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  • Heirloom Plants 101Expand
    • What’s an Heirloom Plant?
    • Heirloom Flowers
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Yesterdays Gardener

Heirloom Plants 101

Heirloom vegetables, flowers, herbs and seeds all have a story to tell. Dive into the catalogues of small independent seed companies and their listings will speak to you.

They’ll tell tales of seeds being sewn into the hems of the clothing of refugees escaping from wartorn countries, or of pioneer women nurturing precious plant cuttings as they travelled across entire continents to new territories. They whisper sagas of seeds passed down from generation to generation; of flowers traded by neighbours across the fence. And by growing heirloom plants, you can start (or continue) your own story too.

Join me on this journey! Look up your favourite flower, veggie or herb below and read along. I hope you’ll be inspired to grow more varieties with colourful pasts that have nothing to do with laboratories and big agribusiness. Find out more about why we should grow heirloom plants.

If you don’t see a variety you’re looking for, please be patient, it’ll be coming soon. Or drop me a comment letting me know whose story you’d like me to tell next!

Heirloom Plant Directory

Johnnie jump up

Heirloom Flowers

Bearded Iris 101
Lavender 101
Lily of the Valley 101
Morning Glory 101

Heirloom Herbs

Dill 101
Thyme 101

heirloom pink roses

Heirloom Roses

‘Buff Beauty’ Rose
‘Harison’s Yellow’ Rose

heirloom vegetables

Heirloom Vegetables

Beans 101
Lettuce 101
Peas 101

Welcome!

woman with sunflower

I'm Dani Brown, lover of heirloom plants and teller of seed stories. I discovered my passion for old-fashioned plants and gardens when I was heritage garden coordinator at a British Columbia museum.
I help gardeners (and anyone who loves food and our planet) learn why and how to find and grow heirloom plants.

Find out more about me here.


~WISE WORDS~

"Our vegetable garden is coming along well, with radishes and beans up, and we are less worried about revolution than we used to be."

