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Perhaps the most wondrous sight in any prairie is a mass planting of Prairie Blazingstar. They are resilient, pollinator magnets, provide cover for birds, insects of all types and grow deep roots.  They can reach 4’ tall and are hardy to USDA Zone 4. These perennials are a crowd please in a natural setting or a garden border. They are excellent cut flowers and excel in dried arrangements.  There are several different Liatris and all can play an important part in any ecosystem. Characteristics:  Perennial and hardy to zone 4 Plants grow to 3-4 feet tall Spikes of purple-magenta flowers Excellent for dried and cut flower arrangements 150 seeds per packet  Instructions: Germination is increased by a 30- day cold treatment in slightly damp paper towels in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Seed can also be directly sown into a prepared seedbed in fall, or in early- to mid-spring. Requires a rich loam, clay, or slightly moist sandy soil.  Start Indoors: 6-8 weeks before planting out or direct sow after treating the seeds or in early spring or late fall  Germination: 20-25 Days Plant Outdoors: 2-3' Apart Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability

The Seed Savers Exchange  Self-seeding annuals Plants grow to 12-16 inches tall Mixture of bright colors Great for mass plantings 200 Seeds Instructions: Direct seeding is preferable, as poppies do not like to have their roots disturbed. Sow seeds outdoors in the early spring when the soil is still cool and light frost is possible. Can also be sown in the fall just before the ground freezes. Plants will tolerate poor soil. Direct Seed: 1/4" Deep Germination: 10-15 Days Thin: 8-10" Apart Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability

currently stocking Southern Expsoure Seed Exchange. We carry both throughout to year depending on timing. The Seed Savers Exchange - (C. pepo) (aka Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato) Originally from Thelma Sanders of Kirksville, Missouri. The seed was passed from Evert Pettit to Sue and Tom Knoche, Ohio squash collectors. All these seed stewards were among SSE’s earliest members. Wonderful cream-colored acorn squash. Sweet chestnut flavor, enormously productive. Thelma described this good keeper as ‘better than sweet potatoes.’ 85-90 days.  Characteristics:  Organic Cream-colored acorn squash Sweet chestnut flavor Extremely productive Winter squash 85-90 days At least 20 seeds per packet  Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed. Hills should be spaced 6' apart in all directions. Can also be started indoors 3 weeks before transplanting out.  Direct Seed: 1" Deep Seeds to Hill: 6-8 Seeds Thin: To 3-4 Plants Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - Sweet Alyssums are low, spreading mounds with sweetly fragrant tiny white flowers in clusters. Often blooms so thickly as to completely hide the foliage! Long-blooming, especially if spent blooms are cut back. Attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Great for undersowing, planting between paving stones, or as a ground cover. Certified Organic  Heirloom  Especially well-suited to the South-East  From Small Farms  Instructions -  Annual. Germination: 70 °F, 5-15 days, light required. Full sun or part shade. Direct sow or transplant after the last frost. Ht. 8-12 in. Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability

The Seed Savers  Exchange - Melon lovers can thank a small group of Canadian preservationists for bringing back this incredibly flavorful variety in the 1990s. Its thick, green flesh is highly aromatic and has a sweet, complex taste. For peak flavor, harvest fruits when slightly under-ripe, before the rind turns yellow and the fruit softens. Melons are round to slightly flattened with a heavy, silvery netting and deep ribbing, measure 8" in diameter, and weigh 7-8 pounds. Organic. Characteristics:  Organic Fruits grow to 7-8 lbs Flesh is green with heavy silver netting Sweet and complex flavor Harvest before rind yellows for peak flavor New for 2021 From the Collection 25 Seeds per packet    Instructions - Melons love heat. Sow seeds outdoors in 12" diameter hills after danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Space hills 6' apart in all directions. Seeds will germinate in 4-10 days. Can also be started indoors 2-3 weeks before last frost. Plant 1" deep Plant hills, 6-8 seed Germinate 7-14 days Thin 3-4 plants Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability 

