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Back by popular demand, the 2008 Annual Heirloom Plant Sale offers over 40 varieties of tomatoes, dozens of annuals and perennials, and hanging baskets. "The popularity of heirloom gardening continues to grow," said Richard Warnock, master gardener at Adena Mansion & Gardens. "Consumers are rediscovering older varieties. Baby Boomers, in particular, are getting back into heirloom gardening as they remember the gardens from their youth."
What is an heirloom plant?
Heirloom plants are generally considered to be an open-pollinated variety that has been passed down through the years because of its valued characteristics. Many of the plants being featured at this year’s sale have been cultivated in the Adena gardens for generations. Adena was the home of Thomas Worthington, who was sixth governor of Ohio and one of the state's first United States senators.
Walk-up Sale Dates and Locations
Adena Mansion & Gardens, 847 Adena Road, Chillicothe
April 26-May 4 – Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ohio Historical Center, I-71 & 17th Avenue, Columbus
Saturday May 3, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday, May 4, noon–4 p.m.
Admission to the plant sale is free.
Descriptions of many plants available at the walk-up sale are listed below.
All tomatoes 4" pots
$3.00
1884
Dark pink tomato that produces a 1-2 pound fruit. Vigorous regular leaf tomato. Early bloomer. Full sun. Found on a log in the Ohio River flood of 1884.
Black from Tula
Deep purplish color, not particularly attractive tomato. Delicious full flavor, sweet and spicy. A Russian heirloom upright that grows 3’ to 4’ high bearing an 8-12 oz. fruit. Midseason for mature fruit. Full sun.
Brandywine
Dark red low acid tomato. Blooms late season bearing 8-16 oz. fruit. A favorite and one of the best known of the heirlooms. Since 1885 from the Pennsylvania Amish and named after Brandywine Creek. Full sun.
Cherokee Purple
Dusty rose color with green to purple shoulders. Productive plants even in drought-plague heat waves. Rivals the Brandywine in flavor and some say it’s “the sweetest tomato ever”. Crack free and disease resistant. Full sun. Heirloom from Tennessee cultivated by the Native American Cherokee tribe. Full sun.
Egyptian
Red tomato with a 3”X3” round to tapered meaty fruit in midseason. A good canner. Supposedly a descendent from seed found in a 4000 year old tomb in Egypt. Full sun.
Favorite
Bright red fruits produced in bunches. A winner! Very productive plant introduced by the Livingston Seed Co. (Columbus, Ohio) in 1883. Late bloomer with 6-8 oz. fruit. Full sun.
Golden Queen
Waxy yellow-orange 8-10 oz fruit with a mild yet superb sweet full tomato flavor. Mid season heirloom introduced by Livingston in 1882. Disease resistant. Early bloomer. Excellent for salads and sandwiches. Full sun.
Green Grape (Cherry tomato)
Yellowish-green 1” fruits are borne in clusters of 6-12 and resemble large grapes down to the translucent pale green color on the inside. This old-fashioned distinctive tomato grows on a bush and was originally developed by the Tater Mater Seed Co. This tomato has become popular in restaurants because of its unique attractiveness and great flavor. Early bloomer; full sun.
Green Zebra
Green tomatoes with dark green stripes. Good yields of 3 oz. tomatoes with old-fashioned tomato flavor. An heirloom variety from the USA. Early bloomer. Good for salads, sandwiches, pickling and sauces.
Magnus
Pink 2 ½ inch tomato. A very productive potato-leaf heirloom that bears small pink fruit that has a mild, tangy watermelon-like flavor. Historic Livingston tomato. Blooms mid season in full sun.
Old Ivory Egg
Pale ivory that turns to a creamy yellow. This heirloom is well named for the shape and size of its fruit as it resembles a chicken egg. An unusual color for a plum type tomato. Excellent for salads, salsa, platters and gourmet dishes. A mild sweet flavor. Full sun.
Paragon Livingston
Red 8-10 oz. slightly flattened fruit. This antique was introduced in 1870 by the Livingston Seed Co., Columbus, Ohio and used by the canning industry as well as home gardeners. Known for its high yield and good flavor. Blooms mid season. Full sun.
Reisentraube (Cherry)
This variety from East Germany means “giant bunch of grapes.” These excellent flavored cherries grow in bunches of 20-35 small oval red fruits with pointed ends. Mid season. Grown by the Pennsylvania Dutch as early as 1856. Good for making wine as well as in salads. Full sun.
Soldaki
Dark Pink slightly flattened globes up to 1 pound. Originally from Krakow, Poland to Cleveland, Ohio around 1900. A vigorous potato-leaf variety with intensely luscious sweet flavor in a beefsteak like tomato. Mid to late bloomer. Low acid. Full sun.
African Daisy ‘Buff Beauty’
African Daisy 'Buff Beauty' has unique, apricot-salmon flowers. Blooms in summer and will continue until frost if kept deadheaded.
