Seeds to start indoors

Common sage is an iconic perennial aromatic plant, cultivated for centuries for its culinary, medicinal, and symbolic uses. Its thick, velvety, grey-green foliage gives off a powerful and instantly recognizable fragrance, evoking both Mediterranean cuisine and ancient gardens.

In the garden, sage is distinguished by its undemanding nature. It thrives in light, well-drained soil and is more susceptible to waterlogging than drought. Once established, it becomes very hardy and requires little maintenance. Its spring to summer blooms, often bluish to purplish, attract numerous pollinating insects.

In the local world, common sage is seen as a plant of stability and discernment. It reminds us of the importance of cultivating hardy perennials, capable of lasting for years and offering, season after season, a useful presence both in the garden and in the kitchen.

Greek oregano is renowned as the most flavorful of all oregano varieties. It forms a compact, well-structured plant, producing intensely fragrant leaves with a flavor far superior to that of common oregano. Its distinct and warm aroma makes it an essential plant for any herb garden.

It is easily distinguished by its always white flowers and by its stems, which are redder than those of the species from which it originates. The discreet yet elegant flowering attracts pollinators while keeping the plant's energy concentrated in the foliage.

In the garden, Greek oregano is very hardy, tolerating winters down to zone 3. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and grows best in light, well-drained, and preferably calcareous soil. Once established, it is very drought-tolerant and requires little maintenance. As with many aromatic plants, overly rich soil can diminish the intensity of its flavor.

In the ecumene, Greek oregano is perceived as a plant of character and restraint. It reminds us that the most powerful aromas often arise from simple, well-balanced conditions, where the plant can fully express its nature.

The Solaise Blue Leek is an old European variety, traditionally grown to survive the winter in the vegetable garden. Its bluish to dark green leaves, sometimes tinged with purplish hues in the cold, stand upright in a tight fan shape and immediately give an impression of sturdiness in the garden. In a productive area, it is a reassuring presence: while other crops perish with the first frosts, it remains firmly in place, faithfully at its post.

In a garden in harmony with the seasons, this winter leek offers remarkable consistency . Sown in spring, it establishes itself gradually, developing a thick, fleshy stem, and then strengthens as the nights grow cooler. It tolerates cold well and allows for late harvests, often after most leafy vegetables have left the garden. It's a companion plant for those who enjoy extending the daily pleasure of picking their own vegetables directly from the garden, even in the heart of autumn and early winter.

The Aunt Alice cucumber is an old variety that will appeal to gardeners looking for a generous and easy-to-grow plant. Originally from Europe, it has become a staple in vegetable gardens thanks to its abundant yield and relative resistance to common cucumber diseases.

With its vigorous growth habit, this variety produces elongated, deep green fruit, perfect for summer salads or pickles. Aunt Alice proves to be a valuable companion in the garden, bringing a touch of freshness during the warm season. Its vigor makes it an excellent choice for trellis cultivation, where it forms productive green screens.

In the perennial garden, it encourages biodiversity by providing shelter for the soil and contributes to the rotation of vegetables in the vegetable garden, thus participating in a sustainable ecological cycle.

Originating in Mexico, the Jalapeño Tam is a selection of jalapeño known for its distinctive flavor, but with significantly reduced heat. In a well-balanced garden, it thrives as a reliable chili pepper, producing fleshy, aromatic fruits that ripen from green to red, making it ideal for everyday cooking that caters to individual tastes.

In the garden, it's a compact, upright plant that integrates easily into a diverse, nutrient-rich space. Its discreet white flowers give way to regular fruiting that accompanies the seasons until the first frosts. It thrives in warmth and fertile soil, and responds well to gentle, moderate cultivation alongside other solanaceous plants and herbs. In a quiet corner of the vegetable garden, it becomes a welcome presence, offering a bountiful harvest to those who take the time to observe and nurture its growth.

Originating in the United States, Buttercrunch Bibb lettuce is a head lettuce variety prized for its tender texture and thick, slightly crisp leaves, offering a delicate crunch. Valued for its moderate heat resistance and its ability to form a firm yet supple head, it embodies the perfect balance between sweetness and freshness, ideal for refined salads.

In the garden, Buttercrunch Bibb reveals its hardiness by adapting well to longer, warmer seasons. Its compact shape makes it a valuable ally in organic gardens, where it occupies a prominent place in crop rotations and blends harmoniously with other leafy vegetables. This lettuce is a generous companion, both productive and delicious, appealing to novice and experienced gardeners alike.