Seed Exchange - Eight-inch elongated bells are as mild as apples. Fruits stand upright on 2' plants and ripen from green to red. Best used when green or just turning to red. Productive large pepper that bears consistently until frost. Early large pepper; great for stuffing. 70-90 days from transplant. Sweet. Characteristics: Organic Fruits grow to 8 inches Best used when green or slightly red Great for stuffing Sweet pepper 70-90 days from transplant 25 Seeds Instructions - Sow seeds indoors ¼” deep. Peppers germinate best in warm soil, so gentle bottom heat may be helpful until seedlings emerge. Wait to transplant outdoors until the soil is warm. Sow indoors 8 weeks before the last frost Plant 1/4" deep Germinates in 14 days Plant Rows 12-24" apart Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute based on supplier availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - This kohlrabi has it all - juicy, crunchy, and crisp stems and a slightly spicy, sweet flavor. The bulbs are light-green and round to slightly elongated, and the plants have light-green petioles with light-purple bases. The light- to dark-green leaves are mostly elliptical in shape (with the occasional obovate leaf) and have round-toothed margins. Variability occurs from plant to plant, but each plant has uniform leaves; the plants grow 12-17" tall and reach 22-28" in diameter. Stems are 2" to just over 2½" long and approximately 2¾-3½" wide, and weigh 4.7-9.5 oz. Characteristics:  Sweet, spicy flavor 250 Seeds Instructions - Best grown in cooler weather. Sow seeds outdoors as soon as soil can be worked and the danger of hard frost has passed. Can also be started indoors and transplanted out. Plant in full sun or partial shade. Kohlrabi is also an excellent fall crop. Direct Seed 1" apart Plant 1/4" deep Plant Rows 12-18" apart Thin to 4" apart Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability

Fringed Tulips like Fabio are wonderfully interesting in arrangements and in the garden. Fabio's yellow and red blooms provide a sunny disposition. Fringed tulips have interesting fringes along the bloom edges. Some have fringes on just the bloom top edge while others have it almost on the entire petal.  Have fun and make a bed of these or just add some whimsy to your garden beds.  Our bulbs are close to 5” in circumference ( 11/12 cm) which makes them some of the biggest you can purchase and are sourced from Holland. USDA Zones 3 – 7 (they can be planted in warm climates if given a chill period) Mid to Late-season flowering  Bloom Duration: 3 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun Additional Information Great for Bouquets, Naturalizing or Mass Planting 20” tall Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun, 6” inches deep with the tip pointing up. Space each bulb 4-6” apart. They will tolerate some shade. Tulips have everything they need to get started, but you can place a teaspoon of bone meal in the soil before planting and use a low nitrogen fertilizer when the first leaves appear in Spring. Our bulbs will ship to you in mid September to mid October.  Looking for more tulip options, check all of them out here - Tulips (fireflyfarmandmercantile.com)

Renee's Garden - Award-winning perennial French Perfume is a compact, deliciously fragrant, hardy Lavender, bred by our most respected Dutch seed producers. This new cultivar produces lovely, uniform, softly vase-shaped plants 12 to 18 inches tall that actually begin blooming the first year from seed. Their rich flushes of plump, deep purple, velvety flowers are intensely fragrant with an unusually sweet, clean lavender scent that’s truly memorable and hard to resist. A brand-new garden treasure to enjoy.   Characteristics:  Renee's Garden Exclusive  Award-winning Perennial  Deliciously fragrant  Compact plants  Approx 30-35 seeds   Instructions - In early spring, sow seeds about 1 inch apart in a container of seed starting mix, cover very lightly and keep at 60-70°F (16-21°C) in a spot with good air circulation. Keep evenly moist but not soggy. Seedlings emerge slowly and unevenly over 18 to 28 days. Provide a good light source. When seedlings have several sets of leaves, transplant into 4-inch plastic pots. Provide consistent water, but let the soil dry out on top between waterings. Feed every few weeks. Plant outside when plants are 2 to 3 inches tall after gradually acclimating to outdoors.  Plant in: February - May Full sun  Plant 1/2-1 inches apart  Cover Lightly  18-28 days to germinate  Mature Height: 12-18 inches  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers due to availability. 

