Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Cultivating Resilience: The History & Modern Revival of Victory Gardens

by Lucinda on Jan 24 2024

Victory Gardens of Today - Once a staple of American resilience & sustainability during wartime, the Victory Garden of the early & mid-20th century has evolved to meet a very current approach toward self-sufficiency & a healthier way of life. Learn more in our most recent blog about how you can grow good food in any whatever space you may have available.

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Gardening Zones in the US: A Guide to Growing in Your Climate

by Nina on May 09 2023

When it comes to gardening, one of the critical factors for success is to consider your climate. Different plants have different temperature and weather preferences, and what will thrive in one region will struggle or die in another. To help gardeners understand the unique characteristics of their local climate, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a system of gardening zones to differentiate the growing seasons in various regions across the country.

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

The History of Bentley Seed and Seed Packets in Cambridge, NY

by Nina on May 08 2023

Since 1975, Bentley Seed Company has been in business to help people grow good things. A lead supplier for decades of vegetable, herb and flower seed packets, Bentley delivers a carefully curated collection of only-the-best seeds that seasoned gardeners can rely on, and beginning gardeners can easily find success growing.

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Bentley’s Top Gifts for Gardeners

by Lucinda on Nov 23 2022

Bentley Seed Gift guide to shopping for Christmas and the holiday season and Black Friday Shopping. Includes ideas for gardeners.

<strong>Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup <br>with Fontina Basil Croutons</strong>

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup
with Fontina Basil Croutons

by Lucinda on Nov 08 2022

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup If you lived in or near Bennington, Vermont in the mid-2000s, you might remember a tiny little breakfast/lunch place on Main Street called Izabella’s Eatery. Known for their small, seasonally based menu, they were only around for about a decade, but their food was beyond delicious! Everything on the menu was locally grown and sourced from within a 100-mile tri-state radius. The ambiance was decidedly cool, the music always good, and they made it a point to use their wall space as a revolving gallery for local artists. They had a wonderful selection of teas and a state-of-the-art espresso machine that made the very best lattes and cappuccinos. They also had a fantastic baker who concocted some of the most delightful pastries around. It was always a delicious experience to visit and we were all sad when they closed. It was one of our favorite places, and we are lucky enough to know one of the previous owners. We asked if she still had her recipes and could help us with a recipe for our recently harvested butternut squash. Imagine our delight when she said, “yes, of course!” She searched her Izabella’s recipe binders and found this amazing Butternut Squash Soup to share with our blog readers! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup with Fontina Basil Croutons 1 large or 2 small butternut squash (3-4 lbs total) 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups chopped leeks (white part only) 1 minced shallot 1 tbsp minced/or microplane-grated fresh ginger 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp black or white pepper 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and chopped into small chunks 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 tsp fresh local honey ¼ tsp nutmeg 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme ¼ cup heavy cream Butternut Squash Roast the Squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a lightly oiled roasting pan or baking dish. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour until the squash is tender when pricked with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the seeds and peel the squash. Place the cooked squash in a medium bowl and mash coarsely. Set aside. This can be done the day before preparing the soup. Prepare the Soup: In a 12-quart stock pot, heat oil at medium-high heat until sizzling hot. Add leeks, shallot, ginger, salt and pepper, and sauté until the leeks are soft and begin to turn slightly golden brown. Add the pears and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the mashed squash, broth, thyme, and honey. Bring to a slow, rolling boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Puree in small batches in a blender or Cuisinart, holding the lid firmly in place. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream and nutmeg. Serve warm. Pairs delightfully with Fontina & Basil Croutons Fontina & Basil Croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice a fresh baguette into 8-10 ½” slices and rub each with a little olive oil and a bit of minced garlic. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the baguette slices on the tray. Bake for about 5 minutes, turning the slices midway through until toasty but not browned (you don’t them too crunchy). Grate ½ cup of fontina cheese or buy shredded fontina from the market. Add to a small bowl with 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil and a dash of crushed red pepper. Top each toasted baguette slice with a bit of the cheese and basil mixture and return to the oven. Bake for about 4 minutes until the cheese is melty and slightly bubbly. Remove from oven and top each bowl of soup while the croutons are still warm.

