Veggie Seeds
Fresh, open-pollinated seed for the 2014 season. All seeds are organically grown at Ravenhill Herb Farm, harvested processed lovingly by hand, germination tested to ensure quality.
All seeds are $3.50/package
50 to 100+ seeds per package, unless otherwise noted. The average seed life is three years.
Please allow one-two weeks for shipping.
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Arugula (Eruca sativa)
Annual. 35 days. Tender & peppery salad green. Very popular in its native Mediterranean, where it is commonly used in pizza and pasta dishes. Edible flowers & seed-pods. Germinates and grows rapidly. Sow every 2-3 weeks from Spring through Fall for continuous harvest. High in Vitamin A & potassium. Notably, arugula is one of the oldest known aphrodisiacs.
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Cress, Winter (Barbarea verna)
60 days. The peppery leaves are high in calcium, iron, vitamin A & C, betacarotene & antioxidants. Use in salads & soups, also a fine braising green. The very spicy yellow flowers brighten up summer salads. It is said that bitter tea made from winter cress can improve appetite, cure coughs & purify the blood. Sow in place from March to September. Very hardy, overwinters without protection.
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NEW Amaranth, Mix (Amaranthus hypochondriacus)
Annual. Full sun. Burgundy, bronze, golden and red flower heads, purple and green leaves. The leaves have a mild nutty flavor, and are great raw or steamed. Seed will ripen in late summer or early fall, and is easily harvested by rubbing the flower heads between your hands over a bucket or tray.
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NEW Bean, Broad, 5B’s Choice (Vicia faba)
‘Fava Bean’. Full sun. 75-85 days when sown in the spring, or 6 months if sown in fall. This variety produces enormous 12in long pods on tall busy plants. We like to sow ours in November for an early June crop. They produce early and are of the first real crops of Spring. The plump green bean seeds are very delicious when shucked and stir fried for a few minutes in olive oil. We like to add a bit of chopped mint and fresh chevre! 25 seeds.
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Kale, Red Russian (Brassica napus)
50 days. A year-round staple on the farm. Tolerates temps down to -12C and gets sweeter with frost. We enjoy this highly nutritious vegetable fresh in salads, steamed, added to curries and casseroles & even juiced! The delectable young flower shoots have the texture of broccoli or asparagus and are great raw or cooked. Sow seeds in Spring, and again in Summer for a Fall/Winter crop.
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Lettuce, Continuity (Lactuca sativa)
55 days. ‘Marvel of the Four Seasons’. By far our favorite lettuce, Continuity has been adapted to Ravenhill for well over a decade. Vigorous growth, disease resistance, great hardiness. Ruffles of bronze-red tinted leaves encase large light green heads, measuring 8 – 12” across. Tender and crisp! This French Heirloom has been available since the 1880’s.
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NEW Orach (Atriplex hortensis)
40 days. Full sun. 6 feet tall in bloom. Warm weather salad green with tasty bright magenta leaves that are very striking in salads, and are also great cooked. Sometimes called ‘mountain spinach’. Plants are very ornamental in the garden. Well adapted to the West Coast and very easy to grow.
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NEW Pea, Brazilian Snow (Pisum sativum)
65 days. The edible pods are very large and stay sweet and tender over a long harvest period. Beautiful pink and purple pea flowers are a delight in the garden. These vigorous and productive plants can grow up to six feet tall and require a trellis.
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NEW Pea, Green Arrow (Pisum sativum)
65 days. We have tried many shelling pea varieties over the years and this is by far our favourite. The peas are amazingly sweet and tender, everything you could hope for flavour in a garden fresh pea. The perfect snack when out weeding the garden. The vines grow to 5 or 6ft and need a trellis for support. We have experienced great yields with this variety!
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Poppyseed Poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Annual. Showy flowers in combos of white, red, purple, and pink. Seed heads are very lovely and decorative when dry. Grows 1.5ft wide and up to 5ft tall. Very striking in the garden planted in groups. Seeds are abundant and easily harvested as a grain crop for use in baking. Plant throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall. Fall sowings will overwinter.
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Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
Perennial. Young leaves have a light cucumber flavour and can be added to salads, soups, dips and dressings. Salad burnet has the same medicinal properties as Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis), and so is astringent and tonic. A member of the Rose family, the plants grow a nice tidy and dense basal rosette of leaves. Plants hold up in heat well but grow more succulent leaves with a little moisture.
