Category = seeds

Originating from Italian market gardening traditions, the Aunt Mary's Paste tomato has carved out a prime spot in vegetable gardens seeking rich and fragrant sauces. Its elongated fruits, typical of "paste" type tomatoes, evoke the age-old rituals of slow cooking and preserving, lined up in the pantry.

In the garden, this variety proves to be a reliable companion during sunny summers. The indeterminate plants produce an abundance of elongated fruits suitable for processing. In a vibrant and bountiful garden, it contributes to the daily pleasure of summer harvests and the beautiful consistency of the seasonal cycle.

The Giant Bulgarian leek is an impressive heirloom variety, renowned for its exceptional hardiness and ability to withstand early frosts. Cultivated for generations, it stands out for its spectacular growth and slender stature, making a striking addition to the vegetable garden.

Its long, well-formed stem can reach up to 60 cm, offering a generous and consistent harvest. The texture is firm, the flavor pronounced yet balanced, becoming noticeably sweeter as temperatures drop. Like many hardy varieties, it improves with cold weather, becoming more tender and flavorful throughout autumn and early winter.

In the garden, the Bulgarian Giant leek is perfectly suited to cool climates. It thrives with a long, gradual growing season and rich, deep, well-worked soil. Its hardiness makes it an excellent choice for self-sufficient vegetable gardens, where it provides abundant and reliable production throughout the cold season.

In the local area, this leek is seen as a plant of consistency and resilience. It embodies those foundational crops that structure the vegetable garden, provide lasting nourishment, and remind us of the importance of vegetables that can support gardeners well beyond the summer.

Native to the mountains of Europe , the alpine strawberry 'Yellow Wonder' is a small botanical marvel that delights with its creamy-yellow fruit , boasting very sweet and fragrant flesh . This alpine variety, which does not produce runners , is prized for its compact, bushy habit , making it perfect for borders, planters , or as a perennial ground cover in eco-friendly gardens.

In the garden, 'Yellow Wonder' proves to be a discreet and generous companion , offering abundant and continuous harvests throughout the season, right up until the first frosts . Its natural hardiness and ability to thrive in light, well-drained, and undemanding soils make it an ideal plant for vibrant and resilient vegetable gardens .

Its nectar-rich white flowers attract numerous pollinating insects , enhancing local biodiversity. When ripe, the fruits fall to the ground on their own, signaling their peak flavor — but they must be eaten or processed quickly , as their fragility is also part of their refinement.

'Yellow Wonder' embodies a form of wild and rare indulgence , inviting contemplation, careful gathering, and wonder at simple gardens.

Old Acadian Savory is a heritage variety deeply rooted in the cultural and human history of Atlantic Canada. Towards the end of the 19th century, its seeds were passed on to Jean Prudent Robichaud , a resident of Robichaud Township in New Brunswick, by an Indigenous woman from Burnt Church . Since then, the plant has been passed down through generations within this extended family, eventually reaching Norbert Robichaud in Bathurst, who contributed to its modern-day dissemination.

In 2012, a joint investigation by Ms. Gauvin and Mr. Robichaud documented the origin and unique characteristics of this savory, which is noticeably sturdier and more flavorful than the common variety. Following this research, seeds were entrusted to the Atlantic Seed Bank and the Canadian Seed Library , ensuring the preservation of this treasure of plant heritage.

In the garden, this savory stands out for its vigor, compact habit, and rich aroma. Hardy to zone 4, it flowers profusely throughout the summer, attracting a wide variety of pollinating insects. Its abundant flowering and fragrant foliage make it as beautiful as it is useful.

In the local community, Old Acadian Savory is seen as a plant of transmission and recognition. It embodies the circulation of knowledge between Indigenous cultures and gardening families, as well as the importance of the living conservation of heritage seeds.

