Grow With Us
Potted Plant Starts & Seeds for Your Garden
Giant Colewort (#1 nursery pot)
Crambe cordifolia *New to Us*
Also known as greater or flowering seakale, giant colewort is usually grown in the garden for its spectacular array of white fragrant flowers, but in its native region of the Caucasus Mountains, it is grown in kitchen gardens and foraged as a wild edible. The leaves are edible and best when young. Flowers, seed pods and possibly roots are said to be eaten as well. Though growing slow for the first year or two, mature plants can reach 5ft wide by 8ft tall, and since it develops a deep tap root, it will not appreciate being moved – be sure about where you plant it!
May require staking or sheltering in windy areas, and since it prefers alkaline soils, you may want to add lime to your soil. We have relied on compost and added woody material to buffer the ph of our acidic soil, and our plants seem quite happy.
For growing from seed, the seed needs to be removed from a dried pod, which takes a little skill. We had success carefully pressing the pods between two boards while slowly rotating the top board – release all pressure as soon as you hear or feel the pod crack or else you risk smashing the seed too!
For a truly in depth discussion of growing, harvesting and cooking sea kales, check out the wealth of information on Cultivariable.com
Seed Source: Experimental Farm Network via Michael Billington of Nourishing Roots Farm, Montana
‘New Zealand Perennial’ Ground Cherry (#1 nursery pot)
Physalis spp. (most likely Physalis heterophylla). *New to Us*
“This is an improved strain of perennial ground cherry, the best of multiple annual and hardy perennial species trialed in Massachusetts by our seed source, author and farmer Eric Toensmeier. It has relatively large fruits with excellent flavor, ripening in late September or early October in Massachusetts, though they’re also still perfectly ripe outdoors even by the end of December, long after the leaves have disappeared. The fruit keep well indoors too, and are much denser and less watery than annual ground cherry (though also not really in competition, as these ripen much later). The flavor is also much more intense too, with strong notes of pineapple, tomato and passionfruit. To clean the dried husk off the slightly sticky fruit, just wash in a sink and the paper comes right off.” – Experimental Farm Network
Prefers full sun but also produces well in shade.
Seed Source: Experimental Farm Network
Perennial Tree Collard Seedlings (4in biodegradable pot)
Brassica oleracea
Blue-green to purple leaved plants living up to 10 years and maturing to 6 ft by 6ft. Our three year old plants have survived winters (as well as being moved) and are about three feet tall and flower in early spring (flowering is a trait that often disappears when selecting for cold-hardiness). Buds, flowers, and immature seed pods are all edible and delicious, but the native bees also appreciate the early food source! Seeds are unlikely to breed true to the mother plant’s attributes and may cross pollinate with other crops – an exciting opportunity to make your own breeding selection of a perennial food crop!
Because perennial crops have a deeper, more established root system, they may be good candidates for dry farming or minimal irrigation. In 2026, we have not given our tree collards any supplemental water, and they appear quite happy and are free of cabbage aphids and flea beetles despite intense heat and wind.
Salad Burnett (4in biodegradable pot)
Sanguisorba minor
Perennial, typically evergreen, herb that prefers poor soil and some shade (it will survive in full sun but leaves may be bitter in the summer and new growth may be sparse). Youngest leaves have the most flavor and are typically added to salad greens; the refreshing mint-cucumber like flavor is particularly good muddled in a gin & tonic! Also used to flavor butter, dressings, sauces, and vinegars – plant it close to the back door and harvest just before you start working in the kitchen!
Salad Burnett forms a deep woody root system and may be difficult to relocate but is easy to grow from seed. Branches unfurl from a central basal rosette and form a small mound. Cut back old leaves to encourage new growth. Pom Poms of tiny flowers appear in the second year and rise above the plant on impossibly thin stems, and then dry into a cluster of winged seeds that will crumble apart in your hand – no processing or winnowing required. When starting your own from seed, we have had success both pressing seed into potting soil and planting 1/4″ deep.
Seed Source: Perennial Hill (seed saved and planted in several places, going back to a couple of plants purchased many years ago from The Growers Exchange)
Perennial Hill, LLC 