Seeds

Dukat dill seeds produce dill with a particularly fine bouquet and flavour. The darker-than-usual leaves are excellent fresh or dried. Dukat has exceptionally large seed heads. Dukat is the variety to grow for homemade dill pickles, and can be grown in a large container in full sun. This dill stays relatively short at 45-60cm (18-24").

The structure of dill's flowers is known as an umbel. Thus dill is considered an umbelliferous plant. Other umbellifers include carrots, cilantro, fennel, parsnips, and Ammi. All of these plants are attractive to predatory insects such as lady beetles, Syrphid flies (hover-flies), lacewings, and tiny parasitoid wasps. West Coast Seeds encourages organic gardeners to grow dill precisely to attract these beneficial insects, for they will control pest insects like aphids, thrips, whitefly, and the caterpillar of the Small White Butterfly (cabbage moth).

Dwarf Grey Sugar snow pea seeds produce the earliest and most dwarf edible pods of all. The prolific, bushy vines grow to 1.5m (5') tall, and benefit from staking. Very attractive sweet pea-like flowers are followed by clusters of flat, fleshy, curved, semi-pointed pods. These are light green and average 6-8cm (2.5-3"), appearing at the tops of the plants for easy picking. This old heirloom variety was listed once as Dwarf Gray Sugar Cabbage Pea, and has been in production since before 1773. Dwarf Grey Sugar snow pea seeds were first sold commercially in 1892 by D.M Ferry and Company. This is one of the best choices for growing pea shoots and pea tips.

Matures in 66 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Lavendula angustifolia. This open plant is an early flowering selection with more blue in the flowers. Dwarf Munstead lavender seeds are the most aromatic of the English lavenders, giving off a sweet and delicate perfume. It is great for drying, hung by itself or with other tiny flowers. Dwarf Munstead works well in containers or raised beds, and will reward the grower with masses of aromatic cut flowers that can be easily dried. Lavender flowers are edible, and highly attractive to pollinators. Sow some Dwarf Munstead Lavender seeds in your organic herb or vegetable garden this year. Plant height: 38cm (15").

Choose Early Girl tomato seeds for a fast and early crop of delicious medium-sized red tomatoes. This is an early maturing variety for coastal grower. The plants keep bearing fruit heavily throughout the summer on manageable, disease resistant vines, producing baskets of tasty, 110-170g 4-6 oz) tomatoes. Early Girl is resistant to Fusarium wilt races 1 and 2. Some coastal growers choose early maturing tomatoes as a way to beat Late Blight. The disease usually strikes mid- to late summer, and by that time Early Girl has already produced the bulk of her fruit.

Indeterminate (vine). Matures in 57 days. (hybrid seeds)

Early Wonder Tall Top beet seeds beets adapt to all seasons but are especially good in early spring with quick growth in chilly soils. They produce tall, tasty green leaves with red stems and slightly flattened roots with wonderfully sweet flavour. Early Wonder Tall Top beets makes a good variety for general table use. Grow as micro-greens or baby leaf greens for salad mixes, or enjoy the sweet round roots at full size. Be sure to thin the planted row to allow each root the room it needs to grow to full size.

Matures in 60 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Easter Egg II radish seeds are a blend of six distinctly coloured radishes. The flesh is white and the roots can become relatively large without getting pithy. Look for white, rose pink, bubblegum pink, amethyst, mauve, scarlet and purple roots. The uniform roots are round, crisp, and flavourful, with tops that are good for bunching. Get the most out of your radish bed with this blend of diverse colours for spring and fall growing. Provide some frost protection, and you may be able to grow for winter harvests. Once radishes begin to bolt in response to warm soil in early summer, they should be pulled and composted. The process cannot be reversed, and a bolting radish is no good for eating.

Matures in 28 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Like Ramrod scallions, Eiffel produces a nice, strong, upright growing, white Lisbon type scallion with little or no bulbing at the root end, even in the heat of summer. This variety grows straight, with mild, crisp, appealing flavour and good uniformity. Its stiff upright leaves shed the rain, so it is less susceptible to the diseases that can occur in damp weather. Sow short rows of Eiffel scallion seeds every two weeks from April to the end of September, and you'll have scallions all year long. Provide a cloche row cover over winter for the best results.

