I'll second the advice for basil - I use the purple Thai basil because it flowers very freely, and attracts large numbers of bees. Many of the other herbs listed above are good also... but since I power-till each Spring, I can't use perennials in my predominantly annual vegetable garden. The best flowers for attracting bees in the vegetable garden are long-flowering annuals... and if they volunteer each year, so much the better. For me these include cosmos, bachelor buttons, cleome, and dwarf sunflowers. I love the zinnias also, I just wish they would volunteer as well as those above. A flowering mallow (Malva sylvestris, which is described in the link below) has proven to be especially effective. It flowers abundantly & attracts many species of bees... more than I have been able to identify. It can also become a weed, if the stalks are not removed at the end of the season, since it self-sows aggressively... but to me it has become a "welcome weed", if that makes any sense. It is not perennial in my Wisconsin climate. Many vegetables can also be used to attract pollinators. Squashes, okra, limas, and scarlet runner beans are all highly effective. If you like hummingbirds, grow the scarlet runners on a tall trellis... you might have some close encounters. There is an unusual relative of the tomato (Solanum sisymbriifolium) that bears trusses of 2" white flowers continuously, followed by sweet edible 1" fruit. It is an interesting bee plant, and a real eye-catcher... but it has wicked thorns. It has also proven to be an effective trap crop for some pests. I will offer seed for SASE... contact me through my member page if interested. Although I plant marigolds around my garden (as do many gardeners), I feel their beneficial aspects are exaggerated, and I don't see a lot of pollinators working the flowers. Some of the older, single-flowered cultivars might be more effective than the modern double varieties. Why use flowers in the vegetable garden? To add a little beauty, for one thing. If you spend as much time in the garden as I do, you need a little color to break up the monotony. ;-) Certainly to attract pollinators & beneficial insects, which increases the yield of most vegetables. But for saving seed, I use flowers as "barrier crops" to _control_ pollinators. When planted between two varieties of the same species, flowers provide places for bees to "wipe their feet" as they cross the rows. This reduces the chances of unwanted cross-pollination, and allows closer spacing than would otherwise be required to save pure seed. Here is a link that might be useful: Malva sylvestris

Slimy_0kra, you have another unusual vegetable on the way. Two unusual veggies volunteer in my garden every year; Martynia and Litchi tomato. Both are rather anti-social plants (Martynia for its smell, Litchi tomato for its thorns) but I always let a few grow if they come up in an out-of-the-way location... and that is all that is necessary for me to keep a supply of fresh seed. I love unusual greens. Swiss chard is my main green for freezing, but my #2 green is kang kong (a.k.a. water spinach), which is a morning glory relative grown for its edible leaves & shoots. The first planting is from seed, but after the first harvest, I root & plant the stems. After two such plantings, the final harvest of the summer is large - that one gets frozen for the winter. This is a great hot-weather substitute for spinach; as long as it is kept watered, it thrives on hot weather. If you are unable to find water spinach, sweet potato leaves are similar... not surprising, since they are both in the morning glory family. Not all varieties are good for leaves, though; the best ones for that purpose can be found in Asian markets, where you might also find water spinach. Both can be easily rooted from stem cuttings. Egyptian spinach (a.k.a. Saluyot, Molokhia, Jew's Mallow) is another reliable hot-weather green. The leaves are mint-like in appearance, and very mild in flavor. When cooked, the leaves are