Absorbing much of my time throughout January is a diligent search through the new seed catalogues as I seek out the unique, the new, and possible varieties for comparison with current longtime favourites among the vegetable, flower and herb listings.
Because I grow a hefty number of plants from seed each year, and do a great deal of variety comparing among the different catalogues, I find the print catalogues to be most convenient. For example, comparing Brussels sprouts or petunia listings from catalogue to catalogue is made easy by having the relevant pages open across my desk.
The same exercise is much more cumbersome with online catalogues. I do understand, however, the move of some seed companies to online catalogues only, for speed and efficiency and also for economic and environmental reasons.
Most people apparently order online. Dan Jason of Salt Spring Seeds tells me that fewer than 100 of his customers order by Canada Post while more than 1,000 order online.
Three local seed companies — Salt Spring Seeds, Full Circle Seeds, and Brother Nature Seeds — have gone online, though Salt Spring Seeds does mail out a printed seed list and order form to people who are not comfortable with online payment and prefer ordering by regular mail. All three companies offer the option to pay with a mailed cheque.
All these sources grow their own organic, open-pollinated seeds on local farms. Their websites are well worth visiting and all of them attend Seedy Saturday events, where you can meet the company owners and purchase their seeds.
Salt Spring Seeds. This is an excellent local source for many kinds of bean and grain seeds. The quinoa and amaranth listings are followed by several recipes using either in tabouleh, puddings and stir-fry dishes. Both plants produce large quantities of highly nutritious seeds that can be enjoyed in many ways.
Here you’ll find seeds for Purple Cape cauliflower, a reliable and delicious winter cauliflower. Salt Spring’s Sweet Hardy Kale practically leapt out of the ground last year, to produce broad, sturdy bushes that remain remarkably productive of thick yet tender leaves. This is an heirloom kale from Prince Rupert.
The site lists Mouse Melon, also known as Cucamelon, a vining plant that produces loads of tiny fruits like miniature watermelons. They taste like cucumber with hints of lime. The tiny fruits are handy snacks and good in salads, stir-fry dishes and salsa. I can see how these unusual wee edibles could become a popular treat for children.
Full Circle Seeds. Based out of ALM Organic farm in Sooke, Full Circle Seeds offers many interesting listings. I’m attracted to Angry Sea, a red leaf lettuce with deep mahogany leaf edges and bright green centres. Angry Sea is described as an all-season lettuce with a pleasingly crunchy texture.
Paul Robeson is a black Russian heirloom tomato with a memorably smoky-sweet flavour. Full Circle lists miner’s lettuce, a juicy-sweet green leafy vegetable native to western North America. A patch of these greens can be kept growing from year to year by letting them self-sow along a plot edge.
Brother Nature Seeds. A Saanich farm produces these seeds. Last year, I bought a Jeweled Wonder nasturtium mixture from the Brother Nature booth at my local Seedy Saturday. The blooms turned out to be an enchanting mix of unusual colours and colour blends. The website lists the rarely seen Glass Gem, an ornamental corn with glassy, many-coloured kernels. The ears are used for ornament and crafts, the dried kernels for cornmeal or popcorn.
There are several lovely peony poppy (Papaver somniferum) varieties, including a frilly confection called Black Swan Lace. New on the site is Carnival de Venezia, an annual morning glory with gorgeous blooms in pink, purple or blue striping on white. Also listed are Walking Stick Cabbage and Trailing Snapdragon.
GARDEN EVENTS
Floral arts. The Victoria Floral Artists Guild meets Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. in the Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave. The theme is Gift and Grab 2.0 with members being given a mini floral tattoo with an explanation and discussion of the design. Guest fee of $5 can be applied to membership. New members welcome. victoriafloralartists.ca.
Qualicum meeting. The Qualicum Beach Garden Club will meets Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., in the Q.B. Civic Centre, 747 Jones St. Gordon Mackay will discuss the winter pruning of fruit trees. Doors open at 7. Guest fee $3.