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Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius)
Biennial. ‘Oyster root’. Full sun. The root is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable, it is high in inulin, helping to keep blood sugar levels stable. The young shoots with flower buds are cooked and eaten like asparagus. The striking purple flowers can be added to salads. Salsify has beneficial medicinal properties aiding the liver and gall bladder, acts as a diuretic, appetite stimulant and digestive aid.
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Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Perennial. Part-sun. Lovely lemony, tart leaves are wonderful fresh in salads or added to soups or sauces. Plants begin producing tender new leaves in early spring and continue until they bloom in midsummer. Once cut back the plants will re-grow for a fall/winter crop. Sorrel is very high in carotenoids, magnesium, iron, and vitamins C & A.
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NEW Tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa)
70 days. Full sun. 3 feet wide and tall. Perfect for making salsa verde. Tomato-like apple-green fruits ripen to fill their papery coverings. The flavour is like a cross between an lime and a tomato. Delicious roasted. paper coverings. Far easier to grow and immeasurably more productive than tomatoes. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Best of All (Solanum lycopersicum)
75 days. Full Sun. If you are looking for a mid-sized salad tomato with great flavour and texture for fresh eating, then the name says it all. The plants were very productive, producing more than other varieties we have tried. The bright red fruits are smooth skinned, blemish free, and crack resistant. This really is a perfect little tomato! Semi-determinate plants. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Black Cherry (Solanum lycopersicum)
65 days. Full Sun. Mid-sized cherry tomato with a great full flavour. A great variety for the west coast. Not overly sweet. The fruits ripen to a nice dark maroon and burgundy colour. A great market garden tomato that produces late into the season. Indeterminate. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Black Krim (Solanum lycopersicum)
80 days. Striking Russian heirloom tomato that is a deep dark red with brown and green shoulder. Large tomatoes, very juicy inside with great texture. A wonderful slicing tomato that is rich, smoky and sweet in flavour. Plants are indeterminate and vigourous. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Flamme (Solanum lycopersicum)
70 days. Full sun. French heirloom. Very lovely mid-sized salad tomatoes are sweet and fruity. Primarily golden orange in colour with beautiful pink and yellow gradations inside and out. Medium-tall indeterminate variety. Highly recommended. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Gardener’s Delight (Solanum lycopersicum)
65 days. Full sun. Heirloom cherry tomato with bright-red, tasty, bite-sized fruit. Very productive vines. Great garden snacking. Our favourite red cherry tomato variety. Indeterminate. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Green Grape (Solanum lycopersicum)
65 days. Full sun. These unique extra large cherry tomatoes are green with yellow and gold highlights when fully ripe. Flavour is excellent, rich, sweet and zingy. Slightly elongated like the shape of a grape. Determinate. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Green Zebra (Solanum lycopersicum)
75 days. Full sun. Ripe fruits are bright green with yellow stripes. Very rich tasting, sweet with a slightly tart bite to it. Very unique tomatoes are fun to grow and show off to friends and family. Indeterminate. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Polish Linguisa (Solanum lycopersicum)
75 days. Full sun. An heirloom variety from New York state dating back to the 1800′s. Large paste tomato, great for soups and sauces. One of the best tasting paste tomatoes, great for fresh eating too. Very unique shape resemble peppers more than tomatoes. Indeterminate. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Red Currant (Solanum pimpinellifolium)
65 days. Full sun. A super sweet and tasty treat. Profuse clusters of tiny currant-sized tomatoes all season long. Can be supported like other vining tomatoes, left to sprawl or be grown in hanging baskets. Shorter indeterminate variety. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Yellow Currant (Solanum pimpinellifolium)
65 days. Full sun. A super sweet and tasty treat. Profuse clusters of tiny currant-sized tomatoes all season long. Can be supported like other vining tomatoes, left to sprawl or be grown in hanging baskets. Shorter indeterminate variety. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Yellow Brandywine (Solanum lycopersicum)
80 days. Full Sun. Heirloom. Large yellow beefsteak variety. Superbly rich and delicious-tasting, large and juicy fruit. Needs heat and full season to ripen, but they are well worth the wait. Potato-leaf variety. Indeterminate. 20+ seeds.
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NEW Tomato, Yellow Perfection (Solanum lycopersicum)
70 days. Full sun. An old British heirloom variety, an early and prolific cropper. Smooth round golden yellow 2″ fruits with excellent flavour. Low acid variety. Potato-leaf foliage. Indeterminate. 20+ seeds.