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 very low |
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 |
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 |
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 |