Matures in 65 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

C. pepo. Eight Ball is a novel, round zucchini with dark green skin and some yellow speckling, borne on an easy-to-pick, bushy plant that only grows to about 1m (3') wide. Eight Ball zucchini seeds are an All America Selections Winner with great productivity, uniformity, and flavour. Harvest only a day or so after pollination for tender, exotic looking, spherical zucchinis with just the right tender texture and mild taste. Eight Ball is a good candidate for large containers or raised beds, and will produce lots of fruits over several weeks if plants are regularly picked. Provide fertile soil, and use a balanced organic fertilizer at transplant time.

Matures in 40 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Ella Organic dill seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Finally, a dill variety for the patio herb garden! Ella is a dwarf dill bred for container and hydroponic growing. She has short leaf internodes, so she stays compact and bushy at 25-36cm (10-14"), but with all the great fragrance and flavour of a giant garden dill.

The structure of dill's flowers is known as an umbel, so dill is considered an umbelliferous plant. Other umbellifers include carrots, cilantro, fennel, parsnips, and Ammi. All of these plants are attractive to predatory insects such as lady beetles, Syrphid flies (hover-flies), lacewings, and tiny parasitoid wasps. Organic gardeners take advantage of this natural food chain by growing dill precisely to attract these beneficial insects, for they will control pest insects like aphids, thrips, whitefly, and the caterpillar of the Small White Butterfly (cabbage moth).

Thymus vulgaris. This woody little green plant spreads steadily over the years and has pretty pink flowers which bees love. English Thyme seeds plants grows to heights of 30cm (12"). Wonderful in Mediterranean cuisine, teas, potpourri and a key ingredient of bouquet garni. Thyme dries well, too - cut sprigs and tie them with thread for hanging out of direct sunlight. They remove the brittle leaves from the stalks and store them in a cool, dry, unlit place. Plants do well in containers, and they're drought tolerant, so consider them for xeriscaping. Cut thyme back by a third at the end of the season to encourage lots of spring growth and flower set.

Perennial

A dwarf variety of dill, growing to only 30-45cm (12-18"), Fernleaf dill bears tidy, bright yellow umbels that quickly ripen into masses of seed. The foliage from Fernleaf dill seeds maintains its distinct aroma, and compliments fish or can be used in dill pickles. This is a good dill variety for container growing.

The structure of dill's flowers is known as an umbel. Thus, dill is considered an umbelliferous plant. Other umbellifers include carrots, cilantro, fennel, parsnips, and Ammi. All of these plants are attractive to predatory insects such as lady beetles, Syrphid flies (hover-flies), lacewings, and tiny parasitoid wasps. Many organic gardeners like to grow dill precisely to attract these beneficial insects, as they will help control pest insects like aphids, thrips, whitefly, and the caterpillar of the Small White Butterfly (cabbage moth).

Ferrari is considered a French filet type bean and has a wonderful flavour. The slim, stringless, round pods develop early on compact plants, and grow to 13cm (5”). This variety has good potential for early starting under cloche protection, and is compact enough for container growing. Ferrari bush bean seeds are resistant to Anthracnose and BCMV, and tolerant to Cucumber Mosaic Virus.

Matures in 55 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Calendula officinalis. Fiesta Gitana calendula seeds are a dwarf selection of double flowers in a rich, warm range of colours from deep orange to pastel cream. Plants are compact, growing to only 30-35cm (12-14") tall, so they are perfectly suited for containers or edging the garden bed. The flower petals are edible, and look superb sprinkled over salads and smart drinks for your summer parties. Keep Fiesta Gitana calendula deadheaded for the tidiest look and the longest flowering period. Simply pull or snip off any flowers the day after they fade. Once established, Calendula need little care, so they make good candidates for xeriscaping.

Annual

Viola cornuta. This spreading hybrid pansy has exceptional overwintering ability. Ruffled petals in a wide range of colours bring a dramatic splash of vibrancy to the winter garden. Sow Fizzy Fruit Salad Mix Viola seeds in July and August for blooms from October right through to the following May. They look incredible in containers and hanging baskets, and particularly spectacular in mass bedding plantings. The wide pansy faces, fancy frilled petals, and dazzling colours bring a really special look to any garden. Much needed colour for an otherwise subdued winter palette. Be sure to plant your winter flowering pansies the previous summer.

Perennial (Grow as a hardy annual)