Seeds

Glaskins Perpetual rhubarb is one of those plants that establishes a lasting presence in the vegetable garden. Belonging to the large group of rhubarbs cultivated for their fleshy, tangy stalks, it sends its roots deep into cool, rich soil, from which it faithfully regrows each spring. Its large, upright leaves form a clump, creating a tranquil corner, like a small island of shade in the heart of the vegetable patch.

In a garden in harmony with the cycle of the seasons, rhubarb offers one of the first harvests of spring and early summer. It supports a deeply rooted approach: we observe its emergence from the soil, understand its needs for water and compost, and act accordingly to keep it vigorous for many years. Beyond its culinary value, this perennial structures the vegetable garden landscape, covers the soil around it, and integrates naturally into a diverse and vibrant food-producing space.

Victoria rhubarb is one of the most popular varieties for home use. Who doesn't enjoy pies, jams, or sauces made from its fleshy stalks? Victoria rhubarb stalks are particularly flavorful, reaching up to 60 cm in length and boasting a beautiful reddish-green hue.

This perennial variety is distinguished by its vigor and remarkable hardiness. Capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -30°C, it establishes itself permanently in the garden and offers abundant harvests when conditions are favorable. The harvest period generally extends from June to September, provided the correct techniques are followed.

In the garden, Victoria requires careful attention. Regularly removing the flower stalks as soon as they appear is essential to maintain the production of the petioles. This attention allows you to extend the harvest over several weeks and improve the quality of the stems.

Garden rocket, also known as cultivated rocket, is a small annual native to the Mediterranean basin, now thriving in the organic vegetable gardens of our cooler climates. Its deeply lobed, deep green leaves add a touch of vibrancy to any available patch of soil, whether in a flower bed, a pot, or a planter on the balcony.

In a harmonious garden, arugula establishes itself as a discreet yet generous companion plant: it germinates quickly, covers the ground, and offers a succession of young leaves with a peppery flavor. By allowing a few plants to flower, you'll discover a white bloom with purplish veins that attracts pollinators and accompanies the cycle of the seasons, while also providing seeds for a truly sustainable approach to seed saving.

Italian rocket Sylvetta is a small leafy vegetable, known for its high cold resistance and remarkable stability in cultivation. Unlike common rocket, it has very little tendency to bolt, making it a particularly interesting variety to grow in Quebec.

Its finely cut leaves develop a pronounced nutty flavor, more intense and deliciously peppery than that of annual rocket. This aromatic richness is fully expressed when the leaves are harvested young, between 10 and 15 cm tall.

In the garden, Sylvetta stands out for its rapid growth and great versatility. It allows for successive sowings every two weeks, ensuring a continuous harvest over a long period. Very hardy, it adapts well to outdoor cultivation in spring and autumn, as well as to container gardening. It can even be grown indoors during the winter, providing fresh greenery out of season.

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.

Native to North America, hairy rudbeckia ( Rudbeckia hirta ) first established itself in open meadows and along roadsides before finding its place in ecological gardens. Its flowers, with golden-yellow ray florets surrounding a dark brown center, evoke the late summer sun and bring a warm touch to the living garden.

Whether in a well-tended vegetable garden or a naturalistic flowerbed, it offers a welcoming presence: its abundant flowering attracts bees and other pollinators, contributing to a harmonious garden. Its remarkable resilience and ability to thrive in welcoming soil, without excessive demands, make it a reliable plant, valued for enlivening the cycle of seasons and supporting abundant biodiversity.

In a harmonious garden, the rudbeckia 'Prairie Glow' brings warm touches reminiscent of late summer in natural meadows. Its flower heads, ranging in shades of orange to golden brown and often tinged with yellow at the tips, create a vibrant movement above the light foliage. It naturally finds its place in a garden designed to attract pollinators and beneficial insects.

Throughout the seasons, this upright plant forms an airy clump covered in a multitude of small, daisy-like flowers. Its prolonged flowering sustains the garden at a time when other blooms are fading. It is a reliable companion for informal borders, naturalistic borders, and quiet corners where you want to allow spontaneous vegetation to flourish while respecting nature.

The Fortin rutabaga is a heritage variety from Quebec, selected by the Fortin family of Cap-Saint-Ignace , using gardening and market gardening practices adapted to northern conditions. This selection work has resulted in a particularly robust, reliable rutabaga that is well-suited to the region.

