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 Japan, the Black Futsu squash is a traditional variety prized for its hardiness and excellent storage qualities. Its matte black, slightly rough skin encases a dense and flavorful flesh that is suitable for both cooking and winter preservation.

In the garden, this squash stands out with its spreading, vigorous growth habit, offering abundant fruit at the end of summer. It is a generous partner for gardeners seeking to combine sustainable production with mild flavors. Its tough skin contributes to its longevity in the cellar, a valuable ally for overwintering in the heart of a bountiful garden.

Originating from the highlands of Guatemala, the Blue Guatemalan Squash stands out as a traditional variety with ancient roots. Its thick-skinned, deep blue-grey fruit evokes robustness and longevity, reflecting a mountainous terroir where the seasons are distinct.

In the garden, it spreads with a vigorous, creeping habit, producing dense, sweet fruits with firm flesh, ideal for winter storage. A generous and hardy plant, it reliably accompanies gardeners seeking diversity and authentic flavors.

Native to North America and belonging to the species Cucurbita moschata , the Butternut Violina (also called "Violina Rugosa" in Italy) is a fascinating blend of heritage and performance. This heirloom variety owes its name to its violin-like shape with its thick curves, and to the delicate apricot-colored flesh that literally melts on the tongue.

Historically cultivated in the gardens of the northeastern United States, then enthusiastically adopted in Mediterranean regions and more recently in Quebec, it embodies a valuable adaptive diversity. The Violina is perfectly suited to a kitchen garden or family garden thanks to its vigor, its ability to store well throughout the winter, and its capacity to feed a household with a single fruit.

In the garden, its ample foliage covers the ground and suppresses weeds, while its ribbed, drooping fruits ripen slowly in the sun. Its cycle is long, but its reward is exceptional. A true ambassador of late harvests, it accompanies the end of the seasons and allows gardeners to extend the magic of the vegetable garden right into the winter kitchen.

La courge Canada Crookneck est une variété ancienne chargée d’histoire, dont les racines remontent bien au-delà de sa première description commerciale. Décrite pour la première fois aux États-Unis en 1834 par le grainetier de Boston Charles H. Hovey, il est toutefois fort probable qu’elle ait été cultivée au Québec bien avant cette date, puisque les Iroquois la cultivaient déjà avant les années 1700. Cette profondeur historique confère à la variété une valeur patrimoniale forte, intimement liée aux savoirs agricoles nord-américains.

La plante produit des fruits allongés de couleur beige, pouvant atteindre jusqu’à 30 cm de longueur. Elle se reconnaît facilement à l’extrémité de sa tige recourbée, formant un crochet caractéristique qui a donné son nom à la variété. Il est tout à fait normal d’observer une certaine variabilité dans la forme des fruits, un trait courant chez les variétés anciennes et non uniformisées, qui témoigne de leur richesse génétique.

Au jardin, Canada Crookneck développe des plants vigoureux et coureurs, demandant de l’espace et une croissance sans stress. Elle apprécie la chaleur, les sols riches et bien drainés, mais se montre plus tolérante que bien d’autres courges face aux conditions climatiques variables, notamment en fin de saison. Récoltée à maturité, elle offre une chair orange vif, dense et savoureuse.

En cuisine, cette courge se prête aussi bien à une consommation crue, râpée ou en salade, qu’à des préparations cuites. Une fois cuite, sa chair devient fondante et développe une douceur agréable, adaptée autant aux plats simples qu’aux recettes plus élaborées.

À l’écoumène, la courge Canada Crookneck est perçue comme une plante de continuité et de transmission. Elle incarne le lien entre les cultures autochtones, les jardiniers d’hier et ceux d’aujourd’hui, rappelant que certaines variétés traversent les siècles parce qu’elles savent s’adapter, nourrir et raconter une histoire.

Native to the Americas, the Delicata squash is as charming for its elegant appearance as for its sweet and comforting flavor . Its thin skin, striped with cream and olive green , reveals a golden-yellow flesh with a subtle nutty taste . Prized in traditional vegetable gardens for its earliness and unique aromatic profile , it is now making a strong comeback in kitchen gardens seeking hardy and compact varieties.

In the garden, Delicata has a compact, creeping habit , perfect for ground cover or as part of a companion planting scheme. Its rapid growth and short growing cycle allow for harvests from late summer until the first frosts. It adapts well to temperate climates and is easy to grow even in small spaces. Its dense foliage suppresses weeds, and its abundant flowering attracts bees and other pollinators.

The Tuffy pepper squash is an acorn-type variety selected for kitchen gardens and small vegetable patches. It produces individual, ribbed fruits that ripen to a typical pepper squash color, ready for autumn cooking. Each plant, started in spring in suitable soil, develops long, creeping stems that provide good ground cover.