The result of a rigorous and deeply human scientific approach, this exceptional red onion was born in the research fields of the University of Wisconsin. For several years, Dr. Michael Havey, a renowned horticultural geneticist, and his team pursued a simple yet ambitious idea: to develop an onion variety with a round, dense bulb and a single center, perfect for producing uniform slices. This project, carefully conducted within the USDA Onion Lab breeding program, embodies an approach rooted in knowledge, patience, and attention to detail.

When the program ended, this remarkable lineage was entrusted to the Gardens of the Ecumene so that it could continue to thrive in the hands of gardeners. Since then, this variety has been cultivated with passion, passed on to a community that has given it a name, a place, and a future in living vegetable gardens.

In the garden, it stands out for its vigorous, upright growth habit, good tolerance to climatic variations, and impressive production capacity. The bulbs that form are firm, glossy, and a deep red, and their finely detailed internal structure makes them easy to cut. In well-prepared soil, it offers excellent consistency and adapts readily to garden plots, whether for individual or community use. It thus embodies the balance between horticultural innovation and the age-old practice of sowing seeds, between high quality and ease of cultivation.

Originating in the 19th century, the 'Crosby's Egyptian' variety is a beetroot prized for its sweet flavor and compact shape. Its dark red, almost round root makes it easily distinguishable in the vegetable garden rows.

This robust and prolific beetroot thrives in temperate climates, providing gardeners with regular and satisfying harvests. It integrates perfectly into a diverse garden, harmoniously sharing space with legumes and aromatic herbs.

Native to East Asia, purple shiso ( Perilla frutescens var. crispa ) has long graced the gardens and kitchens of Japan, China, and Korea. In a vibrant garden, its deeply serrated, dark purple foliage, sometimes tinged with green, immediately catches the eye. It establishes itself as a light and airy aromatic annual, discreetly accompanying the cycle of the seasons.

In the vegetable garden, purple shiso thrives in borders or among leafy greens. It appreciates welcoming soil rich in organic matter and the gentle warmth of summer. Its fragrance, somewhere between basil, mint, and anise, makes it a valuable companion for a diverse and productive garden. In an environmentally conscious approach, it is often allowed to flower for pollinators before harvesting a few seeds, in an age-old practice of seed stewardship.

Native to the tropical regions of West Africa, Hibiscus Roselle has spread throughout the world as an ornamental and culinary plant. Known for its vibrant red calyces used in infusions, it invites gardeners on a journey of tangy and colorful flavors.

In the garden, it stands out for its upright habit and generous summer blooms of large flowers, sometimes pink or creamy yellow. Its cultivation offers a refreshing touch of the exotic and plays an essential role for lovers of natural beverages.

It is a variety with a warm and robust character that integrates naturally into a perennial garden with a focus on food and medicinal uses, offering both beauty and practical uses.

The Rossa di Milano onion is an open-pollinated variety known for its balance of flavor, productivity, and storage potential. It produces medium-sized, well-formed bulbs characterized by a thin neck and a dark red, glossy, and very tight skin that effectively protects the bulb at maturity.

Its flesh is mild and pleasant, making it a versatile onion that is equally enjoyed raw or cooked. The plants are uniform and productive, offering an abundant harvest when growing conditions are well maintained. The bulbs reach an average diameter of approximately 10 cm.

In the garden, Rossa di Milano behaves like a long-day onion, tolerating cooler climates well. It requires a full season to reach its full potential, but rewards patience with excellent storage qualities. Steady growth, without water stress, promotes the formation of tight, long-lasting bulbs.

In the local culture, this onion is seen as a plant of consistency and mastery. It illustrates the importance of taking the long time in the vegetable garden, where rigorous techniques and attention to detail allow for reliable and flavorful harvests, designed as much for the table as for storage.

The Petrowski turnip is an old variety highly prized by gourmets for the exceptional tenderness and sweetness of its flesh. It is recognizable by its round root with golden-yellow skin, enclosing a fine, creamy-white to very pale yellow flesh , accompanied by a delicately fragrant aftertaste that clearly distinguishes it from other turnips.