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Roasted Veggie Greek Orzo Salad

by Nina on Jun 28 2022

This delicious summer dish highlights easy-to-grow ingredients that rely on pollination services. More than 200,000 species of pollinators contribute to stabilizing our food supply, so let’s do our part to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators while creating some appetizing meals in the process. Grow your own pollinator garden with vegetables and herbs from Bentley Seed Co.

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Planting the Past with a “Three Sisters” Garden

by Lucinda on May 31 2022

Three Sisters garden with corn, squash and beans The history around our small community of Cambridge in northern New York is rich with agricultural lore and legend dating back centuries. The area was originally home to the Iroquois Five Nations, who were a mix of farmers, gatherers, fishers and hunters. The earliest and most important of Native American agricultural traditions was the custom of The Three Sisters. The Iroquois of the northeast, along with the southern Cherokee tribes, practiced companion planting of corn, beans and squash together in a sustainable and resourceful system that not only provided a healthy diet but also kept the soil rich and bountiful. Called “The Three Sisters” because the three plants nurture each other symbiotically, this tradition played a critical role in the Native American garden. This trio of plants thrived especially well together and provided high-yield, highly nutritious staples of their diet, and most efficiently utilized the land. These early farmers saved the best seeds from each harvest for the following season, resulting in the development of strong seeds ideally suited for the environment in which they had adapted. By the time European settlers reached the area, the indigenous people had developed the growing of these three crops into a central food system that the new settlers quickly adopted. Iroquois women traditionally tended the fields. In the late spring, they tilled the earth, planting corn in small, mounded hills first. A few weeks later, they planted beans in the same hills with squash circling the border of the mound. The cornstalks served as poles for the beans to grow upon, the beans stabilized the corn and supplied much-needed nitrogen to fertilize the soil for the corn and squash. The squash leaves provided ground cover for the corn and beans delivering shade and weed control. These three plants thrive better together than when planted alone. Planting a Three Sisters plot is a delightful way to honor American history and create a healthy garden. You will need a fairly large garden plot as these plants need to spread out a bit to flourish. Mound the soil about a foot high at the center and 3-4 feet wide, flattening the top of each mound at the center. Space your mounds at least four feet apart. Pearls and Gold Corn Start with hearty sweet corn with robust stalks for the beans to twine around. Plant the corn after the last frost of the season. Dig a small hole in the center of your mound and add a couple of corn seeds to each mound. Bean – Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean Seed When the corn seedlings are about 3-4” tall, plant your beans in the same mound. Select a pole bean, not a bush bean. Our heirloom variety Kentucky Wonder is a great choice—its tall, vigorous vines produce delicious beans that have been enjoyed for generations! Plant three or four bean seeds around each corn seedling. Early Summer Crookneck Squash A week later, plant your squash circling the outer edges of the mound. Choose a small-leaf variety such as our Black Zucchini or our Early Summer Crookneck. Space squash seeds evenly around the perimeter, creating six plantings (you might want to add a couple of squash seeds to each planting to ensure germination). Adding sunflowers alongside your mounds will attract pollinators and distract birds from the Three Sisters seeds while making your garden especially pretty. Plant the sunflowers at cross-sections between your mound hills. Pick from our bright yellow Lemon Queen, our staff-favorite Mammoth Seed, colorful Autumn Beauty, or better yet, choose our Sunflower All Sorts Mix to fill your garden with a gorgeous mix of sunflowers of all sizes! Planting a classic Three Sisters Garden is a wonderful family project, rich in storytelling, American history and gardening lore, along with important environmental teachings on sustainability, biodiversity and lessons in keeping your garden soil healthy.

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5 Great Good-Things-to-Grow Gifts for Mom

by Lucinda on Apr 26 2022

Great gifts for Mom- 5 great ideas for gardening gifts.

