Shop

Oregon Giant bears huge yields of sweet, exceptionally large, 5 inch crispy flat pods on sturdy short vines. These are the finest tasting, most vigorous snow peas you’ll find, bred at Oregon State University especially for fresh harvesting with sweet flavor and extra crunchy texture. Use them for colorful tasty stir fries or eat the juicy pods raw. An especially rewarding crop to plant and enjoy with children who will happily snack on them all day!

60 Days.

Approx: 90 Seeds.

(Resistant to powdery mildew, enation mosaic and common wilt)

START SEEDS OUTDOORS

In early spring, as soon as soil can be worked, plant peas in full sun in well-worked, fertile soil. Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart. Sow seeds in wide rows or bands 3 inches across, spacing the wide rows 2 feet apart. Provide supports for these 2 1/2-3 foot vines at planting time. Protect from marauding birds with netting or floating row covers if necessary. If first sowing doesn’t germinate evenly, replant right away as new seedlings catch up quickly. Sow again for a fall crop about 2 1/2 months before first expected fall frost.

GROWING NOTES

Use netting or wire trellis or short tree branches stuck into the ground to support these heavy bearing vines for easy picking. Turn a sprinkling of bone meal and wood ashes into the soil before planting. Keep pea vines well weeded and watered, and mulch to conserve moisture.

HARVEST AND USE

Pick frequently when pods are fully formed but still flat with tiny immature peas. Snow peas are delicious in stirfries with ginger, soy sauce and garlic. Cook very quickly, just until pods turn a deeper green color. Or simply enjoy the juicy pods fresh off the vines.

Easy to grow, tomatillos look like large green cherry tomatoes, each wrapped in a thin papery husk like a candy. Our heirloom purple-skinned variety is prolific with small, sweet/tangy fruits that are great grilled or in purple salsa. Green-skinned Toma Verde is imported from Mexico, with crispy fruits on strong vines. Enjoy both sweet-tart flavors for summer salsas, rich-tasting stews and savory sauces.

Seeds are color coded with USDA food grade stain to distinguish varieties.
Green seed = Toma Verde Tomatillo
Undyed seed = Purple Tomatillo
Harvest in 75 days

Approx: 135 Seeds.

BEST TO START INDOORS

In early spring, start indoors about 6 weeks before outdoor night temperatures are reliably in the 10-13°C range. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in containers of seed starting mix. Keep moist but not soggy and very warm 24-27°C. Provide a strong light source until seedlings are ready to plant outside. When seedlings are 2 inches tall, transplant into 4 inch individual pots. Maintain at 21- 24°C. Feed with half-strength fertilizer every 2 weeks until weather is warm enough to gradually acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions. Transplant 3 feet apart into rich soil in full sun once nights stay securely above 13°C.

GROWING NOTES

Prepare soil well with aged manure or compost. Provide strong stakes or wire cages at planting time, or tomatillos can spread over the ground if you have lots of space; they are vining plants similar to tomato vines. Mulch well to keep fruit clean and conserve moisture; don’t overwater once fruits begin to ripen.

HARVEST AND USE

At first, tomatillo fruits look like little green balloons. As the fruit inside sizes up, they resemble cherry tomatoes surrounded by a papery husk. Pick when plump fruits fill out the husks and begin to break open, usually at 1 to 1 1/2 inches, but before fruits begin to turn yellow or soften.

We’ve worked with a talented breeder who specializes in selecting heirloom varieties to compose this blend of luscious antique lettuces. The pretty mix includes seeds for red-flecked, lime-green “Speckled Troutback,” sweet “Blush Butter Cos,” juicy “Red Ruffled Oak,” notched dark red “Devil’s Tongue” and crispy, upright “Sucrine.” These beautiful lettuces create a tapestry in the garden and you’ll be able to cut their fast growing, flavorful leaves often for colorful and delicious salad bowls all season.
Harvest in 40 days
Equal parts: Troutback, Blush Butter Cos, Red Ruffled Oak, Red Devil’s Tongue & Sucrine lettuces

Approx: 1400 Seeds.

START SEEDS OUTDOORS

In early spring, sow seeds in finely worked soil in full sun. Shake seeds from the palm of your hand, broadcasting them about a half inch apart over the entire seedbed or in wide rows, and cover lightly and evenly with 1⁄4 inch of fine soil. Firm soil gently and water in with a fine spray. Keep seedbed evenly moist. Make small successive sowings until summer weather turns hot for a constant supply. Plant again in late summer for fall harvesting. Or, space seedlings 8 to 10 inches apart and let them mature to full size heads.

GROWING NOTES

Lettuce thrives in mild weather with consistent moisture. To extend the sowing season into hot weather, erect a canopy of loosely woven shade cloth over the lettuce bed. Birds are often attracted to tender young seedlings so protect them if necessary.

HARVEST AND USE

To harvest by the “cut and come again” method, wait until plants are 4 or 5 inches tall. Cut as much as you need, using scissors to shear off a patch of leaves 1 to 2 inches above the soil level. Water well and fertilize lightly and plants will regrow for several more cuttings. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and a mild fruit or balsamic vinegar to enjoy the sweet flavors and juicy textures of these delicate young leaves at their best.

