(MONEY Magazine) – "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant," wrote Robert Louis Stevenson.

Nice, Robbie, but when it comes to gardening most of us want results.

RENEE'S GARDEN, one of the finest seed sellers around, has 10 specialty varieties new to the U.S. market for 2004. Think veggies and flowers unlike anything in the neighbor's yard. Owner Renee Shephard sources seeds from Holland to Thailand, tests them in her own garden and ships the most reliable top-germinating seed lots. It's the closest thing out there to a guaranteed bumper crop.

Shephard's faves for '04? French Duet, a pole bean with a "sweet flavor and gorgeous color," she says; Strawberry Fields, a rare, coral-red sweet pea perfect for bouquets; and Camp Joy, an heirloom cherry tomato with--gasp--"real tomato flavor." Each packet is $2.49 plus shipping at reneesgarden.com. --AMY WILSON