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Spring Pea Salad

by Nina on Apr 11 2022

Recipe for a beautiful Spring Pea Salad.

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Super-Simple Herbalicious Christmas Side Dishes

by Lucinda on Dec 15 2021

Herby Christmas Side Dishes including Sweet Turnip Galette and Easy Herb Roasted Carrots.

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

3 Simple Steps to Winterizing your Compost

by Lucinda on Dec 01 2021

Final cool-weather veggies harvested? Check! Garden put to bed for the season? Check, check! Now it’s time to get your compost winterized before it gets any colder. Discover 3 simple steps to make it easy to protect your precious compost through the winter!

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese: Fall’s Favorite Comfort Food!

by Lucinda on Oct 07 2021

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese: Fall’s Favorite Comfort Food! This is the easiest and most delicious recipe we can think of for fall comfort food… straight from the garden sugar pumpkins, baked, pureed, and blended with a bit of pasta and cheese to make a bowl full of ultimate fall yummy goodness!

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

The Best-Ever Homemade Canned Salsa

by Nina on Aug 19 2021

Best salsa recipe- tastes even better than store-bought!!

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Pepper Jack, Herb & Zucchini Bread

by Lucinda on Aug 04 2021

Anyone can make a sweet zucchini bread… Try something different! Well, it’s that time of summer once again when you probably have a plethora of zucchini ready to use RIGHT NOW! August 8th is National Sneak a Zucchini onto your Neighbor’s Porch Day so that’s one way to use some up. Or you could bake up a batch of bread with those delicious and oh-so-versatile veggies. Everyone has a tried-and-true sweet Zucchini Bread recipe, but do you have one for a savory Zucchini Bread in your recipe box? Here is an easy & deliciously simple recipe. Feel free to experiment with different cheese like a nice sharp cheddar, a creamy gouda or asiago and parmesan depending on your preference. Also play around with your fresh herbs. We like chives for this recipe, but you can use whatever herbs you have an abundance of—thyme, basil, sage, or rosemary, or a mix of whichever suit your fancy! Pair a bit of basil & a little rosemary with the parmesan & asiago, try some fresh sage with that sharp cheddar (add a small pinch of cayenne for a little kick!). This recipe has a lot of latitude, so have fun & mix it up! Pepper Jack, Herb & Zucchini Bread Ingredients: 2 cups grated & lightly squeezed zucchini 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives 2 large eggs 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter 1 1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus a bit more for dusting the pan) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Directions: Preheat oven to 350° Grease and lightly flour a standard loaf pan Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly In a large bowl, stir together zucchini, chives, eggs, yogurt & butter Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a separate small bowl Gently fold the dry ingredients into the zucchini & herb mix Fold in the grated cheese Bake for 50-60 minutes until a knife slipped into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Top with a bit more grated cheese and a sprinkle of fresh herbs and pop back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes Ingredients for Pepper Jack Herb Cheese Zucchini Bread including Argyle Cheese Farmer Greek Yogurt Pepper Jack Herb Cheese Zucchini Bread fresh out of the oven

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Lucinda’s Herby Citrus Grilled Vegetables Recipe

