Part of the joy of gardening comes from trying new things—new tastes; unusual flowers; cooking herbs that do double-duty as ornamentals. Here are just a few of the many offerings from Home Garden Seed Association members. Be sure to visit their websites for many more! 

Fun Flowers

Verbena 'Vanity' (Verbena bonariensis) from Harrisseeds.com creates a butterfly paradise in your garden. This new compact cultivar features purple flowers that make festive accent fillers in bouquets and delicate arrangements.  

Lemon Cutie™  Sunflower from Hosstools.com features loads of lemon-colored pollenless flowers. A unique variety that reaches just 1-2′ tall, it attracts bees and other beneficial insects to your garden. Great for containers too. 

Lemon Drop (Spilanthes oleracea), also from Hoss Tools, has vibrant yellow, mildly fragrant blossoms that are produced freely all summer. Flowers and leaves contain an analgesic used medicinally for numbing toothaches. 

'Lime Blotch' Queen Zinnia from NEseed.com features yellow petals, chartreuse highlights and a purple center eye. A stunning highlight to any garden, the sturdy plants can grow 2-3' tall and 18” wide. 

'Black Ball' Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) from Victoryseeds.com makes a strong statement with its nearly black blooms. Cornflowers, also called Bachelor's Buttons, grow to 2-3' in height, and prefer a sunny, well-drained location.  

Pollinator Wildflower Seed Patches from Americanmeadows.com feature popular wildflower mixes you can use to create wildlife habitat in small spaces. Four separate mixes packaged in 2 oz bags nourish butterflies, beneficial insects, birds, and bees. 

Cupcake Zinnias from Westcoastseeds.com start out looking like a typical Zinnia, but as the crested center unfolds and ruffles, it takes on the look of the pincushion flower. The 30" upright stems are perfect for cut flowers. 

'Apricot Lemonade' Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatis) from Edenbrothers.com is as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot summer day. Early to flower, this cultivar reaches about 2', and is beautiful in the garden and the vase.

Tomatoes: Our 2023 Picks

Cuor Di Albenga from NEseed.com is part of their Italian Gourmet seed collection. The unique heart shaped fruits with deep ribbing ripen early to pale pink. Plants are vigorous and require staking. 

Vivacious Hybrid from Burpee.com features luminous orange-scarlet fruits bursting with beta-carotene! The 2½-3" tomatoes taste meaty yet juicy and the plants produce an unstoppable supply of about 70 fruits per plant.

Two Tasty Hybrid, also from Burpee, was rated best-tasting tomato out of hundreds by Burpee garden interns. It produces clusters of round bicolored 1½-2" tomatoes with firm texture and juicy but dripless interiors.

Indigo Blue Berries Tomato from Hosstools.com is a an open-pollinated, indeterminate cherry-type tomato. The beautiful purple fruits average 1-2 oz. and are best harvested when the colors have deepened and the fruit is soft.

Hensley Settlement Heirloom Yellow Tomato from Threshseed.com was reportedly grown for decades by the Hensley family in Kentucky. It produces excellent yields of sweet, mild yellow tomatoes weighing up to 1lb each.

Ramapo, offered by Rohrerseeds.com, was an old time classic grown by Jersey farmers in days gone by. Reintroduced by Rutgers in 2008, it is as reliable and delicious as ever, with a tangy, tasty profile.

Reigart Heirloom Tomato from Rohrer Seeds is also known as Penn State Plum, and traces its roots back to the early 1930s. Each plant produces clusters of up to six flavorful plum-shaped tomatoes, ranging from .5-1.5 oz. 

Gum Drop Black F1 Tomato, offered by Victoryseeds.com is described as a truly black striped 1-inch cherry tomato that tastes great and looks uniquely interesting in salads.

Peppers: Vibrant Colors, Interesting Flavors

Pepper Prism F1 from Harrisseeds.com is a unique mini bell that ripens from light green to yellow-orange and finally dark red, so that you can grow a mix of colored peppers on a single plant. Plants perform well in containers. 

Valahia F1 Sweet Pepper from Edenbrothers.com produces deliciously sweet blocky ivory-yellow fruits with medium-thick skin. High yielding, early to mature, and disease resistant, it's a great garden choice. 

Hot Jalapeño, Pot-a-Peño Hybrid from Burpee.com is a cascading hot pepper that dazzles in a container! Harvest mildly hot green jalapeños in 45-50 days or let peppers ripen to red in 60-65 days for a sweeter, hotter kick.

Candy Cane Chocolate Cherry F1 from Holmesseed.com brings excitement to the garden or patio with variegated green and white leaves and mini fruits that ripen from green and white striped peppers to chocolate and cherry red.

Poblano Ancho Gigantea Chile from Threshseed.com is the chile pepper used throughout Latin American. Called Poblano when used fresh and Ancho when dried, these peppers are mildly spicy with large seed cavities perfect for stuffing.

Lesya Sweet Pepper from Threshseed.com is a Ukrainian heirloom reported to be the sweetest pepper in the world. Compact plants produce excellent yields of heart shaped sweet peppers that mature from green to red.  

