Seeds

Certified Organic! In the Sandwich Booster Mix organic sprouting seeds are alfalfa, mung beans, red clover, and red radish. This is the combination that some studies suggest can prevent cancer and other serious health problems. And while it’s working wonders on your health, it also tastes good as well. Superb in salad rolls. A mixture of alfalfa, mung beans, red clover, and radish sprouting seeds. This blend has an appealing, crunchy texture, with a bit of succulence from the mung beans. This mix is superb for sandwiches and salads, and enormously healthy eating. Sprouts are easier to digest than mature plants, so your body will take better advantage of the powerful nutrients within. This blend provides vitamins, minerals, protein, and dietary fibre, all in a form that is easily digested.

Ranks high in taste tests; no after cooking discoloration, high levels of Vitamin C. Excellent for boiling and baking.

Variety: Red Skin

Harvest: Mid

Potato Size: Large

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

Coriandrum sativum. Cilantro "Santo" is bred to be slow bolting. Direct sow short rows of Santo Long Standing cilantro seeds every other week from spring to late summer for continuous harvest. The mature seeds, better known as coriander, are easy to harvest, and used in many dishes - notably curry powder blends. Keep an eye you your cilantro crop because the flowering process (bolting) is famously quick in this plant. As soon as a central stem appears and the uppermost leaves become frilly, it's time to harvest the whole plant, roots and all. 

If growing for seeds, simply allow the plants to flower. Cilantro flowers are highly attractive to beneficial insects like Syrphid flies, lacewings, and lady beetles. Be warned that if the seeds are not harvested when they are mature, you will have volunteer cilantro plants for years to come.

Cilantro will grow somewhat leggy, but productively in partial shade, and it is quite tolerant of cool temperatures. With the protection of a cloche greenhouse, cilantro will continue growing all winter.

Our Scarlet Nantes carrot seeds are hand-harvested in the Northwest. This carrot has been grown and selected for North American conditions for at least 50 years, and is a workhorse variety that is widely adapted and often out-performs some of the more finicky nantes hybrids. Strong tops and excellent heirloom flavour in 18cm (7") roots that colour up early for optional harvests as baby carrots. When Scarlet Nantes reach maturity, they are some of the best storage carrots, and they freeze particularly well for winter use. This is also one of the top yielding juicing carrots because its tender flesh is so easily rendered.

Matures in 65-70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Shishito peppers are trending, turning up in gourmet menus across North America. They may be the perfect bite-sized pepper for blistering under the broiler and serving with a sauce. The 60cm (24”) tall plants produced buckets of slender, mild peppers in our field trials. And they kept producing into October. Tasty at the green stage, it matures first to orange and then to deep red when its sugars are the highest. Its thin walls make it ideal for tempura or roasting. We found that every tenth or twelfth pepper had a bit of heat to it, but they were still milder than a jalapeño.

Matures in 60 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Helianthus annuus. This selection of our loveliest short-growing sunflower seeds brings a mix of variety and spontaneity to the sunflower patch. Ideal for small city gardeners, they can also be grown in containers. The Short Blend Sunflowers contain a variety of field grown sunflowers ranging from 60-120cm (24-48") tall. Plant and enjoy all these lovely, height-challenged sunflowers. Even when they're small, sunflowers are extremely attractive to pollinators, so they are perfect for the edge of the organic vegetable garden, and will bring in scores of honeybees and other beneficial insects. Though their tiny seeds are, in theory, edible, they make better food for the wild birds that will frequent the garden in late summer.

Annual

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)

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.

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

Plant Strike bush bean seeds for productive, upright plants with good disease resistance. The pods are round, medium green, slender, and stringless, coming in a concentrated set for easy harvesting. The beans have a very pleasant texture when cooked, and they maintain their flavour after freezing for winter use. Perfect for the home garden, and favoured by large scale producers for their ability to ship and store well. Strike is BCMV and NY15 resistant. Try growing Strike in larger containers like half barrels or even our garden pea and bean grow bags.

Matures in 55 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Extra early, incredibly sweet snap peas on short, 60cm (2') vines that don't require trellising. Sugar Ann snap pea seeds are an excellent choice for smaller garden spaces. The bushy plants produce crisp, tasty, 6cm (2") pods, and have excellent resistance to pea enation virus and powdery mildew. Sugar Ann was the 1984 AAS Winner, and also received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. It has been a stand-by snap pea for West Coast Seeds for decades. If you're short on space, this is the pea for you - they can even be grown in larger containers.

