6 Heirloom Herb Seed Varieties That Our Grandparents Grew

Ever walk through an old, untended garden and catch a whiff of something intensely familiar, like thyme or mint, growing wild in a corner? Those tenacious plants are often heirlooms, remnants of a garden planted generations ago. We’re going to talk about bringing those resilient, flavorful herbs back to your own plot.

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Rediscovering Grandparent’s Heirloom Herb Garden

Heirloom herbs offer more than just a taste of the past; they provide a blueprint for resilience. These are the varieties that survived without constant chemical inputs, selected over generations for robust flavor, medicinal properties, and the ability to thrive in a home garden. They represent a time when a plant had to earn its keep by being hardy and useful.

The term "heirloom" simply means it’s an open-pollinated variety that has been passed down for at least 50 years. Unlike modern hybrids, which are created by crossing two different parent plants and won’t produce true-to-type seeds, heirlooms are genetically stable. This means you can save the seeds from your plants, and next year, you’ll get the exact same herb.

For the hobby farmer, this is a game-changer. It’s not just about nostalgia; it’s about self-sufficiency and adaptation. By saving seeds from your hardiest plants each year, you are slowly selecting for traits that work best in your specific soil and microclimate. You’re participating in the same tradition that gave us these incredible plants in the first place.

German Thyme: A Hardy, Aromatic Kitchen Staple

When you think of thyme, you’re likely thinking of German Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). This isn’t the delicate, finicky French or English variety; this is a tough, woody perennial with an assertive, classic thyme flavor that stands up to slow cooking in soups and roasts. It was a garden staple because it simply refused to die.

Its value lies in its low-maintenance nature. Once established, German Thyme is drought-tolerant and survives cold winters with minimal protection, often remaining evergreen in milder climates. For a farmer with limited time, a plant that provides immense culinary value without demanding constant attention is pure gold. You plant it once and harvest it for years.

This is the workhorse of the herb garden. It doesn’t ask for much—just decent drainage and sunlight—but it gives back tenfold in the kitchen. It’s the foundational savory note in everything from poultry seasoning to winter stews, a flavor our grandparents would have considered essential.

Genovese Basil: The Classic Italian Pesto Herb

Genovese Basil (Ocimum basilicum ‘Genovese’) is the undisputed king of pesto. Its large, tender, spoon-shaped leaves are packed with a sweet, clove-like aroma, noticeably lacking the minty or anise notes that can overpower other basil varieties. This is the specific flavor profile that makes traditional Italian pesto so iconic.

Unlike the rugged thyme, this is an annual that demands your attention. Genovese Basil is a heat-lover and sulks in cool weather; it also requires consistent moisture and rich soil to produce those lush leaves. Here’s the tradeoff: you get unparalleled flavor, but you have to work for it. It’s a summer crop that you nurture through one season.

To get a steady supply, you can’t just plant it once and forget it. Succession planting is key. Start a few plants indoors early, then sow more seeds directly in the garden every three to four weeks. This ensures you have young, tender plants ready for harvest all summer long, preventing the entire crop from flowering and becoming woody at the same time.

English Lavender: Timeless Fragrance and Beauty

While many types of lavender exist, it was English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) that graced our grandparents’ gardens. Prized for having the sweetest fragrance and the best flavor for culinary use, this is the variety used for everything from scenting linens in a sachet to flavoring shortbread and teas. Its compact growth and deep purple flowers made it both beautiful and functional.

On a small farm, a plant needs to do more than one job, and English Lavender is a star performer. Its flowers are a magnet for essential pollinators like bees and butterflies, boosting the productivity of your entire garden. Once it’s established after the first year, it’s an incredibly drought-tolerant and deer-resistant perennial that thrives on a bit of neglect.

Be prepared to be patient, especially when growing from seed. Lavender is notoriously slow to germinate and takes its time getting established. It’s a long-term investment. But the reward is a fragrant, beautiful, and useful plant that will live for a decade or more with minimal care, filling your garden with its timeless scent every summer.

