West Coast Seeds

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.

Nepeta cataria. Not just for cats! Tall pink and white flower spikes are great in fresh and dried arrangements. Use the leaves in salads, sauces, teas, and soups - and of course fresh or dried for the cats! Catnip seeds are a good choice for a bee attractor that works well in containers on cat-free balconies. Protect seedlings from cats.

Catnip (and a few of its close relatives) contain the compound nepetalactone, which is extremely attractive to domestic and wild cats. It has the same effect on leopards, lynxes, and tigers as it does on house cats. Roughly 33% of all cats do not respond to catnip, and the response is believed to be hereditary.

This early maturing popcorn has tall plants with two ears each, that average 13-15cm (5-6") long. Pink Popcorn corn seeds produce excellent popping corn that yields lots of fluffy white kernels with a great rich flavour. The beautiful pink to mauve kernels are attractive for decoration. This is not a variety for eating corn on the cob, but rather for drying and popping. The stately tall plants are attractive in the summer garden.

To harvest popcorn, allow the plants to turn brown and the ears to dry for as long as possible in the field. When harvested, the husks should be completely brown and the kernels hard. Harvest the ears and remove the husks. Hang the ears in mesh bags in a warm, dry, airy room, and let dry for several weeks. The ideal moisture content for popcorn is 13 to 14%. Once a week, extract a few kernels and try popping them. If the popcorn is jagged or chewy, it still has too much moisture. If the flavour and texture are good, remove all the remaining kernels and store them in airtight containers. They should remain in good popping form for several years.

Matures in 85 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

We love the flavour and delicate texture of the leaves for lettuce wraps! Buttercrunch butterhead lettuce seeds are a Bibb type lettuce that forms a tight little rosette of soft, dark-green, upward-facing leaves surrounding a tender, pale centre. The small hearts don't become bitter in hot weather. Later plantings stand well into fall and make good growth in spring cold frames. Buttercrunch lettuce is a good candidate for growing all winter if you can provide cloche or greenhouse protection, or even a simple cold frame. Sow some extra early indoors in February for transplanting to the cold frame in March.

Matures in 67 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! This is the extra early hybrid that organic guru Eliot Coleman raves about for cool season growing under cover in early spring and late fall/winter. Napoli carrots become incredibly sweet after frost as they literally convert starches into sugars as a kind of carrot anti-freeze. It is rated by many as one of the best tasting carrots available, and wonderful as baby roots. Plant Napoli Organic carrot seeds in August in a raised bed or beneath a cloche, and experience the full flavour of winter "candy carrots." Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

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 55 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Patio Snacker cucumber seeds produce compact little plants that grow to only 90-150cm (36-60"), but producing numerous full-sized slicing cucumbers from mid-summer on. Trellis the little plants, or try them in a hanging basket and allow the short vines to spill over the sides. Patio Snacker was bred with the small-space gardener in mind, so it's ideal for balcony growing. Be sure to keep the plants picked so that new flowers and fruits continue to come.

Matures in 50-55 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Salad Bowl lettuce seeds are a traditional stand-by for salad mixes. These large, lime-green rosettes resist bolting for a long time in summer and do not get bitter. The frilly, deeply cut oakleaf shape has excellent flavour and good texture. They add loft and character to salad mixes. Rapid cool-weather growth makes it a prime candidate for spring cold frame growing. This heirloom lettuce dates back to 1952, the year it was given a well deserved AAS Award. It's also a winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Give it a try in patio containers to keep near the kitchen. The individual leaves are a nice addition to sandwiches, or just as garnishes.

Matures in 60 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Mokum carrot seeds are back by popular demand! The finest flavour and so crisp and delicate that it actually has to be hand dug, not just pulled out by the tops. You can enjoy these as baby carrots (they colour up quickly) or longer at 15-20 cm (6-8"). These deep orange carrots are high in Vitamin A and sugars. Mokum is an Amsterdam type - an imperator with blunt (as opposed to pointed) ends. Be sure to plant this variety in soil that has been deeply cultivated. Use a garden fork to break up all dirt clods and remove all stones. And thinning carrots is critical if you want them to grow straight and unblemished.

Matures in 60 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Melothria scabra. Also known as the Mexican Sour Gherkin, cucamelon seeds produce vines that could be mistaken for regular cucumber plants. The plants are not quite as productive as cucumbers, but the fruits are amazingly cute and novel. They look like tiny watermelons, but have a very appealing cucumber flavour with slight citrus notes. Eat them fresh or pickle them for a crunchy treat. Harvest them at the 2cm (1") size, before the seeds develop. This is a heat loving tropical plant that is most productive in hot weather or a greenhouse setting. Start the seeds indoors and treat as you would a conventional cucumber seedling.

Matures in 67 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Oregon Giant snow pea seeds produce plants with unusually large, broad 13cm (5") long pods are thick and very sweet. They are most tender when peas begin to form but remain so up to the very largest sizes. Plants stay short at only 1.2m (4'). This variety is very resistant to pea enation virus and powdery mildew, which makes it a good candidate for late sowing and summer/fall harvest. Sow as late as July, and enjoy a second fall crop. Enation virus is a serious problem for peas in our region, so if you're planting peas after April first, choose enation-resistant varieties only. Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Matures in 70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Cosmos bipinnatus. Purity cosmos seeds yield single snow-white flowers to lighten the dark areas of a cottage garden. Regular dead heading will encourage continuous flowering from summer into late autumn. The ferny foliage on this variety is graced by the flowers up to 10cm (4") in diameter on plants that grow to about 76cm (30") tall. Stake this variety if growing in exposed areas, or use Green Garden Netting to keep plants upright. When they are just two feet tall, let their tips grow through a layer of netting lain flat over the bed. This will give them all the support they need.

