Seeds

This old heirloom shelling pea dates back to 1880. It's a versatile, tasty, reliable pea that grows well in cool soil, so it's great for the north, and has good potential for spring and fall plantings. The short vines grow to only 90cm (36), but benefit from some twigs stuck in the soil for support - or a low trellis net. Once known as 'Earliest of All,' Alaska pea matures in just 55 days, making it our earliest pea of all. Expect heavy yields of round, straight, pale green pods, each containing five to eight smooth peas. For drying as soup peas, let the plants mature to 80 days.

Matures in 55 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

A great substitute for Mammoth Melting peas, Avalanche snow pea seeds grow into 15cm (6") pods that are sweet and tender. Plants are "semi-leafless" so they put more energy into producing pods, making for higher yields of snow peas. Plant two to three rows close together and plants will intertwine, providing support for each other. Expect a height of 90cm (36"). Avalanche is resistant to Fusarium Wilt race 1 and powdery mildew. Plant this reliable snow pea from spring to mid-summer in rich, fertile soil.

Matures in 60 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Bees and flowering plants evolved together millions of years ago. Although bees face many challenges in this age of global climate change, the simple act of sowing the seeds of plants that bees and other pollinators love to forage on is a critically important step in helping to ensure they--and the whole planet--have a future. The Bee Garden Blend wildflower seeds are specially blended by our Certified Bee Master for use in managed landscapes such as disused laneways; verges; or along the edges of cultivated areas in residential or agricultural properties.

Beta vulgaris. Can't choose which beet to grow? Try this multicoloured beet blend. It represents the best and brightest of our beet varieties for high performance and great flavour. Get the most variety out of this colourful, tasty, dynamic blend of beet seeds. This easy to grow vegetable may be eaten from foliage to root. Beets can grow in cool months and can take some frost. Beets are high in Vitamin C, folic acid, antioxidants, minerals, fibre, and potassium. They also contain betaine, a compound that is essential for cardiovascular health.

Matures in 50 to 65 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Benary’s Giants are the zinnias of choice for professional cut flower growers. Fully double, 10-15cm (4-6”) flowers have an excellent vase life. Vigorous plants perform well through the summer allowing for multiple cuts. Keep cutting for continuous blooms.

The flowers in this blend of Beneficial Insect Blend wildflower seeds were selected to attract predatory insects such as lacewings, hover flies, and ladybird beetles. With a healthy population of these insects in your garden, pest species like aphids, thrips, and caterpillars will be controlled naturally.

Coconut Coir pellets and seed staring products.

This impressive Salvia was a show stopper in our field trials, with tall spikes of true blue flowers that attracted bumble bees and other bees from mid-summer to the first frost. It blooms right into early October 

Dwarf sunflower for containers and small garden beds, perfect for children to plant! Big Smile has the classic bright sunny-yellow petals with a dark center. Compact, branching plants are 25-38cm (10-15”) when grown in pots and slightly taller at 30-60cm (12-24”) when grown in the garden. Bears Pollen.

Lathyrus odoratus. Its rich colour range is dominated by blues and purples, but accented by the occasional highlight of scarlet or pure white. The stems are long, sturdy and uncommonly straight for excellent cut flowers. The vines are not huge at five feet tall, but larger than described them in our catalogue. We have them on a trellis growing quite upright, and they are still very much in bloom in early August. We rate the fragrance at medium-strong (6/10), but as cut flowers, they are among the best. Keep cutting flowers or removing any seed pods that form in order to prolong the flowering period. Try Bijou sweet peas in large containers to bring colour and fragrance to your patio garden.

Annual

The easiest way to produce fresh, high quality sprouts in your kitchen! In just 2-4 days you can enjoy healthful sprouts in soups, salads, and sandwiches. This sprouter has three separate sprouting trays that drain automatically for a continual harvest or for three different sprouting mixes at once. The Biosta Kitchen Crop Sprouter is really simple and convenient for sprout lovers. Constructed from BPA-free polystyrene (recycle #6) plastic. This sprouter comes packaged in a box that measures 24cm wide x 20cm tall x 24cm long.

The standard summer squash, introduced in the 1920s. Large bush plants grow semi-upright and open, and are loaded with glossy dark green fruits with firm creamy white flesh and fine flavour. Plants are productive very early, and over a long period. Best eaten when under 20cm (8" long). Black Beauty zucchini seeds are the best variety for freezing. Black Beauty zucchini is a 20th Century heirloom that won the All American Selections prize back in 1957. It was first introduced to American market growers in the 1920s, and was commercially available as seed from the 1930s on.

Matures in 60 days. (Open pollinated seeds)

Rudbeckia hirta. At 30–100 cm (12–39") tall, this North American native annual wildflower is immediately familiar, and conjures a sense of the heat of mid-summer. Dark brown cone centres are surrounded by pure yellow petals in flowers 5-8cm (2-3") across. Black Eyed Susan is a common name shared by many plants, but this is the annual that is native to the northeastern United States. Considered a short lived perennial, or biennial as seed will easily germinate by direct seeding. 

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Black Krim Organic tomato seeds are extremely popular on the West Coast and beyond. A favourite of gourmet chefs, this unique heirloom tomato consistently wins top place and receives rave reviews at taste trials. The fruits are extremely juicy with incredibly complex sweet, smoky flavours and a hint of saltiness. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt for a zesty snack. Also great sliced with fresh mozzarella, basil, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The fruits mature late and are prolific producers of large fruits in the range of 227-454g (8-16 oz). Typically, they range from dark purple to mahogany skin with green shoulders and green tinted flesh.

