Seeds

Asclepias speciosa. Native to western and central North America (including BC's Okanagan region), Showy Milkweed is the plant at the center of Monarch butterfly conservation efforts. This is the particular species of milkweed that the Monarch caterpillars feed on after hatching, so it is highly prized by egg-laying adults. The flowers are notoriously generous with nectar, so they attract a host of other butterfly species, as well as bees, hummingbirds, and many other pollinators. The plants grow to around 90cm (36") tall, with greyish green foliage topped by spherical clusters of pink flowers. Once the seed pods form, they can be cut and dried to good effect. Plant Showy Milkweed seeds anywhere to help with pollinator conservation.

Note: This species spreads by self-seeding as well as spreading its rhizomatous roots. In favorable settings, it can spread aggressively. For this reason, we recommend it for larger containers or for areas where it can be controlled through regular pruning. To avoid self-sowing, simply cut the seed pods off before they mature.

Showy Milkweed also happens to be pretty much deer-proof.

Perennial

Preferred variety in European cuisine. 

Variety: Gourmet

Harvest: Summer

Potato Size: Large

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

Silky Sweet turnip seeds produce high yields of sweet white turnips with the most amazing texture. They really are silky — very tender with smooth flesh and a distinct sweetness. This turnip is ideal for spring and autumn harvests, and is best picked at 7cm (3") in diameter. It's a great candidate for succession planting. Direct sow short rows every two weeks starting at the last average frost date, and harvest just 35 days later. This turnip has high resistance to White Rust.

Matures in 35 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Calendula officinalis. Sprinkle salads and decorate cakes with these edible, tangy petals. The single flowers are the deepest orange from spring through to fall. Single Orange is a great cool-season cutting flower with straight, sturdy stems. Direct seed Single Orange Calendula seeds in spring. Sow 5mm (1/4") deep. Calendula seeds germinate in 6 to 14 days, depending on conditions. Collect the edible flower petals to decorate summer meals, and add colour to hot drinks. Calendula look their tidiest when the spent flowers are removed, but once established they can be good candidates for xeriscaping.

Annual

Skywalker Organic cauliflower seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! This hybrid cauliflower is perfect for late summer or fall harvests. It's a big, hefty variety with large leaves that partially wrap the medium sized heads. These are densely packed with tight, withe curds. The plants are uniform and well adapted for growing regions across North America. In our field trials, the large plants all matured at the identical rate so harvest was very simple. For the home gardener it might be better to plant three or four short rows at two to three week intervals so the crop doesn't come all at once. Skywalker is cold tolerant and resistant to Fusarium Wilt and Fusarium Yellows.

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 75 days. (Hybrid seeds)

C. pepo. Dating back to 1863, Small Sugar pumpkin seeds are the heirloom of choice for baking pies. Just look at the various names this old time variety has been known by: New England Pie Pumpkin, Northeast Pie, Boston Pie, Sugar Pie, Early Sugar Pie, and Sweet Sugar - to name a few! This is the classic (if not original) pie pumpkin with small, round, slightly flattened orange fruits that have very light rib indentations. Each fine-grained, stringless pumpkin averages 20cm (8") tall by 23cm (9") wide. The votes are in, making Small Sugar one of the best of all pumpkins for canning and pies.

Matures in 110 days (Open-pollinated seeds)

C. pepo. Brilliant orange little spaghetti squash are stunning nestled in their tidy plants. These have higher beta-carotene than other spaghetti squash. About 1kg (2 lbs) each. Small Wonder spaghetti squash seeds produce heavy yields of fruits that store particularly well. Fruits average 15cm (6") long and 12cm (5") in diameter, so they are celebrated as personal size or single serving size spaghetti squash. Small Wonder performs well out in the field, but also in raised beds. You will get excellent germination from Small Wonder spaghetti squash seeds, and fast spring growth. We recommend interplanting sunflowers with your squash bed, to lure pollinators on site so that you get maximum fruit production from each plant.