The strawflower is an iconic annual flower, renowned for its brightly colored, papery bracts that retain their vibrancy long after harvesting. This mix offers a rich and luminous palette, ranging from golden yellows and warm oranges to reds, pinks, and whites.

The plant forms upright, well-branched stems bearing round, structured, almost graphic flowers. What appear to be petals are actually rigid, glossy bracts, giving the flower its "immortal" appearance. The more discreet central flowers also attract pollinating insects.

In the garden, strawflower is easy to grow and undemanding. It thrives in sunny locations and well-drained soil. Once established, it tolerates drought relatively well and continues to bloom throughout the summer. Its abundant flowering makes it a reliable choice for flower beds, borders, and cut flower gardens.

An old variety originating from Northern Europe, the 'Blanc de Hollande' cucumber is mentioned as early as 1835 in a French agricultural work. Having fallen into oblivion for a time, it was preserved by heritage seed producers concerned with biodiversity.

In the garden, it displays a vigorous climbing habit , clinging to supports with its tendrils like any classic climbing cucumber. Ideal for trellises and vertical gardening, it saves ground space while producing generously throughout the warm season .

Its creamy-white fruits, devoid of bitterness, were traditionally used for pickling (preserved in vinegar) or eaten fresh in salads, adding a touch of originality to summer dishes. This rare and hardy variety is now attracting the attention of gardeners seeking forgotten flavors and botanical curiosities.

Originating in Russia, Orange Hat is a dwarf cherry tomato variety that has been specially selected for balconies, planters, windowsills and small sunny spaces .
Its extremely compact form (20 to 30 cm) makes it an ideal companion for growing in pots, even indoors, where light penetrates gently.
The dense, regular foliage forms a cushion which quickly becomes covered with yellow flowers, followed by abundant fruiting of small, bright orange tomatoes, slightly flattened on top.
Easy, generous and self-sufficient in determined form , it transforms a simple container into a veritable miniature food garden , faithful throughout the summer.

The Early Cherry tomato, a determinate cherry variety, has been selected to thrive even in cool and unpredictable climatic conditions . It naturally finds its place in a vibrant garden or a sheltered spot , where warmth is limited and the seasons are short.

Its small, round or slightly oval red fruits ripen very early— as soon as 60 days after sowing —forming an abundant cluster of sweetness . Its slightly lobed foliage, reminiscent of potato leaves, testifies to its hardiness. It grows easily and consistently , whether in the ground or in containers, and is suitable for both novice gardeners and enthusiasts eager to experience the pleasures of vegetable gardening.

The Doe Hill pepper is an old North American variety originating from the Doe Hill region of Virginia. Selected for its hardiness and ability to ripen even in climates with short summers, it has become the ideal pepper for beginner gardeners . Unlike many other varieties, it requires no pruning, making it a reassuring and easy-to-grow companion.

In the garden, its compact plants (approximately 50 cm tall) quickly become covered in small, round, lobed fruits that ripen from tender green to a bright golden yellow. Productive, reliable, and undemanding, Doe Hill integrates easily into a vegetable garden or container garden. With its easy-to-rooted and simple growth habit, it follows the garden's rhythm smoothly, offering generous harvests throughout the growing season.

The Ring of Fire pepper is a Cayenne-type variety known for its intense heat and high reliability in northern climates. It produces glossy, red, relatively short fruits, measuring about 10 cm in length, with thin, very hot flesh.

Selected for its earliness, this cultivar is distinguished by its ability to reach maturity quickly. Even in cool, wet summers, the fruits ripen in about 60 days, making it a reliable choice for gardeners in regions with shorter growing seasons.

The plants are vigorous, well-branched and productive, offering a regular harvest throughout the season. The fruits are harvested green or red depending on the use, but they express their full intensity when fully ripe.

In the ecumene, Ring of Fire is perceived as a variety resulting from human selection work, rooted in the vast genetic heritage of Mesoamerican peppers, but shaped to meet the constraints and needs of contemporary vegetable gardens.

Native to Europe, the Sucrine head lettuce is a prized variety for its delicately sweet taste and crisp texture. Its dense heart and thin leaves give it a mild flavor that makes it a favorite in fresh salads.

In the garden, Sucrine produces small, compact, robust, and resistant heads, perfect for early or late harvests. With its tender green foliage and compact habit, it blends harmoniously into vegetable gardens, bringing freshness and vitality.

