Prized seed collection.

For more than 50 years, the Roughwood Seed Collection has been considered one of the treasures of North American horticulture. Today, it contains about 4,000 heirloom seed varieties, many of which don't exist in any other seed collections. In an effort to broaden access to these seeds, the caretakers of the collection--led by seed historian William Woys Weaver, author of Heirloom Vegetable Gardening--created a website to sell and showcase the varieties (www. Rough wood Seeds, org). One of the caretakers' goals is to gradually make the information for each cultivar the definitive reference for that plant. Each description will eventually include the seed's history, all known alternate names, its culinary uses, growing tips and more. Income from seed sales will support the expansion of the project. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.RareSeeds.com) also sells some varieties from the Roughwood Seed Collection.