Originally from the town of Krymysk near the Black Sea, Black Krim Organic tomato seeds grow plants that are exceptionally hardy. Naturally disease resistant, the plants adapt well to adverse conditions in a wide range of climates. Healthy, attractive vines reach 1.8 metres (6') or more and require heavy staking or caging to support excellent yields of large, heavy fruit.

Indeterminate (vine)

Matures in 80 days (Open-pollinated seeds)

This winter-hardy heirloom is a distinctive black colour on the outside with a milky white and tender interior that packs a bit of bite. Large turnip-shaped 8-10cm (3-4") diameter globes with deep black skins over solid, crisp, pungent, pure-white flesh. Black Spanish Round radish seeds have very tall tops, and are primarily grown for winter storage. They will stay fresh all winter if stored wet sand. This variety was introduced before 1824, and is listed in some old seed catalogues as Noir Gros Rond d'Hiver. Plant Black Spanish Round radish seeds in mid to late summer and eat when it is the size of a quarter. Space radishes 8-10cm (3-4") apart.

Matures in 60 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Tropaeolum minus. The flat-faced flowers of Black Velvet Nasturtium face upwards, and are held above the pale green foliage. The flowers themselves are such a rich, dark shade of mahogany, they appear almost black from any distance. This compact Nasturtium is perfect for container growing, and it blooms continuously throughout the summer. The edible flowers look sensational as garnishes, and bring a peppery kick to salad mixes.

Annual

Tropaeolum minus. This sumptuous mixture includes flowers from solid blood red to cream with red flecks and edges. Bloody Mary Nasturtium seeds produce low growing, clump-forming plants with darker than average leaves. The edible flowers are typically spicy, but also have a certain sweetness. This annual works well in containers, and blooms continuously from June to August. It was a very popular hit in our summer trials, and drew a lot of attention.

Annual

This great tasting heirloom spinach has thick, succulent, dark-green savoyed or crumpled leaves that are very sweet in salads or cooked. Bloomsdale Savoy is best planted in early spring and fall. If Bloomsdale Savoy spinach seeds are fall-planted, it will overwinter and produce much earlier than if it is spring-planted. Very fast growing plants with upright growth that can be mechanically harvested when necessary. This spinach has high resistance to blight and blue mold (BM). We recommend sowing spinach seeds in the third week in August on the coast. Enjoy a fall harvest, but only cut the leaves from the ground level. The following spring, you will get a huge harvest of incredibly early, tasty spinach before there are any pests around to compete with.

Matures in 50 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

This early maturing popcorn has tall plants with two ears each, that average 13-15cm (5-6") long. Pink Popcorn corn seeds produce excellent popping corn that yields lots of fluffy white kernels with a great rich flavour. The beautiful pink to mauve kernels are attractive for decoration. This is not a variety for eating corn on the cob, but rather for drying and popping. The stately tall plants are attractive in the summer garden.

To harvest popcorn, allow the plants to turn brown and the ears to dry for as long as possible in the field. When harvested, the husks should be completely brown and the kernels hard. Harvest the ears and remove the husks. Hang the ears in mesh bags in a warm, dry, airy room, and let dry for several weeks. The ideal moisture content for popcorn is 13 to 14%. Once a week, extract a few kernels and try popping them. If the popcorn is jagged or chewy, it still has too much moisture. If the flavour and texture are good, remove all the remaining kernels and store them in airtight containers. They should remain in good popping form for several years.

Matures in 85 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Bolero carrot seeds are a great variety for home or market. Very sweet and crunchy, it is a good keeper in storage or in the ground. Roots are bright orange, up to 20cm (8") long, and slightly tapered, with the typical blunt Nantes tip. High level of resistance to Alternaria blights and powdery mildew. Very tasty! Our Bolero carrot seeds are also available as pelleted seeds for easier handling. This variety is something of an industry standard. Because of their hybrid uniformity, they are very attractive to market growers. We think the flavour is so superb that these carrots are a nice choice for the home gardener as well. Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Matures in 75 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Large, fuzzy, cucumber-scented leaves and vivid blue flowers attract bees all summer long. Usually grown for the bees and flowers, young leaves can be cooked like spinach or used in salads. Also known as the star flower because of the arrangement of its petals, the flowers have a light cucumber flavour and will stun with their vivid blue petals. A dramatic use is to make ice cubes with the petals frozen into them and drop into cold drinks. Borage seeds contain oils with the highest concentration (20% to 30%) of the fatty acid GLA, even higher than Evening Primrose. Altogether a versatile, attractive and useful herb, add starry blue flowers to salads, drinks, berry desserts for visual appeal. Borage may self sow. It is attractive to bumblebees that must buzz at a certain resonance to release a jet of pollen.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Grow broccoli sprouts for health and vitality! Conveniently, broccoli organic sprouting seeds are the easiest sprout to start with. Broccoli sprouts have a very pleasing, mild flavour, and are fast and easy to grow. Widely held to be one of the premier super-foods, broccoli sprouts are a very good source of vitamins A, B, C, E and K, as well as Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc. They also supply carotene, chlorophyll, amino acids, trace elements, and a high protein profile. Most significantly, they are a good source of the antioxidant sulforaphane.