Seeds to sow directly in the garden

Originating from the agricultural traditions of the Abenaki people and adapted to the cooler regions of the Northeast, Abenaki Calais corn is an ancient flour corn variety selected to mature quickly in short summers. Its colorful ears, with predominantly white to cream-colored kernels that sometimes show subtle variations, evoke the long-standing connection between these peoples and this staple of the kitchen garden.

In a harmonious garden , its straight, regular silhouette structures the space. Its rapid growth and good adaptation to cooler climates make it a reliable plant for vegetable gardens in Quebec and temperate regions. Grown in full sun, in warm , welcoming soil , it offers a generous harvest for semolina, cakes, or cornbread, perpetuating an age-old tradition at the heart of the kitchen.

Combined with classic organic gardening plants – climbing beans and vining squash – it integrates naturally into a rooted approach and a cultivation method that respects the cycles of life. A solid presence in the vegetable garden, it invites us to reconnect with the rhythm of the seasons and the patient transformation of grain into food.

Native to Western Europe , this hardy biennial, tolerant to zone 3, has become a staple in vegetable gardening for its rapid growth, delicate foliage, and unique flavor . Its airy habit and finely cut, light green leaves are reminiscent of parsley, but offer a milder, aniseed aroma.

Undemanding, chervil prefers partially shaded, cool spots , especially during the summer heat, and thrives in light, humus-rich soil . Its white umbels of flowers add a touch of lightness to herb borders or leafy vegetable combinations. A discreet yet valuable plant, it attracts beneficial insects and contributes to the balance of a living garden , embodying the gentle and nurturing spirit of eco-friendly gardens.

Small in stature but big on presence, Tom Thumb Popcorn is a dwarf popcorn variety that naturally finds its place in compact vegetable gardens and allotments. Its short plants, topped with small golden ears, evoke the age-old practice of corn cultivation while adapting to the limited spaces and sometimes unpredictable seasons of northern gardens.

In the garden, Tom Thumb forms a small, vibrant thicket , a tranquil corner where the ears of corn soak up the summer sun. Its modest size makes it easy to care for and harvest, allowing it to be integrated harmoniously into a garden, whether planted along a border or mixed with other crops. Dried at the end of the season, it yields golden popcorn with a crunchy texture, transforming the garden harvest into a daily culinary delight.

Companion to a diverse food space, this popcorn corn participates in the cycle of the seasons: sown in spring in welcoming soil, it stands up in summer, then lets itself dry in autumn to offer its grains and seeds to attentive gardeners who wish to continue the rooted approach of preserving varieties.

Native to South America, jasmine-flowered tobacco ( Nicotiana alata ) first became famous as an ornamental plant, cultivated for its small, trumpet-shaped flowers, often white and pleasantly fragrant. In a vibrant garden, it easily finds its place at the edge or in the heart of flowerbeds, where its summer blooms accompany the cycle of the seasons.

Its soft green foliage beautifully complements the star-shaped flowers, which release their fragrance especially in the late afternoon and evening, reminiscent of the sweet notes of jasmine. In a diverse, nutrient-rich garden, this ornamental tobacco provides a discreet yet constant presence, harmonizing with the other plants. Its careful cultivation from seed is part of an age-old tradition that connects the gardener to nature, year after year.

Native to Asia, the Shunkyo radish belongs to those Asian varieties that have naturally found their place in the organic vegetable garden thanks to their remarkable vigor. Its elongated roots, ranging from pink to bright red with crisp white flesh, evoke the freshness of early spring sowings and the sweetness of autumn harvests. In favorable soil, it grows quickly and produces uniform roots that are easy to harvest as needed in the kitchen.

In the garden, it's a small, benevolent presence in the cycle of the seasons: a short, simple crop that quickly gives way to other companions in the vegetable patch. Its delicate foliage can also contribute, on a small scale, to ground cover and nourish the biodiversity of the living garden. Integrated into a respectful cultivation approach, the Shunkyo radish becomes a trusted plant, ideal for observing, understanding, and taking action within the intimacy of the food garden.

