Friday, April 8, 2016

Seedlings For Sale 2016

Melody Acres Hobby Farm
Organic Heirloom Seedlings 2016
All plants are $3.50 each. (plus tax)

**If a plant is sold out we will notify you well before pick up**
We cannot supply large retail orders and our plants are not for resale.
Email us at melodyacreshobbyfarm@gmail.com or call us at (724)249-6411 to order. 
We sell out quickly so don’t delay.

Pick up dates are May 5, 6, & 8 between 10am and 6pm. Please let me know which day you plan to pick up your seedlings when you order. ( If you order Broccoli, Leeks, or Cabbage we can schedule an April pick up)

In Western PA, we recommend holding off until the end of May or Early June to begin planting herbs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillo, and ground cherries.  If you do plant early, plan to watch the weather and cover your plants if there is a chance of frost.

Based on the estimated growth of our plants, some of our herbs are limited to one per person. Other herbs will be sold as 2, 3, or 4 per pot (for the price of one plant). Please check plant information below. 

Follow blue links for more information.

Update: We are already sold out of some varieties. Please check each plant for more infomation.

Tomatoes
~ Pink Bumblebee Extraordinarily beautiful rose-colored fruits with gold striping. Juicy and sweet with rich flavor perfect for caprese salads with basil, mozzarella and balsamic. Very versatile and sure to be a hit in mixed pints at CSAs and markets! Indeterminate • Resists cracking • 1.5” fruit. SOLD OUT

~ Gilbertie Paste  Rich, meaty and delicious! Beloved variety our customers praise year after year. Long, slender shape with characteristically green shoulders and a slight crook in the neck. Narrow fruits average 7” long with very solid, rich-flavored flesh that makes excellent sauces and soups. Very small seed cavity. SOLD OUT

~ Prolific Plum (New- Melody Acres Exclusive)Very Productive plum tomato with great disease resistance! Vigorous and strong, producing very heavy yields of picture-perfect, thick-walled fruit with deep red color and mild flavor. A good choice for canning. Determinate • Vigorous • 4-6 oz.


~ Dr. Oxheart (Melody Acres Exclusive!) – Mild tasting pink Oxheart, medium size. Old family heirloom seed from Italy were given to Melody Acres last year to germinate.  We are proud to offer such a rare heirloom in our collection.

~ Yellow Melody Cherry Bright yellow cherries produce early and abundantly on compact plants. One inch fruits are juicy with mild, non-acidic flavor. Thin skin resists cracking.  Determinate   SOLD OUT

~ Orange Grape Orange with sensational juicy, sweet flavor. Finally an organic rival for the beloved Sungold! A medium-sized orange grape with slightly thicker skin than Sungold. 



~ Indigo Rose Stunning edible and ornamental tomato that ripens to jet black with purple tinged foliage. Clusters of 6-8 firm ebony fruits. Vigorous and disease-resistant. Bred by Dr. Jim Myers through the high-flavonoid breeding program at OSU. PVP Semi-determinate • Good container variety • 2-2.5 oz


~ Black Trifele  Striking, unique pear-shaped tomato with narrow 
green shoulders and purple-black color. A farmers’ market and garden favorite with smooth, meaty, velvety texture. Gourmet flavor is often described as dense, smoky, chocolatey. You may, for a moment, forget that you are merely tasting a tomato. 



~ Ralphie’s Oxheart (Melody Acres Exclusive.)  Large prolific pink tomato with green shoulders.  Sweet meaty tomato with very few seeds.  It is not unusual for these tomatoes to get over 2lbs each!  Pick when just starting to turn pink and allow to ripen inside. This is hands down the best tasting tomato we sell!

           

Peppers
~ Golden California Wonder Yellow Bell Deep orange, thick-walled with high yields and good fruit set in cool conditions. Sturdy, upright 22-30” plants are everbearing and pendant. Very similar to California Wonder with an earlier maturity date. One of the best open pollinated orange-yellow peppers available! Cool-tolerant • Early • 4-4.5” fruits. 

~ King of the North Red Bell Reliable set of green to glossy red fruits in short seasons. Improved for a higher percentage of blocky, thick-walled, early ripening peppers each with three to four lobes. Known for its ability to produce good sized peppers in short, cool seasons. Strong plants support heavy yields. Early • Upright habit • 3-4” fruits. 

