Seeds to start indoors

Native to the Mediterranean basin and North Africa, the Mauritanian Mallow ( Malva sylvestris subsp. mauritiana ) continues a long history of close association with humans. Its large, open, cup-shaped, purplish flowers veined with purple are reminiscent of country gardens and flowering embankments where pollinators find a reliable home.

In a kitchen garden, it provides a welcoming presence: bushy, often taller than the common mallow, it stands tall and steady throughout the season. Its flowers add color to the vegetable patch while also providing sustenance for a multitude of insects. Planted in welcoming, slightly alkaline or simply well-drained soil, it integrates naturally into an approach to respectful cultivation, at the heart of a garden in harmony with the cycle of the seasons.

Native to the prairies and plains of North America, narrow-leaved coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) is a flagship plant, valued both for its ornamental qualities and its recognized properties in herbal medicine. Its slender silhouette and vibrant pink to purple petals offer a luminous and dynamic display, attracting the eye of an attentive naturalist.

In the garden, it plays a vital role as a resource for pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, making it a valuable ally in the quest for enhanced biodiversity. Hardy and prolific, this plant brings a wild and authentic touch reminiscent of the open landscapes of North America.

Its traditional use in infusions or decoctions to support the immune system gives it a firmly established reputation in folk medicine, while its late flowering enriches the garden in late summer and early autumn.

Originating in Taiwan, the Ping Tung Long eggplant variety is a rare gem, prized for its slender shape and tender flesh. Known for its long, thin, deep purple fruits, it embodies Asian refinement in horticultural diversity.

In the garden, this eggplant stands out for its relative hardiness and its ability to adapt to temperate climates, making it particularly prized in organic vegetable gardens where it brings color and summer warmth. Its vigorous growth provides dense foliage that offers shelter and light shade for local biodiversity.

It appeals to the gardener with its generous growing cycle and its silky-textured fruits, perfect for culinary preparations that invite the discovery of sweet and slightly bitter flavors.