Originating in Belgium , and more specifically in the area around Brussels , Brussels Endive is a variety of chicory prized for its winter harvest. Its particular cultivation, which requires forcing in the dark after germination , makes it a plant well-suited to the cold seasons , offering crisp, pale, and tightly packed leaves with a delicately bitter taste .

With its compact shape and creamy-white leaves , it brightens up winter harvests and extends the diversity of the vegetable garden into the quietest months . Its cultivation requires patience, preparation, and care , but the result—a tender, fresh, and flavorful endive— fully rewards the gardener who is attentive to the rhythms of the seasons.

Native to North America, Coreopsis is a summer flower that brings a sunny and cheerful touch to eco-friendly gardens. The "Incredible Sea Shells Mix" variety is distinguished by its multicolored blooms and wavy petals, reminiscent of seashells. It invites contemplation in sunny flowerbeds and borders.

In the garden, this variety plays a valuable role by attracting pollinators and beneficial insects, thus contributing to soil health and fertility. Its bushy habit and vigorous growth make it a robust ally, easy to incorporate into a variety of planting schemes.

Native to North America , Coreopsis 'Bouquet Magic' is a vibrant perennial that combines ease of cultivation , abundant flowering , and a positive ecological impact . Its bright yellow flowers with purple centers create bursts of sunshine in flowerbeds and borders, bringing a touch of elegant cheer throughout the summer.

In the garden, it is prized for its compact, bushy habit , its heat tolerance , and its ability to bloom profusely , especially if faded flowers are removed. It attracts a variety of pollinators , including bees and butterflies, while contributing to the garden's vibrant ecosystem.

Easy to grow and undemanding , it adapts to various well-drained soils and tolerates dry summers. Perfect for borders, rock gardens or pots , it also makes a welcome addition to the home in the form of fresh, rustic bouquets .

Native to Japan, Red Mizuna is a brassica that captivates with its finely cut leaves, tinged with dark purple. Born from a refined agricultural tradition, it has long been cultivated in the pure waters of Kyoto, where its name "mizuna" — meaning "water-vegetable" — testifies to its connection with humid and nurturing gardens.

In the garden, it thrives from the first cool days of spring and returns vigorously at the end of summer, thus avoiding the intense heat that would trigger it to go to seed. With its bushy habit, rapid growth, and high cold tolerance (down to -12°C), it stands out as a reliable, simple, and generous plant. It allows for staggered harvests, perfect for extending the green season in harmony with the garden's gentle rhythm.

A vibrant tribute to the diversity of North American vegetable gardens, the Royal Burgundy dwarf bean offers a unique spectacle with its dark purple pods contrasting against intense green foliage. Its compact, bushy habit makes it a perfect companion for urban gardeners, balconies, or small vegetable patches.

Hardy and cold-resistant, it ensures a generous yield even at the beginning of the cooler season. Its discreet white flowers herald long, tender, and flavorful pods that turn green when cooked. Undemanding and nitrogen-fixing, it integrates naturally into ecological crop rotations, nourishing the soil while adding color to the harvest. Accessible and rewarding, this bean embodies the balance between beauty, simplicity, and abundance in the garden.

Originating in France, the Comtesse de Chambord dwarf bean embodies the refinement of old gardens and the richness of a seed heritage to be preserved. A descendant of period kitchen gardens, it evokes the orderly plots of château gardens, while also appealing to modern gardeners seeking elegance, gentleness… and flavor.

Its compact, bushy habit, adorned with medium-green foliage, reveals long, straight, glossy pods. Inside are small, white seeds of exceptional culinary quality. But the Comtesse is not without its demands: it is capricious with the first spring frosts and dislikes overly cool mornings. While it may appear fragile at the beginning of the season, it thrives magnificently under a tunnel or in a sheltered location, where warmth and attention provide it with peace of mind.