Celosia (1570)
Amish Cockscomb
Beautiful large red heads (up to 10 inches across) on compact 1' tall plants. An annual introduced to Europe in the 1570’s. Thought lost but discovered in an Amish garden in Arthur, IL. Blooms all summer. Great cut flowers. Height 12 inches. Full sun.
Bunny Tails
Hare’s Tail Grass
Annual ornamental grass with Cream colored bloom. “Fun plant to grow.” Drought tolerant and easy to grow. Blooms late spring through mid summer. Can reseed itself. Flowers are good for drying. Good container plant. 12-18 inches. Full sun.
Corn Poppy (Rare)
These were planted originally at Monticello in 1807 and then at Adena. This is a double variety of the common European field poppy immortalized in Flanders during WWI. Dark red double blooms continue all summer. Annual. Full sun.
Gas Plant
Burning Bush
An ornamental, gland-covered perennial herb, of the rue family native to Eurasia. The white or pink flowers and leaves give off a strong aromatic vapor which can be ignited, thus the name gas plant and burning bush. Best in sun.
Hollyhock Nigra (1629)
Burgundy purple to black flower 4-5 inches across occurring on tall slender upright stalks up to 8 feet tall. Biennials or short lived perennials that add vertical interest to any garden and bloom 2 months in midsummer. Deadheading will encourage new blooms. They prefer rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Light shade is tolerated. Large lobed leaves add interest to this tall plant that does not need staked unless located in a windy spot. Perfect for old cottage or Victorian gardens. Grown at Adena and Monticello.
Hyacinth Bean (1804)
Showy rose purple orchid-like flowers and pods and unusual black and white seeds grow on a tender annual plant of purplish-green leaves that can grow 20 feet. Featured on the arbor in the Monticello kitchen garden. Hyacinth bean was sold as early as 1804 by Bernard McMahon, Jefferson’s favorite nurseryman. Sunny garden soil with plenty of room. A native of tropical Asia. The unusual seeds and pods are very ornamental. Blooms all summer.
Job’s Tears (Rare)
This tropical Asian grass was introduced in Europe by the late 1500’s. It was considered old-fashioned by the end of the 19th century. Hard “beads” (with the hole already in place) which are clusters of seeds form at the tips of the stems. These can be strung as they are or can be dyed and made into jewelry, a natural teardrop bead. Used as a food crop in Asia. This annual prefers full sun or light shade and grows 2-3 feet tall. Plant after last frost.
Joseph’s Coat (1786)
Vibrant yellow and red foliage that provides eye catching color in the summer border. Jefferson sent seeds from Paris to his brother-in-law as early as 1786. This brightly plumed tender annual grows to four feet and prefers a warm, sunny exposure. Provides breath-taking color.
Love-In-A-Mist (1570)
Lilac pink flowers amid delicate, lacy foliage. Hardy annual cultivated since the late sixteenth century. Originally from 300 B.C. Greece. One foot high plants prefer full sun to light shade. Seed capsules are popular in dried arrangements. Great cut flowers. Flowers before midsummer.
Nasturtium
Alaska Mix
Plants in a wide array of colors including reds, salmons, oranges and yellows. Flowers are edible with variegated foliage. The seeds can even be used as a substitute for capers. The plants grow approximately 12 inches high and spread to 18 inches. Blooms all summer and prefers full sun. Easy to grow.
Painted Tongue
Mixed colors with petunia like flowers. Great container plants as well as fillers in your garden. The flowers, even though they are shaped like petunias are painted with variegated stripes of color yellows to purples. Annuals bloom early summer to fall. Deadheading allows more blooms. 12-24 inches. 2 inch flowers. Best in full sun.
Historic Pansies
From the 1800’s these multi-colored flowers grow 6-8 inches high. The biennial self- seeder blooms from mid summer to fall. Best in sun.
Pink-Pheasant Eye (Dianthus)
A 1930’s mounding perennial with fragrant pink flower clusters. Grows 12-14 inches and attracts butterflys and hummingbirds. Blooms early summer until fall. Deer resistant, heat and drought tolerant. Sun to light shade.
Sensitive Plant (Mimosa)
Spreading plant known for its mimosa-like foliage. Lilac-pink globular blooms in midsummer. A tender annual can grow up to 12 inches high. The fascinating leaves curl up to the touch. Jefferson planted seeds in 1811 at Monticello. Likes sun. Kids and adults love this plant.
Heirloom Snapdragons
A multicolor hardy annual. In full sun or partial shade they can grow 2-3 feet high. Originally snapdragons were found growing wild in Spain. These plants have fascinated young and old alike, when they squeeze them to show their beards. They prefer a rich well-drained soil which is not too dry. They will tolerate hot weather if they have had time to develop a good root system.
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