Seeds

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.

The Queen Pink malope is a flowering annual with an elegant habit, known for its large, bright to deep pink, cup-shaped flowers that open wide. Each flower stands out clearly against the bright green, slightly lobed foliage, creating a simple yet effective contrast in the garden.

The plant develops upright, branching stems, bearing a generous and continuous bloom throughout the summer. The large, showy flowers attract attention from afar and make a strong statement in flower beds, borders, and cut flower gardens.

In the garden, Queen Pink is easy to grow and undemanding. It appreciates sunny locations and well-drained, but not overly rich, soil. Once established, it tolerates heat and short periods of drought quite well, while maintaining regular flowering.

Originating from the steppes and plains of Eurasia, Moldavian balm ( Dracocephalum moldavica ) discreetly establishes itself in the garden, offering its aromatic, lemon-scented foliage and surprisingly abundant blue-violet flowers. In a sunny corner of the vegetable patch or along a path, it creates a light yet distinct presence for a season, faithful to the age-old practices of harvesting and making herbal teas.

Its upright stems bear slightly toothed green leaves, and its flowering spikes of two-lipped flowers attract bees and other pollinators throughout the summer. In a garden in harmony with nature, Moldavian balm thus becomes an ally for the soil, biodiversity, and the table, where its leaves flavor infusions and simple culinary preparations.

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.

The Noir des Carmes melon is an old French variety that has long been a staple in monastery and parsonage gardens. Its dark green, almost black skin, which cracks and turns slightly yellow when ripe, contrasts with its orange flesh, renowned for its intense aroma. In a thriving garden, it provides a discreet presence at first, then a generous one in the heart of summer, when its round fruits fill the air with their fragrance.

In the garden, this trailing melon weaves its way between the planting beds and covers the ground with dense foliage. It's a variety prized for its earliness , making it a valuable companion in regions with shorter summers. Grown with respect for the soil and the natural cycles of the seasons, it offers delicious harvests while integrating harmoniously into a diverse and harmonious vegetable garden.

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.

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.

Native to North America, Monarda, also known as bergamot, is a plant with a bold charm that brightens gardens with its vibrant flowers. The Panorama mix brings together several brilliant hues that dance together in the summer sun.

This variety is distinguished by its bushy habit and abundant flowering, attracting a myriad of pollinators—bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects—with whom it shares its generous nectar. Ideal for mass plantings or borders, Monarda Panorama brings a wild and joyful touch that lives in harmony with the rhythms of an eco-friendly garden, inviting contemplation and respect for biodiversity.

Native to Europe, Dragon Tongue Mustard is prized for its variegated foliage, a delicate blend of light green and purple, reminiscent of the dragon's tongue from which it takes its name. With flavors reminiscent of classic mustard, it finds its place in exceptional gardens as an elegant, tangy green salad, adding a spicy and colorful touch to spring harvests.

In the garden, its bushy, compact habit makes it easy to plant in borders or mixed with other leafy greens. Its rapid growth and moderate hardiness make it a generous companion for brightening up fresh salads. Dragon Tongue invites culinary exploration while supporting biodiversity thanks to its small yellow flowers that attract pollinating insects.

The Orange Wonder snapdragon belongs to the species Antirrhinum majus , the garden snapdragon, a classic companion to natural flowerbeds. Native to the Mediterranean region, this species has been adopted in many gardens for its dense flower spikes and long flowering period. The Orange Wonder selection is distinguished by its warm orange hues, a welcome addition to any garden or ornamental space.

In the garden, snapdragons form upright clumps topped with dense flower spikes that gradually open over the weeks. Their structuring presence consistently accompanies the cycle of the seasons: first green foliage, then a long flowering period. In a harmonious garden, they find their place both in beds and borders, and can provide a source of nectar for visiting insects where the soil is welcoming and minimally disturbed.

Chinese forget-me-not is a particularly floriferous annual, prized for its abundant and prolonged flowering. It produces a multitude of tiny indigo-blue flowers, gathered in airy clusters that rise above soft, discreet grey-green foliage.

The plant has a uniform and well-structured habit, with sturdy stems capable of supporting continuous flowering. It grows rapidly and can exceed 45 cm in height under favorable conditions. This vigor, combined with its great adaptability, makes it an excellent candidate for flower beds, borders, as well as for cultivation in containers and planters.

In the garden, the Chinese forget-me-not is tolerant and adaptable. It thrives in both full sun and partial shade, where it continues to flower profusely. Its blooms extend from spring until the end of summer, providing a constant and colorful presence in landscaping.

In the ecumene, the Chinese forget-me-not is perceived as a plant of continuity and delicacy. It accompanies the season over the long term, attracting pollinators while bringing a touch of lightness and constancy to the flower garden.

Native to East Asia, the pink Chinese forget-me-not gently brightens shady gardens with its small pink flowers, which are rarer than the traditional blue forget-me-nots. This elegant variety brings a touch of poetry and softness to woodland areas and cool flowerbeds.

In the garden, it is particularly generous from spring onwards, unfurling its flowering carpet which attracts numerous small pollinators. Its low and spreading habit makes it an ideal plant for filling shady borders or for creating a flowering ground cover.

