Heirloom Gardening for Biodiversity. The simple act of growing a variety of plants creates a diversity of species in your garden. But you may not realize all the benefits you get. Ecologists correlate species biodiversity with productivity. It means that more diverse systems produce more biomass. And that means more vegetables for your table!

Gardening with heirloom seed enhances the gardening experience for everyone, and there are several heirloom vegetables you can try growing if all growing conditions are met. Some famous heirloom vegetables grown worldwide include yellow plum tomatoes, Lolla Rossa lettuce, Moon and Stars. Watermelon, pink Brandywine tomatoes, Henderson lima beans, rainbow carrots, blue Hubbard pumpkin, Big Jim peppers, lemon cucumber and royal burgundy beans.

When it comes to understanding heirloom plants, there is no simple definition. Some claim that heirloom plants existed before 1951 when farmers introduced hybrid cultivars. Others say that to qualify. Plants must be … Read More ...