by Nina on Jul 12 2021

Lucinda’s Herby Citrus Grilled Vegetables Lucinda’s Herby Citrus Grilled Vegetables •¼ cup olive oil•2 tablespoons orange blossom honey•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice•Zest of one lemon•2 garlic cloves, minced•1 tablespoon chopped oregano•2 tablespoons chopped parsley•1 teaspoon chopped thyme•½ teaspoon salt•¼ teaspoon ground black pepper•2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise•2 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise•3 peppers, (2 sweet, 1 mild-hot) sliced lengthwise•1 eggplant, sliced•1 sweet onion, thickly sliced Steps:1. Whisk together olive oil, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, parsley, thyme, salt & pepper in a medium bowl.2. Toss sliced veggies with honey mixture until fully coated. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.3. Preheat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until as tender as desired. As soon as my long-time friend Lucinda shared this recipe with me, I knew I would love it. Herbs, citrus, and honey marinade- it just sounds like a summer-grilling winner. I had so much fun preparing it with my kids—they are 10 & 12 now so any job I can delegate to them I will! 10-year-old Tristan trimmed the thyme, the two kinds of parsley (Italian and Curled, because why not?) and oregano. We have an herb garden, and I was so happy I had all the herb ingredients on hand. It was sprinkling out, so rinsing off the herbs was a breeze! I chopped the herbs and the veggies while 12-year-old Rowan juiced the lemon. I was very careful not to touch my eyes after chopping the jalapeno we choose to use for our hot pepper. Lucinda recommends milder poblanos for hot peppers and I can see why after eating our result! Rowan whisked the herbs, oil, lemon, honey and garlic minced garlic together. Almost forgot the garlic, I feel like that is something I regularly do. I don’t know why, it’s so fun to use the garlic press. I highly recommend the Williams Sonoma Stainless-Steel Garlic Press! It’s so heavy duty and a cinch to clean. The whole family has been cooking a lot together since the pandemic and it’s been a very wonderful bonding experience for us. Gardening and eating what you grow has been such a simple way to find normalcy and calm during the past 18 months. We tossed our veggies and marinade together and placed them into the refrigerator for about an hour. Then my husband time took over with the grilling. As the onions came off the grill I started popping them like candy. They were so very sweet in the summery-est of ways. The honey was such a good call in the marinade, plus using the jalapeno as our hot pepper actually somehow infused a bit of heat to all the veggies, so they had this amazing honey sweet citrus spicy flavor. It was such a great taste, move over Bobby Flay! They kids loved it, I loved it and even my picky-eater husband loved it.We will be using this recipe again very soon—it’s the perfect go-to marinade on everything from veggies to chicken, pork or fish for all your summer grilling! Its super versatile too—simply switch up the veggies and herbs with whatever is in ready to harvest in the garden. You might also want to try it on some grilled peaches and/or nectarines (minus the garlic of course!). Serve them with a scoop of ice cream for a new favorite summer dessert! Italian Parsley Thyme, Parsley, and Oregano Herby Citrus Marinade Sliced Vegetables Grilling Vegetables HERBY CITRUS GRILLED VEGETABLES

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Winter Outlook: What Should Gardeners do to Prepare and Closing Gardens

by Jeff Bentley on Mar 15 2019

Winterizing Garden As summer blossoms fade and the days become shorter, that means it’s time for gardeners to start preparing for the inevitable—WINTER. Depending on your point of view, and where you reside, you may or may not like the Farmers’ Almanac’s winter forecast for the U.S.: It may be cold and wet for much of the country, except in California and it’s neighboring states. Apparently, those of us who inhabit the area between the Great Lakes and the Northeast should prepare for “snowier-than-normal conditions.” (Editor’s note: UGH.) So, what to do to prepare for winter—both in order to ensure the survival of your perennials, as well as the health of the soil in the garden beds to get a running start in spring when the time comes to sow new plants—and when? For vegetable gardeners, we know it’s hard to think about winter while you’re still in the midst of dealing with your late summer harvest, but it’s a good idea to get a leg up on winter preparation before the weather turns. For example, now is the time to to clean up your vegetable beds, removing dead plants that will be a overwintering magnet for disease and insect pests. Add these dead plants to your compost pile, if you have the room. (Note: never add diseased or insect-plagued plants to your compost pile; dispose of them in the trash.) Some plants can remain: kale, cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and radishes, vegetables in the brassica family that release cyanide compounds in early spring, killing off insect pests. And, speaking of compost, your soil will benefit from the addition of mature compost at this point, topped with a layer of fresh mulch in the form of shredded wood chips, straw or hay to protect it . Wait to apply mulch until it gets fairly cold outside, ensuring that unwanted critters, such as mice, have already found other cozy places to spend the winter. Kale Cabbage Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cauliflower As for preparing your flower beds, once there has been a killing frost, pull up dead annuals and selectively cut back your perennials to 3”. Note that cutting these plants back too soon could compromise them by cutting off the foliage that feeds their roots. Leave the stalks of perennials with distinct seed heads intact, including black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and sunflowers—they provide visual interest to your garden in the bleakness of winter, but more importantly, they provide essential food and sanctuary to birds and butterflies. Renew the mulch in your flower beds to maintain a 2-3 inch layer over the root system. Black Eyed Susan Purple Coneflower Sunflower Let’s face it. Most gardeners dread the end of summer and the gradual (or not, depending on where you live) onset of winter. We like to be outside planting and growing things; you can’t do that in winter—that is if you live in the northern half of the country. Still, winter does offer a silver lining to gardeners: really cold temperatures kill the insect pests that overwinter in the soil. While that may be all well and good, here’s hoping the Farmers’ Almanac winter forecast is wrong.

