This stunning dark figleaf hollyhock (Alcea ficifolia) is a centuries-old variety.
Photo by Janet Kimber
Notes on Heirloom and Heritage Plants
Keep reading for our top picks to help start a garden that will be enjoyed for generations to come
##Heirloom vs. Heritage Plants##
Heirloom and heritage plants are often called pass-along plants, because they are handed on from gardener to gardener, one generation to the next.
* Generally, **heirlooms** are considered to be plants once widely grown but now scarce; they also come true from seed (that is, identical to the parent plant) unlike most modern hybrids.
* Equally treasured, **heritage** plants have baggage: an association with a cultural group, place, period or person, from native plants cultivated by indigenous peoples to old varieties of hollyhock that your grandmother grew. The boundaries do overlap and one plant may wear both heirloom and heritage caps. What’s key is that, at some point, it endeared itself to gardeners to become a vital part of our horticultural past.
##Harry Moore’s Heritage Favourites##
* **Sweet peas** The fragrance of old varieties such as ‘Cupani’s Original’ can’t be beat.
* **Cosmos** This early-flowering annual was all the rage in the 1920s.
* **Hollyhocks** Statuesque plants will self-seed enthusiastically.
* **Peonies** These durable garden plants can live more than 50 years.
* **Nasturtiums** Louis XIV helped to popularize these humble blooms.
* **Apples** The cold-hardy ‘Wealthy’ apple was developed by Peter Gideon in Minnesota in the 1860s and named after his wife.
##Enduring Heirlooms##
* **Tomatoes** Heirloom varieties such as ‘Green Zebra’ and ‘Purple Russian’ are relished for their full flavours, odd shapes and lovely colours.
* **Peas** Snap peas in shades of red, yellow and the wonderful blue-podded ‘Capucijner’ (from 1500) are becoming popular again.
* **Melons** Sweet varieties include ‘Montreal Market’, brought to Canada first by early French settlers, developed in Montreal, and saved from extinction in 1995.
Once in danger of being lost forever, many heirloom plants (particularly vegetables and fruits) are being rescued, and their seeds made available to new generations of gardeners. For suppliers, visit Seeds of Diversity.
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