{"title":"Fruits \u0026 Vegetables","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e1k = 1,000 seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"semences-tomate-cerise-sweetie-biologiques","title":"Sweetie Cherry Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the very rare open-pollinated cherry tomatoes that can seriously rival the famous super-sweet hybrids of the modern seed industry. Where most ultra-sweet cherry tomatoes (Sweet Million, Sun Gold, Sweet 100) are patented hybrids whose seeds you can't save, the Sweetie offers exactly the same virtues — high sugar content (10-12% Brix, two to three times that of a standard table tomato), generous production, crack resistance, exceptional vigour — while remaining open-pollinated, meaning you can save the seeds year after year and get the same variety reliably.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn indeterminate plant that can reach 1.8 to 2.5 m in full season — stake it firmly. Spectacular clusters of 8-12 small bright-red fruits, nearly round, 2-3 cm in diameter, that ripen together in cascades; a whole cluster often makes a pretty serving on its own, served as-is on a cheese board, in a miniature caprese salad, or just for grazing while walking through the garden. Round, intensely sweet, almost candied flavour, with just enough acidity to stay balanced — kids love them, adults too, and visitors often leave with their hands full. Excellent cooked as well: slow-roasted in the oven with olive oil, garlic and thyme for jarred preserves; dehydrated for intensely sweet concentrated tomatoes; or simply burst in a pan with pasta for a quick sauce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, at 22-25 °C, under generous light. Transplant by burying the stem up to the first leaves. As an indeterminate plant, suckering (removing the shoots that emerge in the leaf axils) helps concentrate energy into the main clusters and keeps the plant manageable — but with a variety this productive, don't sucker too severely or you'll lose interesting clusters. Sturdy staking is essential: a loaded plant in full season can easily weigh several kilograms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Comes true from seed. Self-pollinating; low crossing risk.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 1.8-2.5 m. Indeterminate plant; sturdy staking and suckering recommended.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 65-75 days after transplant. Continuous production until frost.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, sheltered from wind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained soil. Space plants 60 cm apart. Mulching recommended to stabilize moisture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all frost risk has passed and the soil reaches at least 15 °C (late May\/early June in Québec).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41811995033772,"sku":"GC-O-TOMSWE-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"100 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41811995066540,"sku":"GC-O-TOMSWE-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"500 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41812004044972,"sku":"GC-O-TOMSWE-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2.5k Pre-purchase","offer_id":42237511729324,"sku":"GC-O-TOMSWE-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/sweeties.jpg?v=1664221146"},{"product_id":"semences-carotte-nantaise-sans-coeur-ancestrale","title":"Nantes Coreless Heirloom Carrot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaucus carota subsp. sativus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most famous orange carrots in the world, and arguably the French variety par excellence. Originally from the Nantes region in the Pays de la Loire, where market gardeners in the 19th century selected a carrot type perfectly suited to the sandy soils of the Loire estuary — short, straight, cylindrical, blunt at both ends, with smooth tender skin. The \"Coreless\" (\u003cem\u003eSans Cœur\u003c\/em\u003e) variant is a modern improvement on the traditional line, selected to minimize as far as possible the more fibrous, less sweet central core most carrots carry, until it becomes practically indistinguishable from the surrounding flesh. The result: a carrot nearly uniform in texture, sweet right through the core, tender from tip to top.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoots 15-20 cm long, straight and cylindrical, with vivid bright-orange skin and fine, juicy flesh — particularly sweet and crisp. The perfect carrot when texture matters: eaten raw in sticks, finely grated into a Dijon-style \u003cem\u003ecarotte râpée\u003c\/em\u003e (carrot + mustard vinaigrette + parsley), butter-glazed with a touch of maple syrup as a delicate garnish, or harvested young as \"baby carrots\" for hors d'oeuvres. Excellent steamed too, in a whole bunch with the green tops trimmed short — the classic French bistro presentation. A particularly subtle and refined flavour that has made it, for 150 years, the favourite of cooks who pay attention to detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nantaise loves sandy or loamy soils — light, deep — its straight cylindrical shape doesn't forgive stony or compacted ground, which makes it fork or deform. For heavy soils, loosen deeply (30 cm), add sand and compost, or opt for well-prepared raised beds. Like all carrots, slow germination (14-21 days) — keep moist until emergence. For particularly tender, sweet roots, harvest before full maturity: Nantaise carrots at 12-15 cm taste better than those left to grow to maximum size, which can develop a slight fibrousness at the end of their cycle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial — flowering only occurs in the second year (overwinter for seed production).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30-40 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 65-75 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, deep soil (25-30 cm), sandy to loamy, free of stones or fresh manure. Thin to 5 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (late April\/early May in Québec), in successive rows every 3-4 weeks until mid-July to stretch the harvest. A late sowing in late July is possible for fall harvest and winter storage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"2k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41641961586860,"sku":"GC-O-CARCOR-2000","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"10k Pre-purchase","offer_id":38053787500716,"sku":"GC-O-CARCOR-4K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41641961619628,"sku":"GC-O-CARCOR-20K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250k Pre-purchase","offer_id":42181011374252,"sku":"GC-O-CARCOR-100K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/nantes.jpg?v=1664221221"},{"product_id":"semences-courgette-ete-zucchini-verte-foncee-ancestrale","title":"Dark Green Heirloom Zucchini","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic Italian summer squash — the one everyone recognizes, the shiny dark-green cylinder synonymous with the North American summer garden. A genetic cousin of the native North American squashes (crookneck, Jack O' Lantern and Sugar Pie pumpkins, English vegetable marrow, Delicata), the modern zucchini is in fact a relatively recent Italian creation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the species \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e is native to the Americas (domesticated by Indigenous peoples 5,000 to 8,000 years ago), it was in northern Italy, in the Milan region, that 19th-century market gardeners selected the first truly cylindrical and compact forms meant to be picked very young. The Italian word \u003cem\u003ezucchini\u003c\/em\u003e is the plural diminutive of \u003cem\u003ezucca\u003c\/em\u003e (\"squash\") — a marker of that lineage. These Italian varieties travelled to North America with the wave of Italian immigration in the early 20th century; before 1920, the zucchini was practically unknown in America. British English uses \u003cem\u003ecourgette\u003c\/em\u003e (the French diminutive of \"courge\"), while North American English adopted the Italo-anglicism \u003cem\u003ezucchini\u003c\/em\u003e — two words for the same variety, witnesses to distinct migration routes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compact, sturdy plant 60-90 cm tall, well-held in a bushy habit (not vining like the winter squashes), with large dark-green leaves and the orange-yellow flowers characteristic of the species. Production is particularly abundant: a single plant in good form can yield 25-40 fruits over the season, which ripen within a few days and demand daily attention. Straight cylindrical fruits, 15-25 cm long when picked at the ideal stage, with smooth uniform dark-green skin sometimes striped with paler tones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarvest IMPERATIVELY young, at 15-20 cm long — beyond that, the flesh turns mealy, the seeds harden and the flavour fades. (Don't forget: a single forgotten fruit growing to club size dramatically slows production of the next ones.) Classic zucchini flavour: mild, fresh, lightly nutty, with melting flesh and small tender seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA thousand Italian-Mediterranean uses: pan-sautéed with garlic and Genoese basil; grilled in half-rounds on the barbecue; as \u003cem\u003ezucchini fritters\u003c\/em\u003e (cakes with Parmesan, egg and herbs); in \u003cem\u003epasta primavera\u003c\/em\u003e; in Provençal \u003cem\u003eratatouille\u003c\/em\u003e; grated raw in a salad with lemon and mint; or stuffed and baked with ground meat and rice (the Italian classic \u003cem\u003ezucchini ripieni\u003c\/em\u003e). The male yellow flowers are also highly prized — stuffed with ricotta and fried as fritters (\u003cem\u003efiori di zucca\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Start indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow in early June once the soil has warmed to 18 °C. Like all \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e already described, vulnerable to the squash vine borer (\u003cem\u003eMelittia cucurbitae\u003c\/em\u003e) — same prevention advice as given for the Jack O' Lantern pumpkin and the Crookneck. Space plants 90 cm to 1 m apart: bushy habit notwithstanding, the plants take up considerable ground in full season. Harvest every two days in full season, ideally in the morning. The flowers open for a single morning then close; for cooking, pick the male flowers (those with a thin stem and no swelling at the base) early in the morning and use them the same day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Italian heritage variety. Annual. Monoecious; bee-pollinated, so it crosses with other \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e (crookneck, pumpkins, vegetable marrow, Delicata, scallop squashes) — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60-90 cm, bushy habit.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 45-55 days after transplant for the first fruits.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, warmth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery rich, well-drained, warm soil. Generous compost at planting. Space plants 90 cm to 1 m apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow early June in Québec once the soil reaches 18 °C. Harvest every 2 days, at 15-20 cm long.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":41398148235436,"sku":"GC-H-SQUDAR-40","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":41398148268204,"sku":"GC-H-SQUDAR-200","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":44169099870380,"sku":"GC-H-SQUDAR-1000","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/zucchini.jpg?v=1664221334"},{"product_id":"semences-carotte-yellowstone-biologiques","title":"Yellowstone Carrot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaucus carota subsp. sativus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the Dutch fixed orange as the universal colour of the carrot in the 17th century — in tribute, it is said, to the House of Orange-Nassau — the carrots of the world were mostly yellow, white or purple. The Yellowstone is a luminous return to those roots: a long tapered root 20-25 cm, with smooth skin and brilliant canary-yellow flesh that holds its colour even after cooking. A modern variety, it combines the hardiness of the old yellow lines with the consistent form expected of a serious garden carrot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe flesh is crisp, juicy, and remarkably sweet — less earthy, less \"carroty\" than the classic orange varieties, which often makes it a gateway for reluctant kids. Magnificent raw in sticks, sublime roasted in the oven where the sugar caramelizes and reveals almost floral notes; it also brings a graphic touch to soups, gratins, roasted vegetable medleys and pickling jars. Excellent keeper in the root cellar under damp sand, or in cold storage all winter long.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Carrots are slow to germinate (14-21 days) and hate the soil crust that forms after a heavy rain — the young shoot can't break through. Sow shallow (1 cm maximum), water in a fine mist, and cover the row with a board or floating cover to keep moisture in until emergence. Above all, no fresh manure, and deeply loosened soil with no stones: the slightest obstruction makes the root fork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial: flowering only occurs in the second year (overwinter for seed production).