mucilaginous much like okra, so they are good for thickening soups. They also go great with fish. All of the greens above have something in common - the more you cut them, the stronger they get. Moringa is a fast-growing tropical tree grown for its edible leaves. They are very high in protein, and also have anti-biotic properties. This is probably not a good crop for those with limited space, since the yield is fairly low... but DW makes a soup from the leaves which is to die for, so I grow some every year. Many years ago, I grew some in pots to over-winter; but it was a pain to move those large pots in & out, so now I just grow a lot of plants in the garden, grown as annuals. They will reach 4-5 feet in height by the end of the summer, and yield 3-4 pickings. This year, I will be trying Caihua, a tropical climbing gourd that is edible immature. I have also grown Achocha (which is closely related) and found it to be rather tasteless, so I am hoping Caihua will be an improvement. Bitter melon is a vegetable I grow every year; while we eat a little, we give most of it away to some Filipino friends. It serves other important purposes in the garden: as a wind break (the vines densely cover the trellis); to both attract & isolate pollinators (it blooms continuously all summer); and for the scent of the blossoms, which is very fragrant. Some years I grow Mexican Sour Gherkin and West Indian Gherkin, but not this year. Anyone who has visited the Bean Forum knows I am a bean fanatic, so if a bean relative can be grown to seed in my climate, I will grow it. I am particularly fond of yardlong beans, and grow several varieties each year. Someone on another forum sent me a hyacinth bean which, if accounts are true, could be highly unusual. Most hyacinth beans are climbers, and because they only flower in short days (in or near September) they will not produce seed in Northern latitudes. This one, though, is supposed to be a bush variety which will bear seed in Wisconsin... so I am really looking forward to this trial. This year I will also be growing a yellow mung bean from the Philippines, and a large-seeded reddish-brown garbanzo. And "Madras", an edible-podded radish. Probably a few more oddities, but I've been growing some of them so long I no longer think of them as unusual. Here's a good group photo from one year: I started a similar "unusual vegetable" thread many years ago, but it seems to have fallen off the cliff. Edit: Found it, link below Here is a link that might be useful: Unusual vegetables This post was edited by zeedman on Sun, Mar 16, 14 at 23:56

I know everyone is covered for something so I do not need any emails to who you can send to. I just wanted to make sure everyone got something. With the new and improved list I am sure everyone will probably get more than what I know you are getting :-) Yeah! Please remember two things. 1. Have fun and send to as many as possible for you. 2. Please come back and post when you recieve something and tell the sender thank you. (And because I would love to see how many each of you get.) OK everyone here is the new and final lists... *Tammy / Greenthumbgrow 1. Tomatillo - Pineapple ****Mostest Wanted 2. Penny Black *****Mostest Wanted 3. Osteospermum ecklonis and Asti **Will do the happy dance if I get this** 4. Grass - Fiber Optic 5. Painted Daisies (Red) Pyrethrum 6. Bee Balm - red - pink - purple or white 7. Japanese Bloodgrass 8. Lisianthus - Any colors varieties 9. BleedingHeart - White 10. Poppy, Persian White (somniferum) 11. Camellia 12. Pincushion Flower **Daughter wants this one. 13. Astilibe - Any Types or ANY Shady but dry lovers 14, Star Anise 15. Your favorite and Why :-) Kristine / Kristlindgren 1. Asiatic Lily - any 2. Calla Lily - any 3. Tree Lily - any 4. Oriental Lily - any 5. Daylily - any 6. Astilibe - any 7. Herbs - any 8. Columbine - any 9. Salvia - any 10. Hollyhock - any 11. Zinnia - any 12. Sweet pea - any 13. Coleus - any 14. Green colored flowers 15. Blue colored flowers *Dorothy / Dimples31312 1. Canary Creeper 2. Picher Plant-Any 3. Iochroma-Any 4. Gas Plant 5. Hardy Geraniums-any Andrea / Andreaz6wv 1) County Fair cucumbers 2) Provider beans 3) Orient Express eggplants 4) Charengtais melon 5) Favorite rhubarb varities *Mark / markcase1964 1. Joey Ptilotus (Most WANTED!) 