For Your Salads

Burgandy Certified Organic Lettuce from Westcoastseeds.com is a two-toned leaf lettuce with shapely leaves that have a pleasingly crunchy texture. Grown as baby-leaf or cut as a head, Bergandy is great in looks and taste.

Red Centennial Lettuce Mix from Rohrerseeds.com is a gourmet salad mix that includes Red Salad Bowl, Red Romaine, Carmona Red, and Merlot. It's as striking in the garden as it is in the kitchen. 

Dragon's Fire Arugula from Westcoastseeds.com has unique purple/red veins dramatically etched onto shapely green leaves. Plants are vigorous; flavor is zesty and spicy. If it wasn't so delicious, it'd be almost too beautiful to eat!

Albachiara Lettuce from Highmowingseeds.com is a beautiful, glossy green lettuce. A standout in fiend trials for flavor and quality, it is extremely bolt resistant and heat tolerant for all-season performance. 

Crispy Winter Greens from Reneesgarden.com will expand your seasonal salad repertoire with the full flavors of cool season greens: mild and nutty French curly endive, luxuriant escarole, and tangy and beautiful radicchio.  Namenia Turnip from Trueleafmarket.com is a turnip grown primarily for the greens. Use the flavorful leaves, which can be cut at any stage, for cooking or in salads. They're great as microgreens, baby leaf, or full leaf.  

Black Oil Sunflower Microgreens from Trueleafmarket.com are one of the easiest and most popular microgreens available. Ready in 8-12 days, they boast a unique sweet-and-savory nutty flavor in all seasons.  

Tiara F1 Cabbage, offered by Highmowingseeds.com, is an early maturing mini cabbage suited for small gardens. Heads are densely packed with sweet, flavorful leaves that are crisp, juicy, and perfect for fresh use.

Must-Have Herbs

Prospera Red DMR F1 Basil, offered by Highmowingseeds.com, is an aromatic red basil with downy mildew resistance. Grown to full size or cut as baby leaves, the shiny leaves are elegant and flavorful.

Holy Basil from Hosstools.com is a popular tea herb also known as Tulsi, said to be both calming and energizing. It is also a common ingredient in Thai cuisine, with a slightly peppery taste similar to cloves or licorice.

Batik Basil from Burpee.com yields an extended harvest of aromatic leaves. Late in the season, ‘Batik’s burgundy-purple flower spikes grow more prominent, in striking contrast to the lighter violet flowers and green foliage.

Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora) from Holmesseed.com features flowers in clusters of lavender-pink to white that attract hummingbirds! Foliage has a pungent lemony scent.

Luminous Corn!

Japanese Hulless Popcorn from Victoryseeds.com is an heirloom dating to about 1920. Each 5' stalk produces 2-3 ears that are about 4 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter. Kernels are tender, sweet, and pure white when popped.

Mini Pink Pearls Heirloom Popcorn from Reneesgarden.com is delicious and decorative, with lustrous pink kernels that pop easily into fluffy white popcorn. Each 5-6' stalk has multiple 4-6" ears that mature extra early.

Glass Gem Corn from Victoryseeds.com is packed with jewel-toned kernels that glisten in the sun! Plant it for its novelty, but enjoy the short, narrow ears of Glass Gem Corn steamed, popped, or ground.

Squash and Pumpkins

Incredible Escalator Climbing Zucchini, offered by Reneesgarden.com, is a unique, space-saving, climbing zucchini. It bears abundant tender fleshed and truly delicious, nutty tasting rich green zucchinis, easy to harvest!

Porcelain Doll F1 Pink Pumpkin from NEseed.com is naturally pink, with deep ribbing and an almost square shape. Due to its deep-orange, sweet flesh, Pink Porcelain can be used for pies, soups, and other culinary delights.

Goldilocks F1 Squash, offered by Harrisseeds.com, has a rich nutty flavor great for cooking, but can also double as a decorative squash. The vigorous plants can yield over 10 fruits each and have Powdery Mildew protection. 

Payload Zuccini F1 from Holmesseed.com has an open, upright plant habit with reduced spines. The glossy, dark colored fruits average 7-8" in length. 

Fun (and Beautiful) Mixes

The Beginner's Summer Garden from Trueleafmarket.com is an all-in-one package of reliable summer favorites, including flowers that attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Included are Jalapeno pepper, Roma Tomato, Dill, Alyssum, Nasturtium, Jade Bush Bean, Calendula, Emerald Giant Sweet Pepper, Black Krim Tomato, Genovese Basil, Pickling Cucumber, and Golden Jubilee Tomato – about 15,000 seeds in total! 

The Vegetable Garden Gift Box from Hudsonvalleyseed.com represents an assortment of vegetable seed varieties, all of which can get planted directly into the ground. It includes Brilliant Beet Blend, Danvers Carrot, Radiant Radish, Tri-Color Bean, and Ultimate Salad Bowl. Hudson Valley Seed also offers an Herb Garden Gift Box, and a Cut Flower Garden Gift Box.