Canna Tall green-leaf 'Salmon Beauty' The 'Salmon Beauty 'Canna are beautiful salmon (pink-orange) blooms that sit above green foliage.  They are care free and are not bothered by deer, rabbits or other rodents.  We don't have a picture I can publish yet so if you have one, please share it with us or if interested we can send it to you.  Cannas reward you with lush tropical foliage and standout blooms within a very short time period. Cannas are tropical bulbs and will need to be lifted in zones colder than Zone 8. They are easy to store and will bring your years of enjoyment. Cut the flowers for show stopping arrangements as this will help encourage blooms until frost. Canna bulbs are #1 size bulbs, some of the biggest on the market. Characteristics 32"-40" tall USDA Zones 8-11 (Hardy in these zones, lift and store in winter in other zones) Summer to Fall Bloom Duration: Continuous Blooms through frost starting in mid to late summer Full Sun (some partial shade is ok) Additional Information Deer, Rodent, Rabbit and Squirrel Resistant  Great for Specimen, Mass Plantings, Borders, and Cutting Gardens. Great for butterflies and other pollinators Ships starting late March (weather dependent) Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun with 6” deep. Space 2' apart. Plant when the soil is 60 degrees, well past any frost danger.  

Sun Devil Bearded Iris reblooms in the early fall. It is dependable with blooms and is a showstopper that will dazzle passing visitors in your garden. The color combination of deep burgandy to a black sitting underneath a gold hood of color looks like the sun over a dark place. It is a wonderful specimen for any garden.  Bearded Irises are wonderful. They are easy to grow and give you wonderful results.  Bearded Irises are hardy from Zone 3 all the way to Zone 10.  They do not need a chilling period so they can grow almost anywhere in the United States.  It’s not uncommon to hear stories how immigrants would bring these flower with them from their home countries throughout Europe.  If you walk through suburbs and cities, you will start to be able to see the diversity of these species. USDA Zones 4 – 10 Flowers May to June depending on your zone Bloom Duration: 3-4 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun Additional Information Deer, Rabbit, & Rodent Resistant Great for Naturalizing, Borders, Mass Plantings, and Rock Gardens 40" tall Drought tolerant Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun with 1/3 of the rhizome exposed above the soil.  We like to plant ours 18”-30” apart.  They fill in pretty fast.  Do NOT mulch over the rhizome as they like to remain dry and extra mulch increases chances of rot.  We recommended cutting the flower once it blooms to put energy back into the rhizome and the new blooms that will happen later in the summer. Ships mid September to mid October.  Photo Credit: JBGoodwin, Adobe

The Seed Savers Exchange - None of the original pansies introduced in the 1800s by the Vilmorin Company of Paris still exist by their true names. Fortunately for gardeners, seedsman Kees Sahin kept a collection of 13,000 violas in the Netherlands. Kees re-assembled a mixture closely resembling the original “Bambini Mixture” from Vilmorin. The flowers are reminiscent of little smiling faces with distinct whiskers. Self-seeding biennial, 6-8" tall. Self-seeding biennial plants grow to 6-8 inches A mixture of many-colored blossoms Will grow in containers Good for ornamental border plantings 50 Seeds Instructions - Sow seeds indoors 1/4" deep. Transplant outdoors when the spring temperatures are still cool and a light frost is possible. Plants enjoy cool rich soil. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost Germination 10-14 days Plant 6-9" apart Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of availability

Our Tiny Rocket Asiatic Lily bold colors will add drama while they are in bloom. Pair with whites and yellows for a dramatic effect.   Asiatic Lilies are super easy to care for and are dependable bloomers year after year. Blooms are upright and look as if they are looking up towards the sun. The Tiny Series provides countless blooms and are perfect containers.   USDA Zones 2-9 (Zone 2, 3 you should mulch to help with winter lows) Mid-Summer flowering  Bloom Duration: 2 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun Bloom Color: Dark Red Additional Information Perfect for Containers!  Does well in Naturalizing, Mass Planting, Borders, & Cut Gardens.  12-14” tall  Shipping: We start shipping in February and finish shipping in May or when we run out of our bulbs.  Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun to partial shade, 4-5” inches deep with the tip pointing up. Space each bulb 4-6" apart. Well drained soil is essential.  Lilies have everything they need to get started, but you can place a teaspoon of bone meal in the soil before planting and use a low nitrogen fertilizer when the first leaves appear in Spring.  

