Soldes

The Fortin dry bean is an heirloom variety from Quebec, rooted in the Cap-Saint-Ignace region (Chaudière-Appalaches), where several generations of the Fortin family have carefully cultivated it. Hardy and deeply adapted to local conditions, this legume embodies a living heritage of Quebec's food garden.

Its compact, dwarf habit makes cultivation and harvesting easy, while its long, yellow pods contain numerous beige peas marked with a black eye, typical of the black-eyed pea variety. It is renowned for its exceptional productivity, yielding up to 45 lbs of harvest from a single pound of seed. Resistant to diseases and pests, it integrates easily into ecological crop rotations and naturally enriches the soil with nitrogen.

Originally from Europe, the Redina leaf lettuce has become a staple in vegetable gardens thanks to its vigor and beautiful purple color, which enhances salads. This variety of leaf lettuce is characterized by its tender, serrated leaves, whose deep red hue adds an aesthetic and flavorful touch to both the garden and the plate.

In the garden, Redina stands out for its rapid growth and slightly spreading habit, allowing it to quickly form a colorful carpet. Its relative hardiness in the face of climatic variations makes it an ideal companion for the cooler seasons of early spring or autumn. It adds diversity to a productive garden, bringing freshness and lightness to the table.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Native to the tropical regions of America , this luminous annual captivates with its bright orange, spherical flower heads , reminiscent of tropical sunsets . Borne on upright, branching stems , it forms a compact and dynamic plant that brings warmth, structure, and contrast to flowerbeds, borders, or container plantings.

Its long and continuous flowering period , from summer until the first frosts, attracts numerous pollinators , particularly bees and butterflies . Highly heat-resistant and undemanding, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It sometimes self-seeds when conditions are favorable.

With its robustness, simplicity and brilliance, it naturally finds its place in ecological and living gardens , where botanical diversity is celebrated.

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 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 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.

A tropical plant with a cosmopolitan distribution, Celosia 'Flamingo Feather' derives from species adapted to warm climates. It captivates with its airy blooms and feathery inflorescences , a pale silvery pink with soft pearly highlights. Evoking the grace of a flamingo feather , it brings an airy and luminous touch to summer flowerbeds , structured borders , or living bouquet gardens .

This annual, which thrives in full sun and has an upright, elegant habit , is both very prolific and easy to grow . Its straight, sturdy stems , perfect for cut flowers , bear up to 40 secondary branches , each adorned with soft, silky flower spikes. Its early and prolonged flowering lasts all summer, attracting butterflies, pollinators , and admiring glances.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.