In the garden, Tuffy stands out for its good productivity and consistent fruit shape. It thrives in the summer heat and light to complete its life cycle, before offering, at the end of the season, squash perfectly suited for roasting and comfort food. In a harmonious garden, it deserves a sunny spot and should be patiently cared for throughout the seasons.

Native to North America , the Ponca Baby Butternut squash is a variety of butternut squash prized for its small size, vigor, and naturally sweet flavor . Named in honor of the Ponca people , it embodies a cultural heritage rooted in the subsistence gardens of the Great Plains. Its compact shape , smooth beige skin , and melting orange flesh make it a valuable food source in climates with short growing seasons.

In the garden, it exhibits rapid and robust growth , adapting well to both open spaces and small vegetable patches. One of the most appreciated traits of this variety is its natural diversity of sizes : small, medium, and large fruits coexist on the same plant , allowing for harvesting as needed—for a daily meal or for preserving. This advantage makes it a versatile variety , well-suited to the needs of families , whether for a quick meal or for winter storage.

Easy to grow, the Ponca offers a generous and early harvest , ideal for organic vegetable gardens. Roasted, in a gratin, in soup, or mashed, its dense, sweet flesh fully reveals the warm flavors of autumn. Its good winter storage capacity makes it a valuable ally for self-sufficient kitchens.

Originating in Japan , the Red Kuri squash , also known as Hokkaido squash , delights gardens and kitchens with its heart shape and vibrant orange-red hue . This heirloom variety is prized for its dense, sweet flesh and delicate chestnut flavor , making it an undisputed star of autumn recipes.

In the garden, Red Kuri offers a generous, creeping habit , covering the ground with its broad leaves and producing beautiful, late-ripening fruit , harvested as autumn approaches. It adapts well to temperate climates, withstands summer variations, and stands out for its remarkable storage capacity —sometimes until spring, without any loss of taste or texture.

Native to North America, spaghetti squash is a fascinating variety that has become a staple in modern kitchens thanks to its striking stringy flesh. From the moment it's harvested, this squash reveals a unique culinary treasure: a pulp that, once cooked, separates into long, spaghetti-like strands, offering a plant-based alternative to traditional pasta.

In the garden, it flourishes as long, vigorous vines, generously spreading its stems, often adorned with bright yellow flowers. Robust and hardy, it integrates naturally into summer and autumn vegetable plots, bringing both abundance and originality to the harvest. A valued companion plant, it plays an essential role in crop rotation while offering a unique flavor and visual appeal to the plate.

Originating in Italy , the Costata Romanesco zucchini is an heirloom variety with an elegantly ribbed shape that evokes rustic markets and the bountiful gardens of the Mediterranean basin. Highly prized for its tender flesh with a mild and fragrant flavor , it holds a place of honor in Italian cuisine, whether roasted, stuffed, sautéed, or eaten raw in salads .

In the garden, it stands out for its compact, bushy habit , vigorous foliage , and ease of cultivation , even in more temperate climates. Its light green skin, marbled with dark streaks, gives it not only a distinctive appearance but also makes it suitable for cooking . It produces abundantly throughout the summer , and its young fruits can be harvested early for delicate and easily digestible dishes.

Rustic, productive, and rooted in a living tradition, Costata Romanesco is a valuable ally for organic vegetable gardens . It inspires simple, fresh, and colorful cooking, while nourishing the garden and the family with elegance and generosity .

La courgette Dark Green est une variété classique et fiable, reconnue pour sa productivité et la régularité de ses fruits. Elle forme des courgettes allongées, lisses, d’un vert foncé uniforme, à la chair ferme et tendre lorsqu’elles sont récoltées jeunes.

La plante adopte un port buissonnant vigoureux, produisant rapidement de nombreuses fleurs suivies de fruits abondants. Cette générosité en fait une courgette idéale pour les potagers familiaux, où les récoltes se succèdent tout au long de la saison estivale.

Au jardin, Dark Green apprécie la chaleur, le plein soleil et les sols riches, bien drainés. Une croissance régulière, soutenue par des arrosages constants, permet d’obtenir des fruits droits, savoureux et sans amertume. La récolte fréquente stimule la production continue et maintient la qualité des fruits.

À l’écoumène, la courgette Dark Green est perçue comme une plante d’abondance et de partage. Elle incarne le potager estival par excellence, celui qui déborde de récoltes et invite à cuisiner, conserver et offrir.

Originating from the Genoa region of Italy , the Genovese zucchini embodies the Mediterranean tradition of a simple, productive, and flavorful vegetable garden. Cultivated for decades in the Genoese countryside , it is now prized for its firm, tender white flesh and delicate taste , even when the fruits are harvested at a more advanced stage.