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30-40 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 70-75 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, deep soil (at least 25 cm), sandy to loamy, free of stones and free of fresh manure. Thin to 5 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (late April\/early May in Québec). A second sowing in July is possible for fall harvest and winter storage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Dam Seeds","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":38053802541228,"sku":"GC-O-CARYS-40","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"200","offer_id":41389324796076,"sku":"GC-O-CARYS-200","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42088788623532,"sku":"GC-O-CARYS-1000","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42088788656300,"sku":"GC-O-CARYS-5000","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"25000","offer_id":42088788689068,"sku":"GC-O-CARYS-25000","price":99.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/yellowstone_bba7d254-21c1-43ac-8b46-ebe58beda2bc.jpg?v=1698701265"},{"product_id":"semences-haricot-buisson-blue-lake-biologique","title":"Blue Lake Bush Bean","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhaseolus vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe North American gold standard for the green bean. The Blue Lake line takes its name from a region in northern California, where it was selected at the turn of the 20th century for its perfectly straight, round, stringless pods in glossy dark green. The dwarf, or Bush, version appeared in the 1960s for gardeners who didn't want to put up stakes — all the character and flavour of the original line, but on a compact 40-50 cm plant that stands up on its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pod is tender, meaty, mild, almost sweet at full maturity, and holds a firm texture when cooked — a quality that made it the darling of the canning industry for decades. In the garden, it produces in a concentrated wave, convenient if you want to blanch and freeze a big harvest at once, or do old-fashioned canning. For fresh table use, spread your sowings instead over 4-6 weeks — a new row every two weeks — and you'll eat fresh beans from July through September.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e The bean hates cold and damp — sown too early in a chilly soil, it rots before it germinates. Wait until the soil is genuinely warmed (15 °C minimum, generally late May in Québec). As a legume, it fixes its own nitrogen through symbiotic bacteria — no need to fertilize with nitrogen, you'd just get lots of foliage and few pods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Largely self-pollinating; few crossing concerns between varieties.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 40-50 cm. No staking needed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 55-60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Avoid excess nitrogen. Space plants 10 cm apart in the row, 50 cm between rows.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow once the soil has warmed (late May to early June in Québec). To spread the harvest, sow again every two weeks until mid-July.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42540382486700,"sku":"GC-O-BEABUG-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42540382519468,"sku":"GC-O-BEABUG-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42540382552236,"sku":"GC-O-BEABUG-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":42540382585004,"sku":"GC-O-BEABUG-2500","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/bushbeano_0df959a4-082e-419e-ba88-c9843e1758b6.jpg?v=1698701208"},{"product_id":"semences-tomate-poire-rouge-biologiques","title":"Red Pear Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolanum lycopersicum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmall firm sweet pear-shaped tomatoes!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndeterminate plant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduces fruits up to ~20+ grams in ~70 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"High Mowing","offers":[{"title":"50 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41393561698476,"sku":"GC-O-TOMRP-40","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41393561731244,"sku":"GC-O-TOMRP-200","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1.25k Pre-purchase","offer_id":42171196276908,"sku":"GC-O-TOMRP-1000","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/redpear.jpg?v=1664221148"},{"product_id":"semences-piment-habanero-orange-ancestral","title":"Orange Habanero Heirloom Pepper","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapsicum chinense.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe orange Habanero offers a cap-shaped fruit that adds plenty of heat to your dishes!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScoville scale: ~100,000-250,000 SHU.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrows in ~80 days (green) and ~100 days (fully ripe).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42595148988588,"sku":"JV-A-PIMHOR-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42595149021356,"sku":"JV-A-PIMHOR-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42595149054124,"sku":"JV-A-PIMHOR-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2500","offer_id":43181866451116,"sku":"JV-A-PIMHOR-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/magnumhabanero_c2c0fc74-a58d-4740-8b3f-a80968479b58.jpg?v=1698701478"},{"product_id":"semences-tomate-moskvich-biologiques","title":"Moskvich Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolanum lycopersicum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduces delicious round dark-red tomatoes!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSemi-determinate plant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery crack-resistant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduces fruits up to ~150-175 grams in ~60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"High Mowing","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":41389095911596,"sku":"GC-O-TOMMOS-40","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":41389095944364,"sku":"GC-O-TOMMOS-200","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42119840170156,"sku":"GC-O-TOMMOS-1000","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/moskvich_98e6719a-5ee8-4c3c-87e0-e5b532a39deb.jpg?v=1664221139"},{"product_id":"semences-fenouil-biologiques","title":"Florence Fennel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFoeniculum vulgare var. azoricum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Mediterranean plant of mythological antiquity. Ancient Greece loved it so much that the very name of the city of Marathon — site of the famous battle of 490 BCE — comes from the Greek \u003cem\u003emarathos\u003c\/em\u003e, \"fennel,\" because the plain where the Greeks and Persians clashed was covered in it. Mythology also tells that Prometheus stole fire from the gods by hiding it in a hollow fennel stalk before bringing it to humans — the plant has therefore symbolized, from its mythical origins, strength, courage and the transmission of knowledge. Roman gladiators ate it to toughen up before combat, and physicians of every tradition — from Dioscorides' \u003cem\u003eDe Materia Medica\u003c\/em\u003e to Indian Ayurveda — credited it with digestive and galactogenic virtues that modern science largely validates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Florentine variety, \u003cem\u003efinocchio\u003c\/em\u003e in Italian, is cultivated for its meaty heart — a \"false bulb\" formed by the widened, overlapping bases of the petioles, crunchy, pearly white, juicy, with a fresh anise flavour that recalls licorice without the sugar. Magnificent raw in a salad, finely sliced on a mandoline with blood orange, black olives and olive oil (the great Sicilian winter classic), oven-roasted in caramelized quarters, braised whole in chicken broth with Parmesan, folded into Marseille bouillabaisse, or simply slipped in slices into a sandwich for the crunch and freshness. The frond of fine plumed leaves crowning the bulb is also edible and precious — chop it like dill onto fish, into a green sauce, or as a soothing tea after a too-rich meal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fennel doesn't like heat and hates being moved. In Québec, the strategy that works best is direct-sowing in late June for a fall harvest — summer heat inevitably bolts spring sowings before the bulb forms properly. If you absolutely want to start indoors, use biodegradable pots (3-4 weeks maximum, no more, to avoid root shock) and transplant as soon as possible. Loose, deep, rich soil kept constantly moist — water stress during bulb formation turns it fibrous and bitter. Harvest the bulb before hard frosts, cutting it off at ground level — the root left in place sometimes regrows in fine shoots usable as young leaves for salads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial grown as an annual. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other nearby fennels and with its wild cousin — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30-50 cm for the bulb, up to 1.5 m if allowed to flower.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 80-100 days after sowing for the full bulb.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, deep, rich, constantly moist soil. Thin to 25-30 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow in late June in Québec for fall harvest (the most reliable strategy), or a very short indoor start (3-4 weeks) in biodegradable pots if a summer harvest is wanted.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"1k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41714935267500,"sku":"GC-O-FENNEL-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5k Pre-purchase","offer_id":39344966959276,"sku":"GC-O-FENNEL-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41714935300268,"sku":"GC-O-FENNEL-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"125k Pre-purchase","offer_id":42161005822124,"sku":"GC-O-FENNEL-25K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/fennel.jpg?v=1698701339"},{"product_id":"semences-chou-kale-vert-lacinato-ecologiques","title":"Lacinato Kale (Cavolo Nero)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea var. palmifolia.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic Italian kale — native to Tuscany and inseparable from the peasant cuisine of that region, still today a pillar of Tuscan gastronomic identity on par with olive oil and pecorino. Known under several names that say a lot about its personality: \u003cem\u003eCavolo Nero\u003c\/em\u003e (\"black cabbage\" in Italian, in reference to the very dark colour of its leaves), \u003cem\u003eNero di Toscana\u003c\/em\u003e (\"black of Tuscany,\" the traditional provincial name), or in English \u003cem\u003eDinosaur Kale\u003c\/em\u003e (\"dinosaur kale,\" because of the bumpy leaf texture that recalls the skin of a great reptile).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDifferent from the Scottish Dwarf Curled Scotch curly kale and the Siberian Red Russian kale, this is the Mediterranean representative — with long flat leaves rather than curly or oak-shaped. The botanical epithet \u003cem\u003epalmifolia\u003c\/em\u003e means \"palm-leaved\" — an evocation of the elegant silhouette of the long, slightly wavy leaves that give the plant its remarkable architectural habit in the garden, often compared to a small dwarf palm or a miniature sequoia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn upright, palm-tree-shaped plant 60-90 cm tall, forming an open rosette of long oblong leaves 30-40 cm long, narrow, dark green almost blue-tinged, with an intensely bumpy puckered surface — like embossed leather. Leaf texture particularly tender and silky when cooked — probably the most delicate kale on the palate, without the marked bitterness of the European curly kales or the tough midribs of some other cabbages. Round, sweet flavour, lightly nutty, with an earthy-mineral finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pillar of traditional Tuscan cuisine: \u003cem\u003eribollita\u003c\/em\u003e (literally \"reboiled\"), the great peasant soup where cavolo nero simmers at length with white \u003cem\u003ecannellini\u003c\/em\u003e beans, stale bread, onions, garlic, olive oil and tomatoes — a dish originally designed to use up yesterday's leftovers, and now one of Italy's culinary treasures; \u003cem\u003ezuppa toscana\u003c\/em\u003e (a kale, Italian-sausage and potato soup, popularized outside Italy by American restaurant chains but authentically Tuscan in origin); alongside \u003cem\u003ecinghiale\u003c\/em\u003e (Tuscan wild boar) sausages; on \u003cem\u003ecrostini\u003c\/em\u003e spread with lardo and garlic (the \u003cem\u003ecrostini neri\u003c\/em\u003e); quickly sautéed with garlic, olive oil and chili; as kale chips in the oven; or massaged raw with lemon for a tender salad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Exactly the same methods as for the other kales already described in our pages. Extremely cold-hardy: withstands frosts of −10 °C without trouble and often overwinters under a good snow cover in Québec. The first autumn frosts further sweeten the flavour by converting starches to sugars — a Lacinato in October-November is plant candy. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting (mid-March for summer and fall harvest), or direct-sow late May to late June for fall and winter harvest. Harvest by taking the outer leaves as needed — the plant keeps growing from the heart and produces fresh leaves all season. Sensitive to the cabbage worm like all brassicas — insect netting is useful from transplanting on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Italian heritage variety. Biennial: flowers in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with all other \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, curly kale, etc.) — isolate for seed saving. Does NOT cross with Red Russian Kale (different species, \u003cem\u003eB. napus\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60-90 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 60-75 days for mature leaves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade accepted in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Space plants 45-50 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors in mid-March for summer harvest, or direct-sow late May to late June for fall and winter harvest. Withstands frosts to −10 °C and beyond; overwinters under good snow cover.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":39437258260652,"sku":"GC-O-KALLAC-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":39437258293420,"sku":"GC-O-KALLAC-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":39437258326188,"sku":"GC-O-KALLAC-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":41966626635948,"sku":"GC-O-KALLAC-25K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/lacinato_81565b93-a3ca-4af0-b2af-d6263f3451b7.jpg?v=1698701365"},{"product_id":"semences-roquette-arugula-ecologiques","title":"Arugula (Rocket)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEruca vesicaria ssp. sativa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe salad herb of the Romans, and one of the most ancient cultivated greens of the Mediterranean. Arugula is mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder, Virgil (in his poem \u003cem\u003eMoretum\u003c\/em\u003e) and Ovid — all three describing it as a stimulating plant with aphrodisiac properties; a reputation that modern science does not support, but which reportedly had it banned from the gardens of certain medieval monasteries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNative to the Mediterranean basin and more specifically to the Italian peninsula, arugula belongs to the great Brassica family (alongside mustard, cabbage, broccoli and rapini — its characteristic pungent flavour shares the same \u003cem\u003eisothiocyanate\u003c\/em\u003e chemistry). The names it carries across languages tell a story of fragmented European spread: \u003cem\u003erucola\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003erughetta\u003c\/em\u003e in Italian, \u003cem\u003erocket\u003c\/em\u003e in British English, \u003cem\u003earugula\u003c\/em\u003e in American English (brought late by Italian immigration to the United States), \u003cem\u003eroquette\u003c\/em\u003e in metropolitan and North American French. Long shunned by European bourgeois cuisine in favour of milder lettuces, it underwent a spectacular renaissance starting in the 1980s and '90s with the fashion for \"Italian salads\" and the return to favour of bold flavours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn open-rosette plant 40-50 cm tall at full maturity (but harvested far younger for the tender leaves), with distinctly lobed and divided leaves that recall a miniature oak — a beautiful vivid green. If allowed to flower, the white-yellow blossoms veined with fine purple lines are themselves edible, lightly pungent, and beautiful scattered on a salad — a little luxury to discover when you can't harvest your whole row in time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClassic arugula flavour: pungent, peppery, distinctly nutty, with a pleasant touch of bitterness. The pungency rises noticeably with the plant's age and heat (a gardener's secret: spring arugula is mildest, summer arugula is the most biting, and autumn arugula is the most fragrant).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA thousand Mediterranean uses: a simple salad with olive-oil-and-lemon vinaigrette; a crown on pizza margherita after baking (never before — heat wilts it instantly); on butter-and-Parmesan pasta; on raw-beef carpaccio with Parmesan shavings; in \u003cem\u003ebruschetta\u003c\/em\u003e; in prosciutto-and-cheese sandwiches; or as a basil alternative for pesto (arugula pesto with walnuts and pecorino — the pungent variant of the authentic Genoese pesto already described in our pages). Also excellent cooked — briefly sautéed with garlic like a miniature spinach, added at the end of cooking to a cream-of-potato soup, or melted into a runny omelette.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Arugula is one of the fastest and easiest plants in the garden — 30-45 days from sowing to harvest, making it the impatient gardener's friend. Direct-sow only (it hates being moved), as soon as the soil can be worked in spring (mid-April in Québec), at 1 cm deep, in a continuous row. Stagger sowings every 2 weeks until late August for a continuous harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWATCH OUT: arugula bolts quickly in summer heat (above 24 °C); for summer cultivation, choose a partly shaded spot or use a shade cloth. Harvest by cutting the outer leaves (\u003cem\u003ecut-and-come-again\u003c\/em\u003e) — the plant regrows several times. If you let it flower and seed, it self-seeds abundantly and will return naturally in following years, especially in the less-cultivated corners of the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike all Brassicas already described, susceptible to the cabbage worm and the flea beetle (a small beetle that riddles the leaves with tiny holes) — insect netting is useful in hot climates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Mediterranean heritage variety. Annual. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other \u003cem\u003eEruca\u003c\/em\u003e (rare) — isolate for seed saving. Self-seeds abundantly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 40-50 cm at full maturity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 30-45 days after sowing for young tender leaves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade essential in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, well-drained, moderately rich, neutral soil. Thin to 10-15 cm in the row.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow mid-April to late August in Québec; stagger sowings every 2 weeks for continuous harvest. Tolerates light autumn frosts well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42061533020332,"sku":"GC-O-ARUGUL-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42061533053100,"sku":"GC-O-ARUGUL-1K","price":2.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":39442397593772,"sku":"GC-O-ARUGUL-5K","price":8.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"25000","offer_id":44300245369004,"sku":"GC-O-ARUGUL-25K","price":24.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/arugulav_9375ef01-cb4f-48cf-b21a-66c0aaf6740e.jpg?v=1698701182"},{"product_id":"semences-celeri-rave-giant-prague-ancestral","title":"Giant Prague Heirloom Celeriac","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eApium graveolens var. rapaceum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most unjustly snubbed vegetable of the North American garden — and yet one of the most delicious and useful, and one of the great forgotten stars of Central European and French cooking. Under its alien-looking knobby, bearded exterior, celeriac hides a white flesh of exceptional flavour: at once that of common celery (since it's the same species, \u003cem\u003eApium graveolens\u003c\/em\u003e) and a deeper character, lightly nutty, almost perfumed. The Giant Prague variety (introduced in 1871) takes its name from the Czech capital and is a marker of celeriac's ancient importance in Bohemian and Germanic cooking, where it has gone for centuries into the great winter soups, the simmered \u003cem\u003egulasch\u003c\/em\u003e stews and the root purées that form the backbone of Central European peasant fare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn France, it's the star ingredient of \u003cem\u003ecéleri rémoulade\u003c\/em\u003e, that Parisian bistro classic: raw celeriac grated into fine julienne, bound with a mustardy mayonnaise — served year-round as aperitif, starter or cold-meat side. The wild ancestor, marsh celery (\u003cem\u003esmallage\u003c\/em\u003e), still grows along European coasts and was already mentioned by Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder; through patient selection by medieval Italian and French gardeners, the modern cultivated forms were extracted — first stalk celery, then around the 16th century the bulbous-rooted celeriac.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA modest plant, 30-40 cm tall, with dark-green celery foliage (usable as a herb in the same way as regular celery leaf), which forms at the base a big, rough, irregular ball studded with little side roots — 10-15 cm across at full maturity (a fine specimen can weigh 800 g to 1.5 kg). Cream-pearly white flesh under brown skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCooked, the texture turns melting like a potato, the flavour rounds out and loses any potential bitterness. Cubed in soups and cream soups (a celeriac-apple-thyme velouté is a revelation for anyone who's never tried it), puréed on its own or fifty-fifty with potato, in a gratin with cream and nutmeg, roasted in oven quarters with olive oil, garlic and herbs, in homemade fries cut into sticks, or raw, finely grated as rémoulade. Excellent too in \u003cem\u003emirepoix\u003c\/em\u003e — it replaces or complements the classic celery in the foundational French aromatic base (onion, carrot, celery).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Celeriac is one of the most demanding vegetables to start, with a very long season that often outstrips the patience of the novice gardener. Start indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost — from late February for a mid-May transplant. Seeds are tiny and slow to germinate (14-21 days), and germinate in light: don't cover them with soil, just press them into the surface. Keep the medium constantly moist through germination and the first growth phase. Transplant once all frost risk has passed, into a very rich soil that is particularly cool in water — celeriac needs constant moisture all season. To get well-rounded rather than fibrous roots, hill the base lightly mid-season and avoid all water stress. Harvest at full maturity before hard frost, but celeriacs left in the ground a little past the first light frosts develop even better flavour (the starches partly convert to sugars). Excellent storage: 4-6 months in a cold, humid root cellar (0-2 °C, 90-95% humidity).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Heritage variety pre-1900. Biennial; flowers in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with stalk celery (all \u003cem\u003eApium graveolens\u003c\/em\u003e) — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30-40 cm for the foliage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 100-120 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade tolerated in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery rich, deep, water-cool (essential), well-drained, neutral soil. Space plants 25-30 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost (late February in Québec). Don't cover seeds (need light to germinate). Transplant mid-May. Fall harvest. Excellent in the root cellar.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"400","offer_id":42600975270060,"sku":"GC-H-CELGIA-400","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":42600975302828,"sku":"GC-H-CELGIA-2K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":42600975335596,"sku":"GC-H-CELGIA-10K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50000","offer_id":42600975368364,"sku":"GC-H-CELGIA-50K","price":36.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/celeriac_f4684daf-113e-45b4-8e51-e49ea3468b33.jpg?v=1698942958"},{"product_id":"semences-mais-sucre-golden-bantam-ancestral","title":"Golden Bantam Heirloom Sweet Corn","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe variety that changed the taste of America forever. Launched in 1902 by the Burpee company from a private selection of the gardener William Chambers, of Greenfield, Massachusetts, Golden Bantam pulled off an unlikely cultural feat: it shifted an entire civilization from white corn — then the only kind considered acceptable for the human table — to yellow corn, which had until then been dismissed as a grain fit only for pigs. The success was so total that 120 years later, nearly all North American sweet corn is yellow, and Golden Bantam remains one of the very rare open-pollinated varieties still widely grown — a living heritage in the middle of an ocean of modern hybrids.