Seeds to sow directly in the garden

Originally from the Americas, the pattypan squash has become a cheerful and generous companion in our vegetable gardens. Its saucer-shaped fruits, often yellow or green, herald summer and its delicious bounty. The pattypan squash, also called "pattypan squash zucchini," is prized for its tender, slightly sweet flesh, which reveals its full finesse in cooking.

In the garden, this variety displays a compact and vigorous habit, thriving in generous sunshine with leaves that are sometimes finely cut. A robust plant, it offers a regular harvest that delights gardeners with its ease of cultivation and abundance.

An ideal companion for organic vegetable gardens, it supports biodiversity by attracting pollinators and beneficial insects, while blending harmoniously with other crops thanks to its protective foliage.

The giant Mammoth sunflower , Helianthus annuus, is one of those companions that transforms the vegetable garden into a true landscape. With its imposing stature and large golden inflorescences, it creates a vertical landmark in the living garden, visible from afar and appreciated by both humans and small wildlife.

Throughout the changing seasons, this sunflower silently follows the light, first offering broad, inviting foliage, then large flower heads adorned with thousands of blossoms that attract pollinators. In late summer, the seed-laden heads become a sought-after food source for birds, extending its beneficial presence in the garden's ecosystem.

Native to North America, the Rattlesnake climbing bean has earned a prominent place in vegetable gardens for its long, green pods streaked with purple. In a thriving garden, it quickly grows tall, twining steadily around its supports to form a nourishing curtain that peacefully accompanies the cycle of the seasons.

Its beautifully mottled, drooping pods immediately stand out in the privacy of the vegetable garden. Harvested young like string beans, they offer a generous contribution to the kitchen; left to mature, they yield flavorful dried beans. This is a reliable, productive, and adaptable variety that integrates naturally into a diverse growing environment, where each plant participates in a harmonious relationship with the soil, wildlife, and the gardener.

Originally from Asia, the lemon cucumber is striking for its round shape and sunny yellow hue , reminiscent of a vibrant fruit fallen from the sky. Less common than its elongated green cousins, it is prized for its sweet and refreshing flavor , without the bitterness found in many classic cucumbers.

In the garden, it truly shines when grown vertically: its vigorous climbing habit benefits from being trained on a trellis, which showcases its round, bright, and easy-to-pick fruit. A generous, playful, and nutritious variety, it finds its place in diverse vegetable gardens, attracting attention and sparking curiosity both on the plate and on the vine .

Originating in Europe, Black Seeded Simpson leaf lettuce is an heirloom variety prized for its finely serrated leaves and rapid growth. It is distinguished by its light green leaves with a delicate texture and its spreading habit, offering an early harvest ideal for temperate climates.

In the garden, this lettuce is generous and easy to grow, perfect for topping salads and fresh plates. Its early maturity and tenderness make it a favorite variety among gardeners looking for delicate flavors right from the start of the season.

A heritage yellow variety to (re)discover

The Yellowstone carrot , sometimes presented as an heirloom variety, is actually a modern cultivar developed by the seed company Bejo in the Netherlands. The name Yellowstone refers to the carrot's intense yellow color rather than the American national park of the same name. Non-hybrid (open-pollinated), it draws its heritage from traditional European and North American carrot lines, which explains why it is considered a heritage variety prized by conservationist gardeners.

By enriching the vegetable garden's color palette, the Yellowstone carrot naturally finds its place in a garden that values ​​biodiversity (a true asset for a diverse , eco-friendly garden ). This variety combines aesthetics with taste : it surprises with its unusual appearance while delighting the palate with its sweetness. In short, the Yellowstone is an heirloom carrot brought back into fashion, sure to please gardeners and gourmets alike in search of originality.

Native to the Great Plains of North America, the sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ) has long been a staple food for people and a companion plant in the fields. In its ornamental mixed variety, the sunflower comes in a mosaic of heights, shapes, and colors ranging from bright yellow to coppery tones, sometimes brick red or soft lemon.

Sown in fertile soil, this mix creates a veritable living tableau throughout the summer. The taller plants stand guard over the vegetable garden, while the more compact varieties weave their way into flowerbeds or along the edge of a quiet corner. The abundant centers of their flower heads attract bees, bumblebees, and other winged visitors, contributing to a harmonious garden rich in biodiversity.

Easy to grow where the season is warm enough, this mixed ornamental sunflower is a reliable plant: an age-old practice of sowing in spring, some careful care at the start, and the reward of a generous flowering that accompanies the cycle of seasons until the first frosts.

Originating in Central Europe , the Red Kalibos red cabbage is distinguished by its elegant conical shape , its intense purplish-red color , and its natural hardiness . Its compact head with thick, finely veined leaves evokes a true garden jewel , bringing structure and brilliance to the heart of autumn crops.

