Seed Savers Exchange Favorites Collection
Item Details
Item Details
Empress Bean
Our very best snap bean for fresh eating, freezing, or processing, the Empress bean offers incredible flavor. The vigorous plants produce heavy yields of large, straight, green, 5-6” stringless pods. Plant in succession for fresh beans throughout the season. Introduced by Gurney’s in 1979 as Experimental Bean 121 and later renamed Empress.
- 55 days
- ±1,500 seeds/lb
- Organic
- Bush habit
- Best Seller
- Our best fresh-eating snap bean
- 5-6" stringless pods
- Heavy yields
Calendula Flower Mixture
The spectacular colors and the array of petal formations in this flower mix make it a great choice for borders and mass plantings. This annual’s edible flowers—the petals are tangy and sweet—are also good for cutting and arranging. This European native has been used for thousands of years in creams to soothe irritated skin and resolve other inflammatory problems.
- Conventional
- Self-sowing, hardy annual
- Spectacular mix of colors and petal formations
- Plants grow to 20-24 inches tall
- Blossoms are edible
- Great for container gardens
Ausilio Thin Skin Italian Pepper
This gorgeous, versatile, and delicious blocky pepper originates from Italy and is ideal for stuffing, frying, and canning, with a heat level that ranges from mild to hot. Pendant fruits measure 4 to 5 inches long by 2 to 2.5 inches wide. Its medium-thick flesh matures from green to red, and plants measure 18 to 24 inches tall. This Italian family heirloom pepper was donated to Seed Savers Exchange in 2015 by Chad and Michele Ogle-Riccelli of Des Moines, Iowa. Chad's great-grandparents, Giovanni "John" Ausilio and Rachel P. Scarcello, immigrated from Italy in the early 1900s. Their daughter Theresa continues to grow the pepper, which today is at the center of the family's culinary traditions. It is used for drying, frying, stuffing, canning and making sardas (savory rolls flavored with dried peppers and sardines). When asked why the family chose to preserve this pepper and save seeds form year to year, Chad says, “As Grandma (Theresa Ausilio Riccelli) would tell you, they are her family seeds. Something that special, you love and pass on for generations to come...These peppers are part of our heritage.”
- ±4,200 seeds/oz
- Organic
- Staff Favorite
- Italian-style thin skin frying pepper
- Red fruits grow to 5 inches long
- Moderate to high heat
Japanese Climbing Cucumber
This Japanese climbing variety bears tender, crisp, and slightly tart 9"-long cucumbers that are excellent for slicing or pickling. Listed by J.M. Thornton & Company in 1894, this variety’s strong grasping tendrils make it ideal for growing on a trellis or fence, but it can also be grown on the ground.
- 58-65 days
- ±950 seeds/oz
- Organic
- Fruits grow up to 9 inches
- Crisp, slightly tart flavor
Winter Density Lettuce
(aka Craquerelle du Midi) Bred in England. Large dark green curled leaves form upright 8-10" heads. Sweet, crisp, and succulent. Slow to bolt in summer heat yet also cold tolerant.
- 55 days
- ±27,000 seeds/oz
- Organic
- Sweet, crisp heads grow to 8-10 inches
- Bibb-Romaine lettuce
- Slow to bolt yet also cold tolerant
Black Krim Tomato
Also called Black Crimea and introduced to Seed Savers Exchange by Lars Olov Rosenstrom of Sweden. Originally from the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. Beefsteak fruits are a unique combination of violet-brown and purple-red—they turn almost black with sufficient sunlight and heat. Excellent full flavor.
- 70-90 days from transplant
- Conventional
- Beefsteak tomatoes
- Indeterminate - Fruit ripens throughout the season
- Fruits are violet-brown and purple-red
- Sun exposure darkens the color
- Excellent flavor
Ratings & Reviews
3 reviews
No germination at all
by Farnaz
Just waste my money
Perfect gift for gardeners
by Erica
Very nice selection that had interesting varieties and were pretty easy to grow. Was delighted to receive them.
Love this collection!
by Autumn
One of our favorite collections.