2023 Update:

Opening Date info:

Due to the much colder spring than normal (we're averaging almost 15-20 degrees below normal!) we're going to have to delay opening until May 15.  Remember, ground temps need to be 60 degrees for tomatoes and peppers to be happy. We're finally done with the moving of the 2nd hoop house next to the other one. Yay, just in time for more snow. We're figuring ways to heat the hoop houses but the tiny seedlings will grow much slower than normal in this cold weather.  We'll keep updating as needed.

Cool weather crops should be available Monday or Tuesday - May 8 or 9 in the little hoop house.

We are excited for this next growing year. Every year is a new adventure in gardening! There are a few new additions to the heirloom plant line up. With the increase in grocery prices, there is never a better time to start growing some of your own veggies with even better flavor than you’ll find in the store. Details on all the veggies will be added to the vegetable page in the next few days.

We’re planning a group of plants that like growing in the cooler weather for earlier planting. This will be available in the small hoop house starting earlier in the season – hopefully the end of April. (The large hoop house will NOT be open at this time to let the tiny tomato plants grow to get ready for you. You’ll need to come back later for them.)

Brand new for us in the cool weather area will be heirloom onion plants – 15 varieties and 2 shallots. We have some special storage onions and some really neat Italian & French varieties for summer eating. Plus some huge exhibition onions that are super fun to grow. A couple of the varieties are hybrids in limited quantity for those of you wanting that option.

In addition, the cool weather area will have a nice assortment of lettuce, asian greens, broccoli, cabbage, kale, beets, green onions, etc. And we are adding a few potatoes in a nice variety in small 1 lb packages. This will give you a chance to trial grow them to find out what you like. I had a fun summer experiment of growing them in 5 different types of containers last year to find out what works best and I’ll be glad to share the ins and outs and how tos with you.

We also have some seed packages for you in small amounts for items that can be direct sown or succession sown. Carrots, lettuce, asian greens, beans (both snap and dry), peas, cucumbers, zucchini, and more. All are heirloom varieties –some which are hard to find.

Eggplants have been added! We have a dozen wonderful heirloom varieties from around the world in small to large sizes. They are available in many colors – white, green, pink, purple and lovely striped ones. All were chosen for flavor. How gorgeous they are is a bonus.

Hours will be reduced this year! The 12 hour days are getting to be too much for us old folks. (Is there an emoji for snort?) So we will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 9-6. We will be closed for normal supported sales on Sunday and Monday. If those are the only days you are available, you can make an appointment and we’ll be there for you – and the same goes for after 6pm. Just make an appointment. Also, on Sundays and Mondays, you can still drop by for self serve shopping. We just won’t be down there all day to help.

The tomato season should run from May 12ish until June 17 with cool weather plants only available starting the end of April. Here’s hoping our Michigan weather cooperates. See Facebook page or here for date opening updates.

Prices remain the same as last year. Tomato plants and most peppers are $5 each or 3 for $12.00.  6-packs of veggies and herbs are $2.50.

Don’t forget to check out our Facebook Page – Plants with Stories for updates and any new happenings – and please share. We depend on word of mouth from you.

We’ve got over 250 tomato varieties with lots of old favorites and a few new ones, of course. We’ve cut back on the number of total plants grown so make sure you reserve one if it’s your favorite. Below is the list of tomatoes planned for this year. That can change as things germinate- or don’t as the case may be. Check back periodically for additions or changes to the lists.

Italics in the list are new varieties for this year. MF means multiflora. Many of these are new varieties that have not yet been added to our website but if you Google them you should find a description for most of them. Email any questions to plantswithstories@gmail.com.

Google has made some updates that have made our Wishlist ordering not work correctly. You can add to the Wishlist to keep track of what you want but you will need to copy paste it to an email order. Please send your orders via email to plantswithstories@gmail.com. Please add your name (and user name if desired), phone number and what pick up date you are requesting. (You can change that date if needed via email or phone.) Most of the varieties will only have 6-12 seedlings started so get your orders in soon to reserve. The most popular varieties will have at least 18 seedlings.

Check out the pepper page for a listing of varieties available soon. We are planning to again have a nice selection of salad fixings including some new varieties of Lettuce, Asian greens and Mustards, Herbs including our Italian basils, and other Vegetables. I have found some really interesting new varieties including a Wasabi mustard! Lists for other seedlings will be added on the appropriate page with updated varieties closer to sowing time.

We are so looking forward to seeing you all again this year!

Tomato Variety List for 2023

Red/Pinks
Atkinson
Campari
Early Detroit                very low
Eva Purple Ball
Gill's All Purpose
Legend
Perfect Rouge (Early Girl)
Pools Glas
Rutgers Select
New Yorker
Treat from Kosovo
WI 55
Brandywine, Cowlicks
                      , Red
                      , Sudduth
Avon Early
Berg
Caspian Pink
Crimson Cushion
Crnkovic Yugoslavian    
Daniels
DiGiorgi Acme
Elsa
Glesener
Gloria
Gogosha
Guido
La Vie en Rose
Large Red
Maslov's Giant
Matsu Express
Mortgage Lifter               unavailable
Mushroom Basket          unavailable
Soldacki
Stump of the World
Tiffen Mennonite
             Large
Bill Bean                     sold out
Dinner Plate
The Dutchman
German Giant           very low
Giant Belgium
Pusta Kolox               very low

