Mint – Peppermint – West Coast Seeds

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  Arugula – Dragon’s Fire – West Coast Seeds

  $3.49

  A wild variety, this unique arugula has purple/red veins dramatically etched onto shapely green leaves. Plants are vigorous and has uniform growth. Flavour is zesty and spicy–add some fire to a salad or sandwich by tossing in a few leaves. If it wasn’t so delicious, it’d be almost too beautiful to eat.

  How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow every 3 weeks from mid-March to April and again in September for a fall/winter crop. Arugula is a productive, cool season, annual salad green that works best in spring and fall, and can be managed all winter under cloche protection where winters are mild. In hot weather, arugula tends to bolt and go to seed. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 4-12°C.

  How To Grow, Seeding: Sow no more than 5mm deep in well drained soil in full sun. Thin seedlings to 10-15cm apart in rows 45-60cm apart. Overcrowded plants will bolt earlier.
  Seeds germinate in 4-8 days.

  How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 6.5-7.0.  In optimum conditions at least 75% of seeds will germinate. Keep moist until germinated and then just keep the area weeded.

  45-55 days

  Approx: 1880 seeds.

  
  

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  Wild Bergamot – West Coast Seeds

  $3.49

  Monarda fistulosa. Commonly known as Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot is a wildflower that produces blooms that vary in shades from pink to lavender. These flowers appear in July and August above stout, strong stems bearing scented leaves. Wild Bergamont is unrelated to the bergamot citrus fruit that lend Earl Grey tea its distinct flavour, but the leaves are excellent in tea, with peppery/lemony/minty notes. Plants grow to a height of 60-90cm, and those that don’t survive as perennials in Coastal gardens will likely self-sow. All bergamots are highly attractive to beneficial pollinators like butterflies and wild bees. Hummingbirds will stage territorial fights to stake their claims over a wild bergamot plant in full bloom.

  How To Grow, Timing:  Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost, or direct sow in early spring when a light frost is still possible. Seeds can also be direct sown in the fall, as the first frost approaches. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 15-21°C. Seeds should sprout in 10-40 days. Bottom heat will speed germination.

  How To Grow, Starting:  Barely cover the tiny seeds with soil. Thin or space transplants 45-60cm apart. These vigorous perennials will grow in, closer together over time.

  How To Grow, Growing:  Any ordinary garden soil will work. Plant in full sun to partial shade. Where summers are long, plants are prone to mildew, so avoid overhead watering. Deadhead regularly to prolong the blooming period. These perennial plants spread by rhizome growth, and should be dug and divided every three years.

  How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick the leaves as desired for fresh use in the kitchen. For drying, harvest leaves before the flowers open. Cut flowers for drying as soon as they’re fully open. Masses of tiered pink-purple blossoms grow from August until frost.

  Approx 490 Seeds

   

  
  

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  Summer Savory – Satureja Hortensis – West Coast Seeds

  $3.29

  Satureja hortensis. This delicate, aromatic little plant grows quickly in rich soil. Used in bean, pea and lentil recipes, summer savory has a more delicate flavour than winter savory. Sow Summer Savory seeds in the spring. After flowering, pull it up and hang to dry. Let a few plants go to seed, and it should come back the following year. This herb grows to 25cm (10″) tall.

  This is the better known savory – it is an annual plant as opposed to perennial Winter Savory. Maritime Canadians know and love it, and use it the way sage is used elsewhere. It’s nice with poultry stuffing and stews, and it is a key ingredient in herbes de Provence.

  How To Grow, Timing:  Sow the very tiny seeds indoors about 4-6 weeks before the last frost. They should sprout in 10-15 days.

  How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds on the surface of prepared starting mix. Do not bury them as they need light to germinate. Don’t bother using bottom heat, as the seeds will sprout well without it. When seedlings are large enough to handle, delicately pot them on or transplant out to the herb garden once all risk of frost is past. Both varieties benefit from careful hardening off to reduce transplant shock.

  Approx 1400 Seeds

  
  

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  Dill – Dukat Dill – West Coast Seeds.

  $3.29

  Dukat dill seeds produce dill with a particularly fine bouquet and flavour. The darker-than-usual leaves are excellent fresh or dried. Dukat has exceptionally large seed heads. Dukat is the variety to grow for homemade dill pickles, and can be grown in a large container in full sun. This dill stays relatively short at 45-60cm.

  The structure of dill’s flowers is known as an umbel. Thus dill is considered an umbelliferous plant. Other umbellifers include carrots, cilantro, fennel, parsnips, and Ammi. All of these plants are attractive to predatory insects such as lady beetles, Syrphid flies (hover-flies), lacewings, and tiny parasitoid wasps. West Coast Seeds encourages organic gardeners to grow dill precisely to attract these beneficial insects, for they will control pest insects like aphids, thrips, whitefly, and the caterpillar of the Small White Butterfly (cabbage moth).

  How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow late spring through summer, or sow when cucumbers are transplanted, to coincide maturity for pickling. Dill tends to bolt if transplanted, so it is best direct sown. Stagger the harvest by sowing every 2-3 weeks for a constant supply of fresh leaves. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 15-21°C. Seeds should germinate in 10-21 days.

  How To Grow, Starting:  Dill seeds need some light to germinate. Sow seeds no more than 5mm deep in rows 45cm apart. Thin the plants to stand at least 15cm apart.

  How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 5.0-7.0.  Grow in moderately rich soil in full sun. Water and feed regularly, and stop any overhead watering once plants are 60cm tall to prevent issues with mildew forming on the leaves.

  How To Grow, Harvest:  Begin harvesting the tasty leaves once plants reach 15cm tall. About 12 weeks after sprouting the seed heads begin to form. When the first seeds have turned brown, cut the whole head and hang it upside down for the drying seeds to fall out into trays or paper bags. Dill leaf loses most of its flavour when dried, so freeze it in ice cube trays filled with water for use all winter.

  Approx: 510 Seeds.

  
  

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