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compact plant for the era (\"bantam\" means small, in reference to the bantam chickens), 1.5 to 2 m tall, with 1 or 2 ears per stem. Modest 15-18 cm ears with 8 rows of small golden-yellow kernels, and the classic, powerful flavour of \"real corn\" from before the supersweet hybrids of the 1980s — less sweet, yes, but more complex, deeper, with that milky, earthy quality that modern varieties have lost along the way. Eat it imperatively very fresh: the special magic of standard sweet corn is that its sugars start converting to starch the moment it's picked, and an ear eaten within the hour bears no relation to one brought home from the grocery 48 hours later. Ideal for the traditional \u003cem\u003eépluchette\u003c\/em\u003e (Québec corn-shucking party), boiled in a big pot with butter and salt, BBQ-grilled in the husk then drizzled with lime and Mexican \u003cem\u003ecotija\u003c\/em\u003e cheese, in a creamy chowder, in roasted-ear relish, or in cornbread with the kernels cut from the cob.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Corn is wind-pollinated, so it must be sown in a square or rectangular block (never in a single long row) — ideally at least 16 plants (4 × 4) so that the pollen, which falls vertically from the male tassels at the top onto the silks of the forming ears, has a chance to pollinate properly. Without complete pollination, the ears come out half-filled with missing kernels. Direct-sow in place once the soil has genuinely warmed (15 °C minimum), in late May in Québec. The plant is very nitrogen-hungry — a generous application of mature compost or well-rotted manure before sowing. Harvest when the silks turn brown and the kernels tested with a fingernail release a milky juice (not clear, not pasty — milky is the sign of perfect maturity).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Wind-pollinated; crosses very readily with other corns (sweet, dent, popcorn) at several hundred metres — isolate very rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 1.5-2 m.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 75-85 days after sowing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery rich, deep, well-drained soil kept cool. Space plants 25-30 cm in the row, 75-90 cm between rows, in a square block of at least 4 × 4.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow late May to early June in Québec, once the soil is at least 15 °C. A second sowing in late June is possible to stretch the harvest from mid-August to mid-September.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42569355526316,"sku":"GC-H-CORGOL-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42569355559084,"sku":"GC-H-CORGOL-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42569355591852,"sku":"GC-H-CORGOL-500","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/sweetcorn_cec6e1fe-cb8a-491e-870f-b00b6ad3eef6.jpg?v=1664221242"},{"product_id":"semences-epinard-savoie-long-standing-bloomsdale-ancestral","title":"Bloomsdale Long-Standing Heirloom Spinach","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpinacia oleracea.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA monument of North American market-garden heritage. The original Bloomsdale variety was introduced in 1826 by the Landreth seed company, near Philadelphia, on the farm of the same name — making it one of the oldest spinaches in continuous cultivation on the continent. The \"Long Standing\" selection is an improvement made in the early 20th century to slow bolting, that dreaded moment when the spinach, taken by surprise by long days and heat, starts to flower and turns bitter. The \"Savoy\" in its name evokes the crinkled texture of the leaves — thick, puckered, glossy dark green, holding a little more sauce and flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA mild, sweet flavour, lightly mineral, with that small ferrous touch that made its reputation (and Popeye's, even if it's a bit more modest today than once thought). Excellent raw in salad when the leaves are young, sublime wilted in a pan with a little garlic and butter, slipped into a lasagna, a gratin or a quiche, or simply blanched and pressed to cradle a poached egg. A cool-season cultivar par excellence — to sow early in spring and again at the end of summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spinach does not forgive heat. Above 24 °C, combined with the long days of June, it bolts no matter the variety. To stretch the spring harvest, sow as soon as the soil can be worked (April in Québec, sometimes late March under a tunnel), in successive rows every two weeks. Resume sowings in late August for a particularly tender fall harvest — spinach loves the cold and even tolerates the first frosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Dioecious (male and female plants are separate) and wind-pollinated: for rigorous seed saving, isolate from other spinach varieties.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 20-30 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 45-50 days (young leaves can be picked from 30 days).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, cool, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5). Thin to 10-15 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow in successive rows from early April to late May, then late August to mid-September. Tolerates light frosts; can be overwintered under mulch for a very early harvest the following spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"100 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41393537745068,"sku":"GC-H-SPIBLO-80","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41393537777836,"sku":"GC-H-SPIBLO-400","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2.5k Pre-purchase","offer_id":39597370310828,"sku":"GC-H-SPIBLO-2K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12.5k Pre-purchase","offer_id":42237526966444,"sku":"GC-H-SPIBLO-10K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/bloomdale_0dcf5b1c-341c-4fe7-9b8b-46387138aafd.jpg?v=1699044973"},{"product_id":"semences-chou-kale-dwarf-green-curled-ancestral","title":"Dwarf Green Curled Heirloom Kale","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea var. sabellica.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the oldest kales still in cultivation, and the classic representative of the Scottish curly type — a variety so embedded in the culture of the northern British Isles that the Scots word \u003cem\u003ekail\u003c\/em\u003e (equivalent to \u003cem\u003ekale\u003c\/em\u003e in English) came colloquially to mean the meal, or the garden itself. The \"kail yard\" was the family vegetable patch around the rural Scottish home, and the kail was the daily soup served to Highlands peasants for centuries — long before the vegetable became the star superfood of modern smoothies. The Scottish national poet Robert Burns mentions it regularly in his verses, the testimony of a daily food so essential it became synonymous with life itself. Botanically, curly kale belongs to the \u003cem\u003esabellica\u003c\/em\u003e group of the extraordinary species \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e — that unique wild plant of the cliffs of the Mediterranean and the North Sea that, through human selection, gave rise to headed cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprout, kohlrabi and so many others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA squat, compact plant 35-45 cm tall (hence the \"dwarf\" in the name), forming a dense, well-held rosette of deep blue-green leaves intensely curled and ruffled at the edges — an almost mossy, architectural texture that makes the variety as decorative as it is useful. Classic curly-kale flavour: vegetal, slightly bitter, milder when the leaves are young or cooked, much sweeter after the first autumn frosts (the plant then converts its starches to sugars to resist the cold — a fascinating piece of plant chemistry that turns an October kale into a delicate dish).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA thousand culinary uses: pan-sautéed with garlic and olive oil, in Italian \u003cem\u003ezuppa toscana\u003c\/em\u003e or Portuguese \u003cem\u003ecaldo verde\u003c\/em\u003e (the two great Mediterranean peasant soups of kale, sausage and potato), as \u003cem\u003ekale chips\u003c\/em\u003e in the oven (5 minutes at 175 °C with olive oil and salt), raw-massaged with lemon for a tender salad, or fermented as Korean-style kale \u003cem\u003ekimchi\u003c\/em\u003e. The leaves tend to keep very well on the plant — harvest as needed throughout the season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Probably the most Québécois of the cabbages. Hardy to −10 °C and beyond, Dwarf Curled Scotch survives the first snows and often continues to be picked into December under a thin protective snow cover. Under good snow cover, some plants overwinter entirely and resume production the following spring. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting (mid-March for summer and fall harvest), or direct-sow late May to late June for fall and early-winter harvest. Harvest by taking the outer leaves as needed — never pick the heart, which keeps growing and producing new leaves all season. Like all brassicas, sensitive to the cabbage worm — insect netting is useful from transplanting on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial; flowers in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with all other \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 35-45 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 55-65 days for young leaves, 70-75 for mature leaves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade accepted in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Space plants 40-45 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors in mid-March for summer harvest, or direct-sow late May to late June for fall and winter harvest. Withstands frosts to −10 °C and beyond; can overwinter under snow cover.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":41382653624492,"sku":"GC-H-KALDWA-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":41382654181548,"sku":"GC-H-KALDWA-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":41382655393964,"sku":"GC-H-KALDWA-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"25000","offer_id":44170954473644,"sku":"GC-H-KALDWA-25K","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/curledkale_3f73d720-89bd-43c7-a25b-25255b6f8c3e.jpg?v=1699044952"},{"product_id":"semences-laitue-feuille-chene-ancestrale","title":"Oakleaf Heirloom Lettuce","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLactuca sativa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA venerable French lettuce, already grown in the kitchen gardens of the \u003cem\u003eAncien Régime\u003c\/em\u003e and listed in the Vilmorin company catalogs from the 18th century onward. It takes its name from the elegantly cut silhouette of its leaves — a lobed profile recalling, in miniature, the large oak leaves edging a sugar bush. It's probably the prettiest lettuce you can plant in a vegetable garden: each rosette forms an open corolla that looks more like a green (or red, depending on the selection) flower than a vegetable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA loose-leaf type — no head forms; you pick leaf by leaf at the periphery, or take the whole rosette with a knife. A delicate, almost silky texture, halfway between butter lettuce and the curly types — not the brittle crunch of romaine or iceberg, but a tenderness that makes it the perfect setting for elegant composed salads with warm goat cheese, grilled lardons, hazelnuts, raspberries or poached pear. Mild, sweet flavour, with the faintest nutty note in the finish. A precious quirk: it's one of the most heat-tolerant lettuces, resisting bolting longer than most other varieties — hence its historical popularity in the warmer French kitchen gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all lettuces, it germinates poorly above 25 °C. For summer sowings, pre-soak the seeds overnight in the fridge, or start them in cells indoors in a cool spot. Oak Leaf lends itself particularly well to mesclun — sown densely in tight rows and cut young with scissors at 8-10 cm tall, it regrows two or three times from the base before exhausting itself; a single row can feed you in salad for a month and a half. Harvest in the early morning, when the leaves are full of overnight freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Self-pollinating, so very few crosses to fear — ideal for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 20-25 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 45-55 days for full rosette; young leaves from 25-30 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade accepted in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, cool, well-drained soil. Thin to 20-25 cm for full rosettes, or sow densely for young-leaf cutting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (mid-April in Québec), in successive rows every two weeks. More heat-tolerant than most lettuces, it can be sown until mid-July without too much risk of bolting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"800","offer_id":42601058762924,"sku":"GC-H-LETOAK-800","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4000","offer_id":42601058795692,"sku":"GC-H-LETOAK-4K","price":2.