Annual

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)

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)

The standard summer squash, introduced in the 1920s. Large bush plants grow semi-upright and open, and are loaded with glossy dark green fruits with firm creamy white flesh and fine flavour. Plants are productive very early, and over a long period. Best eaten when under 20cm (8" long). Black Beauty zucchini seeds are the best variety for freezing. Black Beauty zucchini is a 20th Century heirloom that won the All American Selections prize back in 1957. It was first introduced to American market growers in the 1920s, and was commercially available as seed from the 1930s on.

Matures in 60 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)

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)

Smooth skinned, highly productive, and very tasty. Olympian cucumber seeds produced fruits mid-season in our trials, and performed as well outdoors in raised beds as in containers in the greenhouse. Fruits grow slightly longer than Marketmore at 22cm (8"). Olympian is a gynoecious Marketmore hybrid with tolerance to Anthracnose, angular leaf spot, scab, powdery mildew, and downy mildew. Gynoecious plants produce mostly female flowers for increased productivity, so the cucumbers just keep coming and coming all summer long. Provide steady moisture and fertile soil and you may be overwhelmed by the quantity of delicious fruits.

Matures in 65 days. (Hybrid seeds)

C. pepo. When Jackpot zucchini starts producing, you'll think you hit the jackpot! Bushy plants have few spines, very high yield, and continuous production. Very similar to Ambassador in terms of its upright growth along one single stem, but even earlier to mature. Jackpot zucchini squash seeds fruits are cylindrical, and perfect to pick at 17cm (6") long, not long after the flowers are pollinated. Jackpot zucchini squash seeds make an excellent replacement for Ambassador zucchini seeds. Its upright growth makes Jackpot a good candidate for raised garden beds, or any place where space is limited.

Matures in 50 days. (Hybrid seeds)

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)

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.

Seaside spinach seeds produce very uniform, dark green baby leaf spinach for fast harvests and high volume production. The leaves are thick and succulent, with well developed flavour. The upright plants grow at a moderate rate, and work well in winter high tunnels. It is the best choice we have seen for baby leaf growers, and has good resistance to downy mildew. With the correct timing, a small farming operation can produce a constant supply of baby leaf spinach nearly all year, which can be a lucrative option for your restaurant and CSA clients.

Baby greens in 25 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Sweet Basil organic seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! This vigorous basil variety produces large, mid-green leaves all summer long. Keep picking the growing tips and the 2 pairs of leaves below them for the kitchen. More branches will sprout producing more leaves. This large-leaved Italian type is the preferred variety for traditional pesto recipes. Plant several times for a continuous supply until frost. Grow some organic sweet basil in a pot on a warm and sunny windowsill, and harvest fresh leaves right through the winter. Basil is a heat-loving plant so wait until the soil has warmed up before planting. Basil seeds may take several weeks to germinate, so be patient. Bottom heat speeds germination.

Among the largest available snow peas, these 10-13 cm (4-5") long pods are produced on 1.2m (4') tall plants that require a trellis. The large white flowers of this heirloom variety are pretty enough to use as cut flowers. Mammoth Melting Sugar snow pea seeds produce pods are sweet and tender, even sweeter and more tender than Dwarf Gray Sugar. Plants are high yielding, early, uniform, and productive. This variety is more productive in cool weather, so it's perfect for early spring planting, and a second planting in early August for fall production. Mammoth Melting Sugar is Wilt resistant.

Matures in 70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

A seed tape version of this flavourful tipburn resistant (TBR) variety. Grand Rapids TBR Looseleaf lettuce seeds produce a large, upright rosette of thick, juicy, light-green, frilly leaves and a blanched centre. The variety features very rapid growth in spring and fall, and grows better than any other variety under cool, damp, low-light conditions. Try Grand Rapids TBR in cold frames or beneath a cloche greenhouse for salad production all winter. In the spring and summer, sow short rows often so the crop can be harvested over a long period, and so that you are not overwhelmed by a garden full of mature lettuce all at once.

1 pack includes 2 x 2.5m (6.5') of tape and contains approximately 350 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 7-15 days.

Matures in 65 days. (Open-pollinated 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)

Smooth-skinned, bright red radishes with a very round, uniform shape. Cherriette is bred to perform in higher temperatures, so it holds better potential for harvesting into summer. The ideal production time is spring and fall. The pure white flesh of Cherriette is dense and crisp, with a sweet, hot flavour. This is a very uniform radish variety that is slow to develop pith. Its tops are short, but sturdy for bunching. Cherriette has out performed the open pollinated varieties in our trials. Try Cherriette in window box type containers. Plant short rows every two weeks from March to early May, and again in September and October for fall harvests.

Matures in 24 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Sow chive seeds at any time of year. Hardy, perennial, and easy to grow, the chopped stems and pink flowers add a fresh, mild green onion flavour to sandwiches, salads and baked potatoes. Clumps can be divided in spring or fall. If grown in containers, divide frequently enough to provide for constant lateral growth. Chives are surprisingly hardy and can be harvested all winter if given some protection from extreme cold. They are also quite drought tolerant, so they're good candidates for xeriscaping. The edible flowers are highly attractive to bumblebees, hoverflies, and other beneficial garden insects.

Adorable mini butternuts that are the perfect single serving size! Butterbaby is an excellent choice for home gardeners with its early maturity and high yields per plant. Uniform .5-.9kg (1.25-2lb) tan fruits have sweet, dark orange flesh and good storability. Semi-vining plants.

Matures in 80 days

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)