Some are the result of man's long fascination with gardening and the fads that have come and gone. Many cultivars were developed before the rage was over and some of the most beloved ones have survived. Roses are among the most ancient of cultivated plants, so it is no surprise that wild, cultivated and modern hybridized plants are all represented in rose offerings today. Prior to 1940 all vegetables were heirlooms in the sense that the seed was saved and planted from year to year. After World War II vegetable hybrids began to appear.
Heirloom gardening can be many things.
It can be as simple as growing one or two old-fashioned annual flowers or vegetables in your garden each year. Or you can develop an entire garden based on a given historic period to complement a wonderful old house. Several books have been written in the last few years about heirloom plants and their stories. One of the best is The Heirloom Garden by Jo Ann Gardner from Garden Way Publishing. She tells the stories of many heirloom ornamentals common in eastern North America.