In the garden, Red Kalibos stands out for its upright habit , vigor , and good cold tolerance, making it a reliable ally in cooler climates . It integrates easily into crop rotations and pairs well with other autumn-flowering brassicas.

Originating in European family gardens, the Maxibel dwarf bean is a reliable variety, prized for its earliness, productivity, and ease of care. Its compact size allows for easy integration into small spaces or closely spaced beds, while also facilitating harvesting.

In the garden, Maxibel impresses with its bushy habit, dense foliage, and flowering stems that attract pollinators. It quickly produces long, slender, upright, stringless pods of about 16 cm, a glossy dark green. This vigorous variety is disease-resistant and offers a prolonged harvest when picked regularly. It fits easily into an ecological and nourishing garden approach, where each plant contributes to abundance while promoting soil life through nitrogen fixation.

The Blacktail Mountain watermelon, the result of patient selection in a climate of short summers and cool nights, has earned a prime spot in northern vegetable gardens. Bred to ripen where so many other varieties struggle, it offers Quebec gardens a true summer melon, even during cooler seasons.

Its small to medium-sized fruits have a dark green, almost uniform rind that blends into the foliage and protects the flesh from excessive sun. Inside, the red flesh is juicy and sweet. In the garden, it is a creeping plant that spreads close to the ground, creating a carpet of deeply lobed leaves. It consistently accompanies the cycle of the seasons: a discreet presence at first, then a quiet vigor until harvest.

In a well-mulched organic vegetable garden, Blacktail Mountain naturally finds its place as a trusted plant: it covers the ground, shelters small useful fauna and contributes to the nourishing face of the harmonious garden.

Originating in Italy, Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan black kale , cavolo nero , or kale palm, is an old variety prized as much for its beauty as for its flavor. Its long, narrow, dark blue-green leaves, deeply textured , give it a unique, serrated appearance that is both rustic and elegant.

In the kitchen, it is prized for its rich, mild flavor , less bitter than that of classic kale, with vegetal notes reminiscent of hazelnut or green tea. It is central to many traditional Tuscan recipes, such as ribollita , and is easy to prepare: sautéed, braised, in soup, or even as crispy oven-baked chips.

In the garden, Lacinato stands out for its remarkable cold hardiness —its leaves become tender and soft after the first frosts. Its upright, narrow rosette growth habit allows for dense plantings, ideal for compact gardens or close rows . Productive, vigorous, and undemanding, it offers a harvest spread over several months , making it a reliable and nourishing ally for cooler seasons and winter gardens.

Native to the Mediterranean region, the pot marigold ( Calendula officinalis ) has become widespread in many gardens as a medicinal, edible, and ornamental flower. In mixed plantings, it offers a warm palette of yellows, oranges, and sometimes softer tones, punctuating the vegetable garden with luminous patches from early summer until the first frosts.

In a garden in harmony with the seasons, mixed marigolds readily self-seed and accompany vegetable beds like a benevolent presence. Their abundant blooms nourish pollinating and beneficial insects, while also providing the gardener with petals to pick for cooking or traditional preparations. Hardy and undemanding, they integrate naturally into a nurturing space where the aim is to cultivate a relationship with nature through respectful gardening and simple practices.

Native to Europe, the 'Grosse Blonde Paresseuse' head lettuce boasts a generous shape, a dense head with a delicate blonde hue. This heirloom variety is prized for its mildness and melting texture, offering gardeners a refreshing and welcome taste.

In the garden, it stands out with its graceful, graceful form and thick, fleshy leaves that overlap in tranquil harmony. More sensitive to heat than other lettuces, it encourages cultivation in cooler conditions, enlivening vegetable gardens with a tender green that soothes and nourishes the hearts of those who pick it.

This lettuce embodies opulence and patience in rhythm with the plant cycle, sparkling in raw salad or delicately mixed as a garnish, faithful in the garden where it participates in local biodiversity.

Originating in North America, the Robert's Royalty dwarf bean is a compact variety selected by seed artisan Robert Lobitz. It is prized for its vigor, hardiness, and early maturity, adapting easily to small spaces as well as urban garden containers.

Its low, dense growth habit produces an abundance of bright purple pods, contrasting with the deep green foliage. It tolerates cool spring temperatures well and is perfectly suited to temperate climates or early sowing.

A low-maintenance and generous plant, it naturally enriches the soil by its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, and integrates harmoniously into a food garden, while offering hassle-free cultivation and an abundant harvest.

Originating from the alpine regions of Savoy , the 'Winter King' cabbage is a traditional, hardy variety , renowned for its remarkable resistance to cold . Its large, dense head , enveloped in fleshy, finely blistered leaves , testifies to an exceptional adaptation to harsh climates and prolonged winters .

