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3,55 $
Antoine D'Avignon was a ancient vegetable lover. A pioneer in Quebec for heirloom seed saving, he grew, harvested and shared the seeds of numerous varieties that would have otherwise been forgotten by now. Notably, Louis-Marie's Crotte d'ours potato, Suzanne Bourgeois's Ice Grow tomato, Huron wheat, and... this corn.
In an interview in the late 1990s he reached out for help to the public: the Quebec corn that our grandmas used to cultivate has disappeared. Nobody is growing flour corn anymore. After the interview, a lady called the radio station claiming that she did have seeds of a flour corn that had been grown by her family for ages.
This is how she came into contact with Antoine and shared with him her precious treasure. Then, during that summer, Antoine ends up mentioning the corn to a friend, Mrs. France Bouffard. She is really interested and ask for a couple seeds. Reluctant as he as only a few, he ends up giving her 6 seeds. She grew those and multiplied them, enough to make flour for her pancakes. The story could have ended there. Sadly it did not as Antoine died still young and took with him the corn story.
More recently, Mrs. Bouffard reached out to me while I was working for Seeds of Diversity. We chatted, and she ended up mentioning the corn. She then sent me some seeds by the mail. We had a good first harvest from those seeds and, thanks to that, we can now share this variety with you. Luckily, Antoine has also gifted a few to another one of his friends, René Paquet, who has since carefully kept the envelope. On it, a name:
Anita Fournier, from Nicolet.
We are looking for this lady (probably deceased by now) or her offsprings. Please let us know if you know her.
Please note that some of the seeds have been sent to Seeds of Diversity for preservation. With the hopes that you might also contribute to writing a chapter of this story.
For more information, please visit (in French): Antoine d'Avignon (1948-2003), jardinier de la dernière chance"
Please send us pictures of your crops and harvests! We will share them!
Package: 40 seeds
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3,55 $
Dark as the streets of Montreal deep into the night. Early, just as the arrival of winter over Quebec.
Easy, to be grown in the field as well as in a pot on a Plateau balcony.
Born in our field from a cross between 2 varieties, Black Crime and Teton de Venus, this tomato kept the dark colour of the former and the shape and density of the latter. It however yields much earlier than its parents, and produces much more.
The variety is quite stable, but might still display some irregular shapes. We are keeping up our breeding work with the hope of creating a perfect tomato.
The fruits are slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Our team carried a taste test and found a ...steak flavour! The foliage is regular, and the plant is not prone to diseases.
Package: 35 seeds.
Germination rate: 100%
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3,55 $
Spice up movie night with your own homegrown popcorn! This variety is crunchy and has a rich taste, making it ideal for a healthy snack as well.
The seeds are lustrous and black, and pop into appetizing white popcorns.
This variety was developed by the Prairie Road Organic Seed Farm in North Dakota, to our taste buds' greatest pleasure!
Adapted to colder climates and easy to grow, unless you have some hungry birds roaming around your garden! (in which case we recommend using nets)
Package: Around 35 seeds
If you struggle getting your corn to pop: https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/why-popcorn-sometimes-doesnt-pop/
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3,55 $
Ancient cherry tomato. Very hardy and productive. The fruits are oval-shaped, 4-5 cm by 2 cm. The skin is black, and the flesh dark red. It is used for making dried tomatoes, sauces, or simply in salads.
Originally from a russian seed saver, Marina Danilenko. It was first introduced to Seed Savers (U.S.), and then made its way to Quebec.
Package: 30 seeds
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3,55 $
Milkweed is often overlooked as a simple weed. It is however absolutely vital for monarch butterflies and other insects. It is the only plant on which monarch caterpillars can feed. Plus, its pink flowers are adorable, fragrant, and enjoyed by bees and other pollinators. Milkweed requires minimal care and can thrive in poor soils. A must have for gardeners wishing to do their part for biodiversity.