Purple Beauty pepper seeds produce compact, bushy plants with thick protective foliage. The fruits begin to form mid-summer, starting as big, blocky, 3-4 lobed green bell peppers, before maturing to an astonishing bright purple colour. Purple Beauty was grown out from the original hybrid Purple Belle and now produces open pollinated seeds for seed saving and home seed production. The flavour of these remarkable fruits is mild, sweet, and succulent, with a fine, crispy texture. The cut fruits look absolutely spectacular mixed with yellow or orange peppers, so they belong in every foodie’s garden. Peppers will turn green when cooked.

How To Grow, Timing:  Peppers need plenty of time to mature before they will bloom and set fruit. Start indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date, and grow under bright lights. Transplant only when weather has really warmed up. Night time low temperatures should be consistently above 12°C before hardening off pepper plants and transplanting outdoors. Soil temperature for germination: 25-29°C. Seeds should sprout in 10 – 21 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow indoors 5mm-1cm deep. Keep soil as warm as possible. Seedling heating mats speed germination. Try to keep seedlings at 18-24°C in the day, and 16-18°C at night. Before they become root-bound, transplant them into 8cm pots. For greatest possible flower set, try to keep them for 4 weeks at night, about 12°C. Then transplant them into 15cm pots, bringing them into a warm room at night, about 21°C.

How To Grow, Growing:  Soil should have abundant phosphorus and calcium, so add lime and compost to the bed at least three weeks prior to transplanting. Mix ½ cup of balanced organic fertilizer beneath each plant. Though peppers will tolerate dry soil, they will only put on good growth if kept moist. Harden off before planting out 30-60cm apart. Five gallon containers also work well, but require good drainage and regular irrigation. Using plastic mulch with a cloche can increase the temperature by a few degrees. Pinch back growing tips to encourage leaf production. This helps shade the developing fruits and prevents sun-scald in hot summers.

How To Grow, Harvest:  When the fruit is large and firm it is ready to pick. Or wait for the fruit to ripen further turning red, yellow, brown, or purple. The sweetness and vitamin C content go up dramatically as the fruit changes colour. If you pick green, the total numbers of peppers harvested will increase. Fruit that sets after late August will not usually develop or ripen. Pull out the entire bush just before the first frost and hang it upside down in a warm, dry place to ripen hot peppers.

Matures in 75 days.

Approx: 60 Seeds.

This is the earliest maturing collard we know of. Start harvesting just 50 days after direct sowing, and the tall, upright plants just keep growing. At maturity the leaves can measure over 60cm from stem to tip, and they are held pointing upward, away from the soil. The petioles are long and substantial for easy bunching, and the plants are highly uniform in size and shape. The bluish green leaves of Top Bunch collards are just slightly savoyed, thick, with large cell walls. Once cooked, the flavour is rich and savory – very nice in soup or simply steamed on its own. Use succession planting from spring to the height of summer for a constant supply of thick, nutritious greens.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow in early spring to mid-summer for summer to winter harvests. Or start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost, and transplant out as soon as the soil warms up. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm deep in each spot where a plant is to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space 45-60cm apart in rows 75-90cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  Add lime to the bed 3 weeks prior to sowing. Kale likes well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter. This plant prefers plentiful, consistent moisture. Drought is tolerable, but quality and flavor of leaves can suffer. Mix ¼ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant, or use 1 cup beneath every 3m of seed furrow.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Kale and collards can both be grown as a cut and come again crop for salad mixes by direct-seeding and cutting when plants are 5-8cm tall. They will re-grow. Or pick leaves from the bottom up on mature plants as you need them. In spring, the surviving plants start to flower, so eat the delicious flowering steps and buds.

Matures in 50 days.

Approx: 60 Seeds

Also known as “cima di rapa” or “rapini,” this robust and rich-tasting traditional Italian heirloom is a quick growing, cool season favorite. Broccoli Raab produces an abundance of deep green leaves and tender shoots topped with tiny bud clusters. Enjoy these full-flavored greens sautéed in olive oil and garlic as Italian food lovers have for time immemorial. We import our “Sessentina” seed selection directly from Italy, so you can rely on its freshness and authenticity.

60 Days

Approx: 500 Seeds.

START SEEDS DIRECTLY IN THE GARDEN

In very early spring as soon as ground can be worked, prepare a well-drained, fertile garden bed in full sun. Sow seeds 2 inches apart in rows 6 to 8 inches apart. Cover 1/4 inch deep and keep soil evenly moist to ensure good germination. When seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall, thin to stand 4 to 6 inches apart.

GROWING NOTES

Sow Broccoli Raab in cool early spring weather, about the same time as you plant turnips and radishes. Consistent moisture, early thinning and an adequate supply of nitrogen will encourage the quick growth needed to produce tender juicy shoots with plump buds. Use non-toxic B.T. (Bacillus thuringiensis) products to control caterpillar pests as necessary. Make several sowings a week apart for a continuous harvest. Sow again in late summer for a fall crop.

HARVEST AND USE

Harvest both leaves and flowering stalks at 7 to 8 inches tall, when they are still tender and juicy and the flower buds are plump and closed. After cutting, water plants and feed with fish emulsion solution to get a second harvest in a few weeks. Enjoy the hearty flavor of these vitamin-rich greens by briefly steaming or prepare traditionally by first blanching quickly in a boiling water bath, and then sautéing them in olive oil with chopped garlic.