American Heirloom Seed

This was a very fun project. I found out about Landreth Seed Company from reading the Beekman Boys website and had ordered some seed earlier this year.  I spoke with Barbara Melara, President of Landreth Seed Co. as part of my research for this design/illustration project with Nancy Stahl and Zina Saunders. This is one of four stamp designs I worked on in Illustrator and Photoshop.

When asked what 4 heirloom vegetables she considers to be quintessentially American she told me:

Trophy Tomato: According to Barbara Melara, President of Landreth Seed Company, (the oldest seed company in America, founded 1784)"Landreth offered the first tomato seed for sale in the United States in 1820, but Americans and Europeans had known of this fruit for centuries." Read more about the whole Trophy Tomato Story.

Scarlet Runner Bean: Used by Native Americans, the large sturdy 10 ft. vines produce very showy scarlet flowers in clusters. The pods are fat and fuzzy. The huge beans are purple and black. This was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

Boston Marrow Squash: This heirloom was introduced before 1831 and was the standard pie squash.It was a favorite of the Iroquois and may have originated in Chile.

Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach:Introduced by Landreth in 1826 and improved in 1925, this is the most popular non-hybrid spinach sold. Glossy, dark green , savoyed leaves with a vigorous upright habit, and slow to bolt in hot weather.

You can order the seeds through the Landreth Co. website

Comments

[chad grohman]

Looking good Peg...

[peg nocciolino]

Thanks Chad!!