Seeds

Fordhook Giant Swiss chard seeds produce dark green, very savoyed leaves are borne on thick, greenish-white stalks. This cold-hardy variety is versatile, reliable, decorative and flavourful. It can also stand up well in summer heat. The Fordhook in its name refers to Fordhook Farm, which was a research farm run for the Burpee seed company from the 1750s until 1981. It's called Giant because the leaves rise a full 60 to 70cm (24-28") above the ground, with stalks that are 7cm (2.5") wide. Fordhook Giant Swiss chard seeds perform well, and provide abundant crops all season, even after light frost. It is noted to be particularly good for poultry feed as well. Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Matures in 60 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Plant Forest Green parsley seeds in your organic herb garden. The plants have short, strong stems that support big clusters of highly curled, dark-green leaves. The flavour is distinctly savoury without being bitter. Parsley adds a subtle, but key flavour to a host of Mediterranean dishes. It is widely used in companion planting because its strong scent repels insects like the Asparagus Beetle. Parsley likes asparagus, carrots, chives, corn, onions, and tomatoes. The leaves can be sprinkled on asparagus to repel asparagus beetles, and around roses, to improve their scent. Let some of your parsley go to bloom to attract hover-flies and predatory wasps.

Parsley is a biennial plant that forms a long (edible) tap root. Choose deep pots for container growing.

Matures in 80 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

This red-spotted, open romaine lettuce is sure to turn some heads. The mid-sized plant is open with glossy, green leaves flecked with maroon; making it a delightful and colourful addition to salad mixes. As the leaves get larger, the markings become even more prominent. The leaves of Freckles lettuce are speckled, not blotchy, so they have quite an elegant look. And the flavour is excellent. Freckles lettuce seeds, also known as Forellenschluss are an heirloom variety of Austrian lineage. Be sure to plant some Freckles lettuce seeds in your organic vegetable garden this spring.

Matures in 55-70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Lavandula stoechas. Sow French lavender seeds indoors, 6-8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow the seeds in early spring when a chance of frost is still possible. Uniform and distinctive, 'Sancho Panza' blooms from June to September on shrubby bushes that grow 35cm (14") tall. This variety of French lavender has a fantastic fragrance and dries particularly well. Great in containers, but in mass plantings the scent and colour are amazing. French lavender is also a very hardy perennial and drought tolerant, so good for use in xeriscaping. Cut back the whole plant by a third after flowering is finished to produce new growth.

Fresca strawberry seeds are so tiny it's hard to believe that these miniature seeds produce big, mouthwatering traditional strawberries. Start the seeds indoors during the winter and place the seedlings out after the last frost. While they may not produce much fruit the first year, these sprawling plants will eventually yield heavily over a long season. They are considered everbearing, and will flower over and over if plants are kept picked. This strawberry is ideal for containers, raised beds, or hanging baskets. For fruits the first year, give them a really early start in December or January. Follow the growing instructions below, and then grow the seedlings on under bright artificial lights.

Matures in 150 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

C. moschata. This is an old Japanese heirloom, cultivated for hundreds of years. Futtsu Black Early squash forms decorative and tasteful pumpkin-like fruits of medium size. A typical fruit from this unusual and highly prized squash weighs around 1.5kg (3 lbs). The fruits start out round and dark green — almost black — with deep ribs and some wrinkles. As they mature the fruits turn dusky grey-brown, and the nutty flavour and sweetness really improves. Cutting into this remarkable fruit releases a strong scent of cantaloupe. The squash will keep for months in storage. Plants grow 80-140cm (32-55") wide, so provide lots of space as well as fertile soil. The fruits are eminently decorative for fall displays.

Matures in 100-120 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

C. maxima. Galeux d'Eysines pumpkin seeds produce a lovely French HEIRLOOM pumpkin with salmon pink coloured skin covered in peanut-like warts caused by sugar swelling in the skins. The somewhat flattened fruits resemble wheels of cheese, and average 7-10kg (10-15 lbs) each and can store for up to 6 months. Simply the best smooth texture of all the pumpkins for pies. It has a delicious flavour and very high sugar content at maturity. The flesh is bright, almost neon-orange, and very easy to extract for rendering down for your favourite pumpkin recipes. See below for our Pumpkin Pie from Scratch recipe.