Originating in Northern Europe and associated with Berlin, this very hardy variety has proven particularly well-suited to cooler climates. Around 1915, it was being cultivated as far away as Alaska by Russian immigrants, a testament to its robustness and early maturity. It is generally harvested between 1.5 and 2 months after sowing and expresses its best flavor when picked young.

In the garden, Petrowski grows quickly in loose, cool, and well-drained soil. Its steady and reliable growth makes it an excellent choice for northern vegetable gardens and short growing seasons.

In the local world, this turnip is seen as a plant of refined simplicity. It serves as a reminder that certain old varieties, carefully selected and harvested, offer a richness of flavor that far surpasses their apparent modesty.

Drawn from a diverse selection of several types of head lettuce, this colorful composition celebrates the natural diversity of textures and hues. From tender green to deep red, each plant becomes a visual accent in the garden space, enriching neighboring crops with its calming presence.

In the garden, the Colorful Mix is ​​a reliable choice. Its compact habit and well-formed heads make it an ideal variety for sunny spots, dense flowerbeds, or container gardening. Thanks to its varying maturity dates, it offers a staggered harvest, combining daily enjoyment with a respectful rhythm. If you love ultra-crisp lettuces, this mix will become your go-to. With their compact, protected hearts, head lettuces keep longer than leafy varieties, allowing you to enjoy their freshness for several days while reducing waste. Resilient and generous, this lettuce thrives in welcoming, slightly moist soil, revealing its full potential in a garden that is rooted and in harmony with a living garden.

Native to Europe, the Winter Red romaine lettuce is prized for its reddish leaves and slightly robust flavor, adding a touch of color and character to winter salads. Traditionally valued for its cold hardiness, this variety is a welcome addition to organic vegetable gardens, extending harvests beyond the first frosts.

In the garden, it stands out for its hardiness and its ability to retain its crispness despite the frosts. Its upright habit and toothed leaves, tinged with deep purple hues, make it a valuable companion that withstands low temperatures well while providing visual and gustatory diversity.

Glaskins Perpetual rhubarb is one of those plants that establishes a lasting presence in the vegetable garden. Belonging to the large group of rhubarbs cultivated for their fleshy, tangy stalks, it sends its roots deep into cool, rich soil, from which it faithfully regrows each spring. Its large, upright leaves form a clump, creating a tranquil corner, like a small island of shade in the heart of the vegetable patch.

In a garden in harmony with the cycle of the seasons, rhubarb offers one of the first harvests of spring and early summer. It supports a deeply rooted approach: we observe its emergence from the soil, understand its needs for water and compost, and act accordingly to keep it vigorous for many years. Beyond its culinary value, this perennial structures the vegetable garden landscape, covers the soil around it, and integrates naturally into a diverse and vibrant food-producing space.

Originally from Sicily , the Rosso Sicilian is an old determinate tomato, carefully passed down by a Sicilian immigrant in 1987. This hardy variety has adapted well to Quebec gardens , where it appreciates rich, well-drained, and warm soils .

Its deep red, heavy, and heavily ribbed fruits resemble open flowers: spectacularly shaped tomatoes weighing up to 330 g . Their compact growth habit makes them ideal for planting in close rows, with light staking to support the weight of the clusters. In a thriving, nutrient-rich environment , this tomato becomes a reliable ally throughout the summer , with a harvest spread over 70 to 90 days . Its floral structure and moderate vigor make it a dependable plant in a vegetable garden that thrives during the warmer seasons.

Originating in Eastern Europe, the Gogosar pepper is a living legacy of Romanian peasant gardens, where it has been cultivated for decades for its bounty and hardiness. Its compact plant bears large, flattened, deeply ribbed fruits that ripen slowly, changing from green to deep red to signal their full maturity.