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20000","offer_id":42601058828460,"sku":"GC-H-LETOAK-20K","price":7.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/oakleaf.jpg?v=1664221274"},{"product_id":"semences-pois-mange-tout-sugar-snap-ancestral","title":"Sugar Snap Heirloom Pea","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePisum sativum 'var. macrocarpon'.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the great horticultural inventions of the 20th century, and a remarkable triumph of modern plant breeding. For millennia, gardeners had cultivated two very distinct kinds of pea: shelling peas (with round seeds, of which only the little peas inside are eaten), and snow peas with flat pods (the Asian \u003cem\u003esnow peas\u003c\/em\u003e, where the entire flattened pod is eaten along with the barely-formed seeds). In 1979, an American breeder named Calvin Lamborn, of the Gallatin Valley Seed Co. in Idaho, achieved an audacious cross between these two lines and obtained an entirely new third type: a pea with a meaty, plump, round pod that is harvested like a snow pea (pod included) but with fully developed seeds inside. He named it \u003cem\u003eSugar Snap\u003c\/em\u003e, and the variety won the All-America Selections award that same year — one of the very rare varieties to have truly created a new vegetable category in the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA vigorous climbing plant, 1.5 to 2 m tall, that absolutely requires a trellis or pea netting to spread vertically. Plump bright-green pods 6-8 cm long, crunchy and juicy, holding 7-9 small round, well-sweetened peas inside. Explosive sweetness when picked fresh — one of those vegetables you taste once straight from the garden and never forget. Eaten whole, pod included: snacked raw or with a dip as an appetizer (probably the best crudité in existence), briefly stir-fried in a wok with garlic and ginger Asian-style, blanched quickly then added to a warm salad with mint and feta cheese, or added at the end of cooking to a spring risotto for the touch of freshness and crunch. Quick cooking is essential — sugar snaps go bland and limp if overcooked. Tasting note: if the \"string\" along each side of the pod becomes too firm at full maturity, just remove it by pinching the stem end and pulling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e The pea is a cool-season plant par excellence, and hates heat. Optimal Québec strategy: direct-sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring (late April to mid-May), for a harvest in early July before the deep heat; then a second sowing in mid-August for a fall harvest (often particularly sweet under September's cool nights). Soaking the seeds 8-12 hours in warm water before sowing speeds germination. Inoculating the seeds with a symbiotic bacterium of the genus \u003cem\u003eRhizobium leguminosarum\u003c\/em\u003e (sold in packets at seed shops) often doubles production: those bacteria are what let the pea fix its own atmospheric nitrogen, as in all legumes. Install the trellis before sowing to avoid damaging the roots. Harvest daily at full maturity — production can stretch over 3-4 weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Modern heritage variety (1979). Largely self-pollinating, very few crosses to fear — an excellent candidate for amateur seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 1.5-2 m. Trellis required.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 60-70 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade tolerated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWell-drained, moderately rich, neutral soil. Don't over-fertilize with nitrogen. Space seeds 3-5 cm apart in the row.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow late April to mid-May for summer harvest, or mid-August for fall harvest. Soak the seeds 8-12 h before sowing. Rhizobium inoculation strongly recommended.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41517663846572,"sku":"GC-H-PEASUG-40","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41517663879340,"sku":"GC-H-PEASUG-200","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41517663912108,"sku":"GC-H-PEASUG-1000","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41805940359340,"sku":"GC-H-PEASUG-5K","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25k Pre-purchase","offer_id":42150647398572,"sku":"GC-H-PEASUG-25K","price":249.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/snap.jpg?v=1664221298"},{"product_id":"semences-pois-ecosser-green-arrow-ancestral","title":"Green Arrow Heirloom Shelling Pea","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePisum sativum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic shelling pea — the one picked at full maturity and shelled to eat only the little round seeds inside, leaving behind the pod once it has become too firm and fibrous. It is the most ancient and traditional form of the cultivated pea: \u003cem\u003ePisum sativum\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the very first plants domesticated by humanity, about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent (the present-day Near East), alongside wheat, barley, lentils and chickpeas — one of the \"founder crops\" of Neolithic agriculture. For millennia, the pea was cultivated mainly for drying — the famous Québec \u003cem\u003esoupe aux pois\u003c\/em\u003e, like English split pea soup or medieval \u003cem\u003epease porridge\u003c\/em\u003e, bears witness to that long tradition of the pea as a winter staple. The consumption of the fresh pea in its round seed — the French \u003cem\u003epetit pois\u003c\/em\u003e — is actually a more recent fashion, popularized at the court of Louis XIV in the 17th century after the import of particularly delicate Italian cultivars that drove the court ladies so wild that Madame de Maintenon wrote about it in her letters as a \"\u003cem\u003efureur\u003c\/em\u003e\" of the moment. The Green Arrow variety, selected in England in the 1970s, represents the modern culmination of that quest for sweetness and productivity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compact, semi-bushy plant 60-75 cm tall, needing only minimal trellising (a simple row of brushwood or a small low net is enough). Remarkable particularity: the pods are produced in pairs, side-by-side on the stem — doubling the harvest per node and considerably speeding up picking. Long, pointed bright-green pods 10-12 cm holding 9-11 well-packed peas each. Classic fresh-pea flavour: mild, sweet, herbaceous, with an almost milky finish — incomparable to the canned pea, and markedly superior even to the store-bought frozen pea. Eaten freshly shelled, raw straight from the pod, added to fresh pasta with butter, ham and mint (the \u003cem\u003episelli alla Romana\u003c\/em\u003e), in Venetian \u003cem\u003erisi e bisi\u003c\/em\u003e (creamy pea risotto), in salade niçoise, as a garnish on pan-fried salmon, or simply in the bowl of \u003cem\u003esoupe aux pois\u003c\/em\u003e from traditional Québécois cooking (made with dried yellow or green peas).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcellent for freezing: blanch 2 minutes in boiling water, cool, freeze spread on a tray, then transfer to airtight bags.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all peas, the Green Arrow hates heat and prefers the cool season. Classic Québec strategy: direct-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (late April to mid-May), for an early-July harvest before the deep heat, and a second sowing in mid-August for a fall harvest. Soak the seeds 8-12 hours in warm water before sowing. Inoculation with \u003cem\u003eRhizobium leguminosarum\u003c\/em\u003e (the pea's symbiotic bacterium) often doubles production — those bacteria let the plant fix its own atmospheric nitrogen. Harvest the pods at the plump, well-filled stage, just before they begin to harden and lose their sugar; at full maturity, the peas turn floury and lose their sweetness. Picker's trick: gently squeeze the pod between thumb and index finger — if it \"snaps\" lightly, that's the ideal moment to harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Modern heritage variety. Largely self-pollinating, very few crosses to fear — an excellent candidate for amateur seed saving. Resistant to several pea diseases (powdery mildew, fusarium, mosaic).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60-75 cm. Low trellis or light staking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 65-70 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade tolerated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWell-drained, moderately rich, neutral soil. Don't over-fertilize with nitrogen. Space seeds 3-5 cm apart in the row.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow late April to mid-May for summer harvest, or mid-August for fall harvest. Soak the seeds 8-12 h before sowing. Rhizobium inoculation strongly recommended.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":39597909606572,"sku":"GC-H-PEAGRE-40","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":39597909639340,"sku":"GC-H-PEAGRE-200","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41636217520300,"sku":"GC-H-PEAGRE-1000","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5k Pre-purchase","offer_id":41789574283436,"sku":"GC-H-PEAGRE-5K","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/greenarrow.jpg?v=1664221300"},{"product_id":"semences-cucamelon-melon-souris-ancestral","title":"Cucamelon Heirloom (Mouse Melon)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMelothria scabra\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Mexican botanical curiosity that looks like a mini-watermelon the size of a large grape — dark-and-light green stripes included — but crunches in the mouth like a cucumber, with a lightly tangy, almost lemony finish. The cucamelon is not a cucumber despite appearances (different genus, \u003cem\u003eMelothria\u003c\/em\u003e, in the same broad Cucurbitaceae family), but a distinct plant cultivated by the Mesoamerican peoples since pre-Columbian times. Known in Spanish as \u003cem\u003esandita\u003c\/em\u003e (\"little watermelon\") or \u003cem\u003esandía de ratón\u003c\/em\u003e (\"mouse watermelon\") — hence the French \u003cem\u003emelon souris\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn extremely productive climbing plant: a single specimen can yield several hundred fruits in a season, picked by hand like grapes. Delicious eaten as-is as a garden snack, tossed whole into a salad for the visual surprise, pickled in vinegar where they take on a lightly piquant dimension (the famous \u003cem\u003epepquinos\u003c\/em\u003e at the cocktail hour), sliced into cocktails in place of the cucumber wheel, or simply served to kids, who adore them — the small size makes them the ultimate food-toy. A surprising bonus: the plant also produces small underground tubers that can be dug up in autumn, stored frost-free through the winter, and replanted the following spring to restart the crop without starting again from seed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Germination is capricious and slow — 1 to 3 weeks — given sustained warmth (22-25 °C). Start indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting, in biodegradable pots to avoid transplant shock. Patience at first: the plant stays modest for the first few weeks after planting out, then literally explodes from mid-July onward, once the heat truly sets in. Install a sturdy trellis at transplanting — the vines race up to 3-4 metres and pull their weight once loaded with fruit. Harvest begins around mid-August and continues until the first frosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Monoecious; bee-pollinated. A distinct species from cucumbers; does not cross with any other common garden cucurbit, which simplifies seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: climbing vines 3-4 m — sturdy trellis required.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 60-75 days after transplant. Continuous production from mid-August to the frosts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, sheltered from wind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained soil kept cool. Space plants 60 cm apart on the trellis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost, in biodegradable pots. Transplant once all frost risk has passed and the soil reaches at least 18 °C (early June in Québec).