When cultivated with care, it yields one of the most tender and melting flesh imaginable, rewarding the attentive gardener with a generous harvest of rare refinement. A precious, delicate yet reliable variety, it invites us to rediscover the gentle touch and the pleasure of cultivating slowly and lovingly.

Native to the temperate regions of Europe and Western Asia, Rhubarb Red Swiss chard is distinguished by its bright red stalks reminiscent of rhubarb, hence its evocative name. Its ample, deep green foliage provides a striking contrast that energizes vegetable gardens and edible gardens.

In the garden, this variety proves robust and easy to grow. It stands out for its ability to provide long harvests of crisp, colorful ribs, adding a vibrant touch to summer dishes. A valuable companion to root vegetables and slow-growing crops, it enriches the diversity and structure of the vegetable garden.

Native to Europe, the Dark Lollo Rossa leaf lettuce is prized for its dense, finely curled leaves and intense purplish-red color, adding a touch of sophistication to vegetable gardens and salads. Its light, crisp texture makes it a favorite among those who enjoy varied and visually appealing salads.

In the garden, it proves generous and easy to grow, perfect for spreading out harvests throughout the season. Its deep color is also eye-catching and enhances plant arrangements. This variety is an ideal ally for healthy and bountiful cultivation that respects biodiversity.

Native to the temperate regions of Europe, the Olympian Mullein (Verbascum olympicum) enchants wild gardens and flower meadows with its imposing stature and sunny blooms. This robust plant, with its upright flower stalks laden with bright yellow corollas, acts as a silent guardian of dry, well-drained soils.

In the garden, the Olympia mullein acts as a living sentinel, providing height and light. Its long flowering period attracts pollinators and butterflies, thus contributing to local biodiversity. It proves useful in natural landscaping, nectar-rich borders, and even as a traditional medicinal plant in some European cultures, valued for its mucilage-rich inflorescences.

It is a generous and undemanding presence, which integrates with finesse into an écoumene garden, contributing to the resilience of the environment with simplicity and brilliance.

Caucasian climbing spinach, Hablitzia tamnoides , is a perennial native to the cool, rocky undergrowth of the Caucasus. Long cultivated as a hardy leafy vegetable in mountain gardens, it naturally finds its place in ecological gardens where the aim is to combine edible abundance with sustainable ground cover.

In the garden, this plant forms a perennial clump from which, in spring, long climbing stems emerge, clinging to a trellis or spreading over a support. Its tender green, elongated heart-shaped leaves offer edible young shoots reminiscent of spinach. In a partially shaded corner, at the foot of a fence or shrub, it creates a discreet yet faithful presence, participating in the garden's cycle by returning each year from its well-established root system.

Thanks to its ability to vertically occupy space in cooler areas, it contributes to a harmonious garden where plant layers complement each other. It's a reliable plant for anyone wishing to create a vibrant and diverse garden, requiring careful cultivation and offering excellent consistency throughout the seasons.

Behind the evocative name of Japanese Wasabi rocket lies a brassica with a very distinctive character. Inspired by the pungent flavors enjoyed in Asia, this rocket offers finely cut leaves with a vibrant flavor, reminiscent of the aromatic warmth of wasabi when you bite into a freshly picked young leaf.

In the garden, it proves a reliable companion to the vegetable patch: rapid growth, abundant foliage, and staggered harvests as soon as the soil warms up slightly. In a thriving garden , it is sown in small, successive strips between rows of slower-growing vegetables to fill the space and cover the soil. Its small, unassuming flowers, typical of the cabbage family, mark the cycle of the seasons and provide an additional food source for passing insects when a few plants are allowed to go to seed.

Its presence fits in quite naturally with a respectful approach to cultivation : it is harvested at the pace of needs, its bolting to seed is observed, and some seeds can even be left to sow themselves, thus reconnecting with an ancestral gesture that strengthens the intimacy with the garden.

Akarenso spinach is immediately distinguished by the depth of its color. Its smooth leaves, ranging from burgundy red to dark purple, bring a rare visual intensity to the vegetable garden. From the first cool days of spring or at the end of summer, it attracts the eye and promises a season of nuanced beauty.

