chamomile plant

    In the Tea Garden: Growing Chamomile

    August 3, 2022
  • We’re Expecting Our Third Baby!

    August 2, 2022
  • My Masterclass in Monetizing Instagram

    June 4, 2022
Hi I’m Bailey

Hi I’m Bailey

Teaching you how to grow veggies in any space while show you how to live a garden-inspired life.

Follow On Instagram

Edible flowers are a garden staple for me. I’ll grow any and ALL of them. 

Up first in this little series: flower ice cubes. As simple as putting flowers in the ice cube tray, filling it with water, and then freezing! 

It’s making mocktail hour very festive around here! 

Flower featured: dianthus. I grow it as a perennial and while I love it, the petals get separated when you destem them and they’re a bit fragile so I prefer to use them this way or fresh. 

#edibleflowers #eatyourflowers #dianthus #mocktails
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

Edible flowers are a garden staple for me. I’ll grow any and ALL of them.

Up first in this little series: flower ice cubes. As simple as putting flowers in the ice cube tray, filling it with water, and then freezing!

It’s making mocktail hour very festive around here!

Flower featured: dianthus. I grow it as a perennial and while I love it, the petals get separated when you destem them and they’re a bit fragile so I prefer to use them this way or fresh.

#edibleflowers #eatyourflowers #dianthus #mocktails

21 hours ago
View on Instagram |
1/4
A tiny pollinator garden! In the dead heat of summer ☀️

I planted a meter lemon (which, yes, will be great in this pot forever) and some fennel for the giant swallowtail butterflies. Then parsley which attract the black swallowtail butterfly, and Pentas which will give nectar to all the hummingbirds and bees and butterflies. 

I filled the very bottom of this pot with some rocks, then added a bag of citrus mix soil (good drainage) and potting soil above that. It’s just what I had laying around. 

I chose to place the parsley behind the citrus for a little shade and then the fennel on the sides and the pentas up front. 

Hope this is helpful for any of my small spacer gardeners - there’s so much you can do in one pot! 

#pollinatorgarden #gardeninginspiration #smallspacegardening #urbangardening #urbangarden #urbangardener #gardendesign #gardenlife
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

A tiny pollinator garden! In the dead heat of summer ☀️

I planted a meter lemon (which, yes, will be great in this pot forever) and some fennel for the giant swallowtail butterflies. Then parsley which attract the black swallowtail butterfly, and Pentas which will give nectar to all the hummingbirds and bees and butterflies.

I filled the very bottom of this pot with some rocks, then added a bag of citrus mix soil (good drainage) and potting soil above that. It’s just what I had laying around.

I chose to place the parsley behind the citrus for a little shade and then the fennel on the sides and the pentas up front.

Hope this is helpful for any of my small spacer gardeners – there’s so much you can do in one pot!

#pollinatorgarden #gardeninginspiration #smallspacegardening #urbangardening #urbangarden #urbangardener #gardendesign #gardenlife

2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/4
It started on a dead patch of lawn, which I turned into two raised beds. 

And now after *years* of research, trial, moves, waiting on global pandemics to end (♾) we have a garden with 10 beds, an arch trellis, a potting bench, and 8 hours of sun! 

Honestly, my husband has pushed me to not half-ass it. I like progress over perfect, and without his help and nudging I’d just have thrown some seeds in the ground and called it a day. Which is totally fine, and so very good enough. 

But he knew I wanted a specific place. A room. A setting for my dreams. A location that beckons visitors and creates admirers not for the sake of ego, but to inspire into appreciators of the garden in general. 

So, go all in on yourself. Don’t half ass it. 

#gardendesign #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #liveauthentic
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

It started on a dead patch of lawn, which I turned into two raised beds.

And now after *years* of research, trial, moves, waiting on global pandemics to end (♾) we have a garden with 10 beds, an arch trellis, a potting bench, and 8 hours of sun!

Honestly, my husband has pushed me to not half-ass it. I like progress over perfect, and without his help and nudging I’d just have thrown some seeds in the ground and called it a day. Which is totally fine, and so very good enough.

But he knew I wanted a specific place. A room. A setting for my dreams. A location that beckons visitors and creates admirers not for the sake of ego, but to inspire into appreciators of the garden in general.

So, go all in on yourself. Don’t half ass it.

#gardendesign #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #liveauthentic

5 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/4
I love this plant. Calendula is an edible and medicinal flower that self sows quite well. I haven’t had it growing in my garden in about 6 months, and yet here she is! 

She likes a cooler season, but apparently end of July works too! Once I saw this volunteer pop up, I immediately started the rest of my seeds. 

Follow natures queues to best learn your own garden. Mama 🌎 knows best. 

Hoping for a big calendula year to make salves for friends and family. We love it for cuts, burns, and irritated skin. 

Oh and then there’s the pure unadulterated joy of calendula flowers adorning a cake or salad. She’s a queen, this one. 

#calendula #edibleflowers #medicinalherbs #herbalism #slowliving #livesimply
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

I love this plant. Calendula is an edible and medicinal flower that self sows quite well. I haven’t had it growing in my garden in about 6 months, and yet here she is!

She likes a cooler season, but apparently end of July works too! Once I saw this volunteer pop up, I immediately started the rest of my seeds.

Follow natures queues to best learn your own garden. Mama 🌎 knows best.

Hoping for a big calendula year to make salves for friends and family. We love it for cuts, burns, and irritated skin.

Oh and then there’s the pure unadulterated joy of calendula flowers adorning a cake or salad. She’s a queen, this one.

#calendula #edibleflowers #medicinalherbs #herbalism #slowliving #livesimply

6 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/4

@baileyvantassel

  • Contact
  • Newsletter Sign up

Copyright © 2022Site Powered by Pix & Hue.