Matures in 90 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Broccoli raab is sometimes called rapini. Like broccoli, it is grown for its unopened flower buds. The flavour is very similar to broccoli, with a touch of bitterness that is surprisingly appealing. Broccoli raab is actually more closely related to turnips than broccoli, but is not grown as a root crop. Sorrento broccoli raab seeds produce uniform dark green florets approximately 5cm (2") in diameter. Sorrento is the fastest rapini to mature. Gather the tender stems with a few leaves and the unopened flower buds for a reliable and nutritious addition to the kitchen or market garden. Plant in mid to late summer for a cool weather harvest well into winter. Expect plants to grow to 78cm (30") tall.

Matures in 40-45 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Mentha spicata. Compared to peppermint, spearmint has a less aggressive flavour that has fruity undertones. This mint is easy to grow, and it's fast, too. In boggy settings it can spread by underground rhizome, but this is easy to control by growing it in containers. The leaves dry well and even fresh they make a nice tea — an even nicer mojito. Sow the seeds indoors a month or two before the last frost date, and transplant out when night time temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F). Ninety days later, expect white to lilac flowers that are both edible and highly attractive to bees. This mint is perennial and hardy to Zone 4.

Spicy Slice jalapeño peppers result from hybrid plant breeding, and produce numerous uniform, perfect green pods per plant. These will eventually mature to a sweeter red colour, but at the green stage they are pungent and hot — 4000-6000 SHUs, which substantially hotter than Jalapeño M, but with the distinct flavour of jalapeño chiles. This product was something of a hit in our field trials, with plants positively laden with peppers. Everyone who tried it agreed on the superior flavour and genuine piquancy that runs throughout the flesh, not just restricted to the pith and seeds. 

Matures in 65 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Enjoy the thick, dark green, crinkled spinach leaves either raw or cooked. Heavy yields and slow to bolt and go to seed. This cool weather vegetable is easy to grow in rich, well-drained soil. Requires plenty of moisture.

Days to Germination: 7 to 21 days

Days to Maturity: 40 to 48 days

Best Contianer Size: 12"+

Long Standing Bloomsdale Spinach is a very popular variety that produces for a long time. The glossy, dark green leaves are rich in iron. The crinkled leaves have a very enjoyable thick texture. This cool weather vegetable is slow to bolt and easy to grow in rich, well-drained soil.

Please Note: Seed Tapes require consistent moisture to ensure best germination.

Days to Germination: 7 to 21 days

Days to Maturity: 40 to 48 days

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! The leaves of this amazing “sugar plant” have extracts said to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. Useful as a sweetener for diabetics and dieters, research has shown that Stevia has additional uses in treating blood pressure problems. The plant, which does well in the border or in containers, grows to 60cm (24″) tall, with clusters of tiny, but attractive white flowers emerging from the tip of every branching stem. Pick fresh leaves from the plant and chew them to release a very surprising, unmistakable, sugar-like quality. Give Stevia a nice sunny spot in your herb garden or patio container garden, with fertile, well drained soil. Note: Certified Organic Stevia seeds are sold by seed count, not weight.

Strawberry Blonde French marigold brightens the garden with its colour changing blooms in lovely shades of yellow, coral, and rose. An excellent choice for containers and landscape borders. In cooler temperatures, colour contrast is more distinct. Keep spend flowers deadheaded for a continuous carpet of blooms midsummer to fall. Mounded hait of 20-25cm x 20-25cm (8-10" x 8-10.

The ball-shaped flowerheads of these long bloomers resemble small strawberries--the red blooms feature tiny yellow flecks, just like seeds on a strawberry. Virtually maintenance-free, they are heat and drought tolerant, flowering from summer through to fall. Growing to 80cm (30"), the plants have a branching habit but upright stems, making them excellent as cut flowers, both in fresh and dried arrangements. Gomphrena is also used medicinally and makes a subtly sweet tea. AGM Award of Garden Merit RHS

Annual