Milkweed, Narrow Leaf Aesclepias Fasicularis   A perennial herb native to the Western United States, Narrow Leaf Milkweed is a favorite among Monarch butterflies.  Grows to 3 foot with long, narrow leaves and produces approximately 5-inch white or rose-white flower clusters.  Flowers give way to seed pods which split and reveal seeds and silk when mature.  This milkweed has a broad tolerance for garden conditions, but also manages to survive heavy clay, salty, dry soils, and seasonal flooding.  A great choice for butterfly and pollinator gardens.  Likes sun and readily reseeds. Packet: (.4g~35 seeds) * Growing Tip: Being an undomesticated plant, milkweed benefits from a period of cold stratification to help the seeds "wake up".  To do this, one method is to plant in the fall, as wold happen in nature. Or...you can place the seeds on a moist paper towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for about 30 days. Check it periodically to see if mold is forming, in which case change the paper towel. This will greatly improve germination....

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Sunflower, Black Dye Helianthus annuus (65 days to flower / 100 days to mature seeds)  A traditional dye crop developed and selected for generations by Hopi farmers in the high desert of Northern Arizona near the Four Corners.  They used the dark black seeds to produce a purple or gray dye for wool and baskets.  It's conceivable that Sunflowers have been a cultivated crop in North America for 5000 years. Grows to 6-12' tall depending on fertility and spacing.  Produces a large main flower at the top of the stalk up to 12" across with numerous side branches that flower later with smaller blooms.  The seed from the central head is large enough to use for hulling for human consumption or animal feed.  Pictured here is a sample of fabric dyed with the seeds of this sunflower. Check out photographer/ natural dye artist Rachael on her instagram @think_natural_ Packet - 2 1/2 g (~45 seeds) 1 oz * These can also be grown for delicious sunflower sprouts grown in shallow trays (see pictures)  ...

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Sunflower, Red Sun (70-90 days) Helianthus annus - A wonderful polyheaded variety for cut flowers and bold color displays in the garden. Grows to 5-7’ tall and produces 8-20 5-6” flowers per plant with dusky orange, burgundy to deep scarlet red petals, black centers and dark chocolate seeds. We did our best to rogue (remove) plants that didn’t have the darker burgundy petals, however, our original seed produced about 20% gold petaled plants, so expect some variation. The standout individuals are well with the variability.  Packet - 2 1/2 g (~45 seeds)...

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