Originating in Japan, Akarenso is a traditional variety prized for its colorful foliage and mild flavor. Unlike some hardier spinach varieties, it has a more delicate temperament. Its full potential is realized when conditions are stable and well-controlled.

In the field, our trials have revealed that Akarenso performs best when grown in containers . This method allows for finer control of soil moisture, a key factor for this variety. In tubs or pots, it develops more uniform foliage, more intense color, and consistent growth, sometimes offering surprising results in both appearance and taste.

In open ground, when climatic conditions become variable—alternating rain, drought, or unstable temperatures— Akarenso can be more temperamental. Less robust than other spinach varieties, it then struggles to fully express its distinctive characteristics, both in vigor and color. This is not a weakness in itself, but rather an indication of a sensitive plant that requires an environment consistent with its nature.

Cultivating Akarenso therefore means accepting a more attentive relationship. In return, when offered controlled conditions and living soil, it reveals remarkable beauty and gentleness, transforming a simple container into a true botanical jewel.

Native to the Americas and long cultivated by many Indigenous nations, Petit Canadien tobacco ( Nicotiana rustica ) is one of those plants that tells an ancient story of the relationship between humans and the garden. Introduced very early to the countryside here, it was long cultivated as a hardy tobacco, adapted to shorter growing seasons and poor soils.

In the garden, it's a compact and vigorous plant with an upright habit, forming a beautiful clump of green foliage. Its sturdy stems support broad, abundant leaves and discreet flowers, characteristic of Tabac rustica. In a living garden that respects the cycle of the seasons, it naturally finds its place within a diverse, edible space, as an ornamental companion plant or a traditional addition to the garden.

A companion to a harmonious garden, Petit Canadien tobacco invites us to reconnect with an age-old practice of respectful cultivation. Its structuring presence brings a beautiful consistency to the vegetable garden or biodiversity garden, where it helps create that intimate garden space that we observe day after day.

L’ail penché est une plante vivace indigène d’Amérique du Nord qui se reconnaît immédiatement à sa floraison singulière. Ses hampes florales fines se courbent élégamment vers le sol avant de se redresser légèrement, portant des ombelles rosées à mauves, légères et aériennes. Cette posture particulière lui donne un caractère à la fois humble et raffiné.

Présent naturellement dans les prairies, les clairières et les milieux ouverts, Allium cernuum est avant tout une plante de biodiversité. Son feuillage fin et allongé apparaît tôt en saison, puis disparaît graduellement après la floraison, laissant place à une plante discrète mais structurante dans le paysage.

Au jardin, l’ail penché ne se cultive pas comme un ail potager classique. Il ne forme pas de gros bulbes destinés à la récolte alimentaire, mais joue plutôt un rôle écologique et ornemental. Il s’intègre harmonieusement aux jardins naturalistes, aux plates-bandes de vivaces et aux prairies fleuries, où il soutient les pollinisateurs et enrichit la diversité végétale.

À l’écoumène, l’ail penché est apprécié pour sa sobriété, sa résilience et son lien étroit avec les écosystèmes locaux. C’est une plante qui invite à observer le rythme du vivant, à accepter la discrétion et à cultiver la patience plutôt que la performance.

The Pink Dandelion is an ornamental form of dandelion with soft pink flower heads, related to the wild dandelions that have long dotted meadows and paths. Belonging to the genus Taraxacum , widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, it brings a touch of gentle color to the ecological garden, while retaining the hardiness and remarkable adaptability of dandelions.

In the garden, its low-growing rosette shape allows slender flower stalks to emerge from the heart of the foliage, bearing simple, luminous pastel-pink flowers. Its presence blends naturally into a vibrant garden: borders, wildflower meadows, and harmonious vegetable patches. Easy to grow, it self-seeds moderately and remains a discreet yet faithful companion plant, contributing to the diversity of the soil and the daily pleasure of observing the changing seasons.