Author E. B. White


@yesterdaysgardener

@yesterdaysgardener

  • Seed saving in progress. Radicchio will hopefully grow a bit in this month's cooler weather, Speckled lettuce pushing up flowering heads now, and Snap Pea seeds from @bcecoseedcoop are ready for harvest.
.
If I keep saving seed and growing them on, in a few years I'll have my own varieties perfectly suited to my hot dry Okanagan climate. It takes around 8 years for a self-hybridized variety to fully stabilize.
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener
#HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomSeeds #VegetableGardening #GardenersOfInstagram #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden  #LoveGardening #InMyGarden #GardenLife #GardeningTips #GardeningTip #GardeningForBeginners #CanadianGarden #CanadianGardener 
#OpenPollinatedSeeds #SeedSaving #savingseeds #peas #lettuces #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #Peachland #PeachlandBC
  • 🌻YESTERDAY’S GARDENER blog is now live!🌻
.
Yesterday’s Gardener is the ultimate guide to heirloom seeds, vintage vegetables, antique flowers, and old-fashioned gardens. 
.
First, let me introduce myself. I’m Dani Brown, lover of heirloom plants and teller of seed stories. I'm a former heritage garden coordinator for a British Columbia museum, where I gained my passion for heirloom gardens and plants. That knowledge has been resting inside me for a while, and this feels like the perfect time to share it!
.
As you explore the site you’ll hear the stories of heirloom plants and find out why you might want to grow them. You’ll discover:
.
🌺 Flowers that were common in your grandmother’s garden, and their scents, colours and meanings.
.
🌽 Vegetables and herbs that were grown by past generations from all over the world.
.
🌿 How to save seeds from and preserve vanishing varieties of flowers and veggies.
.
🏡 Garden styles from older eras and ways we can add vintage touches to our modern gardens.
.
I hope you have as much fun exploring the site as I have had creating it! Link is in my bio.
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #GardeningLife #GardeningForBeginners #CanadianGardener #OpenPollinatedSeeds #TheHappyGardeningLife #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia #Peachland #PeachlandBC
  • Tea ✅
Breakfast ✅
Visit local flower farm ✅
.
I can't think of a better way to start off a late summer day than a visit to @thedirtybeeflowerfarm It doesn't get any better for a #flowerlover than having a flower farm 6 minutes from your house! 🌼🌸🌻💐
.
Me and my Yesterday's Gardener blog will be at the @okfolkschool open house in Peachland this Saturday. What better way to decorate my table than with a bouquet of Arlene's beautiful flowers! I wandered about snipping old-fashioned zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, amaranth, scabious and more. #sohappy
.
If you'd like to pick your own bouquet contact Arlene, and give them a follow. If you'd like to learn more about gardening with heirlooms my website will be live tomorrow (more info later today). And if you're in Peachland pop by the open house and say hi!
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #FlowerFarm #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #CanadianGardener #FlowerLover #FlowerGram #FlowerGarden #FlowersAreLife #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia  #Peachland #PeachlandBC
  • I'm in Surrey BC this week (my former home) visiting much-missed friends and one of my fave places in the world - @stewartfarmbc 
.
This is where my love of heirloom gardening began. In 1993 I started a beautiful journey when I volunteered to be part of a team that researched, planted and maintained flower and veg gardens at this historic farm site. Our mandate was to only grow plants that the pioneer Stewart family would have grown between 1890 and 1910. It was a challenging and rewarding task!
.
I was eventually employed to manage these beautiful gardens and the volunteer team that cared for them. My knowledge of vintage varieties of fruit, veggies, herbs and flowers grew, along with awareness that our garden plant diversity is disappearing much like endangered animal species are.
.
I am so blessed to have had this experience - it shaped the gardener I am and gave me the passion to begin Yesterday's Gardener. The blog goes live this weekend - stay tuned!
.
PS if you're ever in Surrey you must visit this living history museum. It's one of the most peaceful places I know, and they have events and demonstrations of what life was like for area settlers.
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening 
#OpenPollinatedSeeds #SurreyBC #LivingHistory #HeritageSite
  • Sshhhh! He's all tucked in to the dianthus for the night!
.
