Seeds

Spencer Giant Mix Sweet Peas grow a beautiful mixture of sweetly scented flowers. This heat tolerant variety is widely used for beautiful flower arrangements and garden decorations.

Growing Information: Safe for bees & good for pollinators

Days to Germination: 10 to 14 days

Grows Best In: Full Sun

Growing Height: 2.1m (7')

Dianthus plumarius. Sweetness Dianthus seeds are the Fleuroselect award winning variety and much loved for their ability to produce flowers in the first year of growth. The variable, frilled, pink to white flowers appear from July to October atop stems that grow only 15cm (6") tall. Try it in containers or raised beds. Dianthus is quite drought tolerant, so it is a good option for xeriscaping. This variety of Dianthus is easy to grow from seeds. Mulch in winter if really cold weather is expected, or simply grow it as an annual with new seeds each spring. Hardy to Zone 3.

Perennial

The perfect green to grow, even in hot weather. Broad, dark green leaves have a delicate spinach flavor. Stems are broad, thick and white in color. Leaves can be picked at any time or cut leaf stalks just above ground level and the plant will continue to produce all season long. Both stalks and leaves are edible. Delicious in salads, quiche or steamed with butter. Freezes well.

Days to Germination: 7 to 10 days

Days to Maturity: 50 to 60 days

Best Container Size: 12"+

Centaurea cyanus. A mix of purple, blue, pink, and white papery blossoms bring summer colour to the garden. Try planting some Tall Mixed Cornflowers in a big clump at the edge of the yard for stunning summer colour. They are an excellent cut flower and they dry well, looking fresh for ages. Cornflowers are highly attractive to pollinators and beneficial insects like Syrphid flies. The flowers are edible, and the plants are drought resistant for xeriscaping. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong the bloom period, and to keep plants looking tidy. Tall Mixed Cornflowers seeds are easy to save from year to year.

Annual

Personal size mini melon with a wonderfully sweet flavour. Tasty Bites’ .5kg (1#) fruit have light yellow netted skin and deep orange flesh, developed by crossing an ananas and a Charentais. Vigorous plants with good disease resistance produce high yields of these tasty treats. Fruit ripens over a long period making this a good choice for gardeners and market growers.

Matures in 75-80 days

Exposure Full Sun

Tasty Green cucumber seeds produce vigorous vines bearing long English cucumber fruits up to 30cm (12") in length. Allow the sweet tasting, burpless fruits to hang as they grow by providing a strong trellis for each plant. Tasty Green is productive in raised beds or in containers in the greenhouse, but keep the plants picked to extend the harvest period. This was the first long English hybrid slicing cucumber to be bred for "burplessness," meaning that it is easy to digest. Many sources refer to it as Burpless Tasty Green F1. For containers, use three to five gallons with fertile soil and excellent drainage.

Matures in 65 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Callistephus chinensis. The Blues Mix is an excellent choice for the cut flower garden. It blooms from July to October on strong, upright, multi branching stems to a height of 75cm (30"). The mix of large and small flowers appear in blues, purples, and white, but all with the ruff of fully double petals. All are attractive to pollinating insects and hummingbirds, and they look magnificent in a large bouquet. Be sure to take frequent harvests of cut flowers, or at least keep the plants dead-headed to prolong and enhance the bloom time. Please follow the planting and spacing instructions closely.

Annual

Callistephus chinensis. The Roses Mix is a top choice for the cut flower garden. It blooms from July to October on strong, upright, multi branching stems to a height of 75cm (30"). The mix of large and small flowers appear in rose pink and white, but all with the ruff of fully double petals. All are attractive to pollinating insects and hummingbirds, and they look magnificent in a large bouquet. Be sure to take frequent harvests of cut flowers, or at least keep the plants dead-headed to prolong and enhance the bloom time. Please follow the planting and spacing instructions closely.

Annual

SUMMER HARVEST. Expect early and extra tender leaves from Tiara cabbage seeds. An improved early first cabbage with wonderful hybrid uniformity and excellent holding ability. Tiara supports a dense cabbage head with a short internal core. This cabbage holds well in the field. Tiara cabbage is green, medium sized, with thin, tender leaves that would make a perfect addition to your coleslaw or salad. This may be one of the best cabbage varieties for sauerkraut. Learn when to plant cabbage seeds in our How to Grow Cabbage instructions below. Tiara cabbage seeds produce plants that are mature in just 45 days from transplant.