In a harmonious garden, it establishes itself as a reassuring presence. It thrives in warm spaces, rich and well-drained soil, and flourishes in simple conditions, requiring no special pruning. Its compact habit makes it easy to grow even in smaller vegetable gardens, while its discreet flowering heralds an abundant harvest. It is a faithful and reliable variety, embodying the connection between living soil and home cooking.

Native to Asia, the Snake Cucumber fascinates with its sinuous and slender silhouette , evoking the discreet gliding of a reptile through the greenery. Botanically, it belongs to the same family as the melon ( Cucumis melo var. flexuosus ), although it is eaten young, like a cucumber. Its mottled skin of light and dark green , its crisp and delicately fragrant flesh , as well as its astonishing length—sometimes more than 60 cm—make it a unique fruit-vegetable.

In the garden, it thrives on trellises or fences , where its long stems climb gracefully, adding verticality and elegance to summer crops. Hardy and vigorous, it offers a generous harvest throughout the summer, particularly in warm, sunny climates .

The Sub-Arctic cherry tomato is a valuable ally in gardens where summer is scarce. Present in our collection since the very beginning of our varietal explorations, it embodies that rare reliability that only time can confirm: it has never disappointed us.

Developed from North American selections for climates with short growing seasons, this semi-determinate variety grows modestly but with a generous yield. It forms a vigorous, undemanding plant that readily accepts small spaces and changing conditions. It prefers a sunny, sheltered spot and establishes itself easily in a nutrient-rich border or a hillside garden.

In a living garden, it embodies a beautiful constancy: you hardly expect it before it is already there, full of fruit and promises kept.

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Native to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Thai basil is a variety of basil renowned for its powerful and distinctive aroma, blending notes of anise, licorice, and spices. Highly prized in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, it complements stir-fries, soups, and salads, adding a unique aromatic freshness.

In the garden, this variety stands out for its compact, bushy habit and its light to dark green leaves with slightly wavy edges. A generous plant, it charms with its delicate flowers and attracts numerous pollinators. It is a valuable addition to a vegetable garden with exotic aromas, blending harmoniously with other small companion plants.

The 'Savignac' tomato is a heritage variety from Quebec whose history is deeply rooted in the region. It was discovered in the 1930s by a farmer from the Joliette area, Mr. Dufresne , and later taken up and perfected by Brother Armand Savignac , a member of the Clerics of Saint Viator. His objective was clear: to improve the productivity and cold resistance of a tomato capable of thriving in cool climates and short growing seasons.

Thanks to this rigorous selection process, 'Savignac' has established itself as a reliable tomato, well-suited to northern conditions. It produces round , pink fruits with smooth skin , renowned for their exceptional flavor and good disease resistance .

In the garden, the plants are vigorous and indeterminate , easily reaching up to 2.5 m in height . They require sturdy staking to support a generous crop of tomatoes measuring approximately 10 cm in diameter and weighing between 200 and 350 g . This vigor, combined with consistent ripening, makes it a very popular variety with gardeners in regions with short summers.

In the local area, the 'Savignac' tomato is seen as a plant of discernment and adaptation. It embodies the idea that careful, locally conducted selection makes it possible to successfully cultivate demanding vegetables, even in cooler latitudes.

The Yellow Canary cherry tomato is a dwarf variety with undeniable charm, perfect for brightening up urban gardens and small growing spaces. This determinate cultivar doesn't exceed 30 cm in height, but more than makes up for its modest stature with a generous and continuous production of small, bright yellow fruits.

Whether in a welcoming garden, on a sunny balcony, or nestled in a hanging planter, it establishes itself effortlessly, bringing a vibrant and structured presence. Hardy and undemanding, it thrives in well-drained soil and benefits from plenty of sunshine, producing its colorful clusters as early as 55 days after sowing. Its dense, compact shape also makes it an ideal candidate for indoor gardening or ornamental flowerbeds.