Its elongated fruits , 10 to 18 cm long , are recognizable by their thin, light green skin marbled with greyish spots , making them easy to prepare in cooking. Their texture remains pleasant , even after they have grown a little larger, which makes it a versatile and forgiving variety for the gardener who forages.

The Genovese variety is distinguished by its bushy, open habit , which facilitates harvesting and limits fungal diseases. It exhibits vigorous growth and sustained production throughout the summer , making it a reliable choice for organic vegetable gardens and varied crop rotations.

Undemanding, it thrives in rich, well-drained soil , in full sun , and generously offers its fruits under a beautiful , dense foliage that covers the ground and retains moisture.

Originally from Central America, the yellow zucchini quickly became a favorite in European vegetable gardens thanks to its vibrant color and delicate flavor. This variety brightens flowerbeds with its brilliant yellow, bringing a cheerful touch and a mild taste that appeals to both cooks and gardeners who love diversity.

In the garden, it proves vigorous and generous, producing abundantly from the warmer months onwards. Its tender flesh is a welcome addition to summer dishes, while its spreading habit and broad leaves provide good ground cover, helping to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

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.

Originating in the South of France, the Round Courgette of Nice has naturally found its place in kitchen gardens, where its round, light green fruit has long been a staple in stuffed vegetable recipes. An old variety of courgette, it forms bushy plants that thrive in warm, fertile soil, helping to create a bountiful garden.

In the vegetable garden, this zucchini quickly produces a succession of round fruits, generally harvested young when their tender skin and delicate flesh are at their best. In a harmonious garden, it thrives alongside other summer vegetables and, with its foliage, helps to cover the soil and retain moisture. It is a reliable plant, productive throughout the growing season when harvested regularly.

Native to East Asia, the Japanese artichoke ( Stachys affinis ) has long been a refined vegetable in cottage gardens and gourmet vegetable patches. Its small, pearly tubers, arranged in a string, are hidden beneath tender green foliage reminiscent of other members of the mint family.

In a thriving garden, the crosne settles in like a quiet companion: it grows unobtrusively, forming low clumps that gently occupy a sunny corner of the vegetable patch. As the seasons change, its foliage blossoms, then dries out in autumn to make way for harvesting, an almost ancestral gesture that connects the gardener to the life of the soil.

Its benevolent presence contributes to a diverse nourishing space: it is a plant of trust, which returns year after year when a few tubers are left in place and its development is supported in a respectful cultivation approach.

Passed down from generation to generation, the Sainte-Anne shallot is a prolific perennial deeply rooted in Quebec's horticultural heritage. Cultivated for over 70 years in Sainte-Aurélie, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, it is distinguished by its hardiness and its ability to return year after year, faithfully following the seasons.

Traditionally planted around July 26th, Saint Anne's Day, it embodies a living link between collective memory and farming practices. Each bulb buried in suitable soil can produce up to ten offshoots the following season, forming upright and vigorous clumps that require little but yield much. Not invasive, it encourages patient and rhythmic cultivation, where the annual division of the bulbs ensures vitality and abundance.

In a supportive vegetable garden, it naturally settles in quiet corners, in the shade of attentive gestures, highlighting the continuity of an inhabited garden.

The Val-aux-Vents shallot is a heritage, locally grown variety originating in Quebec. It was patiently selected by Richard Favreau , a market gardener and seed producer at Ferme Val-aux-Vents, located in Saint-Valérien, in the Lower St. Lawrence region. Its name is a direct tribute to this vibrant and windswept place where it was developed.

The result of crossbreeding and stabilizing French shallot types (Jersey type), it has established itself as a free alternative to hybrid varieties , with a subtle flavor , good preservation and remarkable adaptability to northern growing conditions .

In the garden, the Val-aux-Vents shallot is distinguished by its tightly packed, elongated bulbs with a thin, reddish skin , and its stable growth . It is resistant to common diseases and performs well in crop rotations . It forms a harmonious companion plant (especially carrots, lettuce, and strawberries), while attracting beneficial microfauna with its discreet umbel-shaped flowers .

Originating from Japanese selections, Akarenso spinach is distinguished by its dark green leaves borne on bright red petioles, creating an elegant contrast in the vegetable garden. Perfectly suited to cooler seasons, it embodies the remarkable consistency of a reliable plant, a companion to the first days of spring and the gentle warmth of autumn. In a well-balanced garden, it establishes itself easily, appreciating well-drained soil, regular watering, and soft light.

This cultivar is also remarkably well-suited to cultivation in flexible containers, particularly geotextile fabric, where its compact habit and rapid growth allow for abundant harvests even in limited spaces. It is also well-suited to indoor cultivation, on balconies or sunny windowsills, thus extending the season of fresh leaves into the colder months.