Tomatillo
~ Purple Rare purple tomatillo with exceptional appearance and excellent distinctive taste. Much sweeter than the green types with superb flavor eaten fresh from the plant, grilled, or in salsa. Deep violet skin color bleeds into bright green interior flesh. Harvest after the papery husk has split, when fruits are golf ball-sized and skin has turned purple. Semi-determinate. SOLD OUT

Ground Cherry
~ Aunt Molly’s Sweet, tropical-tasting gold berries wrapped in paper husks add magic to your garden. Bushy plants grow 2.5-3’ tall. When ripe, the husk around the fruit becomes papery dry and the fruit falls off the plant to pick picked up from the ground. Some people place a tarp underneath the plants to make harvesting easier, but either way the husks keep the fruit clean. Trellis or let sprawl • Bushy, spreading habit. SOLD OUT

Eggplant
~ Listada di Gandia  Stunning magenta-striped Italian eggplant for a beautiful display. Very productive plants produce abundant tender, delicious fruits with unusually thin skin. Egg-shaped petite fruits fit in the palm of your hand and are great for smaller portions. Holds its color even at large sizes. Gourmet appeal • 3-5” fruit. 


~ Little Finger Slender, petite eggplants fantastic for grilling. Dark purple skin is thin and tender. Flesh has a silky texture with few seeds and mildly sweet flavor needing very little cooking time. Harvest when fruit is young and glossy. A great variety for large containers! Early • Productive • 3-6” fruit.
Celery
~Tendercrisp A very large type of celery, excellent flavor.SOLD OUT

Cabbage
~ Copenhagen Compact heirloom for home gardens and direct markets. Solid heads are somewhat variable in size ranging from 3-4 lbs and 6-8" in diameter with uniform maturity. Compact plants sit close to the ground, handy for smaller gardens. Heads hold well before and after harvest. Great for slow cooking, slaws and sauerkraut! Unavailabile in 2016. Early and adaptable · 3-4 lb heads (Brassica oleracea) Days to maturity: 65 days SOLD OUT
Broccoli
 ~Waltham 29 Standard type, produces 4-8” green heads that are nicely flavored. Compact plants also produce some side shoots. Introduced in 1954. SOLD OUT

~ Romanesco Italia Broccoli The true and popular Italian heirloom with spiraling, apple-green heads that are so superbly flavored. This variety is widely grown in northern Italy. A must with many of the finest chefs. SOLD OUT


Leek
Bleu of Solaise  A 19th century French leek with deep blue-green leaves that have a violet cast in cool weather. In cool weather, they excel, being very cold-hardy. This good-sized variety is finely flavored and a favorite of European gourmet gardeners and chefs, but hard to find in this country. SOLD OUT

Medicinal and Culinary Herbs (NEW)
We are now offering a great selection of flavorful culinary types and popular medicinal varieties. *Notice: All statements listed are for historical information only and are not approved by the FDA. Seek the advice of a qualified health professional before using any herbs for medicinal purposes.

~Thyme (Many per pot) (Thymus vulgaris) Tiny aromatic leaves cover slender woody stalks ending in sweet white flowers. Makes a beautiful low-growing border along herb and flower beds, growing only 6-10" high. A versatile culinary staple. Our strain is hardy to Zone 4. Attracts bees · Perennial SOLD OUT

~Oregano (Many per pot) (Origanum vulgare ) Vigorous, fast-growing plants with lovely pink flowers. As with many other culinary herbs, oregano also has medicinal value as an aid for digestion and an anti-fungal. Transplant at 18" apart. When harvested, cut stems to hang in bundles. Leaves can be easily stripped off when dry. Perennial. Open Pollinated SOLD OUT

~Marjoram( Many per pot)(Origanum majorana) A mild, sweet relative of oregano excellent fresh or dried; essential for pizza sauce! Can be overwintered outdoors successfully or potted up in fall for fresh herbs all winter. Easy to dry, just harvest stems and hang in bundles. Leaves can be easily stripped off when dry. Good container plant · Tender perennial Open pollinated SOLD OUT

 ~Petite Marigold (2 per pot) Very dwarf mixture of the crested French Marigolds; plants only grow to 10"- 12" tall. Bright colors. Easy to grow, even in small pots.