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":41381755977900,"sku":"GC-H-CUCAME-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"100","offer_id":41381756010668,"sku":"GC-H-CUCAME-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":41381756043436,"sku":"GC-H-CUCAME-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":44169100820652,"sku":"GC-H-CUCAME-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/cucamelon_8d363e5c-0e41-4d5c-9c67-514fdf657dec.jpg?v=1664221244"},{"product_id":"semences-pepperoncini-italien-ancestral","title":"Italian Pepperoncini Heirloom Pepper","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapsicum annuum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sweet pickling pepper par excellence of Mediterranean cooking — those famous yellow-green points in jars you find in Greek salad, on Italian subs, in antipasti, and that get snacked on as an appetizer everywhere between Naples and Athens. A small linguistic ambiguity is worth noting: in Italian, \u003cem\u003epeperoncino\u003c\/em\u003e literally means \"little pepper\" and often refers to the genuinely hot varieties (like the calabrese). The variety we call \"Pepperoncini\" in North America is actually the Italian \u003cem\u003efriggitello\u003c\/em\u003e, from the verb \u003cem\u003efriggere\u003c\/em\u003e, \"to fry\" — because traditionally they're pan-fried whole in olive oil with garlic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTapered fruits 5-10 cm long, slightly curved, with a prettily rippled surface — pale yellow-green at picking, then bright red at full maturity. Very moderate heat: about 100 to 500 units on the Scoville scale, the equivalent of a tickling bite rather than a real burn (compared to 2,500-8,000 units for a jalapeño). Fine, crunchy, juicy flesh with a slightly sweet and tangy note that fully reveals itself in fermentation or vinegar pickling. Jarred at the end of summer, they carry through winter to become the soul of countless aperitifs, sandwiches, salads and charcuterie boards. Fried whole in good olive oil with coarse salt and a squeeze of lemon at the end, they're also a dream mezze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all peppers, it needs a long warm season — start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, at 25-28 °C on a heat mat for uniform germination. Transplant only once nights have stabilized above 12 °C, never before. A moderately productive plant compared to a standard bell pepper, but one that can yield 20-30 fruits per plant over the season with regular picking. For pickling, harvest the fruits young — still yellow-green and firm — that's when they hold up best in brine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Largely self-pollinating, but crosses possible with other nearby \u003cem\u003eCapsicum annuum\u003c\/em\u003e (peppers, other chilies); isolate or bag the flowers for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60-75 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 60-70 days after transplant for green fruits, 80-90 days for red.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, sheltered from wind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 40-50 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all frost risk has passed (early June in Québec).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":41381788549292,"sku":"GC-H-PEPITA-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":41381788582060,"sku":"GC-H-PEPITA-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":41381788614828,"sku":"GC-H-PEPITA-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/pepperoncini_9a4ce6c1-1aeb-4e78-98f5-93eebce89d70.jpg?v=1664221307"},{"product_id":"semences-concombre-homemade-pickles-biologique","title":"Homemade Pickles Cucumber","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucumis sativus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA variety developed specifically for home pickling — short, stocky, firm and crunchy, selected to answer the great North American tradition of home \u003cem\u003epickling\u003c\/em\u003e, that summer-and-autumn ritual where gardeners turn their cucumber surplus into jars to savour all year. Very different from the slicing varieties that are bred for fresh eating, the Homemade Pickles is designed from the start for processing, with particularly firm, dense flesh that stays crunchy after several weeks in brine, and a skin of intermediate thickness that lets the marinade penetrate well without going soft. It's the variety found in old Québec and Canadian cookbooks, in postwar gardening columns, and in the family kitchens where September rhymes with \"pickling week\" and the big pot simmering on the stove.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compact, semi-trailing plant 1 to 1.5 m, grown on the ground or on a low trellis — particularly productive: a single healthy plant yields 25 to 50 pickling cucumbers over the season. Short stocky fruits 8-13 cm long, dark green with paler stripes, with a slightly spiny skin (visible black spines — a distinctive sign of pickling varieties).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarvest in three main size categories depending on intended use: \u003cem\u003ecornichons\u003c\/em\u003e at 4-7 cm (the classic French format, pickled in white vinegar with tarragon and mustard seeds), medium \u003cem\u003epickles\u003c\/em\u003e at 8-10 cm (the standard North American format, for dill pickles, sweet-tart \u003cem\u003ebread-and-butter pickles\u003c\/em\u003e, and sweet-spicy brines), and large \u003cem\u003epickles\u003c\/em\u003e at 10-13 cm (for Ashkenazi \u003cem\u003ekosher dill\u003c\/em\u003e, those big pickles fermented in salt water with dill, garlic and black peppercorns that spend 3 to 4 weeks in brine before being ready). Also very good eaten fresh, snapped right off the plant — classic cucumber flavour, mild and juicy, a touch more pronounced than that of English cucumbers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Start indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow in early June once the soil has warmed to 18 °C. Like the other cucumbers, susceptible to downy mildew (\u003cem\u003ePseudoperonospora cubensis\u003c\/em\u003e) and powdery mildew in humid heat — space plants generously (40-50 cm in the row) and water at the base rather than on the foliage. For pickling, ideally harvest every day in peak season, in the morning, and process within 12-24 hours — a freshly picked cucumber gives a noticeably crunchier pickle than one that has waited a few days in the fridge. Enthusiasts often add a grape, horseradish or oak leaf to each fermenting jar — the plant tannins help preserve the cucumber's firmness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Heritage variety. Annual. Monoecious; bee-pollinated, so crosses with other nearby \u003cem\u003eCucumis sativus\u003c\/em\u003e — isolate for seed saving. Does NOT cross with squashes (\u003cem\u003eCucurbita\u003c\/em\u003e), melons, or cucamelon.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVine length: 1-1.5 m.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 55-65 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, warmth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 40-50 cm in the row. Low trellis optional but useful.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow early June in Québec. Harvest every 1-2 days in peak season.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":42653046538412,"sku":"GC-O-CUCHOM-40","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":42653046571180,"sku":"GC-O-CUCHOM-200","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42653046603948,"sku":"GC-O-CUCHOM-1000","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":44173907787948,"sku":"GC-O-CUCHOM-5000","price":199.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/picklecucumber_98a9813a-fbf1-4574-b51f-767669bea160.jpg?v=1698701316"},{"product_id":"semences-betterave-chioggia-ancestrale","title":"Chioggia Heirloom Beet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most beautiful beets in the world, originating in the small fishing town of Chioggia, at the southern tip of the Venetian lagoon, where it has been cultivated since at least the start of the 19th century, documented in Italian seed catalogs from the 1840s onward. The variety's signature lies entirely in its cross-section: sliced raw, it reveals a spectacular pattern of concentric circles alternating bright magenta-pink and cream-white, like a target painted by a Cubist artist, or like the growth rings of a tree miniaturized in full colour. This unusual structure comes from a rare recessive genetic phenotype where successive layers of the root develop with alternating concentrations of anthocyanins — a trait that would probably have disappeared in industrial culture if Venetian gardeners had not patiently preserved the variety for two centuries. Rediscovered today by modern cooking, it appears regularly on the menus of fine restaurants and makes a sensation the moment it lands on a plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA round, smooth root 5-7 cm in diameter, with uniform dark-pink skin — nothing on the outside hints at the inner pattern. A particularly mild and fruity flavour, far less earthy than traditional red beets (less rich in \u003cem\u003egeosmin\u003c\/em\u003e, the volatile compound that gives classic beets their \"earthy\" character) — making it the perfect beet for those who usually don't like beets. The essential way to feature it: raw. Finely sliced on a mandoline, the zebra-striped pattern is on full display and stays intact — ideal in a \u003cem\u003ecarpaccio\u003c\/em\u003e drizzled with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar, on a toast with fresh goat cheese, or in a warm salad with arugula and walnuts. Alas, the pattern disappears when cooked: the red pigments diffuse uniformly under heat and the root turns a monochrome pink throughout. To preserve the stripes through cooking, add white vinegar to the water (the acid stabilizes the anthocyanins) or cook the beet whole in the oven wrapped in foil. The leaves (young or mature) are also delicious, sautéed like the Swiss chard already described in our pages — it's actually the very same species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all beets, the \"grain\" of seed is actually a false fruit (a \u003cem\u003eglomerule\u003c\/em\u003e) containing 3 to 5 true seeds that all germinate together — so it's essential to thin after emergence, keeping only one plant per spot. The thinned seedlings are edible in salad. Direct-sow only, as soon as the soil can be worked (early May in Québec), at 1 cm deep. Soaking the seeds 4-6 hours before sowing speeds germination. Harvest at about 5-7 cm in diameter; beyond that, the flesh tends to turn slightly fibrous. Like the golden beet, Chioggia keeps somewhat less long in the root cellar than the classic red beets — 2-3 months in cold humid storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Italian heritage variety predating 1840. Biennial; flowers in the second year. Wind-pollinated; crosses with all other beets (sugar, salad, fodder) — isolate rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30-40 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 55-60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade tolerated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Thin imperatively to 7-10 cm in the row after emergence.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow early May in Québec, at 1 cm deep. Staggered sowings possible until late July for fall harvest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"80","offer_id":42119850426540,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-80","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400","offer_id":42119850459308,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-400","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":42119850754220,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-2K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":42119851540652,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-10K","price":42.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/chioggiah.jpg?v=1664221181"},{"product_id":"semences-laitue-boston-bibb-ancestrale","title":"Boston Bibb Heirloom Butterhead Lettuce","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLactuca sativa var. capitata.