Doug’s seed order with J.L. Hudson, Seedsman
I love this catalog, it’s filled with cool stuff.
J.L. Hudson is one of my favorite seed catalogs. It’s old school with no pictures, just a few drawing.
The catalog is filled with unique items are very reasonable prices.
Their website uses old technology, but works fine. You can see a few photos there.
Here’s what I’ve ordered this year and why. I’ve included the catalog descriptions too-
I’ve had good luck germination foxglove seeds. It’s a plant that the deer have never touched in my garden. Most of the foxglove in my garden are biennial. They grow foliage the first year, flower the next, then die. They produce lots of seeds, which sprout the next year.
The varieties I’ve ordered are true perennials, I have a few others that I started from seed in the past. Foxglove seeds need to be surfaced sowed, which just means sprinkling the dust like seeds on top of a planting mix, pushing them into the soil with a small wooden block and then covering the flat with clear plastic to keep the mix moist. These seeds prefer light to germinate. Digitalis is the genus for foxglove.
Digitalis X mertonensis
Very large crushed-strawberry colored 2" flowers in May and June. Showy hardy perennial to 2 - 3 feet, with glossy dark green leaves. Zone 3.
Digitalis obscura
'WILLOW-LEAVED FOXGLOVE'. Yellow, red-veined or orange-red flowers. Slightly woody perennial to 2 feet, with narrow, willow-like foliage. Spain. Zone 4. Dry, well-drained areas.
Some gardeners would think I’m crazy to sow morning glory seeds, but I love them. They can be a bully in the garden, but the late summer blooms are beautiful and I like how they self sow. Ipomoea is the genus for morning glories.
Ipomoea purpurea 'Carnevale di Venezia'
Spectacular flowers of purple or pink striped white. Hardy annual to 15 feet. Very nice! Originally the 'Aomurasaki zyouhanten shibori' strain from Japan.
'Carnevale di Venezia'
Ipomoea purpurea 'Kniola's Purple Black'
Stunning deep velvety purple-black 2 inch wide flowers, with a rosy throat and a white eye. Unique. Absolutely the deepest, darkest morning glory we have ever seen, they actually appear black when they first open in the morning light. Discovered by Mr. Kniola on an abandoned Indiana farm. Pronounced ka-NO-la. Nick seed to germinate in 1 - 2 weeks. "The most beautiful Ipomoea I ever saw."—M.L., Israel. Our seed is the true strain, grown by us from seed sent by Mr. Kniola.
Ligularia is another perennial plant that the deer have never touched in my garden. I’ve never grown one from seed, but it will be fun to try. They are shade lovers, don’t need much from the gardener and once established with persist for decades and beyond. One note, I’ll have lots of seedlings to give away of all these plants.
Ligularia dentata 'Midnight Lady'
Compact purple-bronze foliage, almost black in spring, and holds color well in summer. Golden flowers on strong stems to 3 feet. Zone 3.
Salvia is yet another flower the deer have not bothered in my garden. The genus also includes sage, that fragrance seems to turn the deer off. There are perennial and annual versions of the plant, I’ve ordered two perennials. How could I pass up Transsylvania Salvia?
Salvia 'Silver Sage'
'SILVER SAGE'. Large striking rosettes of silvery white woolly leaves. The second or third season brings a large, branched, candelabra-like cluster of bluish-white flowers, to 2 feet tall. Mediterranean. Zone 5. "A very handsome border plant, one of my favorite Salvias."—S. Calkins. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks.
Salvia transsylvanica
'TRANSYVANIAN SAGE'. Deep indigo-blue flowers in dense spikes. Hardy perennial to 1 1/2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Transylvania. Zone 3. "Makes S. grandiflora look sloppy and boring by comparison."—Bertrand. Germinates in 1 - 3 weeks warm.
I’ve been growing Cherokee Trail of Tears pole bean for over 40 years and it never dissapooints. I got the seeds while working at the Medina County Gazette from the late Bob Janca. He was an heirloom seed saver.
Bean Cherokee Trail of Tears
Beautiful black beans, originally from Dr. John Wyche, whose Cherokee ancestors brought this bean over the brutal forced winter march from the Smoky Mountains in fall of 1838, ending in spring 1839 in Oklahoma. Four thousand Cherokee died on this march, which is now known as the Trail of Tears. Slender green pods with purple blush. Excellent for fresh snap beans or dry soup beans.
I want to grow garbonzo beans for my wife. The first season I tried, there was a crap failure with no germination. I hope things go better this spring.
Bean Garbonzo Green Channa
Cicer arietinum. An unusual garbanzo from India, with small, moss-green beans. They turn brown when cooked, with lots of flavor.
Bean Garbonzo Kala Channa
Cicer arietinum. A small, brown-seeded chick pea from India. Excellent for home gardens, good in dry, short-season areas. Not suited to cool coastal zones. Widely eaten in India fresh or dried, parched for snacks, ground into flour for sauces, pancakes, noodles, etc. An ancient snack food: Xenophanes, in the 6th century BC, spoke of "...drinking sweet wine and crunching chickpeas..."
I’ve grown Brown Russian cucumbers before, it’s a prolific, unique and tasty variety.
Brown Russian cucumber.