These seeds are coated with an inert, organically certified layer which helps to minimize clumping in storage and seed sowing machines. The coating is approved by organic certifiers in Canada, the US, EU, and Japan.

Matures in 45 days. (Hybrid Seeds)

Tropaeolum majus. Tip Top Alaska mix Nasturtium seeds produce cream-on-green foliage with single yellow, orange, and deep red flowers, clustered in compact 30cm (12") mounds. Tip Top Alaska series will stay compact so they are perfectly suited to containers. Plant Tip Top Alaska mix Nasturtium seeds in hanging baskets, raised beds, or as companion plants in your organic vegetable garden. These compact Nasturtiums are very bushy, and do not form the long vines found in some other varieties. The foliage is extremely decorative, and the flowers, leaves, and seeds are all edible. Nasturtiums are drought resistant and suitable for xeriscaping.

Annual

Dating back to 1830, this heirloom is the oldest American lettuce still in cultivation, which speaks to its charms. Plant Tom Thumb lettuce seeds for the smallest lettuce of all - a tennis ball-sized Bibb that will fit in the palm of your hand. The small heads have creamy yellow centers with medium green, slightly crumpled wrapper leaves. This variety works well in containers - even window boxes! It's a good candidate for indoor growing under lights and does not need a large container to grow well. Try growing some Tom Thumb lettuce seeds in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse in the winter.

Matures in 50-70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

This is the earliest maturing collard we know of. Start harvesting just 50 days after direct sowing, and the tall, upright plants just keep growing. At maturity the leaves can measure over 60cm (24") from stem to tip, and they are held pointing upward, away from the soil. The petioles are long and substantial for easy bunching, and the plants are highly uniform in size and shape. The bluish green leaves of Top Bunch collards are just slightly savoyed, thick, with large cell walls. Once cooked, the flavour is rich and savory - very nice in soup or simply steamed on its own. Use succession planting from spring to the height of summer for a constant supply of thick, nutritious greens.

Matures in 50 days. (Hybrid seeds)

This is the ultimate golden beet. Its roots are smooth and orange/red on the outside with intensely golden flesh beneath and subtle banding. The green tops are tall and strong — not to mention sweet and delicious. This gorgeous beet looks amazing when pickled.

Matures in 53 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

This miniature pac choi can be picked at the “single serving” size. Dark green leaves and glistening white stems mark this as a standout in a display.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Traviata Organic eggplant seeds produce relatively large, spineless plants. The fruits are large, very dark purple, and have shiny skins and an overall appealing look. The classic bell shaped fruits are quite abundant on each plant, and the plants keep producing over a long season. The plants are well suited to greenhouse cultivation, but will perform in the field setting too. They are even productive in patio containers, but use fertile soil and provide plenty of heat. For container growing, select pots with good drainage at least three to five gallons in size. Harvest the fruits at 15cm (6") for the best flavour.

Matures in 58 days. (Hybrid seeds)

The aptly named Trinidad Moruga Scorpion is an extremely hot pepper native to the region of Moruga in Trinidad and Tobago. Although it has clocked in at 2 million SHUs at its most potent, on average the peppers are in the 1.2 million Scoville heat unit range. The small, puckered fruits mature from green through orange and then to a deep red, at which point the flavour is the most refined and fruity. This species of pepper can be grown as a perennial in warmer climates (or heated greenhouses) or brought inside over winter. To mature in most regions, they will need to be grown with protection for the added heat and to lengthen the growing season. Can be grown in containers.

Super-hot peppers can be somewhat challenging to grow. The seeds can be difficult to germinate, and they need a long, hot season to produce fruit. Start indoors early and use bottom heat and seedling domes to create the warm, humid conditions they need to germinate. Be patient as germination may take 21-28 days or longer, even under ideal conditions.

Please use extreme caution when handling the seeds and fruits!

Matures in 120 days. (Open-pollinated seeds).