The Seed Savers Exchange - Gorgeous finely curled blue-green leaves hold their color even in severe cold. Uniform low-growing plants are 15" tall with a 20-35" spread. Very hardy; will overwinter with mulch in zones 4-5. Ornamental and delicious. High in vitamin A. 53-65 days from transplant. ±8,900 seeds/oz.  Characteristics:  Organic Finely curled blue-green leaves Plants grow to 15 inches high High in vitamin A Can be overwintered with mulch as far north as Zone 4 53-65 days from transplant 150 seeds per packet   Instructions - Sow seeds indoors ¼" deep. Plant out just before the last frost. Kale is most tender and delicious after a frost. Harvest can continue even after snow.  Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost Germinate 3-10 days Plant Rows 24" apart  Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers based on availability

We love this basil so much that when we found out it was not going to be in packets for our seed racks, we bought it in bulk from High Mowing to make our own packets. This basil is amazing for this affected with powdery mildew. High Mowing Organic Seeds - Very attractive, compact plants with the strongest downy mildew resistance we've seen. This line of downy mildew-resistant basil has been trialed against market standards all across the country and has come up aces every time. In our own field trials in northern Vermont, Obsession also impressed us with high marks for plant vigor and bolt tolerance. Plants have a high leaf-to-stem ratio and average 26" in height. Suitable for field or potted plant production. We are excited to offer Obsession as an organic seed thanks to our partnership with the team at Van Drunen Farms Specialty Seeds. Characteristics:  Organic, non-GMO, and open-pollinated  Slow to bolt  Extremely uniform  Open-Pollinated  1/10th of a gram Instructions - Basil is a tender annual that prefers warm weather and rich soil. It is a popular culinary herb, cut flower, and can be used as a medicinal herb to calm the stomach.  Basil needs well-drained but moist soil that is highly fertile. It is not drought tolerant, so even moisture levels are important for healthy growth.  Start transplants indoors 6 weeks prior to planting out, or direct seed mid-spring through late summer. Basil is very sensitive to cold; use a row cover to extend the season. Pinch buds to encourage branching and leaf production.  Plant 1/4" deep.  Transplanting is recommended; if direct seeding, sow 2-3 seeds per inch and thin to 4-8" apart.  Plant Spacing:  Transplanting at 4-8" is recommended; if direct seeding, sow 2-3 seeds per inch and thin to 4-8" apart.  Row Spacing: 18"  Harvest & Storage -  Harvest can begin once plants have become established, by pinching or cutting branches but leaving the plant to continue to produce leaves. A harvest of the full plant should be completed just before the plant starts to flower (flavor is significantly impacted once flowering occurs). Cut the entire plant 4-6" above the ground to promote a second growth.  Store unwashed at room temperature to avoid browning. Do not store below 50°F.  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability

Renee's Garden - Our improved heirloom selection offers fully double, big blossoms on long-stemmed plants. State Fair Gold Medal zinnias are both free flowering and long-blooming in coordinating shades that add glowing color and beauty to summer beds and borders. You can cut armfuls of these pretty flowers for bouquets all season long; the more you pick, the more flowers will develop. Butterflies and many other pollinators flock to zinnias all summer long. Characteristics:  Heirloom  Annual  Free-flowering Double blossoms  Attracts pollinators  Approx 90-95 seeds    Instructions - Sow seeds in well-worked soil in full sun after frost danger is over and temperatures are above 50°F (10°C) both day and night. Space seeds 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, cover 1/2 inch deep, and gently firm soil. Keep soil evenly moist while awaiting germination.  Plant in: May - June  Full sun  Plant 1 inch deep  Plant 2-3 inches apart  7-10 days to germinate  Mature Height: 3 - 3.5 feet  Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute suppliers due to availability.