2. surprise me 3. green cone flowers 4. watermelon radish or Misato Rose fall radish 5. did I say surprise me? 6. red cone flower (the double decker one, don't remember the name) 7. husk cherry 8. does anyone like to surprise people? 9. scallions 10. leeks 11. I like surprise packages. 12. Valdalia onions 13. garlics 14. did I say surprise me? 15. I may have forgot to mention, I like to be surprised. *Andrea / appaloosa909 1. Lovage 2. Spinach 3. Cukes (Pickling kind) 4. Sugar snap peas 5. Anthurium scherzerianum -pigtail anthurium, pigtail flamingo flower, tailflower 6. Snow Peas 7. Nasturtium 8. Lisianthus (any color) 9. Nierembergia 10. Cutting Celery 11. Nemesia 12. Brachycome 13. Bacopa 14. Abutilon (Flowering Maple) 15. Thunbergia (black eyed susan vine) Any color *Connie / clc70 1. Jap. Blood grass (I'd really like this one). 2. Hardy geranium, any. 3. Agastache, any. 4. Colius, any. 5. Monarda *Donna / sunnyk 1. Any Achillea/Yarrow 2. Any Astilbe...except pale pink 3. Any Blue Foliaged Hosta 4. Catnip 5. Any Artichoke Wendy / Sassybutterfly_2008 1. Flowers in Hot Pinks, Reds, anything that attracts the hummers! :) 2. Gaillardia Commotion Tizzy or Frenzy *SUPER wish! :) 3. ANY of the ornamental Oreganos *REALLY would love! 4. Tropaeolum Azureum 'Blue Nasturtium' 5. Daylilys ~ any but the standard Stella D'oro please, starting a brand new bed in a brand new yard this year :) *Dan, Bump & Stella / Dan the Mailman 1. Perennial Flowers 2. Annual Flowers 3. Coleus 4. Ornamental Grasses 5. Flowering Vines 6. Perennial Flowers 7. Annual Flowers 8. Coleus 9. Ornamental Grasses 10. Flowering Vines 11. Perennial Flowers 12. Annual Flowers 13. CHOCOLATE COSMOS 14. Your Favorite Veggie, And Why 15. Your Favorite Flower, And Why *Nichol / Gardenmom2 1. amaranthus - any 2. basil - any (I have lemon, red) 3. broccoli - heirloom, green and purple -really want 4. chrysanthemum 5. sea pink or sea thrift 6. named coleus 7. cardinal flower (flower) 8. phlox 9. false indigo 10. wolfs bane (monkshood) 11. sedum 12. red valerian 13. hardy or scented geranium 14. annul geranium (bedding) 15. lantana 16. verbena *Alana / poisiondartfrog 1. Tomato, Golden Monarch 2. Tomato, TC Jones 3. Runner Bean, White Lady 4. Papaver somniferum giganteum 5. Any Heirloom flower or vegetable grown in Jefferson's Monticello garden. (I have Pentapetes, Lemon Balm, Impatiens glandulifera, and Dolichos lablab already.) 6. Ornamentals or vegetables with poultry references in the name. Examples(I already have these) Rooster Spur Pepper, Purple Eggplant, Cockscomb Kurume Corona, Poached Egg Plant, etc *James / Haymay 1.) purple podded pole beans 2.) amana orange tomato 3.) paul robeson tomato 4.) schimmieg striped tomato 5.) tatsoi *Angela / Yotetrapper #1 Lisianthus, any #2 Hardy geraniums, any but especially splish splash #3 Named pansies/violas #4 Named Sweet Peas #5 Digitalis cafe creme or green apples #6 any clematis but jackmanni sweet autumn or purple #7 daylillies any #8 black eyed susan vines "white eyes susie", "sunrise surprise","blushing susie" #9 easter egg plant #10 eveing primrose (white or pink only please) #11 chysanthemum blue knoll #12 coneflower jade only #13 coleus black dragon #14 poached egg plant] #15 Marigold Hawaiian orange *Fran / ncgardengil 1. BIG MAMA lima beans (even just 1 bean NO JOKE) 2. Perennial Geraniums 3. Frying peppers or any sweet (NOT reg green like CA Wonder, I have that) 4. Variegated tomato 5. Uncommon Herbs (not chives, cilantro, common sweet basil) 6. Any ASIAN/FRENCH VEGGIES (forgein basically is what I seek) 7 Any Bok or Pac choy (esp mini ones) 8. BlueKuri Squash OR Red Kuri Squash: AKA Japanese squash, Orange Hokkaido or Uchiki Kuri squash 9 ANY Heirloom