Package: 60 seeds
To discover more insects that rely on the milkweed plant, visit: https://wimastergardener.org/article/common-milkweed-insects/
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3,50 $
Ancient corn variety introduced in the U.S. during the 1890s. The plant can reach more than 2 m in height, and produces 2 to 3 cobs of 20 cm. The long and white grains are not organized in rows, but instead in a completely irregular way.
The taste is delicate and sweet. Requires a longer cooking time to fully bring the flavour out. Delicious on the BBQ.
Package: 60 seeds
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3,55 $
While sorting the beans, Geneviève slipped and spilled them all! We are now happy to introduce you our best climbing bean varieties, of all colors and tastes: Skunk, True Red Cranberry, Kahnawake Mohawk, Turkey craw, Goose, Mennonite, Mayflower, Lazy Housewife, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Paysannes, Grand-mère, Héritage Doré and many more!
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3,55 $
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Grosse Blonde Paresseuse lettuce (Large Lazy Blonde Lettuce).
Mentioned in 1904 by Vilmorin, a French seed saver, this ancient variety grows into a large head with crunchy blond green leaves. It is hardy, and doesn't bolt easily. It gave us a nice harvest this summer.
Package: 200 seeds
3,55 $
As the Jesuit house of Sillery in Quebec City undertook renovations, the gardener started to worry about a garlic bunch that had been growing there for years. He saved a few bulbils and offered them to Seeds of Diversity Canada.
When we tried it for the first time, we were quite surprised to see that the small bulbils had given a large white bulb on the first year, and even flowered in September! The flowers were also full of little garlic sprouts. Moreover, this garlic can multiply, growing numerous cloves around the main white bulb.
Unknown name, obscure origins, this variety is full of mystery. We have only started getting to know it, but we love what we are discovering. Please share!
Package: 100 bulbils
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3,55 $
At a Seedy Saturday in 2016, a lady came up to me and told me that her mother-in-law had a tomato variety called Mon Plaisir that stopped being available in seed catalogues for ages, but that she keeps growing year after year. We chat a bit and exchange contact informations. I end up forgetting about it until, a few months later, I receive a letter in the mail. Inside, a beautiful card containing a paper on which a dozen seeds were attached. The seeds of the lost Mon Plaisir tomato. This is what Mrs. Frappier told me when I reached out to her, after receiving her letter:
"We use to order our seeds through the WHPerron catalogue, and another company. I think it was called Norseco. We were growing tomatoes in greenhouses in Abitibi, in Matamic close to Lasarre. It was the Frappier greenhouses (serres Frappier) in 1976. We grow a couple seedlings to sell, but it was mostly for vegetable production. I really like those tomatoes, they would make nice long cherry tomato trusses. We stopped producing in the early 2000s, and I had already been saving my own seeds for about 20 to 25 years because we couldn't find the variety in catalogues anymore. I really couldn't find it anywhere. I think it was replaced by either Sweet 100 or Sweet mignonne. I did taste it, but I definitely prefer Mon Plaisir." (Free translation)
It is now our turn to share this discovery with you. A huge thanks to the Frappier family for preserving this variety.
Package: 30 seeds
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3,55 $
Echinaceas are a perennial plant that flowers thorough the whole summer. Native from North America, it is a hardy plant that won't fail to embellish your garden. They will attract butterflies, bumblebees and other pollinators during the summer, and the birds will feed on its seeds during the winter. Their gorgeous pink flowers will look great in bouquets or as dried flowers. Purple coneflowers are used in traditional herbalism to boost the immune system.
Package: 50 seeds
Photo credit: https://www.gardenstylesanantonio.com/garden-tips-blog/plant/purple-coneflower/
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3,55 $
This tomato variety was developed in the early 50s by the geneticist and profesor Joseph-O Vandal. He worked for the Laval University for over 30 years, and created several horticultural varieties adapted to our climate. Quebec #13 tomatoes are vigorous and give average-sized dark red fruits early in the season. This tomato has an exceptional taste, very few seeds, and a thin skin which is easy to peel off. This variety must be eaten in the days following harvest as it doesn't keep as well as store-bought tomatoes.
Package: 30 seeds
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