Thanks to Arlene  @thedirtybeeflowerfarm for pointing this little guy out during my visit to her beautiful flowers last night. Check out her flower farm in West Kelowna soon!
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #FlowerFarm #FlowerFarmer #CuttingGarden #OkanaganBC #Okanagan #OkanaganBusiness #OkanaganBlogger #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #ExploreWestside #BeeButt #Bumblebee #BumblebeesOfInstagram #SleepingBee #FlowerLover #FlowerGram #FlowerLover #FlowerGarden #FlowersAreLife #OkanaganGardener
  • Yayyyy! The 'Purple Peacock' pole beans are finally fruiting! This heirloom variety from the Ozarks is beautiful, from its purplish stems and leaves to its violet flowers to its delicious dark purple beans. I grow it every year for its beauty and crop. 
.
Note: when cooked the beans turn from purple to green because heat dissipates the anthocyanin that creates the purple colour, leaving behind the green chlorophyll. No matter - they're yummy no matter what colour they are!
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomSeeds #PurpleBean #PoleBean #HeirloomBeans #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #InMyGarden #CanadianGarden #CanadianGardening #CanadianGardener 
#OpenPollinatedSeeds #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia  #Peachland #PeachlandBC
Join Me on Instagram
@yesterdaysgardener
@yesterdaysgardener
•
Follow
1 year ago
View on Instagram |
1/7
Seed saving in progress. Radicchio will hopefully grow a bit in this month's cooler weather, Speckled lettuce pushing up flowering heads now, and Snap Pea seeds from @bcecoseedcoop are ready for harvest.
.
If I keep saving seed and growing them on, in a few years I'll have my own varieties perfectly suited to my hot dry Okanagan climate. It takes around 8 years for a self-hybridized variety to fully stabilize.
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener
#HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomSeeds #VegetableGardening #GardenersOfInstagram #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden  #LoveGardening #InMyGarden #GardenLife #GardeningTips #GardeningTip #GardeningForBeginners #CanadianGarden #CanadianGardener 
#OpenPollinatedSeeds #SeedSaving #savingseeds #peas #lettuces #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #Peachland #PeachlandBC
@yesterdaysgardener
@yesterdaysgardener
•
Follow
Seed saving in progress. Radicchio will hopefully grow a bit in this month's cooler weather, Speckled lettuce pushing up flowering heads now, and Snap Pea seeds from @bcecoseedcoop are ready for harvest. . If I keep saving seed and growing them on, in a few years I'll have my own varieties perfectly suited to my hot dry Okanagan climate. It takes around 8 years for a self-hybridized variety to fully stabilize. . . . #YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomSeeds #VegetableGardening #GardenersOfInstagram #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden #LoveGardening #InMyGarden #GardenLife #GardeningTips #GardeningTip #GardeningForBeginners #CanadianGarden #CanadianGardener #OpenPollinatedSeeds #SeedSaving #savingseeds #peas #lettuces #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #Peachland #PeachlandBC
1 year ago
View on Instagram |
2/7
🌻YESTERDAY’S GARDENER blog is now live!🌻
.
Yesterday’s Gardener is the ultimate guide to heirloom seeds, vintage vegetables, antique flowers, and old-fashioned gardens. 
.
First, let me introduce myself. I’m Dani Brown, lover of heirloom plants and teller of seed stories. I'm a former heritage garden coordinator for a British Columbia museum, where I gained my passion for heirloom gardens and plants. That knowledge has been resting inside me for a while, and this feels like the perfect time to share it!
.
As you explore the site you’ll hear the stories of heirloom plants and find out why you might want to grow them. You’ll discover:
.
🌺 Flowers that were common in your grandmother’s garden, and their scents, colours and meanings.
.
🌽 Vegetables and herbs that were grown by past generations from all over the world.
.
🌿 How to save seeds from and preserve vanishing varieties of flowers and veggies.
.
🏡 Garden styles from older eras and ways we can add vintage touches to our modern gardens.
.
I hope you have as much fun exploring the site as I have had creating it! Link is in my bio.
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #GardeningLife #GardeningForBeginners #CanadianGardener #OpenPollinatedSeeds #TheHappyGardeningLife #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia #Peachland #PeachlandBC
@yesterdaysgardener
@yesterdaysgardener
•
Follow
