Montreal Melon

Shrubby dwarf variety that grows rosy-lilac flowers and light green pods. Can be eaten as green or dry beans. This variety was gifted to us by Mr. René Paquet. He received it from Gérard Parent, from Saint-Joseph-de Beauce, who himself got it from Gabrielle Roy, from Saint-Jules. It's at the turn of the century, more precisely in 1914, that the Boucher family started growing them. Where they got it from, we might never know! Package: 20 seeds

Ancient variety of cherry tomato, vigorous and productive. It has a nice little pear shape, 3 cm tall. Very polyvalent with a only little acidity, it can be thrown into salads, cherry tomato mixes, and used as a snack for your little ones!   Package: 30 seeds

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

Indeterminate.

Plant approximately 2 to 2,5 meters tall. Fruits weigh between 180 and 300 grams and have a diameter of approximately 10 cm. Smooth red-rose skin, sweet and juicy flesh. Performs well in cool climates and short seasons.

 

Discovered in the 1930s in the Joliette area by a farmer named Dufresne. It was given to Armand Savignac of the Clerics of Saint Viator. Due to chronic digestive disorders and a rare malformation, Savignac became a vegetarian and began to grow vegetables. Among different varieties cultivated in his garden was the Savignac tomato.

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

This pea variety was carefully preserved by Will Bonzai, in the United States. Few other varieties from the colonial era still exist today, although French colonizers did develop hundreds of pea varieties in their gardens which were well adapted to the North-East American climate. This is were the nickname 'Pea Soup', given by the English to the French, originated. This variety is a landrace, meaning its peas are of different colors. They look like small pebbles coming straight out of a river, marbled and spotted. We genuinely think those are the most beautiful peas there is. They are ideal to make jewelry. Also adorable as legume in a salad. Using a net or tutors can help with harvest. High-yielding. Package: 30 seeds. RARE, PLEASE SHARE.