beans including runner beans (any really ANY trying to collect to perserve and eat as well ) 10. Asparagus Pea aka Winged Bean aka Goa Bean 11. Primula 'You and Me Blue' 12. ANY Primulas 13. Kiwi 14. NAMED Wave Petunias (PLEASE) 15. Tropaeolum Azureum 'Blue Nasturtium' *Chris / grolikecrazy 1. Vines/Climbing/running Bean : Wisley Magic,Favioli Rampicanti Corona, Fasold, Goldfield,Blauhilde, Polestar,or Summer Medley Collection(Sunset, Desiree and Lady Di), Big Mama Lima), clematis Crystal Fountain,avant Garde, any fragrant or showy vines 2. Bleeding heart any newer varieties like 'Gold heart'or hardy Fushias (Ricartonii,madame cornelissen) 3. Digitalis any newer varieties like Candy mountain & Pam's choice 4.Dahlia striped, powder puffs, or any newer varieties like 'Ace summer Sunset', 'american Dawn',Purple haze, or Belle of Barmera 5. Sun plants:Hardy Geranium any (Birch's double, platypetalum, pratense splishsplash, springtime, sanguineum striatum)or any newer varieties like 'Peppermint twist' or big red, butterfly bush bicolor, any crocosmia 6. Shade plants: black elephant ears, jack in the pulpit, chinese hardy orchids,bat plants, giant himalyan lily, caladium any,Astrantia moulin rouge, ferns, astilbe, colorful heucheras 7. Cannas any (I got red): dwarf pink sunburst, red futurity, varieg stuttgart, Pretoria, Picasso, Wyoming, lucifer, Chinese coral, pink beauty, 8. Veggies;Lettuce Heat wave blend,curly ruffle mix, all season romaine mix, any French type corn salad, redbor kale (really want), dandelion ameliore, tat soi, rainbow mix cauliflower 9 Watermelon Moon and stars 10. Mushroom spawns any *Vicki / rosieo 1. Four O'Clocks, Kaleidescope or Longiflora 2. Pennsylvania Dutch Red Lima Beans 3. Poppies, any kind. 4. Zinnias, any kind 5. Orange Hawaii marigolds 6. Any open pollinated or heirloom vegetables, especially heirloom beans or corn. 7. Well, gosh I don't want to be greedy, lol. Kamil / Kamiljablo 1. Tomato White Oxheart 2. Yellow Radish 3. Lutescente Tomato 4. Cipollini Onion 5. Tree tomato *Traci / tansy mi zn5 1. Sunflower, maximillion 2. Anemone, japonica varieties 3. Hollyhocks, creme de cassis or any single flowered 4. Hare's Tail Grass, lagurus ovatus 5. Kiss me Over the Garden Gate 6. Pump Ke Mon, pumpkin 7. Cinderella Pumpkin 8. Ornamental Pepper, tricolore garda 9. Morning Glory, tie dye pink & blue 10. Poppy, Lauren's Grape 11. 4o' clocks, broken colors 12. Bachelor Buttons, polka dot mix 13. Ornamental Corn 14. Surprise Me!! 15. Your garden favorite & why. *Lisa / ishareflowers 1.salvai artemis 2.agastache purple pygmy 3.double balloon flower 4.bergenia 5.coneflower green wizard only 6.coreopsis sunfire 7.red flowers 8.white flowers 9.oriental poppy royal wedding 10.shade lovers 11.ruellia- wild petunia 12.helenium helena red 13.bears breech 14.chelone 15.your garden favorite and why! *Ben / Heyitzbenny 1. Dahlia (something short, not the huge varieties that are taller than me!) 2. Cleome (hardy in zone 6) 3. Lemon Basil 4. Dwarf Sunflowers 5. Pansies/Violas (any)s *Holly / riley17 dutchmans pipe vine wisteria (can you grow that from seed? I'll put it on here just in case) pretty vines humminbird and butterfly plants, except for butterfly bush, I already have that. **BUSHEL GOURDS** please, please, please!!! anything I dont have (I love suprises) hawaiian orange marigold batflowers irish moss yellow perfection viola monarda ANY (Would especially like jacob cline) chocolate cosmos Jasmine (the smelly kind) night blooming phlox herbs (I have enough basil though lol) *Kym/ Flwrs4ever 1. CAMELLIAS ( MY biggest want, for the past few years) 2. Primula 3. Joey -lambs tail 4. Adenium- desert rose 5. Lisianthus 6.Calendula- citrus smoothie 7.Epimediums DO THEY GROW FROM SEED ? ( If Epi dont come from seed, Id love Shasta Daisy, 'Esther Reed' 'Fluffy' or ' Wirral pride') 8. Brunnera 'looking glass' 9. Winter Jasmine ********* (blooms in the snow !) 