 ~ Frances’ Choice Marigold  (Tagetes patula) Large- grows to over 3’ tall. Dramatic and incredibly prolific hedge type marigold with golden edged red petals makes an ideal garden companion and lovely long stemmed cut flower. Selected by SOC founder Alan Kapuler in honor of Frances Hoffman, a great horticulturist and champion of biodiversity SOLD OUT

~Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Annual.  Native to southern Europe.  Calendula flowers are the premier antiseptic and healing agent when made into salve, succus, tincture, or simply masticated and applied to the injury.  Inhibits inflammation, promotes formation of granulation tissue in wounds.  The flowers, when boiled, yield a bright yellow-orange dye. 

 ~Yarrow (limited to One per person) Perennial—Mix. All the good traits of yarrow, but in irresistible colors. The large flower clusters are in reality made up of scores of tiny daisies, last a long time and bloom until very cold weather. SOLD OUT

~Summer Savory (4 per pot) (Satureja hortensis) Delicious peppery flavor that is popular in beans and many other dishes; also has reported medicinal uses. SOLD OUT

 Lovage (Levisiticum officinalis) Flavorful dark green leaves and yellow flowers, the leaves and seeds are used for flavoring stews, soups, salads, pickling and more. Nice celery taste. The hardy plants can be grown in most of the north. SOLD OUT

~Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) Herbaceous perennial native to temperate zones of the world and hardy to -20 degrees F.  Pretty white and yellow flowers on a midsized bush make this a garden favorite.

~Moldavian Balm Dragonhead (4 per pot) (Dracocephalum moldavicum) Native to Europe. The flowers are very long lasting, bright purple, proportionally large to the plant, and shaped outrageously like the toothed head of a dragon. This is a superior tea herb that can be started by direct seeding in the garden. Easy germination, fast growth, and minty tasting leaves typify this old-time medicinal that is used for treating the common cold.

~German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) Annual or overwintering annual.  This is the delightfully aromatic Chamomile of tea fame. Perfect for gentle bedtime sedation or for treating stomachache.  Plant prefers full sun and regular garden soil. SOLD OUT

~Borage (Borago officinalis) Annual or overwintering annual. Native to the Mediterranean.  This vigorous self-seeder would seem weedy if it were less pretty. Plant prefers full sun to part shade and moist soils.  SOLD OUT

~Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Herbaceous perennial. Native to the Mediterranean. This is a classic medicinal tea herb. Assists in controlling high blood pressure, migraines, hysteria, melancholia, goiter, hyperthyroidism and Grave’s disease. SOLD OUT

~Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) Herbaceous perennial. Native to temperate climates world-wide. Used together as spring vegetables, salad or tea, the fresher the better, they cleanse and build the blood. Nettles is especially rich in trace minerals, potassium and the blood-like molecule known as chlorophyll. Wait until the little Nettles are four inches high or so, and snip them off. They must be lightly steamed to disarm their stinging hairs. SOLD OUT

~Burdock, Gobo (Arctium lappa) Biennial native to temperate Europe and Asia. Extraordinary nutritive and blood-cleansing properties.  Burdock seeds sown in the spring or summer will produce diggable roots by late summer that can be harvested through the winter.  The root has similar sweetness to the carrot, with an earthy flavor.  As a medicinal herb, the seeds, root, or leaf may be eaten fresh, cooked in soups, pickled, dried, made into tea, decoction or tincture and used as needed.
 SOLD OUT

 ~Marsh Mallow (Limited to one per person) (Althaea officinalis) African native. The original source of an Egyptian confection which evolved into today's marshmallows. The roots and velvety leaves have been eaten as a vegetable for centuries, often fried with onion and garlic. 3-4 foot stems of 1-2 inch, white-to-pink flowers are reminiscent of hollyhocks, to which this plant is related. The plant is also renowned in various folk cultures for its reputed medicinal properties. SOLD OUT

~Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) Self-seeding overwintering annual or biennial. Native to Europe and North America. This herb is very drought tolerant, bravely producing bloom after yellow, mucilaginous bloom in the evenings, despite sun-baked conditions. The seed is high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an intermediate in the synthesis of prostaglandins. Some women report alleviation of PMS by eating the plant and the seeds. The flowers especially make a tasty addition to salads. SOLD OUT

