Herb Seeds
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Lemongrass – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Cymbopogon flexuosus. Lemongrass is a tropical plant from the grass family (Poaceae) that will grow well in temperate regions if given the right conditions. Sow Lemongrass seeds indoors in late winter using bottom heat or a seedling heat mat. Maintain moist conditions and a temperature around 21°C (70°F), and the seeds will germinate in 5 to 21 days. Be sure to use sterilized seed starting mix, and either a clear dome over your seedling tray, or sealed into a plastic bag to maintain moisture. Transplant outdoors or into containers in full sun once the weather has warmed up in early summer. At the end of summer move container plants into a frost free environment with good air circulation. Reduce watering to almost none, making the soil barely moist once a week.
When using Lemongrass in the kitchen, remove any loose, outer layers. Either use whole pieces, crushed slightly with a pestle or under the back of your cleaver, or slice sections very thinly in cross section. This will help break up the strong fibres of the grass stalks.
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Peppermint – West Coast Seeds
$3.49Mentha x piperata. Hot, rich mint aroma issues from the crushed or dried leaves of this spreading perennial plant. Consider growing Peppermint seeds in containers, as it will become hard to control over the years. Both the leaves and flowers can be dried for teas or use in stews and sauces. Peppermint grows well in moist soil in full sun to heavy shade. Mint flowers are edible, and highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. Mint plants spread by an ever-expanding rhizome that grows parallel with the soil. Along its length, new stems emerge with new leaves and flowers. This is why many gardeners prefer to grow mint in containers than in the open soil.
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Dill – Bouquet – West Coast Seeds
$3.29Bouquet dill seeds grow into compact plants around 75-90cm (30-36″) tall. Bouquet Dill is a particularly good variety to grow for nice looking bunching at the market table, and works well in containers or smaller herb gardens. This dill has fragrant, lacy foliage, large yellow flower heads, and large seeds, but the plants only grow about waist high.
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. Organic gardeners like 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).
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Dill – Dukat – West Coast Seeds
$3.29Dukat 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 (18-24″).
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).
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Wild Bergamot – West Coast Seeds
$3.49Monarda 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 (24-36″), 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.
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Basil – Holy Basil Organic – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Ocimum tenuiflorum. Holy Basil Organic seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC!. Holy Basil (medicinal basil) is frequently called Tulsi because it is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine. In Thailand, it is called Kaphrao, and used as a culinary herb. Holy basil is easy to grow from seeds, and it thrives in the heat of summer. Try growing certified organic Holy Basil in containers or in your herb garden. Note that this is a different species from the regular basil varieties shown in this website. It is highly fragrant, but does not have the same flavour profile as Genovese basil.
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Basil – Kitchen Blend – West Coast Seeds
$3.99Kitchen Basil Blend seeds combines three unique basil varieties with green and purple leaves for use in the kitchen. The Blend includes basil with large, smooth leaves that are suitable for pestos, pastas and salads, and also more pungent varieties to make vinegars and herbal teas. Basil flowers are also edible so add them to your dishes too! Basil also makes sensational microgreens – they take a little while to germinate but are worth the wait for the gourmet flavour. This Kitchen Blend can be grown on the windowsill, in the garden or in containers on the patio. All types of basil enjoy warm, freely draining soil and lots of moisture in summer heat.
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