Bentley Seed Co. Blog

How to Grow Cucumbers

by Jeff Bentley on Nov 08 2018

Whether you're looking for a good slicing cucumber for salads, or the perfect cuke for pickling, we've got you covered with our popular cucumber varieties.

89%

(1106)

(45)

(24)

(19)

(55)

1181

Perfect for my mother’s birthday celebration!

As described

Perfect in every way.

Shipping issue

Not able to use product as it did not arrive in time. Customers should definitely reach out prior to ordering if they have a specific timeframe or have questions about shipping or potential returns. Please read the fine print and do not trust quoting shipping times.

Hi Amanda,
We are sorry you had a bad experience. We post lead times on our product pages and at checkout. We do our absolute best to get all orders out as quick as we can but sometimes order volume is higher than we intended. Hopefully you will give us another shot in the future.
All the best,
Katie Bentley (owner)

Bought Seeds for my mother's funeral, paid extra, but they arrived very late

I purchased a large number of Black-eyed Susan seed packets and paid extra for 2 day priority delivery. These were for my mother (Susan)'s funeral for people to take away as a gift from the service to plant as a perennial reminder of her life. They took six days to arrive so the day before the funeral I had to run around to four different stores to buy enough seed packets for the funeral. So, I ended up paying double and spending time and energy I didn't have at a difficult moment in my life. I will not use your company again.

Dear valued customer,
We are deeply sorry to hear about the experience you had. It is never our intention to cause any inconvenience or disappointment. We understand the importance of timely delivery, especially furring a difficult time. We apologize for the delay and any additional stress it may have caused.
We would like to make it right and offer you a full refund for the extra shipping charges you paid. We value your feedback and will take necessary steps to ensure this doesn't happen again in the future.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention and giving us the opportunity to improve. We hope you will consider giving us another chance in the future.
Sincerely,
Owner

Always have shipping issues due to decisions they make on their web site during placing an order

Always have shipping issues due to decisions they make on their web site during placing an order. This company has now become irritated with me about my address. They choose a site that automatically changes a real address to one that doesn't exist. Won't bother them with my money again.

Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for any shipping issues you have experienced due to our website's address auto-fill feature. We will definitely look into this and make the necessary adjustments to ensure a smooth ordering process for all of our customers. We value your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future. Thank you for your support.

Shocked to find the small amount of seeds in each packet

Shocked to find the small amount of seeds in each packet.

Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for any confusion or disappointment caused by the small amount of seeds in each packet. Our goal is to make it easy for everyone to help save the butterflies by providing high-quality seeds that have a high germination rate. We appreciate your feedback and will take it into consideration for future packaging. Thank you for supporting our cause.

Did not Germinate

Did not germinate

Hi there,

We are so sorry to hear that your Bee Kind did not germinate. We strive to provide high-quality products and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please reach out to our customer service team so we can assist you with a replacement or refund. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we hope to make it right for you.

Best,
Katie Bentley
Owner

Maybe bad seeds

Did not germinate.

We are sorry to hear that you had trouble with our onion seeds. Our team takes great care in ensuring the quality of our products, so we would like to investigate this further. Please reach out to our customer service team and we will be happy to assist you with a replacement or refund. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we hope to make things right for you.

Best regards,
Katie Bentley
Owner

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