West Coast Seeds

CERTIFIED ORGANIC. This parthenocarpic, early variety bears an abundance of 7-8cm (2.5-3 inch) fruit that are perfect for snacking. Mini-Me is a productive plant that performs well in the field as well as in greenhouses as it does not require pollination. The mini cucumbers are uniform with smooth skins and crisp, mildly sweet flesh. Harvest the cucumbers often so plants keep producing. An excellent choice to fill lunch boxes and crudités platters!

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)

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)

Pink Bumble Bee Organic tomato seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Gorgeous pink cherry tomatoes streaked with yellow, hang in trusses on tall, productive plants. Chefs will enjoy their stunning visual appeal and sweet flavour. This is a great bet for market growers and home gardeners alike. Pink Bumble Bee resists cracking. This variety will work in a five gallon (or larger) container, but be sure to provide trellis support, as it forms a vigorous vine. Keep the fruits picked, and the plants will continue producing until late summer.

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

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Old German Organic tomato seeds produce huge fruit striped with red and gold colours reminiscent of a Caribbean sunset. This fruit is sweet and delicious Old German make great slicing tomatoes that will compliment any meal with a gorgeous splash of colour.

This variety originates from a Mennonite community in the Shennandoah Valley of Virginia circa the mid 1800's. The Mennonites take great pride in preserving their heritage, faith, and way of life. They are responsible for cultivating many excellent heirloom vegetable varieties. The seeds came into commercial production in 1985.

The hearty plants with potato leaves often grow to 2.4-3m (8-10') tall. Plants produce moderate yields of 900g (2 lb.) fragrant, decorative and nearly seedless tomatoes. Sturdy staking is required to support the large vines and heavy fruit. It's important to note this variety is not drought tolerant.

Indeterminate (vine)

Matures in 80 days (Open-pollinated seeds)

Cymbopogon flexuosus. Lemongrass is a tropical plant from the grass family (Poaceae) that will grow well in temperate regions if given the right conditions. Sow Lemongrass seeds indoors in late winter using bottom heat or a seedling heat mat. Maintain moist conditions and a temperature around 21°C (70°F), and the seeds will germinate in 5 to 21 days. Be sure to use sterilized seed starting mix, and either a clear dome over your seedling tray, or sealed into a plastic bag to maintain moisture. Transplant outdoors or into containers in full sun once the weather has warmed up in early summer. At the end of summer move container plants into a frost free environment with good air circulation. Reduce watering to almost none, making the soil barely moist once a week.

When using Lemongrass in the kitchen, remove any loose, outer layers. Either use whole pieces, crushed slightly with a pestle or under the back of your cleaver, or slice sections very thinly in cross section. This will help break up the strong fibres of the grass stalks.

Tender Perennial

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

An old time favorite normal sugary bicolour, this classic still holds its own with good emergence and an heirloom flavour. A good choice for the home garden or roadside stand. Honey and Cream corn seeds boast intermediate to moderate resistance to Common Rust and Northern Corn Leaf Blight. Plants grow to 226cm (89") tall. Ears average 18cm (7") in length, with twelve rows of kernels. This hybrid sweet corn stays sweet for a relatively short time after harvest, but man, is it tasty when picked and cooked fresh! Be sure that the soil temperature is above 15°C (60°F) before planting this untreated corn seed.

Matures in 84 days. (SU hybrid sweet seeds)

A great substitute for Mammoth Melting peas, Avalanche snow pea seeds grow into 15cm (6") pods that are sweet and tender. Plants are "semi-leafless" so they put more energy into producing pods, making for higher yields of snow peas. Plant two to three rows close together and plants will intertwine, providing support for each other. Expect a height of 90cm (36"). Avalanche is resistant to Fusarium Wilt race 1 and powdery mildew. Plant this reliable snow pea from spring to mid-summer in rich, fertile soil.

Matures in 60 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

C. moschata. Victory Early Butternut squash was bred for speed, so it matures much earlier than the others. It's the top choice for any short-season garden, producing before the onset of cold weather. The fruits are medium sized at around 18cm (7") long, each weighing around 1.2kg (2.5 lbs). The flesh is fine and richly flavoured, without a lot of fibres. Avoid overhead watering with squash plants to delay the arrival of powdery mildew in late summer. Plant in rich, fertile soil in full sun and give each plant lots of room to grow in.

Matures in 88 days. (Hybrid seeds)

Lathyrus odoratus. Its rich colour range is dominated by blues and purples, but accented by the occasional highlight of scarlet or pure white. The stems are long, sturdy and uncommonly straight for excellent cut flowers. The vines are not huge at five feet tall, but larger than described them in our catalogue. We have them on a trellis growing quite upright, and they are still very much in bloom in early August. We rate the fragrance at medium-strong (6/10), but as cut flowers, they are among the best. Keep cutting flowers or removing any seed pods that form in order to prolong the flowering period. Try Bijou sweet peas in large containers to bring colour and fragrance to your patio garden.

Annual

Lathyrus odoratus. Royal Family Blend sweet pea seeds produce tall vines that bloom after Mammoth and before Late Spencer, so they can be sown with these other varieties for a whole summer of cut flowers. These graceful and elegant plants have more heat resistance than the Spencer Series, very large flowers, and long stems on vines that reach 150-180cm (36-48"). Blooms of crimson, lavender, mid-blue, navy blue, rose pink, salmon pink, scarlet, and white appear over a long period, especially when plants have all their spent flowers removed. Try Royal Family in a hanging basket or decorative patio container.

Annual

Helianthus annuus. Inconspicuous Giganteus sunflower seeds produce absolutely huge plants in one short season. This is the giant among sunflowers, with towering stems up to 3.6m (12') tall, as thick as a man's leg. At the top grows a monumental flower, with the seed head growing 25-35cm (10-14") across, heavy with edible seeds. The seed heads tend to nod forward at maturity, facing down. Be sure to get the seeds planted early so the seed heads can mature before the wet weather arrives in September. It's a good idea to direct sow (as opposed to transplanting) these enormous plants so their root growth is not interrupted. They need a solid anchor in order to keep them standing upright.

Annual

Tagetes erecta. These vigorous, very upright marigolds feature large, deeply orange flowers with highly ruffled petals. Kees' Orange marigold grows to 60-70cm (24-28") tall, and works well in containers or in the vegetable garden where it makes a generalist companion plant for pretty much all crops. It attracts beneficial insects and repels pests. It is great as a long-lasting cut flower, and looks amazing planted in large groups. Space them carefully to allow for good air circulation.

Annual

Digitalis purpurea. Tubular, nodding flowers are often speckled and tumble on husky spires to 2m (6') tall. They are welcome in the border, woodland, or whenever they randomly self-sow. Foxglove flowers late spring to summer, and may flower again from the tops of the stems in late summer or fall. Sow Foxgloves Digitalis seeds indoors in late winter for flowers the first year. Transplant to naturalize at the back of the border. Foxgloves thrive in moist, shady areas, but can stand full sun if they are kept watered. Each plant produces thousands of tiny seeds - to avoid self sowing, cut the stalks down as soon as flowering has finished.

All parts of the Foxglove plant are poisonous.

Biennial