🌻YESTERDAY’S GARDENER blog is now live!🌻 . Yesterday’s Gardener is the ultimate guide to heirloom seeds, vintage vegetables, antique flowers, and old-fashioned gardens. . First, let me introduce myself. I’m Dani Brown, lover of heirloom plants and teller of seed stories. I'm a former heritage garden coordinator for a British Columbia museum, where I gained my passion for heirloom gardens and plants. That knowledge has been resting inside me for a while, and this feels like the perfect time to share it! . As you explore the site you’ll hear the stories of heirloom plants and find out why you might want to grow them. You’ll discover: . 🌺 Flowers that were common in your grandmother’s garden, and their scents, colours and meanings. . 🌽 Vegetables and herbs that were grown by past generations from all over the world. . 🌿 How to save seeds from and preserve vanishing varieties of flowers and veggies. . 🏡 Garden styles from older eras and ways we can add vintage touches to our modern gardens. . I hope you have as much fun exploring the site as I have had creating it! Link is in my bio. . . . #YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #GardeningLife #GardeningForBeginners #CanadianGardener #OpenPollinatedSeeds #TheHappyGardeningLife #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia #Peachland #PeachlandBC
1 year ago
View on Instagram |
3/7
Tea ✅
Breakfast ✅
Visit local flower farm ✅
.
I can't think of a better way to start off a late summer day than a visit to @thedirtybeeflowerfarm It doesn't get any better for a #flowerlover than having a flower farm 6 minutes from your house! 🌼🌸🌻💐
.
Me and my Yesterday's Gardener blog will be at the @okfolkschool open house in Peachland this Saturday. What better way to decorate my table than with a bouquet of Arlene's beautiful flowers! I wandered about snipping old-fashioned zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, amaranth, scabious and more. #sohappy
.
If you'd like to pick your own bouquet contact Arlene, and give them a follow. If you'd like to learn more about gardening with heirlooms my website will be live tomorrow (more info later today). And if you're in Peachland pop by the open house and say hi!
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #FlowerFarm #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #CanadianGardener #FlowerLover #FlowerGram #FlowerGarden #FlowersAreLife #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia  #Peachland #PeachlandBC
@yesterdaysgardener
@yesterdaysgardener
•
Follow
Tea ✅ Breakfast ✅ Visit local flower farm ✅ . I can't think of a better way to start off a late summer day than a visit to @thedirtybeeflowerfarm It doesn't get any better for a #flowerlover than having a flower farm 6 minutes from your house! 🌼🌸🌻💐 . Me and my Yesterday's Gardener blog will be at the @okfolkschool open house in Peachland this Saturday. What better way to decorate my table than with a bouquet of Arlene's beautiful flowers! I wandered about snipping old-fashioned zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, amaranth, scabious and more. #sohappy . If you'd like to pick your own bouquet contact Arlene, and give them a follow. If you'd like to learn more about gardening with heirlooms my website will be live tomorrow (more info later today). And if you're in Peachland pop by the open house and say hi! . . . #YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #FlowerFarm #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #CanadianGardener #FlowerLover #FlowerGram #FlowerGarden #FlowersAreLife #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia #Peachland #PeachlandBC
1 year ago
View on Instagram |
4/7
I'm in Surrey BC this week (my former home) visiting much-missed friends and one of my fave places in the world - @stewartfarmbc 
.
This is where my love of heirloom gardening began. In 1993 I started a beautiful journey when I volunteered to be part of a team that researched, planted and maintained flower and veg gardens at this historic farm site. Our mandate was to only grow plants that the pioneer Stewart family would have grown between 1890 and 1910. It was a challenging and rewarding task!
.
I was eventually employed to manage these beautiful gardens and the volunteer team that cared for them. My knowledge of vintage varieties of fruit, veggies, herbs and flowers grew, along with awareness that our garden plant diversity is disappearing much like endangered animal species are.
.
I am so blessed to have had this experience - it shaped the gardener I am and gave me the passion to begin Yesterday's Gardener. The blog goes live this weekend - stay tuned!
.
PS if you're ever in Surrey you must visit this living history museum. It's one of the most peaceful places I know, and they have events and demonstrations of what life was like for area settlers.
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening 
#OpenPollinatedSeeds #SurreyBC #LivingHistory #HeritageSite
@yesterdaysgardener
@yesterdaysgardener
•
Follow
