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Growing the search for native seeds. Try rare finds of a southwestern seed bank in your garden: orange lima beans, sweet-hot peppers, ornamental corn.

When a little band of backyard gardeners near Tucson, Arizona, began trying to find seed of disappearing, ancient desert crops, none suspected they'd end up riding mules into remote areas of Old Mexico. Or that since 1983 they'd have collected over 1,200 desert adapted crops and wild relatives; now they're growing them in experimental gardens and redistributing to researchers, farmers and gardeners (seed is offered free to Native Americans).

Their efforts have paid off. Now known as Native Seeds/SEARCH and one of the oldest regional seed banks in the country, they've uncovered some real winners, like teosinte, a wild corn relative; orange lima beans; blue-black sunflowers; and Mojave Flour corn that matures in 54 days. Other finds include: squash that protects itself from vine borers by rooting along the stems; peppers that are as sweet as they are hot; and beans that thrive at 112'F on less than nine inches of rain.

As new acquisitions stream in, the seed bank is running at full speed and gardeners from all over the country are sowing their seeds. Visitors find the demonstration garden surprisingly small, tucked as it is within the five-acre Tucson Botanical Garden, but the impression is of super-production in a native setting. Squash lurks under colorful corn, almost strangled by bean vines. Gourds hang from mesquite trees. Beds are sunken or terraced, to collect and conserve water. All can be viewed from the shade of a wild grape-covered ramada, or pole arbor.

"We display both the plants and their tried-and-true growing techniques," explains education director Kevin Dahl. "People ask, 'Can I grow this at home?' I point out that friends from Norway, above the Arctic Circle, actually depend on some of our very-short-season crops!"

Learning to save seed is emphasized throughout their catalog, which also provides growing tips, recipes and lore. "Our philosophy is that a healthy ecosystem doesn't center around a single plant," Dahl sums up. "It has many components. We're sharing plants that are new and exciting, as well as ancient and enduring. If you grow our seed, save some to share with others, and let us know how they do for you." -Felder Rushing

"Though we grow mostly edible plants (many of which are ornamental)," explains Kevin Dahl, "there are some Interesting cottons and dye plants, as well as some really useful and beautiful gourds. Many visitors are surprised to see decorative corn, normally used for adorning Thanksgiving tables, actually growing In the garden: 'What? You can actually eat those?" Above, from top: heirloom corn; Cucurbita argyrosperma (dried for its seeds); onions In the trial gardens; and an array of heirloom sweet-hot peppers.