Matures in 105 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Gardener's Delight cherry tomato has a wonderful, old-fashioned flavour and produces long trusses laden with clusters of 6-12 2.5cm (1"), crack-resistant, bright-red morsels. A mid-maturity variety that can be grown in many regions without protection.

Vine (indeterminate), Matures in 65 days. (open pollinated seeds)

A. tuberosum. This flat-leaf variety of Garlic Chives seeds has a strong garlic flavour and aroma. The white flowers and stalks are used (only a small amount is needed), to add the pungent taste of garlic to salads, vegetables, dumplings, and stir-fries. Popular in Asian cuisine, garlic chives are also known as ku chai in Chinese. While the leaves and flower stems are delicious and useful in the kitchen garlic chives are also very attractive flowering plants. Use this herb as companion plants to repel aphids from flowers or vegetables prone to attack.

Excellent for boiling, baking and french frying.

Variety: Russet

Harvest: Late Summer

Potato Size: Large

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

Genovese organic basil seeds are the very best Italian pesto variety of basil. This is the traditional Italian heirloom variety of basil. It has shiny, large, almond-shaped leaves have a more pronounced flavour, and stores well if chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Pinch growing tips for bushier plants that grow to 60cm (24") tall. Basil is a heat loving tender annual plant that requires good drainage and ample moisture during hot weather. If flowers develop, either save save the resulting seeds or separate them from the plants and sprinkle over pasta or salads. Basil flowers are highly attractive to honeybees and other wild pollinators.

Basil can be planted as a companion to tomato plants. It is said that basil improves the flavour of tomatoes.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Large, substantial fruits grow in clusters of three to four on sturdy, relatively short vines. Get Stuffed Organic features blocky, striped fruits that are almost the shape of a bell pepper. They can be hollowed and stuffed for cooking, or used raw as a delicious, edible serving vessel. They were a big hit in our tomato trials and are worth growing for their beautiful appearance alone.

Indeterminate (vine)

Matures in 75days (Open-pollinated seeds)

Ghost Chili seeds are also known as the Bhut Jalokia. At over one million Scoville Heat Units, the Ghost Chili is one of the world's hottest peppers. This pepper is so hot, in fact, that it should be treated with caution. We encourage very careful handling of the seeds and fruits. Use gloves when handling the fruits and be extremely careful not to bring the peppers or their residue in contact with eyes or mucous membranes. The pepper is said to be 400 times hotter than Tabasco Sauce, and easily three times hotter than our sweat inducing Red Habanero. This is a slow growing plant that produces fruits at the end of the growing season. If it can be kept going over winter, it can be grown as a perennial, producing much larger yields in the second year of growth. 1,000,000+ SHUs

Super-hot peppers are tricky to grow. The seeds are difficult to germinate under home growing conditions and they need a long, hot season to produce fruit. To mature in most regions, protection is needed to increase heat and lengthen the growing season.

Matures in 100 days. (Open-pollinated seeds).

A special blend for the cut flower grower and owners of big vases! Giant Blue Point Zinnias produce dahlia-flowered zinnias with tall stems in large double blooms. Crimson red, lilac, rose, canary yellow, deep red, white and orange. This is the earliest flowering variety. Giant Blue Point Formula zinnia seeds zinnias are long blooming with excellent disease resistance. Picking off the dead flowers (deadheading) will prolong the bloom time, but so will cutting them for bouquets. The colours are brilliant and the stems are strong and upright, perfect for cutting.

Annual.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Giant Winter Organic spinach was bred specifically for autumn, winter, and early spring harvests. It is the most cold hardy spinach, and will thrive in a winter greenhouse or polytunnel, our outdoors under a layer of mulch. Or direct sow in October and November for a very early crop from February through April. This old heirloom grows to the size of Swiss chard leaves. Its leaves are dark green and slightly savoyed, and vaguely triangular in shape.

Matures in 45 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)