Red Fig Tomato Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum cv.). Red Fig Tomato is an heirloom variety from Philadelphia dating to 1805. They were traditionally dried or made into a sweet preserve to be eaten in winter like figs, but they are also sugary sweet eaten fresh. The deep red fruits are pear-shaped... - Red Fig Tomato Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum cv.).
Red Wethersfield Onion Seeds (Allium cepa cv.). Thomas Jefferson grew several types of onion at Monticello, including Madeira, Spanish, Tree, and White. The Red Wethersfield Onion is a 19th-century variety that derives its name from Wethersfield, Connecticut, wh... - Red Wethersfield Onion Seeds (Allium cepa cv.).
Roman Chamomile Seeds (Chamaemelum nobile). This ancient European herb remains a popular and useful plant in gardens today. The single-flowered Roman Chamomile has been considered the most potent medicinal form since the 13th century. It was grown in American gardens by the 1600's and Thomas J... - Roman Chamomile Seeds (Chamaemelum nobile).
Rosemary Seeds (Rosmarinus officinalis). The Normans may have first brought this shrubby, evergreen, Mediterranean herb to Britain as early as the 11th century. Thomas Jefferson noted Rosemary among 14 other herbs for his Monticello garden in 1794. It has long been valued as a c... - Rosemary Seeds (Rosmarinus officinalis).
Rouge Demi-Longue de Chantenay Carrot Seeds (Daucus carota cv.). This popular heirloom variety was said to have developed in France in 1829, but it more likely occurred in the late 19th century. The tender roots of the Rouge Demi-Longue de Chantenay Carrot are a beautiful deep orange and have an exquisite fl... - Rouge Demi-Longue de Chantenay Carrot Seeds (Daucus carota cv.).
Rusty Foxglove Seeds (Digitalis ferruginea). The early summer-flowering Rusty Foxglove is native to southeastern Europe, Turkey, and Lebanon, and documented in the 16th-century British herbals of Parkinson and Gerard. Philadelphia nurseryman Bernard McMahon listed it as "Iron... - Rusty Foxglove Seeds (Digitalis ferruginea).
Sage Seeds (Salvia officinalis). Sage was a standard in kitchen gardens from colonial times, and Thomas Jefferson listed it for the Monticello garden in 1794. This culinary Mediterranean shrub, grown since the 13th century, was thought to prolong life. It's soft&co... - Sage Seeds (Salvia officinalis).
Scarlet Runner Bean Seeds (Phaseolus coccineus). A Central American native that was popularized by the great 18th-century English garden writer, Philip Miller, Scarlet Runner Bean is still very popular in Europe for its edible beans. Thomas Jefferson planted this lovely annual vine with... - Scarlet Runner Bean Seeds (Phaseolus coccineus).
Sensitive Plant Seeds (Mimosa pudica). Seeds of the Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica) were first planted in an oval flower bed at Monticello on March 22, 1811. This variety has been grown as a curiosity for centuries, and was included in many early 19th-century seed lists. A fav... - Sensitive Plant Seeds (Mimosa pudica).
Small Yellow Foxglove Seeds (Digitalis lutea). This charming, self-seeding perennial bears pale yellow tubular flowers in late spring. Small Yellow Foxglove, native to the Mediterranean region, has been cultivated since the 16th century in Britain and was established in America... - Small Yellow Foxglove Seeds (Digitalis lutea).
Small-Space Vegetable Garden Seed Collection. Thomas Jefferson grew some 330 varieties of vegetables in his 1,000-ft long, terraced vegetable garden at Monticello. Fortunately, such a large amount of space is not necessary to grow the delicious cool and warm-season vegetables a... - Small-Space Vegetable Garden Seed Collection.
Snow-on-the-Mountain Seeds (Euphorbia marginata). On July 28th, 1806, William Clark, co-captain of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, collected this curious plant while exploring Montana's Yellowstone River. Plant hunter and botanist Frederick Pursh called it a "very handsome sp... - Snow-on-the-Mountain Seeds (Euphorbia marginata).
Stowell's Evergreen White Corn Seeds (Zea mays variety). Regarded as the "king of all white sweet corn varieties", this home-garden favorite was developed in 1848 by Nathaniel Newman Stowell of Burlington, New Jersey, who crossed the Menomony Soft Corn with Northern Sugar Corn. It was lat... - Stowell's Evergreen White Corn Seeds (Zea mays variety).
Summer Crookneck Squash Seeds (Cucurbita pepo cv.). Summer Crookneck Squash, also known as Summer Warted Crookneck, is a tropical vegetable grown by Native Americans, which is typically eaten when the fruit is young and tender. Thomas Jefferson received seed of the "long crooked and ... - Summer Crookneck Squash Seeds (Cucurbita pepo cv.).
Sweet Basil Seeds (Ocimum basilicum). Sweet Basil, native to Europe, is used fresh or dried as an aromatic culinary seasoning. It was common in America by the late 1700's, and Thomas Jefferson requested a supply of this pot-herb from his neighbor George Divers in 1820. ... - Sweet Basil Seeds (Ocimum basilicum).
Sweet William Catchfly Seeds (Silene armeria). Sweet William Catchfly is a showy, self-seeding annual flower native to Europe with blue-green leaves and a long succession of purplish-pink flowers from late spring into summer. Sometimes called Lobel's Catchfly or None-So-Pretty, it was... - Sweet William Catchfly Seeds (Silene armeria).
Swiss Chard "Mixed Colors" Seeds (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla). On April 30, 1774, Thomas Jefferson sowed "white beet", another name for leaf-beet or Swiss Chard. While Jefferson's variety was most likely a green leaf with white ribs, leaf-beet has long been known to come in "many and vari... - Swiss Chard "Mixed Colors" Seeds (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla).
Thyme Seeds (Thymus vulgaris). Thyme was first cultivated by the Assyrians and used to treat nightmares and short-windedness. Also long-cultivated for its culinary uses, it was brought to the American colonies at an early date, and Thomas Jefferson recorded it in his l... - Thyme Seeds (Thymus vulgaris).
Tom Thumb Pea Seeds (Pisum sativum cv.). As the name indicates, Tom Thumb Pea is small in stature, reaching only 8-10" tall. Grown in the United States since the mid-19th century, this pea does not require staking and is perfect for container gardening. Fearing Burr,... - Tom Thumb Pea Seeds (Pisum sativum cv.).
Warm-Season Vegetable Seed Collection. In addition to growing many of the common Old World vegetables that preferred cooler climates, Thomas Jefferson took advantage of the hot Virginia summers to plant a wide variety of New World curiosities that have since become staples of the wa... - Warm-Season Vegetable Seed Collection.