Matures in 56 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Sugar Baby Organic watermelon seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! This classic heirloom icebox type melon first appeared on the market back in 1959. Sugar Baby melon seeds produce watermelons that have a thin, hard rind with distinct stripes that become almost black at maturity. The flesh is firm, sweet, almost orange-red, with small, apple-like seeds. The round fruits grow to about 18cm (7″) in diameter on vines that can be grown along the ground or up a trellis. Provide as much heat as possible for the best productivity by growing under a cloche, in a greenhouse, or even in raised beds. Be sure to use very fertile soil and provide even moisture through the growing season.

Matures in 82 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

A very productive, 60-75cm (24-30") bushy plant that benefits from some support, Sugar Daddy snap pea seeds produce pods that become uniquely stringless, 8cm (3") snap peas. They grow in pairs near the top of the plant for easy picking. This variety has good disease resistance, but not to the enation virus that sometimes spreads in mid-summer. That means Sugar Daddy is perfect for those early spring plantings, when the soil is still cool and wet - for early summer harvests of delicious snap peas.

Matures in 68 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Sweet, stringless pods are borne on 80cm (30") semi-leafless vines that do not require support. The pods are about 9cm (3 1/2") long and average 2 pods per node. Sow Sugar Lace II seeds for giant harvests of very sweet snap peas. This variety is resistant to powdery mildew and pea enation mosaic virus, so it handles the cool weather at the end of the season better than others. Try planting as late as early August for harvests into October. It's also a nice one for early spring planting - you can direct sow as early as mid-February on the coast.

Matures in 68 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

This selection of kale varieties that thrive in the warmth of summer is intended for succession planting, starting early in the year. Sow short rows at three week intervals for a perpetual supply of baby greens, and allow half the crop to continue maturing into the cool weather at the end of summer. Grow the Summer Kale Blend in full sun to partial shade, in the garden beds or patio containers. Choose containers depending on the size intended for harvest - larger containers for larger plants. Enjoy tender baby leaf kale in salads and wraps, or chop into soups for added nutrition. This blend includes Red Russisan, Vates Blue, and Lacinato.

Matures in 40-60 days.

Satureja hortensis. This delicate, aromatic little plant grows quickly in rich soil. Used in bean, pea and lentil recipes, summer savory has a more delicate flavour than winter savory. Sow Summer Savory seeds in the spring. After flowering, pull it up and hang to dry. Let a few plants go to seed, and it should come back the following year. This herb grows to 25cm (10") tall.

This is the better known savory - it is an annual plant as opposed to perennial Winter Savory. Maritime Canadians know and love it, and use it the way sage is used elsewhere. It's nice with poultry stuffing and stews, and it is a key ingredient in herbes de Provence.

Sunrise Bumble Bee Organic tomato seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Along with Pink and Purple Bumble Bee tomatoes, Sunrise has orange skins that are streaked with bright gold. They are strikingly beautiful, but also boast tremendous sweet flavour. The texture is succulent and the small cherry fruits are resistant to cracking. The Bumble Bee series will work in a 5 gallon (or larger) container, but be sure to keep the vines well picked so they keep producing right through late summer. And provide strong support for the vigorous plants to lean on.

Indeterminate (vine) Matures in 70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Gorgeous peach blossoms top the vigorous 2m (6.5') vines of Sunset runner bean. Worth growing for the eye-catching blooms alone, it is equally rewarding to grow for its prolific harvest of beans that can be used as fresh green snap or dried shell beans that are lavender with black speckles. Enjoy the dried beans all winter in savory soups and stews.

This new hybrid dwarf sunflower produces no pollen, but blooms up to three times in a season with as many as twenty flowers per plant. The 13-15cm (5-6") flowers produced by Suntastic sunflower seeds have brilliant yellow petals surrounding a dark black disc that will appeal to florists and home gardeners alike. Bred for container growing, this All America Selections winner is ideal for patio growing, and will provide continuous colour all summer. It begins to bloom just 65 days after sowing, so it's way earlier than most other sunflowers in its class. Suntastic sets a new standard for dwarf sunflowers, and looks great in window boxes or mass plantings in the garden bed.

Annual

Lathyrus odoratus. Unlike Mammoth, Supersnoop Mix sweet pea seeds produce a compact dwarf variety that is well suited to tubs, containers, and the front of the flower bed. It is an improved Snoopea type that blooms early in a wide range of colours. The plants have no tendrils, so they stay low and compact at 45-60cm (18-24") tall. Supersnoop produces flowers that are showy and mildly fragrant and well suited for cut flowers. Supersnoop are great for market growers for bundles of cut flowers. Direct sow sweet pea seeds between March and May at regular intervals to prolong the bloom period. Be sure to pick any seed pods that appear so the flowers keep coming.

Annual