10. Erygium 'blue hobbit' 'jade frost' 11.Lobelia ANY esp ' Ruby Slipper" 12.Stoekesia 'bluestone' purple parasol' 'color wheel' 13. Poppy danish flag' 'heirloom' or any NAMED 14. BULBS any 15. shade plants Linda / Ibartoo -need 1. any blooming vines ( except trumpet vine or honeysuckle) 2. Cone flowers ( any non hybrids) 3. Rudbeckia ( any kind of short varieties) 4 sunflowers ( dwarf only please) 5. Bergenia cordifolia 6. Pentas ( any) 7. Things that bloom a lot 8. Mexican sunflower ( tithonia ) 9. any perennials for shady dry soil 10. fruit basket peppers. zabecc 1. Salad Burnet 2. Borage 3. Pansies/ Violets 4. Primula/ Primrose 5. Onion 6. Impatiens 7. Paper Daisy (Acroclinium roseum) 8. English Daisy (Bellis perennis) 9. Strawflower (Helichrysum) 10. Gazania 11. Iceplant (Delosperma) 12. Heteropappus Blue Knoll 13. Cinnamon Basil 14. St. Johnswort 15. Lime Basil Susan / susantexoma 1. Salvia coccinea Coral Nymph or Salvia Lady in Red 2. Any striped/bicolor zinnias (Candy Cane, Swizzle Cherry & Ivory, Candy Stripe) 3. Patio Princess tomato or another tomato that's good for container growing 4. Any of these marigolds: Cottage Red, FireBall, Queen Sophia, Scarlet Starlet 5. Jalapeno False Alarm Hybrid or Mariachi Hybrid 6. Alyssum Rosie O'Day or another pink alyssum 7. Pentas, any color 8. Petunia Tie Dye or Pink Sunshine 9. Coreopsis Sweet Dreams 10. Cosmos Rhapsody in Red or Rose BonBon 11. Dianthus Diana Blueberry or Raspberry Swirl 12. Phlox drummondii (annual phlox), any color 13. Gomphrena QIS Mix 14. Purple Verbena 15. Zinnia Thumbelina Mix or White Wedding Grovespirit / 1.Tropaeolum Azureum 'Blue Nasturtium' - Will do happy dance if I get this. Have wanted it for years!! 2. Mizuna "Red Streak" or "Ruby Streak"- I already have the green mizunas, only need the red kinds please. 3. Dianthus, old fashioned- Any with a strong, noticeable fragrance. 4. Kosaitai (red or purple stemmed choy sum). Already have green stemmed choy sum and REALLY WANT red stemmed. Another nice red stemmed veg. I'd like is Saisai purple (rare Asian radish green that has purply-red stems). 5. Viola odorata- Sweet violets (not pansies or johnny jump ups which are odorless) - I am only looking for violets that are noticeably fragrant. 6. Asian Baby Mustard Greens- frilly types only such as: "Golden Frill" or "Golden Streak". 7. "Red Noodle" Chinese yard-Long Bean 8. Strawberries, any of the following kinds: Alpine 'Mignonette','Yellow Wonder', 'Temptation', 'Fragissimo' 9. Wonderberry, Burbank's sunberry, garden huckleberry, or chichiquelite huckleberry (Solanum burbankii, Solanum melanocerasum, or similar cultivars of edible annual huckleberries.) 10. Litchi Tomato Or Morelle De Balbis Solanum sisymbriifolium- An annual fruit, does well in warm climates. 11. Persian anise basil (has silvery foliage and a licorice scent) 12. any of the following heirloom eggplants: Japanese White Egg, Listada De Gandia, Edirne Purple Striped, Arumagans 13. RED Bunching Onions or RED Scallions like Cippolotti Rossi, or Asian Red "Crimson Forest"(Allium fistulosum)- I already have the white bunching onion/scallion, need red only please. 14. "Chervena Chujski" bulgarian sweet pepper 15. Asparagus Pea aka Winged Bean aka Goa Bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus). Dee / Faintheart 1. wave petunia, supertunia, or million bells - any color 2. your favorite annual 3. your favorite hardy perennial 4. hardy ornamental grasses 5. your favorite tomato 6. antirrhinum braun-blankquetii (perennial snapdragon) 7. aster azureus (sky-blue aster) 8. aster novae_angliae (new england aster) 9. baptisia australis (blue wild indigo) 10. chyrsanthemum maximum (shasta daisy 'crazy daisy') 11. perovskia atriplicifolia (russian sage) 12. monarda - any 13. phlox - any 14. salvia - any 15. iris siberica - any

Woo hoo !! I received 2 cards today !! Thank you for the ox eyed daisy seeds Angela/Yotetrapper and thank you for the rudbeckia and sneezeweed lol Nancy/NLB52 !! Boy it sure is nice to find goodies in my mailbox after a long day at work !! this is awesome !! Merry Christmas !! ~Iris