C. maxima. Uchiki Red Kuri Organic squash seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC. This is a Japanese type Hubbard (red kuri), with dark, red/orange skin over tasty, cream coloured flesh. Popular in Japanese and Thai dishes, the flesh is flavourful and firm, and never stringy. Uchiki kuri squash plants are productive and robust in this climate. Sometimes known as "onion squash," the fruits average 1.5kg (just over 3 lbs) each. This is a very early maturing squash. In our trials, May sown plants are finished by September 1st, with three or more fruits per plant.

Matures in 100 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Under the Sea is beautiful blend of ivory, coral, magenta zinnias. All of them are varieties recommended for bouquets so they make excellent cut flowers. Strong sturdy stems, growing up to between 30–40" tall. They are highly attractive to butterflies and other pollinators

Sow slow-bolting Vates Blue Curled Scotch kale seeds in early spring for summer harvests, or July for fall and winter harvests. Vates is a low-growing dwarf type with finely curled blue-green leaves. It's suitable for large containers (minimum five gallons) for patio growing. It grows to only 30-40cm (12-16") tall, and about 60cm (24") in diameter. Like most kale varieties, it's especially tender and sweet after a light frost.

Matures in 50-80 days [slower in winter]. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Helianthus annuus. Rich copper red petals are highlighted with golden yellow around a nearly black central disc. Plant Velvet Queen sunflower seeds for 1.5m (5') tall plants with simply gorgeous blooms around 13cm (5") wide. This variety looks its best when contrasted with some bright yellow sunflowers in a border or raised bed. Be sure the soil is warm at planting time, and freely draining throughout the season. Velvet Queen is an early flowering type, so try planting at two to three week intervals instead of all at once. The bloom period will be longer this way, and the flowers are just right for cutting and bringing indoors.

Annual

Preferred variety in European cuisine. Deep purple skin and flesh. High in antioxidants.

Variety: Gourmet Fingerling

Harvest: Late Summer

Potato Size: Medium

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

SUI CHOI. Wa Wa Sai cabbage seeds produce classic miniature napa cabbages or sui choi. The heads weigh approximately 500g (1 lb) each from spring or autumn sowing. And they are ready to harvest just 60 days from transplanting. Space plants around 20-30 cm (8-12") apart in the row. They have a lovely sweet flavour and crisp texture that works so well with noodle dishes. Sui choi is dramatically reduced in volume when cooked. Remove the loose outer wrapper leaves to reveal a tightly packed urn-like oblong napa cabbage within. This is an excellent choice for making kimchi at home. Wa Wa Sai has high resistance to clubroot. 

Matures in 60 days. (Hybrid seeds)

C. moschata. Waltham Organic butternut squash seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! The extremely vigorous vines of this 1970 All America Selections Winner produce uniform butternut squash fruits with creamy, rich, dry, yellow-orange flesh under smooth tan skins. Waltham sets the standard for butternut squashes, and can store for as long as six months. Expect 4 to 5 fruits per plant, each measuring 23cm (9") long, with thick flesh and small seed cavities. Allow the fruits to ripen completely on the vine, and then give them a quick wipe down with some weak bleach solution to kill any bacteria on the skins. Store in a cool, dry place.

Matures in 110 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Excellent for boiling, baking and french frying.

Variety: White Skin

Harvest: Late Summer

Potato Size: Large

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

New to North America, this Japanese heirloom is a medium sized, oblong daikon type. The wasabi-green skin and flesh is crisp and succulent, with a strong heat reminiscent of the much loved Japanese horseradish paste. The flavour is sharp and tear-inducing for lovers of spice. Wasabi radish seeds also make excellent micro-greens, with the spiciness developing early on in its tiny leaves. Radishes can be grown all season but they're easiest when sown March/April and again August through October. Optimal soil temperature: 18-24°C (65-75°F). Seeds should sprout in 5-7 days.

Matures in 60 days. (Open pollinated seeds)

 This blend is perfect as a summer side salad or as a garnish. Or mix it in with regular salad greens to add sophisticated flavours to work a day salads.  This premium blend includes finely cut curly endive; tender, sweet, red-leaved lettuce; wavy, rich, dark green escarole; tasty blonde chicory; and just the right amount of arugula and chervil