This variety is distinguished by its production of large roots with purple skin and firm, nutritious yellow flesh . It exhibits excellent resistance to insects and diseases, contributing to consistent harvests even under less favorable conditions. Its slow, steady growth allows the root to fully develop its flavor.

In the garden, Fortin is prized for its consistency and hardiness. It thrives in deep, well-drained soils and benefits from the cool temperatures at the end of the season, which enhance the sweetness of its flesh. This variety is particularly well-suited to self-sufficient vegetable gardens, where reliable and long-lasting crops are desired.

The 'Joan' rutabaga is a robust variety resulting from a cross between a turnip and a kale. Originating in the cool temperate regions of Northern Europe, this root vegetable has earned a prominent place in Quebec gardens under the familiar name of "Siam cabbage." In a well-balanced garden, it thrives calmly and steadily, drawing its strength from the summer sun and the cool autumn air.

Its rounded, smooth, and swollen root forms beneath a rosette of deep green foliage. Joan is distinguished by its excellent uniformity and resistance to clubroot, a valuable asset for gardeners committed to sustainable cultivation. It thrives in welcoming, loose, and rich soils, allowing it to reach its full potential.

In a well-designed growing space, it is sown in summer for a generous autumn harvest. It is a reliable, consistent, and simple plant that nourishes the connection between soil and table with simplicity and efficiency.

The 'Marian' rutabaga is a remarkable variety, the result of selection work in the United Kingdom and designed specifically for family or community gardens. This nutritious plant, ancient yet decidedly modern, fits perfectly into a vegetable garden that works in harmony with the cycle of the seasons.

In a harmonious garden, Marian develops a beautiful rosette of large, soft green leaves with glaucous highlights, gently covering the ground and enhancing the balance of the cultivated space. Its root, with its yellow and purplish hues, partially emerges when mature, indicating slow and steady growth. It thrives in welcoming, deep, and consistently moist soils, where it can establish itself vigorously as soon as the weather cools down.

With a growing cycle of 85 to 95 days, this rutabaga offers extended autumn harvests, a welcome source of consistent food for the family. It is a reliable plant, a faithful companion for cool-season crops and vegetable gardens rooted in sustainable farming practices.

Old Acadian Savory is a heritage variety deeply rooted in the cultural and human history of Atlantic Canada. Towards the end of the 19th century, its seeds were passed on to Jean Prudent Robichaud , a resident of Robichaud Township in New Brunswick, by an Indigenous woman from Burnt Church . Since then, the plant has been passed down through generations within this extended family, eventually reaching Norbert Robichaud in Bathurst, who contributed to its modern-day dissemination.

In 2012, a joint investigation by Ms. Gauvin and Mr. Robichaud documented the origin and unique characteristics of this savory, which is noticeably sturdier and more flavorful than the common variety. Following this research, seeds were entrusted to the Atlantic Seed Bank and the Canadian Seed Library , ensuring the preservation of this treasure of plant heritage.

In the garden, this savory stands out for its vigor, compact habit, and rich aroma. Hardy to zone 4, it flowers profusely throughout the summer, attracting a wide variety of pollinating insects. Its abundant flowering and fragrant foliage make it as beautiful as it is useful.

In the local community, Old Acadian Savory is seen as a plant of transmission and recognition. It embodies the circulation of knowledge between Indigenous cultures and gardening families, as well as the importance of the living conservation of heritage seeds.

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.

Originating from European vegetable gardening traditions and once prized by Celtic and Germanic peoples, Hoffman's Schwarze scorzonera —also known as black salsify—is a long, cylindrical root with black skin and a white core. This root vegetable, long associated with winter vegetable gardens and folk remedies, is now regaining its place in gardens that respect the seasons, traditions, and biodiversity.

In a fertile environment , it grows slowly, requiring patience and attention, but amply rewards the gardener with its vigor and the quality of its roots. It appreciates welcoming, deep, and well-loosened soil in a quiet, sunny spot. Perennial in zone 5, it can be left in the ground for harvesting as needed, particularly after the first frosts, which soften its flavor. Its upright, bluish-green foliage elegantly complements the paths of the autumn vegetable garden.

Scorzonera fits into a respectful approach , renewing species long neglected in favor of a diversified, local and seasonal diet.