This lettuce stands out for its ease of cultivation and its delicious contribution which delights gardeners and gourmets, embodying sweetness at the heart of the vegetable garden.

Native to India, Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi, is a herb revered for its spiritual and medicinal properties. Used for millennia in Hindu rituals, it is both a symbol of protection and a medicinal plant.

In the garden, it proves robust and fragrant, with irresistible foliage that fills the air with powerful and complex aromas. Its compact habit makes it an ideal companion plant, encouraging biodiversity by attracting numerous beneficial insects.

Bearing a rich history and nourishing both body and mind, the Holy Basil fits perfectly into a nourishing garden where it invites observation and respect for natural cycles.

Originating in the warm regions of Asia, the Diamond Eggplant has quickly become a favorite variety among organic gardeners for its glossy, uniform fruit. Its smooth, purple skin is enhanced by an almost diamond-like sheen, hence its evocative name.

In the garden, this bushy variety is distinguished by its generous summer production, offering numerous fruits with tender, sweet flesh. Its cultivation benefits from a soil-friendly approach and careful attention to its warmth requirements, making it a valuable companion in vegetable gardens in warm temperate climates.

Originally from the Americas but deeply rooted in Central European cuisine, the Hungarian paprika (a variety of Capsicum annuum ) immediately evokes images of slow-cooked dishes, colorful stews, and the age-old practice of hanging the fruits to dry. Its red fruits, rich in pigments, are perfectly suited to the production of paprika powder, which has made Hungarian cuisine famous.

In the garden, this sweet or moderately hot pepper thrives in warm, well-drained soil. In a supportive vegetable patch, it follows the cycle of the seasons: sown early indoors and transplanted into welcoming soil once the nights have warmed up, it offers a generous harvest of colorful fruits in summer and early autumn. Well integrated into a vibrant and diverse garden, it helps transform the vegetable patch into a truly nourishing space, where both flavor and a connection to nature are cultivated.

The Prague Giant celeriac is an heirloom variety renowned for its impressively large root and high-quality flesh. It forms a large, uniform, and dense bulb with a fine texture and fragrant flavor, becoming less fibrous when its growth is properly controlled. Its flavor, both mild and pronounced, makes it a benchmark for celeriac enthusiasts.

Originating in Central Europe, this variety was selected for its hardiness and ability to produce large roots without compromising flavor. Its abundant and vigorous foliage complements the slow but steady development of the root, the true heart of the plant.

In the garden, the Giant Prague celeriac requires attention and consistency. It thrives in deep, rich, and consistently moist soil, as well as with steady growth. Any variation in water or nutrients directly affects the texture of the root. When properly cultivated, it yields abundant and uniform harvests, ideal for preserving.

Native to Europe, oak leaf lettuce is distinguished by its finely cut, soft leaves reminiscent of oak leaves, hence its evocative name. Prized for its tender texture and mild flavor, it naturally finds its place in modern vegetable gardens, offering a quick and renewable harvest.

In the garden, it proves generous and easy to grow, with a spreading habit and fairly rapid growth. Its fine foliage is an invitation to refresh salads throughout the summer season. A valued companion plant, it integrates harmoniously into diverse plantings.

Probably originating from southern Europe , this mixed kohlrabi brings together up to five varieties in a range of hues , from tender green to deep purple , creating a vegetable garden that is as colorful as it is bountiful . Its swollen part, emerging from the stem, forms a fleshy head that sits just above the ground, while its vigorous foliage can also be harvested.

A hardy, quick-maturing biennial plant, kohlrabi adapts well to short growing seasons . Its compact shape , early growth , and discreet flowering make it an ideal crop from spring to autumn , particularly in communal and shared gardens .

At Jardins de l'écoumène , this blend is carefully produced despite the challenges of seed production in cold climates. Each seed is the fruit of patience nurtured by a passion for life.

Originally from Mexico, the jalapeño has become one of the most popular chili peppers thanks to its moderate heat and versatility in cooking. The Early Jalapeño variety has been selected to ripen more quickly, making it a valuable ally in gardens where summers are short and sometimes unpredictable.

In the kitchen garden, its upright plants bear a beautiful succession of glossy green fruits that turn red when fully ripe. In a vegetable garden in harmony with the cycle of the seasons, this chili pepper naturally finds its place among tomatoes, basil, and other sun-loving vegetables. Its presence contributes to the diversity of shapes and colors, and serves as a daily reminder of the age-old practice of cultivating spicy plants with respect and care.