Mayflower Bean

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

Coy in the garden, salsify can be mistaken for grass when still young. But its hardiness and lack of pests makes it a wise choice for enthusiasts of curiosities. Not the highest-yielding plant but its taste, somewhere between hazelnut and parsnip, widely makes up for it. It's also a true sundial: as soon as the first lights of the sunrise appear, the flowers will open towards the sun, and will then follow it for the whole day, until it sets. It is from the same family as dandelions. The roots are tender and do not have a hint of bitterness, as long as harvested before the flowering stem starts to grow. The leaves are also edible. When the flower buds start appearing, on the second year, it is possible to eat them just like with viper's grass. Culinary uses: -raw roots chopped for salads, -cooked roots sliced (with white wine to avoid blackening), -young leaves in a salad, -cooked leaves as vegetables, -raw flower buds in a salad, or cooked as vegetables. Package: 25 seeds

French sorrel is a perennial that grows into a ground cover that establishes nicely along paths and beds, or on rocky soils. The small leaves of this sorrel variety are light green with occasional silver specks. They taste a little tangy and lemony. They are well-loved by kids, and are delicious in salads, sandwiches or sauces. The leaves can be harvested young in which case they are delicious eaten raw, or later to be cooked like spinach. Once harvested, the leaves can be stored frozen for a long time. Package: 55 seeds   Photo credit: https://www.andrewsgarden.be/en/exotis-spices-medicinal-plants/rumex-scutatus-silver-leaf-french-sorrel/a-559-13

Crisp green lettuce with long serrated leaves. Its taste is mild and not at all bitter. Very easy to grow and self-seeding if you let it bolt. Cut and come again variety. Italian heirloom.   Package: 200 seeds

Hardy climbing bean, can reach up to 12 foot in height. Tender green pods, sweet and somewhat flat beans. High-yielding. Usually grown for its beige, chocolaty-brown striped beans, but can also be eaten as green beans. Climbs so high that our tutors couldn't support it and got knocked down by the weight at the end of the season. Originally grown by the Kahnawake Iroquoian First Nations (Quebec). One of the most beautiful beans we grow. Package: 30 seeds

In 1995, a carpenter found a bag of about 200 seeds in the attic of an abandoned house, where no one had lived for several years already, in Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce. The neighbors claimed that this house hadn't had any garden in well over 60 years. Mrs. Gérard Parent, to whom they were given, tried to get them to grow; only three germinated. From those three initial plants originate all the current Mémé de Beauce plants found in Quebec.   Package: 30 seeds