The pink Chinese forget-me-not embodies discretion and finesse, its light bloom seeming to caress the most secret corners of the living garden, thus contributing to the richness and biodiversity of plant living spaces.

The Petrowski turnip is an old variety highly prized by gourmets for the exceptional tenderness and sweetness of its flesh. It is recognizable by its round root with golden-yellow skin, enclosing a fine, creamy-white to very pale yellow flesh , accompanied by a delicately fragrant aftertaste that clearly distinguishes it from other turnips.

Originating in Northern Europe and associated with Berlin, this very hardy variety has proven particularly well-suited to cooler climates. Around 1915, it was being cultivated as far away as Alaska by Russian immigrants, a testament to its robustness and early maturity. It is generally harvested between 1.5 and 2 months after sowing and expresses its best flavor when picked young.

In the garden, Petrowski grows quickly in loose, cool, and well-drained soil. Its steady and reliable growth makes it an excellent choice for northern vegetable gardens and short growing seasons.

In the local world, this turnip is seen as a plant of refined simplicity. It serves as a reminder that certain old varieties, carefully selected and harvested, offer a richness of flavor that far surpasses their apparent modesty.

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.

Nigella, often called black cumin in common parlance, is one of those delicate, airy annuals that gracefully integrate into the garden. From its Eurasian origins, it retains a taste for bright summers: its finely cut foliage creates a delicate green lacework that weaves easily among vegetables and flowers. When it blooms, its simple blossoms add a subtle touch to the vibrant garden and hint at the aromatic seeds to come.

In a harmonious and diverse vegetable garden, black cumin takes up little space, adapts to the changing seasons without any particular requirements, and provides its seeds for cooking. Its unobtrusive presence respects the balance of the fertile soil and integrates naturally into a respectful approach to gardening, where each plant finds its rightful place at the heart of the garden's ecosystem.

The 'Carmen' marigold belongs to those varieties of Tagetes that naturally find their place in a vibrant garden. Its luminous flowers and compact habit make it a discreet but constant presence throughout the summer, equally at home in the vegetable garden or among flowers.

Easy to sow, it guides the gardener in a respectful approach to cultivation, where each plant contributes to the balance of the space. Whether planted in borders, pots, or flowerbeds, 'Carmen' punctuates the cycle of seasons with its generous and regular blooms, offering a colorful focal point in the heart of the garden.

Native to the temperate regions of Eurasia, common oregano ( Origanum vulgare ) is one of those companion plants that naturally find their place in living gardens. At Jardins de l'écoumène, it is presented as a hardy perennial, ideal for borders and dry corners of the vegetable garden or herb garden, where its aromatic green foliage forms dense and inviting clumps.

In the garden, oregano establishes itself with remarkable consistency: once rooted in well-drained soil and a sunny location, it faithfully returns year after year. Its summer blooms, with small pink to purplish flowers, attract numerous pollinators and contribute to the garden's vibrancy in harmony with the cycle of the seasons. It is a reliable plant, both decorative and edible, whose fragrant presence complements the age-old practices of harvesting and drying herbs.

Found in the wild across much of Eurasia and naturalized in North America, stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ) readily finds its place in natural gardens. A vigorous plant of rich soils, it creates deep green clumps and, wherever it is given space, forms a veritable haven of biodiversity.

Its toothed leaves and stinging hairs require careful handling, but behind this defense lies an edible plant and an excellent indicator of fertile soil. In a garden in harmony with the seasons, nettle can become a valuable ally: young leaves to harvest in spring, refuge for numerous insects, and a resource for preparing fermented extracts useful in the vegetable garden.

Long present in the vegetable gardens of temperate Europe, garden sorrel ( Rumex acetosa ) has established itself as a companion herb for the first days of spring. Its clumps of tender green leaves, borne on lanceolate foliage, emerge as soon as the soil warms up a little, offering one of the first fresh greens in the living garden.

In a quiet corner of the vegetable garden or at the edge of a edible flower bed, it forms a dense and regular rosette that faithfully returns year after year. Its tangy flavor adds a lively note to simple everyday dishes and recalls an age-old practice: picking, as the seasons change, just the right amount of leaves for soup, sauce, or omelet.

A discreet yet constant companion, garden sorrel integrates easily into an environmentally friendly gardening approach. Its benevolent presence accompanies the cycle of the seasons: in spring, it outshines many vegetables, and in autumn, it continues to produce as long as the soil remains hospitable.

The flat-leaved sea holly, Eryngium planum , is an umbellifer native to Eurasia that has naturally found its place in dry gardens and wildflower meadows. Its upright, rigid stems, topped with steel-blue umbels, give it a slightly wild, almost mineral appearance that contrasts with the softer foliage of neighboring perennials.

In the garden, it thrives in poor, well-drained soils, where it establishes itself without any particular requirements once rooted. Its summer blooms attract numerous pollinating insects, contributing to the vitality of a harmonious garden. It is an ideal companion plant for dry, sunny spots, where its architectural form and long-lasting flower clusters offer a welcome presence throughout the seasons.