In the garden, this perennial, cultivated as a biennial, settles in quietly, forming a rosette of elongated green leaves, while its roots grow deep into the welcoming soil. It thrives in a nurturing space where consistency is key: spring sowing, minimal maintenance, and then a late harvest. By leaving a few plants in place, its yellow flowers, similar to those of salsify, can be discovered throughout the seasons, attracting pollinating insects and contributing to the garden's harmonious appearance.

Native to East Asia, purple shiso ( Perilla frutescens var. crispa ) has long graced the gardens and kitchens of Japan, China, and Korea. In a vibrant garden, its deeply serrated, dark purple foliage, sometimes tinged with green, immediately catches the eye. It establishes itself as a light and airy aromatic annual, discreetly accompanying the cycle of the seasons.

In the vegetable garden, purple shiso thrives in borders or among leafy greens. It appreciates welcoming soil rich in organic matter and the gentle warmth of summer. Its fragrance, somewhere between basil, mint, and anise, makes it a valuable companion for a diverse and productive garden. In an environmentally conscious approach, it is often allowed to flower for pollinators before harvesting a few seeds, in an age-old practice of seed stewardship.

Native to much of Europe and temperate Asia, Bladder Campion ( Silene vulgaris ) has long been a common sight along paths, dry meadows, and sunny embankments. Its low-growing silhouette, dotted with white flowers with calyxes swollen like small balloons, adds a light touch to borders and more natural corners of the garden.

A hardy perennial, it thrives where the soil remains well-drained. In a garden in harmony with its surroundings, it finds its place among wildflowers and tall grasses, contributing to the diversity of the plant cover. Its staggered flowering periods throughout much of the growing season accompany the changing seasons with remarkable consistency, requiring little care once established.

The 'Envy' edamame soybean is a short-season variety that has found its place in northern gardens, where warmth is precious and every week of growth counts. Developed by Professor Elwyn M. Meader of the University of New Hampshire, this variety was designed to offer a reliable and flavorful harvest in climatic conditions similar to those of Quebec.

In the garden, 'Envy' forms compact plants about 60 cm tall , well-branched and easy to incorporate into a diverse vegetable garden. Its glossy green pods , slightly downy with a fine buff fuzz, develop early in the season and promise a bountiful harvest. The beans are harvested while still tender, when their texture is firm and their sweet, vegetal flavor is at its peak.

In the local area, this soybean variety proves particularly interesting for gardeners curious to explore new food legumes without excessive complexity. It thrives both in open ground and in well-drained beds, contributing to the diversification of food crops while enriching the soil thanks to its natural nitrogen-fixing capacity.

Originating from the great plains of North America, Manitoba Brown soybeans were selected to adapt to shorter summers and cool nights. In an organic vegetable garden, it takes the form of a small, unassuming yet prominent legume, developing a close relationship with the soil through its roots, which are associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Its brownish pods contain soybeans destined for processing (milk, tofu, etc.). In a nutrient bed, this variety contributes harmoniously to the garden: it fills the soil, structures the rows, and, like all legumes, helps to create more hospitable soil in the long term. When properly managed, it offers a tangible harvest within a single season, a reliable presence for those who wish to incorporate soybeans into a sustainable and respectful approach.

Tiger nuts, also known as chufa, earth almond, or sweet pea, are an unassuming yet remarkable herbaceous plant belonging to the Cyperaceae family. Native to the warm regions of the Old World and cultivated since ancient Egypt, this close relative of papyrus has been preserved as a source of gentle and nutritious energy in many traditional cultures.

In a supportive vegetable garden , it forms a dense clump of fine, upright leaves, resembling a small lawn. Sheltered by this unassuming foliage, light brown, wrinkled tubers develop, maturing slowly in the soil throughout the summer. In a garden bed , it requires loose, deep, and well-drained soil and thrives in full sun. Although it is perennial in mild climates, its tubers do not survive Quebec winters; therefore, it is cultivated here as an annual.

Its cycle mirrors that of the garden in harmony : sowing after soaking in spring, discreet growth during the summer, then patient and joyful harvesting in autumn. Its cultivation requires little maintenance, apart from regular watering and light weeding. With a respectful approach , it becomes a plant of discovery, fun to harvest, and fascinating to share.

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 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.