Horehound: The Old-Fashioned Medicinal Standby

You won’t find Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) in many modern culinary gardens, and for good reason—it’s intensely bitter. But our grandparents didn’t grow it for salads; they grew it for medicine. This was the primary ingredient in old-fashioned cough drops and throat-soothing syrups, a staple of the home apothecary.

This herb is the definition of tough. A member of the mint family, it thrives in poor, dry soil where other plants would fail. In fact, it can be aggressive, spreading readily by seed if you don’t cut back the flower stalks. The main challenge with Horehound isn’t keeping it alive, but keeping it contained.

Growing Horehound is less about practical use today and more about connecting with a history of self-reliance. It’s a living artifact from a time when the garden provided not just food, but wellness. Having a patch of it is a nod to that resourceful mindset, a reminder that gardens have always been about more than just dinner.

Anise Hyssop: A Sweet, Licorice-Flavored Tea Herb

Don’t let the name fool you; Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is not related to either anise or hyssop. It’s a member of the mint family native to North America, and its leaves and striking purple flower spikes have a wonderful sweet, licorice-like fragrance. Grandparents grew it as a low-maintenance source for delicious hot or iced herbal tea.

This plant is a powerhouse for pollinators. Bees, in particular, go absolutely wild for it, making it an excellent companion plant for squash, cucumbers, or anything that needs a boost in pollination. It’s a perfect example of a plant that serves multiple functions: it’s a tea herb, a beautiful ornamental, and a critical support species for the garden ecosystem.

Anise Hyssop readily self-sows, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on your gardening style. If you appreciate a more naturalistic, cottage-garden feel, the volunteers that pop up are a welcome gift. If you prefer neat, orderly rows, you’ll need to be diligent about deadheading the flowers before they set seed.

Lovage: The Perennial Celery-Flavored Soup Herb

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is the forgotten giant of the heirloom herb garden. Imagine the flavor of celery and parsley, concentrated tenfold, in a hardy perennial that can grow up to six feet tall. A single leaf is often enough to flavor an entire pot of soup, and its hollow stems were famously used as straws for sipping Bloody Marys.

Its primary value is its timing and permanence. As a perennial, Lovage is one of the first green things to emerge in the spring, providing a fresh, savory flavor for stocks and stews long before your annual celery is even ready to be planted. You plant it once in a corner of the garden, and it will provide for you year after year.

The main consideration with Lovage is its size. This is not a delicate herb for a small container. You must give it space to grow, both vertically and horizontally. But for that one-time investment of space, you get a reliable, powerful, and unique herb that was a cornerstone of savory cooking for generations.

Sourcing and Saving These Heirloom Herb Seeds

Finding these seeds is easier than ever, but source matters. Look for small, dedicated seed companies that specialize in heirlooms. Seed exchanges with local gardeners or historical societies are also fantastic resources, as those seeds are already adapted to your region.

The real goal is to eventually create your own supply. Saving seeds from open-pollinated heirlooms is the ultimate act of self-sufficiency. It allows you to select for plants that perform best in your garden, gradually developing your own unique, locally-adapted strain. This is how these varieties were preserved for centuries.

Getting started is simple.

• Choose an easy one first: Basil and Anise Hyssop are great for beginners.
• Let it mature: Allow the best, most vigorous plant to flower and go to seed.
• Wait for it to dry: Harvest the seed heads once they are brown and dry on the plant.
• Store properly: Keep the cleaned seeds in a cool, dark, and dry place.

Saving seeds isn’t just a chore; it’s a skill that deepens your connection to your garden and your food. It’s the final step in truly owning your harvest.

Planting these herbs is about more than just growing ingredients; it’s about cultivating resilience, flavor, and a tangible link to the past. By choosing these time-tested varieties, you’re not just planting a garden; you’re preserving a legacy of practical wisdom.