Cherries
Besser
Camp Joy
Gardener's Delight
Sweet Aperitif
Iva's Red Berry             sold out
Peacevine (Sweet 100)
Pink Princess
Fruit Punch
Rainbow Cherry           sold out
Snow White
Green Grape
Emerald
Galina's
Yellow Pear
California Sunshine
Sungold                getting low 
Black Cherry
Chocolate Cherry
Chocolate Pear
Dikovinka
Garnet
Rosella
Cherry Roma
Red Grape
Santa
Raspberry Sugarplum
Blondkopchen MF
Barry's Crazy Cherry MF
Rose Quartz MF
Rebel Alliance MF
Blush
Bumblebee Sunrise
Bumblebee Purple
Copper Beauty
Creamsicle
Tropical Sunset
Karma Apricot
Brad's Atomic Grape
Cosmic Eclipse
Dark Galaxy
Indigo Blueberries
Indigo Cherry Drops
Indigo Gold Berries
Candyland
Matt's Wild Cherry       very low
Mexico Midget           sold out
100's and 1000's
Cherry Falls
Sirja's Love
Rosy Falls
Whippersnapper       sold out

Colors
Amish Gold Slicer
WI 55 Gold
Brandywine, Yellow
Crnkovic Yugoslavian Gold
Dr Wyche's                    low
Florentine Beauty
Summer Cider
Orange Caprese - plum
Jaune Flaume                  low
Woodle Orange
Jim Dandy
Kelloggs Breakfast          very low
Persimmon, Russian  
Sweet Ozark Orange
Green Zebra
Glacial Zebra
Evergreen
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Malachite Box
Moldovan Green
Grubb's Mystery
Fantome du Laos
Great White               
Snezhno Belyi
White Beauty
White Queen

BiColor/Stripes
Ananas Noire           sold out
Berkeley Tie Dye
Summer of Love
Alice's Dream
Big Rainbow
Dagma's Perfection
Gold Medal
Mom's
Oaxacan Jewel
Serendipity Striped
Thoburn's Terra Cotta
Pink Boar
Berkeley Tie Dye, Pink     almost out      
Jazz
Girl Girl's Weird Thing
Chocolate Stripes
Large Barred Boar
Solar Flare

Darks
Rasp Mochi
Sugarplum Fairy
Black Beauty                           sold out
Pink Siberian Tiger
Black Prince
Japanese Black Trifele
Nyagous
Tsygan
Amazon Chocolate
Black Crimson
Black from Tula
Black Elephant
Black Giant
Black Krim
Black/True Black Brandywine
Carbon
Cherokee Purple       sold out - sub below
Indian Stripe                 good sub for CP
Faelan's First Snow     good sub for CP
Gary O'Sena 
Giant Fiolet
JD's Special C-tex
Margaret Curtain
Polaris
Paul Robeson
Violet Noire

Hearts
Anna Margaret's           sold out
Anna Russian            very low
Belarusian Heart
Danko                           very low
Eagle's Beak
Ernesto
Kim's Civil War
Kosovo
Mrs. Houseworth's
Reif Red
Ukrainian Heart
Zena's Gift                          unavailable
Orange Minsk
Anna Banana Russian
Ashgabat
Rainbow Jazz
Midnight Sun
Taiga
Brad's Black Heart
Cherokee Purple Heart

Italian
Mrs Bot's Italian Giant     unavailable
Mrs. Maxwell's Big Italian
Angelina's Italian
Belmonte
Chico III                    very low
Costoluto Fiorentino
Costoluto Genovese
Goldman's Italian
Italian Heirloom
Mama Leone
Martino's Roma         
Napoli
Oroma
Pomodoro Pero Gigante
Rio Grande
Ropreco
Santa Maria
San Marzano, gigante 2
                         , da Canna     very low
                         , Redorta

Paste
Amish Paste
Baylor Paste                        very low
Debarao
Grandma Mary's
Heidi
Kara Market
Opalka
Sarnowski Polish Plum
Zyska Polish
Debarao, Black
Black Plum
Ukrainian Purple/Purple Russian
Wessel's Purple Pride
Orange Banana
Banana Legs
Sweet Cream
Marzano Fire
Striped Roman

Dwarf
New Big Dwarf
Tsarsky Podarak
Arctic Rose
Zoe's Sweet
Rosella Crimson
Sarah's Red
Loxton Ladd
Sweet Sister Sunny
Jade Beauty
Sweet Splash Electra     unavailable
Beauty King
Firebird Sweet
Fred's Tie Dye                unavailable
Metallica
Confetti
Wherokowhai
Spud Viper
Brandy Fred
Boronia
Maralinga
Purple Reign
Rosella Purple
Pink Passion
Red Heart
Purple Heart           unavailable
Purple Heartthrob
Franklin Co            unavailable
Geranium Kiss
Sprite
Bendigo Dawn
Pink Opal
Velvet Night
Maglia Rosa
Bella Bimba

Earlies
Cole
Earlirouge
Jory
Klein Early
Stupice
Ida Gold
Clear Pink Early
Early Wonder Pink
Katja