Many of us can’t help but notice the familiar harbingers of springtime – enthusiastic sparrows pecking away at not-so-fortunate worms, tender young shoots making their grand entrance above the soil, winged insects taking inventory of their surroundings, and numerous shrubs and trees budding in a collective green spectacle. It’s a time 
of new beginnings, renewal and life springing forth. As soon as the weather becomes favorable, even human beings are instinctually drawn out of their protective shelters so that they may work the land around them and coax a vast collection of plant species to fulfill their rainbow-tinted destiny.
April is the month in which we descend en masse to our local garden centers and wax poetic on the virtues of raised-bed gardens, red wriggler composting, bio-enhanced garden minerals, and organic weed management. It’s like shopping for adorable brown-eyed puppies, except that as we navigate our carts up and down each aisle, we coo and swoon 
over jumbo-packs of Red Gerbera Daisies and Teddy Bear Sunflowers. Such endearing, wide-eyed aspirations we have — so lofty and idealistic – but we all know what will ultimately separate the fair weather gardeners from the die-hard soil wranglers in the end. Just three simple but essential factors: dutiful attention, liberal feeding and plain ol’ GLC (garden-loving-care).
Retailers have made the business of seed-sowing tempting, indeed. It has been scientifically proven that if a springtime sunbeam shines through your window in precisely the right manner, you will swear up and down that this is the year that your landscape will runneth
over with a grand spectacle of color, aroma, and veggie-goodness. Have you noticed the selection of seed packets that are currently available? To say that it is staggering would quite honestly be an understatement. One trend that appears to have staying power is heirloom seeds, but before you nod your head in agreement, do you really know why they have become so desirable?
What Are Heirloom Seeds?
Heirlooms are roughly 50 – 100 year old vintage fruit, vegetable and herb open-pollinated 
plant varieties that will produce the same plant each year. In other words, they are merely the garden staples that our predecessors ate on a regular basis back in the day – normal to them, but extraordinarily diverse to us. They are distinctly different from modern-day hybrid plants (which are typically crossed between two different plant varieties) — the seed generated from those plants tends to be sterile or ends up reverting back to its parent plants. Traditional heirlooms, on the other hand, are selected, nurtured and passed down through multiple generations – similarly, commercial heirlooms are varieties that were offered by defunct seed companies and are considered to be of such high-quality that they have been 
successfully preserved to this day.
Why Are They Better For Us?
Unlike their mass-produced brethren, heirloom seeds fly under the radar of scientific tweaking. As such, they do not possess any genetically modified organisms or pesticides – they are simply as Mother Nature intended. Anyone who has enjoyed heirloom jewels from their garden will heartily agree that they are intensely flavorful, vivid in color, diverse in appearance and rich in nutrients. Although mainstream seed companies tout the benefits of 
their hearty and disease-resistant offerings, their seeds have been altered at the genetic level which raises cause for concern since no one knows what the long-term consequences of GMO-produce consumption is.
Yeah…But Aren’t They UGLY?
Some varieties may have visual flaws, but that by no means compromises their delicious flavor. Our society is accustomed to perfectly flawless produce lining our grocer’s shelves, but that is not how those varieties started out…they were ugly ducklings! Modern science 
has performed plastic surgery on our fruits and vegetables, which makes them visually appealing, but if you close your eyes and really focus on the flavor, it’s a buzz-kill.
Is There Anything Else That I Should Know About Heirlooms?
For individuals who are interested in consuming wholesome fruits, vegetables and herbs, heirloom varieties surpass commercially available seeds in more ways than one. We know that they taste better. We can see first hand proof that they liven up the appearance and aesthetic appeal of any recipe. What makes heirloom seeds even more desirable is that you 
are not only empowered to control the quality and diversity of your personal food supply — you also take a bold step by allying yourself with Mother Earth. Sustainably and organically produced, heirloom seeds are proven to establish soil vitality rather than depleting it, resulting in a well-balanced, healthy ecosystem. In fact, there are carefully-selected seed varieties available to every bioregion across the globe that thrive — no coddling required — so get out there and start digging in the dirt! For more on the topic of our society’s love affair with supermodel produce, click here: Ugly fruit and vegetables, Why we be hatin’ on them ?
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