Seeds

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

A seed tape of a fast growing scallion that is crisp and mild. This reliable producer is a popular choice due to its adaptability to a variety of conditions. It grows vigorously in a range of soils and it is both heat and cold tolerant, so it can be sowed from spring to fall. Great for succession planting.

1 pack includes 2 x 2.5m (6.5') of tape and contains approximately 360 seeds in total.

Start by making shallow rows in prepared soil. Unfold tape and separate the two strips. Place tape in the rows and water. Cover with 5mm (0.25 inch) of soil. Water well. Keep consistent moisture until seeds sprout in 12-14 days.

Matures in 60 days, 110 days overwintered. (Open-pollinated seeds)

These wonderful large beans mature in 75-85 days when sown in the spring, or 6 months if fall sown. The plants grow 90-120cm (3-4') tall. The light green pods, which contain 6-7 large pale green seeds each, shell easily. Windsor broad bean seeds are superb for family gardens and easy for small children to handle. Broad Windsor is intended for growing as a food crop. The seeds it produces are large and succulent, unlike the small-seeded fava we offer as a cover crop. This large variety will fix nitrogen in your soil, so it’s perfect for planting in the fall, harvesting in the spring, and following with nitrogen loving crops like Brassicas, lettuce, or spinach. Fresh or dried, broad beans must be cooked before eating in order to rid them of potentially toxic alkaloids. The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked like spinach. Broad beans are one of the world’s most ancient and widespread food crops.

Matures in 75-85 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

schscholzia californica. XL Jelly Beans is a new California poppy that features very large, semi-double blooms that feature splashes of bubblegum pink, lemon yellow, and raspberry red. These contrast beautifully against the feathery foliage with its restrained, matte silver-blue colour. The eye-catching flowers appear over a long period from spring through summer, and work well in beds or containers. XL Jelly Beans grows to about 25cm (10") tall, and is somewhat drought tolerant. It's also deer resistant.

Hardy Annual - it may overwinter in Zones 8-10

Ya Ya Organic carrot seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Ya Ya is a smooth skinned, uniform carrot that performs all season long. Incredible flavour in summer that gets even sweeter after frost. These are especially well adapted to the coastal BC climate and will perform throughout the Pacific Northwest. Ya Ya’s strong tops are good for bunching. This variety is a customer favourite, and many home gardeners that grow it depend on it year after year. Be sure to thin your carrots as early as possible to 4-10cm (1.5-4") apart in the row so the roots can grow nice and straight.

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 65-70 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Variety: Yellow Skin

Harvest: Mid

Potato Size: Medium

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.