I'm in Surrey BC this week (my former home) visiting much-missed friends and one of my fave places in the world - @stewartfarmbc . This is where my love of heirloom gardening began. In 1993 I started a beautiful journey when I volunteered to be part of a team that researched, planted and maintained flower and veg gardens at this historic farm site. Our mandate was to only grow plants that the pioneer Stewart family would have grown between 1890 and 1910. It was a challenging and rewarding task! . I was eventually employed to manage these beautiful gardens and the volunteer team that cared for them. My knowledge of vintage varieties of fruit, veggies, herbs and flowers grew, along with awareness that our garden plant diversity is disappearing much like endangered animal species are. . I am so blessed to have had this experience - it shaped the gardener I am and gave me the passion to begin Yesterday's Gardener. The blog goes live this weekend - stay tuned! . PS if you're ever in Surrey you must visit this living history museum. It's one of the most peaceful places I know, and they have events and demonstrations of what life was like for area settlers. . . . #YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomFlowers #HeirloomSeeds #HeirloomGarden #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #GardenInspiration #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #OpenPollinatedSeeds #SurreyBC #LivingHistory #HeritageSite
1 year ago
View on Instagram |
5/7
Sshhhh! He's all tucked in to the dianthus for the night!
.
Thanks to Arlene  @thedirtybeeflowerfarm for pointing this little guy out during my visit to her beautiful flowers last night. Check out her flower farm in West Kelowna soon!
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #FlowerFarm #FlowerFarmer #CuttingGarden #OkanaganBC #Okanagan #OkanaganBusiness #OkanaganBlogger #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #ExploreWestside #BeeButt #Bumblebee #BumblebeesOfInstagram #SleepingBee #FlowerLover #FlowerGram #FlowerLover #FlowerGarden #FlowersAreLife #OkanaganGardener
@yesterdaysgardener
@yesterdaysgardener
•
Follow
Sshhhh! He's all tucked in to the dianthus for the night! . Thanks to Arlene @thedirtybeeflowerfarm for pointing this little guy out during my visit to her beautiful flowers last night. Check out her flower farm in West Kelowna soon! . . . #YesterdaysGardener #FlowerFarm #FlowerFarmer #CuttingGarden #OkanaganBC #Okanagan #OkanaganBusiness #OkanaganBlogger #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #ExploreWestside #BeeButt #Bumblebee #BumblebeesOfInstagram #SleepingBee #FlowerLover #FlowerGram #FlowerLover #FlowerGarden #FlowersAreLife #OkanaganGardener
1 year ago
View on Instagram |
6/7
Yayyyy! The 'Purple Peacock' pole beans are finally fruiting! This heirloom variety from the Ozarks is beautiful, from its purplish stems and leaves to its violet flowers to its delicious dark purple beans. I grow it every year for its beauty and crop. 
.
Note: when cooked the beans turn from purple to green because heat dissipates the anthocyanin that creates the purple colour, leaving behind the green chlorophyll. No matter - they're yummy no matter what colour they are!
.
.
.
#YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomSeeds #PurpleBean #PoleBean #HeirloomBeans #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #InMyGarden #CanadianGarden #CanadianGardening #CanadianGardener 
#OpenPollinatedSeeds #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia  #Peachland #PeachlandBC
@yesterdaysgardener
@yesterdaysgardener
•
Follow
Yayyyy! The 'Purple Peacock' pole beans are finally fruiting! This heirloom variety from the Ozarks is beautiful, from its purplish stems and leaves to its violet flowers to its delicious dark purple beans. I grow it every year for its beauty and crop. . Note: when cooked the beans turn from purple to green because heat dissipates the anthocyanin that creates the purple colour, leaving behind the green chlorophyll. No matter - they're yummy no matter what colour they are! . . . #YesterdaysGardener #HeirloomGardening #HeirloomVegetables #HeirloomPlants #HeirloomSeeds #PurpleBean #PoleBean #HeirloomBeans #VegetableGardening #GardenLove #GardenLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #Gardener #InstaGarden #PassionateGardeners #LoveGardening #InMyGarden #CanadianGarden #CanadianGardening #CanadianGardener  #OpenPollinatedSeeds #OkanaganGardener #OkanaganBC #KelownaGardeners #WestKelowna #WestKelownaBC #KelownaBC #British Columbia #Peachland #PeachlandBC
1 year ago
View on Instagram |
7/7

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  • Heirloom Plants 101
    • What’s an Heirloom Plant?
    • Heirloom Flowers
    • Heirloom Herbs
    • Heirloom Roses
    • Heirloom Seeds
    • Heirloom Vegetables
  • Garden Life
    • Garden Reads
    • In The Garden
  • Resources
  • Seed Sources
  • About Me
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