In the garden, it stands out for its vigorous growth , robust habit , and ability to remain in the ground until the first hard frosts without losing quality. This late-maturing variety is a cornerstone of autumn and winter vegetable gardens , cultivated as much for its storage capacity as for its long-lasting nutritional value .

'Winter King' cabbage fits naturally into ecological rotations and associated crops , offering a stable, generous and structuring presence at the heart of the garden in the cold season.

Native to the Mediterranean basin, the common pot marigold ( Calendula officinalis ) has long been a staple of traditional vegetable and medicinal garden practices. Its single or semi-double flowers, ranging from yellow to bright orange, dot the welcoming soil with small touches of sunshine that follow the cycle of the seasons, from late spring until the first frosts.

In a harmonious garden, it gently self-seeds where the soil suits it, forming bushy clumps with tender green foliage that is slightly sticky to the touch. A benevolent presence, it attracts a host of pollinators and beneficial insects, offering nectar, shelter, and resources for the small fauna of the thriving garden.

A reliable and easy-to-grow plant, the pot marigold naturally finds its place in vegetable garden borders, edible flower beds, or the quiet corner of a herb garden. Ornamental, edible, and medicinal, this generous companion connects the gardener to a long tradition of respectful cultivation and a relationship with living things.

Native to East Asia, the Daikon radish is a large white radish that has long been a staple in vegetable gardens. Its elongated, smooth, and pristine white root contrasts with its bright green leaves, which stand upright above the soil. In a harmonious garden, it silently accompanies the cycle of the seasons, taking root deep in the fertile soil.

In the vegetable garden, Daikon stands out for its rapid growth in late summer and early autumn. It thrives in well-drained, cool soil, where it develops a crisp, juicy, and rather mild root, less pungent than small spring radishes depending on its maturity and growing conditions. It's a reliable plant for extending harvests into autumn and providing a consistent supply of produce in the garden.

The wild pansy, Viola tricolor , is a small companion to meadows, embankments, and natural gardens of temperate Eurasia. It is often found where the soil remains welcoming, neither overworked nor too poor, like a discreet presence accompanying the cycle of the seasons. Its small, tricolored flowers, in shades of violet, yellow, and white depending on the form, give the garden the feel of a tranquil corner where life moves freely.

In a harmonious garden, the wild pansy thrives wherever it's given a little space: at the base of perennials, in natural borders, or in tolerant lawns. It forms low clumps with finely cut foliage and delicate flowers that bloom from spring to autumn, depending on the conditions. It's a reliable plant, unassuming yet tenacious, well-suited to an approach of respectful gardening, where observation precedes action and every little flower plays its part in the ecosystem.

Originating in Central Europe , the Styrian naked-seed pumpkin is an ancient variety remarkable for its naturally shell-free seeds , ready to be eaten or processed without peeling. Rooted in Austrian agricultural tradition , it was once cultivated as much for its abundant fruit as for its seeds, rich in nutritious oils , used notably to produce the famous Styrian pumpkin seed oil .

In the garden, this squash stands out for its impressive vigor and creeping habit , forming large protective leaves and beautiful fleshy fruits, green or striped, containing a treasure trove of oil-rich seeds . It attracts pollinators in abundance thanks to its generous summer flowering, while also playing a structuring role in crop rotations , effectively covering the soil and limiting erosion.

In an ecological and gourmet vegetable garden , the Styrian embodies a balance between rustic aesthetics, nutritional richness and seed autonomy , offering the gardener harvests that are as abundant as they are precious.

The Grandma Dinel climbing bean embodies much more than a simple vegetable variety: it is a living testament to a family legacy passed down with care and affection. Its story begins in 1907, when Maximilienne Corbeil Dinel received, as a wedding gift, a packet of beans she affectionately called "her runners." She immediately adopted them, sowing them every year in her vegetable garden in Chénéville, in the Outaouais region. Even at over 94 years old, she continued to cultivate them with the same unwavering dedication, faithful to a silent but tenacious tradition.

It was her granddaughter, Judith David, who in 2008 took up the mantle of preserving this memory by entrusting these seeds to the Jardins de l'écoumène (Gardens of the Ecumene), concerned that they would not be forgotten. Despite research carried out in collaboration with the Potagers d'antan (Vegetable Gardens of Yesteryear ), the exact origin of this variety remains a mystery. It is therefore in homage to Maximilienne that this bean now bears the name Grand-maman Dinel (Grandma Dinel ).

In the garden, this climbing or trellising variety displays delightful vigor. The stems quickly rise to form a living web, an arch of memories to climb, flowering relentlessly until the first frosts. The long, pale yellow, flattened pods spread gracefully, containing plump berries to be harvested just before they are fully ripe—a key moment to avoid a mushy texture.

This hardy and generous bean naturally finds its place in a heritage vegetable garden. It loves to climb, reaching for the light, as if to tell its story again and again, season after season.