~Wood Betony (Limited to one per person) (Stachys officinalis) (Woundwort) Herbaceous perennial hardy to -20 degrees F and highly adaptable to lowland sites as well as gardens at altitude.  Native to Europe and Russia.  This moisture-loving plant is a clumper, making a lush mound that flowers in multiple upright racemes red-purple.  The tea or tincture of fresh leaf helps relieve acute or chronic pain.   SOLD OUT

~Red Bergamot  (Limited to one per Person) (Monarda didyma) (Bee Balm, Oswego Tea, Red Bergamot)  Rare. The red-flowered Bergamot, highly aromatic and decorative, is surely one of the most striking of Native American wild plants, with a long history of use in medicine. The tea or tincture of the plant is delightfully tasty, a general carminative and digestive, also useful for treating the common cold and crabiness. Plant prefers sun to part shade and rich, deeply spaded soil of garden, pasture, field, or edge of woodland. Transplant to 1 foot apart.  These grow well in colonies and will perennialize in most gardens.  SOLD OUT


~Lavender Bergamot (Limted to one per person)(Monarda fistulosa) Herbaceous perennial native to western united states.  Makes tight clusters of lavender, long-tubed flowers that attract hummingbirds and children to nibble. Fantastic fresh cut flower and tasty tea herb.  Transplant to 1 foot apart.   OPEN POLLINATED
 SOLD OUT

~Lemon Bergamot  (Limited to one per person)(Monarda citriodora)(Lemon Mint, Purple Horse Mint, Horsemint)
The flowers and decorative bracts are colored outrageously purple, blooming May to August, occurring in multiple dense whorls on the square stems, attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and herbalists to the garden. The leaves are deliciously lemon-scented. Open Pollinated SOLD OUT


~Sweet Leaf Bergamot  (Limited to one per person)(Monarda fistulosa var menthaefolia) (Oregano of the Sierras, Sweet Leaf, Mintleaf Bergamot, Mountain Monarda, Bee-Balm) Herbaceous perennial native to western North America. With showy flowers of lavender to rose and leaves both pungent and minty, this wild native plant, hardy in the face of severe frost, drought or flood, accomodates well to the domestic garden. Fantastic fresh cut flower and tasty tea herb.  Herb is a powerful antiseptic used in treating infections external and internal, including common cold and sore throat.  A good trick is to sprinkle dried leaves in a pan of hot water at the back of the stove, which fills the whole house with a delightful fragrance.  Transplant to 1 foot apart. OPEN POLLINATED SOLD OUT
 ~Yellow Dotted Bergamot (Limited to one per person) (Monarda punctata) (Yellow Dotted Mint, horsemint) Biennial or shortlived perennial native to the Eastern US.  The plant has yellow flowers dotted with purple, as well as very decorative display of bracts in tiered whorls.  Native Americans are very fond of this plant as a tea, and the herb has a long history of use as an antispasmodic for treating common cold, stomach cramps, coughs, etc.  Potent source of Thymol.  Plant prefers full sun to part shade, forest soils or garden soils.   SOLD OUT



How we grow seedlings for you: All of our seed, soil, and fertilizer are certified organic.  All of our seeds are Non-GMO.  We never use any pesticide or anything that is not organic and natural on our plants. Each plant comes to you in either a peat pot that you can rip into pieces and dig into your garden, or an 18oz red plastic cup that you can clean and bring back to us when you pick up your plants next year.  We appreciate you recycling!

*Disclaimer- Please seek professional medical advice before using medicinal herbs. It is the policy Melody Acres Hobby Farm not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use.  The information presented is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. In accordance with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, authors or speakers at Melody Acres Hobby Farm may quote scientific literature, ethnic or historic literature and may cite how they personally use herbs. However, none of the information published/presented may serve as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Melody Acres Hobby Farm is not liable for any decision made or actions taken or not taken due to use of materials published and/ or presented.

We believe in sustainable permaculture. Our collaboration with nature provides organic seedlings and food that give back to our health and the health of our planet. We are always learning and growing!

Thank you for shopping locally and sustainably!