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most delicate and refined of all lettuces — a \u003cem\u003ebutterhead\u003c\/em\u003e type (\"butter lettuce\"), with a soft, tender head formed of leaves so fine and fragile they almost melt on the tongue. This category is the fourth great family of lettuces, after the crisphead (iceberg type), the romaine (cos type), and the loose-leaf (cutting) lettuces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoston Bibb is a variant of the famous Bibb type, created in the 1850s by John Jouett Bibb (1789-1884) — a lawyer, jurist and amateur horticulturist from Frankfort, Kentucky, who developed the variety in his garden for his personal use. The lettuce so pleased his Bluegrass neighbours and friends that it spread across the region before reaching the entire United States. In Kentucky it is sometimes still called \u003cem\u003elimestone lettuce\u003c\/em\u003e, because its exceptional quality stems from the particular mineral richness of the calcareous soils of Kentucky, where it was selected over generations. Boston Bibb is an intermediate line between the pure Bibb (very small tight head) and the classic Boston (larger, looser head), combining the best of both: practical size for a family meal and incomparable tenderness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compact plant forming an open rosette shaped like a small leafy rose 20-25 cm across, with leaves of luminous tender green on the outside, paler and almost whitish-yellow at the heart, sometimes lightly tinged pink-red depending on growing conditions (cool temperature and full sun accentuate the tint). Absolutely incomparable texture: thick yet supple leaves, both melting and fresh, that need no sophisticated dressing to shine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUses: a simple green salad of the day with a French vinaigrette of olive oil, cider vinegar and Dijon mustard (Bibb has so much character that overly creamy dressings should be avoided — they'd mask its finesse); the traditional Québec \u003cem\u003esalade tiède au lard\u003c\/em\u003e (tender lettuce drizzled with smoking bacon fat and vinegar, old-style); individual cups served as \"spoons\" to hold curried chicken, tuna salad or salmon mousse (the lettuce wrap so popular in Asian restaurants); or simply whole leaves in a club sandwich or a BLT. Much more tender than iceberg, much less fibrous than romaine — it's the pleasure lettuce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all lettuces, Boston Bibb prefers cool seasons and bolts quickly in summer heat (above 24-26 °C sustained, it starts to stretch within days). Classic Québec strategy: start indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting (mid-March for mid-April), or direct-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (early May). In summer, stagger sowings every two weeks in part shade or under a shade cloth. Fall sowings (mid-August) are particularly successful with this type of lettuce — the head then forms under cool nights that make the texture even more tender and the colour more beautiful. Harvest by cutting the whole plant above the crown when the head is well formed and before it begins to bolt. Freshness of picking matters a lot — Boston Bibb loses its tenderness within days of harvest, unlike iceberg which keeps a long time. Ideally pick in the morning, just before the meal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Annual. Largely self-pollinating, very few crosses to fear — an excellent candidate for amateur seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 20-25 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50-60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade essential in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoil rich in organic matter, cool, well-drained, neutral. Space plants 25-30 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors in mid-March for mid-April transplant, or direct-sow early May in Québec. Staggered sowings every two weeks until mid-August for continuous harvest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"800","offer_id":42558839619756,"sku":"GC-H-LETBIB-800","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4000","offer_id":42558839652524,"sku":"GC-H-LETBIB-4K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20000","offer_id":42558839685292,"sku":"GC-H-LETBIB-20K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100000","offer_id":42558839718060,"sku":"GC-H-LETBIB-100K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/butterheadh_7b68da8a-56d5-420d-93f1-ddfdfa8fc49b.jpg?v=1698955432"},{"product_id":"semences-piment-corno-di-toro-ancestral","title":"Corno di Toro Heirloom Sweet Pepper","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapsicum annuum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ecorno di toro\u003c\/em\u003e — \"bull's horn\" in Italian — is one of the most emblematic sweet peppers of Italian cooking, selected over centuries in the gardens of northern Italy (especially Piedmont and Lombardy) for its long, distinctive shape, slightly curved like the horn it's named after. Tapered, imposing fruits 20-25 cm long, with thick, meaty walls, passing through every shade from green to deep red (the \u003cem\u003eRosso\u003c\/em\u003e variety) or bright golden yellow (the \u003cem\u003eGiallo\u003c\/em\u003e variety) as they ripen. It is probably the most versatile and generous pepper you can grow: thick, crunchy, juicy flesh, intensely sweet at full maturity, and size enough for a single fruit to make a dish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts silhouette is built for Mediterranean fire cooking: grilled whole on the BBQ until the skin blackens, then peeled and drizzled with olive oil, garlic and oregano as antipasto; split in two, hollowed out and stuffed with breadcrumbs, anchovies and capers Neapolitan-style; cut into strips and simmered with tomatoes, onions and olives as Sicilian \u003cem\u003epeperonata\u003c\/em\u003e; or simply pan-fried in good olive oil until soft and caramelized. Raw, it's also an excellent pepper to snack on in sticks with a dip. Generous production — a well-established plant easily gives 10 to 15 large fruits per season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all peppers, the Corno di Toro wants heat and a long season — start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, at 25-28 °C on a heat mat for uniform germination. Transplant only once nights have stabilized above 12 °C, never before. The fruits are long and heavy — stake loaded plants to prevent them from bending or breaking under the weight. Give the warmest spot available (south wall, sheltered garden) to maximize ripening to red or yellow before the first frosts. Harvest regularly — picking one fruit stimulates several more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Largely self-pollinating, but crosses possible with other nearby \u003cem\u003eCapsicum annuum\u003c\/em\u003e (peppers, other chilies); isolate or bag the flowers for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60-90 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 70-75 days after transplant for green fruits, 85-95 days for full colour (red or yellow).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, sheltered from wind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 50-60 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all frost risk has passed (early June in Québec).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42601292759212,"sku":"GC-H-PEPCOR-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42601292791980,"sku":"GC-H-PEPCOR-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42601292824748,"sku":"GC-H-PEPCOR-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":42601292857516,"sku":"GC-H-PEPCOR-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/cornoditoroh.jpg?v=1664221305"},{"product_id":"semences-celeri-tall-utah-52-70-ancestral","title":"Tall Utah 52-70 Heirloom Celery","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eApium graveolens.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe North American standard for stalk celery since the 1950s. The Tall Utah line was selected by the United States Department of Agriculture to combine the generous stalks of Pascal celery — a variety developed in the late 19th century in the Kalamazoo region of Michigan by Dutch-immigrant market gardeners who long dominated American celery cultivation — with improved resistance to several common diseases (heart rot, fusarium, mosaic) and to premature bolting. The \"52-70\" designates the selection line, and the variety still holds its place after more than seventy years on the market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUpright stalks 45-60 cm tall, thick, meaty, crunchy, medium-to-dark green, naturally a little milder than the old blanching celeries, with that characteristic fragrance that perfumes a quarter of the world's soups. Indispensable in the French \u003cem\u003emirepoix\u003c\/em\u003e (onion-celery-carrot), the Italian \u003cem\u003esoffritto\u003c\/em\u003e, the Cuban \u003cem\u003esofrito\u003c\/em\u003e, and the Cajun \"holy trinity\" (with bell pepper). Raw in sticks with a dip or stuffed with cream cheese for the kids, braised whole, melted into a risotto, or simply chewed as-is as a no-calorie snack. The leaves — often overlooked — have an even more intense flavour than the stalks and work wonders in a stock or a compound butter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Let's say it plainly: celery is not for the impatient gardener. A 100-130 day cycle, with mandatory indoor start 10-12 weeks before transplanting, and slow germination (14-21 days) provided you keep the seeds on the surface in the light (they need it to emerge) and constantly moist. Once in the garden, it demands a soil very rich in organic matter, regular and abundant watering — a water shortage, even brief, hardens the stalks and develops a tenacious bitterness — and a cool location. But the reward is worth it: a homegrown celery has a fragrance and a sweetness the grocery store never delivers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial, so flowering only occurs in the second year; insect-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 45-60 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 100-130 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun to part shade (part shade is even preferable in summer).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep soil saturated with organic matter, constantly moist. Space plants 25-30 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost (mid-February to early March in Québec). Transplant once all frost risk has passed, without burying the crown. Tolerates the first autumn frosts well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"400","offer_id":41441796128940,"sku":"GC-H-CELTAL-400","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":41441796161708,"sku":"GC-H-CELTAL-2K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":41441796194476,"sku":"GC-H-CELTAL-10K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50000","offer_id":41913345769644,"sku":"GC-H-CELTAL-50K","price":29.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/celeryh_f58ea168-36d0-457b-8055-e3ed917ef4b2.jpg?v=1698942960"},{"product_id":"semences-tomatillo-toma-verde-biologiques","title":"Toma Verde Heirloom Tomatillo","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhysalis philadelphica.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tomatillo is not at all what it seems. Despite its Spanish name \u003cem\u003etomatillo\u003c\/em\u003e, \"little tomato,\" it has no direct botanical link with the tomato: it's a species of the genus \u003cem\u003ePhysalis\u003c\/em\u003e, a cousin of the ground cherry (which is smaller and sweeter, \u003cem\u003ePhysalis pruinosa\u003c\/em\u003e), the South American \u003cem\u003ecape gooseberry\u003c\/em\u003e, and the famous ornamental Chinese lantern. More surprising still: the tomatillo historically precedes the tomato in Mexican cuisine. Domesticated by the Mesoamerican peoples of central Mexico probably 4,000 to 7,000 years ago, the tomatillo was the reference \"tomato\" of the Aztecs long before true \u003cem\u003eSolanum lycopersicum\u003c\/em\u003e arrived from the south of present-day Peru.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Aztec word \u003cem\u003etomatl\u003c\/em\u003e — from which the French \u003cem\u003etomate\u003c\/em\u003e (and English \u003cem\u003etomato\u003c\/em\u003e) comes — originally designated the tomatillo (\u003cem\u003emiltomatl\u003c\/em\u003e meaning specifically the tomatillo in the \u003cem\u003emilpa\u003c\/em\u003e, the Nahua kitchen garden). The meaning later shifted to the red fruit-tomato imported from the south. Today, the tomatillo remains the essential ingredient of \u003cem\u003esalsa verde\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003echile verde\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eenchiladas suizas\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003epozole verde\u003c\/em\u003e — all of Mexico's \"green\" cooking rests on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA spreading, branched plant 80 cm to 1 m tall, with light foliage and yellow flowers flecked with purple. Spectacular particularity: each fruit is wrapped in a thin papery green calyx that grows along with it, like a miniature Chinese lantern; the husk eventually splits or yellows when the fruit reaches full maturity, at which point it has grown from the size of a large table cherry to that of a small golf ball. The flesh is firm, juicy, pale green, with numerous small edible seeds. A unique flavour — tart, lemony, herbaceous, slightly resinous — completely different from the tomato's; a green freshness, almost apple-and-lemon, that structures the salsa verde sauces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUses are almost all Mexican: raw \u003cem\u003esalsa verde\u003c\/em\u003e (tomatillo, onion, garlic, serrano chili, cilantro, salt, briefly blended), cooked or roasted \u003cem\u003esalsa verde\u003c\/em\u003e (the same ingredients pan-fried or oven-roasted before blending, for a deeper, caramelized version), \u003cem\u003echile verde\u003c\/em\u003e (a slow-simmered stew of pork and tomatillos that defines the great cooking of New Mexico), \u003cem\u003eenchiladas suizas\u003c\/em\u003e draped in salsa verde and gratinéed with cheese. Tomatillos are used green at full maturity (the great tradition), but can also be left on the plant until the husk turns fully yellow for a milder, fruitier flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e A crucial thing to know before planting: the tomatillo is \u003cem\u003eself-sterile\u003c\/em\u003e (incompatible with its own pollen). You must therefore IMPERATIVELY plant at least two plants so they can pollinate each other. A single plant will flower abundantly but produce no fruit — one of the great classic garden disappointments for those who don't know. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, at 22-25 °C; cultivation similar to the tomato. Transplant once all frost risk has passed (late May to early June in Québec). Staking is very useful: the spreading plant tends to lie on the ground under the weight of the fruits, and fruits in contact with the soil rot or get eaten by slugs. Harvest when the husks begin to split or yellow, or when you feel the fruit fully fills the lantern. A generous variety — a single well-established plant can give 100 to 200 fruits in peak season. Excellent keeper in their husks in the fridge (2-3 weeks) or in the freezer (whole, without husk, for months for winter sauces).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Annual. Self-sterile — requires at least two plants for cross-pollination. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other tomatillos (green, purple varieties) but NOT with tomatoes or ground cherries.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 80-100 cm, spreading habit.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 70-80 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, warmth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 60 cm apart. Staking recommended.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant late May to early June in Québec once all frost risk has passed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":41427660964012,"sku":"GC-H-TOMTOM-40","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":41427660996780,"sku":"GC-H-TOMTOM-200","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":46297069977772,"sku":"GC-H-TOMTOM-1000","price":49.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/tomatilloverde.jpg?v=1664221131"},{"product_id":"semences-carotte-melange-arc-en-ciel-biologique","title":"Rainbow Carrot Mix","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaucus carota.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA colourful mix of white, yellow, purple, orange and red carrots!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoaded with antioxidants.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrows to ~18-24 cm (7-9\") in ~70 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":42562911305900,"sku":"GC-O-CARSTA-40","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":42562911338668,"sku":"GC-O-CARSTA-200","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42562911371436,"sku":"GC-O-CARSTA-1K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42562911404204,"sku":"GC-O-CARSTA-5K","price":36.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/starburstcarrots_1488c33b-a79a-419d-95d1-a55d6944254f.jpg?v=1698701255"},{"product_id":"semences-mais-glass-gem-biologiques","title":"Glass Gem Corn","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA multicoloured corn with translucent kernels for cornmeal, drying or popping!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrows to ~2.4-3 m (8-10').\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStrong, high-yielding plant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduces ears up to ~12-20 cm (5-8\") in 120 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"High Mowing","offers":[{"title":"10 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41428817346732,"sku":"GC-O-CORGLA-10","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41428817379500,"sku":"GC-O-CORGLA-50","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"250 Pre-purchase","offer_id":41428817412268,"sku":"GC-O-CORGLA-250","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"1.25k Pre-purchase","offer_id":42167178068140,"sku":"GC-O-CORGLA-1250","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/glassgemcorn.jpg?v=1698701308"},{"product_id":"semences-radis-china-rose-biologiques","title":"China Rose Winter Radish","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaphanus sativus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn old variety of Chinese origin, brought back to Europe by missionaries in the mid-19th century and listed in Western seed catalogs from the 1850s onward. It is one of the first Asian vegetables to settle permanently in European gardens — an era when Western cooking was just beginning to discover the culinary repertoire of the other end of the world. Oblong, cylindrical roots, 12-15 cm long and 5-7 cm in diameter, with dark-pink, almost cherry-red skin that contrasts beautifully against pure white, dense, crunchy flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pronounced but well-balanced flavour — sharper than a daikon, far less explosive than a wasabi radish, with a sweet undertone that tempers the bite. It's an autumn-and-winter radish, a long keeper: 2 to 3 months in the root cellar in lightly damp sand, without losing its firmness. Magnificent sliced into rounds in a salad for the colour contrast, julienned in a Chinese stir-fry with sesame oil, quick-pickled in rice vinegar and sugar as flash pickles, or simply snacked raw in sticks with a dip at the cocktail hour. The leaves, like those of all radishes, are also edible — sautéed or in a soup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like the daikon and the other large-format radishes, it's an autumn cultivar par excellence. Spring-sown, it tends to bolt before forming a satisfactory root, under the influence of long days and summer heat. The ideal window in Québec: early August for a harvest from late September to mid-October. Soil deeply loosened (25-30 cm), free of stones or fresh manure that would make the root fork. Harvest before hard frosts, but after a few cool nights that concentrate the sugars and soften the bite.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Annual to biennial depending on conditions. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other nearby radishes — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 25-35 cm for the tops.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50-60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, deep soil (25-30 cm), free of stones or fresh manure. Thin to 8-10 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow early August in Québec for fall harvest. Spring sowing is possible but often disappointing — summer heat bolts the plant before the root forms fully. Tolerates light frosts well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42601300295852,"sku":"GC-O-RADROS-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42601300328620,"sku":"GC-O-RADROS-1000","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42601300361388,"sku":"GC-O-RADROS-5000","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/chinaroser_47f07016-034f-40c3-bb46-185d6e047e34.jpg?v=1698701505"},{"product_id":"semences-poivron-calwonder-ancestral","title":"California Wonder Heirloom Bell Pepper","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapsicum annuum.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic American bell pepper — the variety that defined for an entire century the shape and flavour of what is called a \"pepper\" in Québec, the United States and Canada. Introduced in 1928 by the great seed house W. Atlee Burpee \u0026amp; Co. of Philadelphia, the California Wonder (often shortened to \u003cem\u003eCalwonder\u003c\/em\u003e) established the world standard for the bell pepper: cubic shape, three or four lobes, thick walls, meaty crunchy flesh, mild flavour with no heat at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor nearly a century, the majority of green peppers sold in North American grocery stores were Calwonders or direct descendants — the variety was so universal that it ended up embodying the very idea of \"pepper\" for generations of eaters. What sets it apart from every other \u003cem\u003eCapsicum annuum\u003c\/em\u003e variety is its pure, stocky bell silhouette.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compact, well-held plant 60-90 cm tall, producing 8-12 fine cubic fruits per plant. Fruits 10-12 cm tall by 8-10 cm wide, with three or four well-defined lobes, smooth glossy skin in deep uniform green that slowly ripens to bright red at season's end (a ripe green pepper is just a red pepper picked early — the same plant produces both, depending on harvest timing). Classic bell pepper flavour: mild, lightly herbaceous at the green stage, sweet and more fragrant at the mature red stage (a red pepper contains on average 11 times more beta-carotene and roughly 1.5 times more vitamin C than the green one — useful to know for those after the best of both nutrition and flavour worlds).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA thousand uses: sliced raw in sticks for dip, Chinese-stir-fried in \u003cem\u003epepper steak\u003c\/em\u003e (a beef-and-peppers-and-onions sauté in soy sauce), as classic stuffed peppers (the great North American family recipe of peppers stuffed with rice, ground beef and tomato sauce, oven-gratinéed), oven-roasted with garlic and herbs for jars of confit peppers, in Provençal \u003cem\u003eratatouille\u003c\/em\u003e, on pizza, in a composed salad. Also indispensable in Spanish \u003cem\u003epaella\u003c\/em\u003e and Cajun \u003cem\u003ejambalaya\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all the peppers already described, start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, at 25-28 °C on a heat mat. Transplant once nights have stabilized above 12 °C (early-to-mid June in Québec). Give the warmest spot in the garden (a south wall is ideal). The Calwonder has the particularity of being a little more productive than average and of tolerating slight temperature fluctuations well — it's probably the most tolerant and predictable pepper for novice gardeners in Québec. Light staking is useful to support loaded plants. Harvest at the green stage for quick use and continuous production (picking stimulates new fruit formation), or leave on the plant until red for maximum flavour and nutritional value (the difference is clearly noticeable on tasting).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStorage: 1-2 weeks in the fridge in a perforated bag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Heritage variety (1928). Largely self-pollinating, but crosses possible with other nearby \u003cem\u003eCapsicum annuum\u003c\/em\u003e — isolate or bag the flowers for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60-90 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 75-85 days after transplant for green fruits, 90-100 days for red.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, warmth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 45-60 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all frost risk has passed (early-to-mid June in Québec).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":41487723856044,"sku":"GC-H-PEPBCA-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":41487723888812,"sku":"GC-H-PEPBCA-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":41487723921580,"sku":"GC-H-PEPBCA-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":42001534189740,"sku":"GC-H-PEPBCA-2500","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/calwonderh.jpg?v=1664221303"},{"product_id":"semences-broccoli-raab-rapini-ancestral","title":"Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot really a broccoli, despite its English name and visual resemblance — rapini is in fact a variety cultivated for the leaves and flower buds of a plant related to the turnip. Botanically, it belongs to the species \u003cem\u003eBrassica rapa\u003c\/em\u003e (alongside turnip, bok choy, mizuna, Chinese cabbage), and NOT to \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e (which groups true broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower). This kinship with the turnip explains its unique flavour: bitter, biting, lightly mustardy, with a powerful vegetal character that bears no resemblance to the bland sweetness of modern broccoli. It is precisely this bitterness that makes it the star of the peasant cooking of southern Italy — in Naples, in Bari, throughout the Puglia region, rapini is as essential as tomatoes; and the Puglian signature dish, \u003cem\u003eorecchiette con cime di rapa\u003c\/em\u003e (orecchiette pasta with rapini leaves, garlic, anchovies and chili), remains one of the great classics of Mediterranean cooking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fast, generous plant 30-60 cm tall, producing clumps of long dark-green leaves topped by small bouquets of forming yellow flower buds — everything is eaten together: leaves, tender stems, unopened flower buds, even the open flowers (which are also decorative in salad). Classic Italian cooking: leaves briefly blanched to soften the bitterness, then pan-sautéed with garlic, anchovies and bird's-eye chili in generous olive oil, served over pasta, on grilled bread as \u003cem\u003ebruschetta\u003c\/em\u003e, or as a side to grilled Italian sausages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA remarkably fast cycle (40-60 days) makes it one of the most accessible vegetables for the impatient gardener, and one of the few that fits well in short intervals between two main crops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rapini hates heat — it bolts within days under a heat wave, ruining the harvest. In Québec, aim for the two ends of the season: early April to mid-May for spring harvest, and mid-August to mid-September for fall harvest (often the most beautiful, sweetened by the cool nights that soften the bitterness and concentrate the sugars). Direct-sow only — it hates being moved. Harvest by cutting the whole clump above the last leaves; the plant sometimes regrows in smaller but edible secondary shoots. Like all \u003cem\u003eBrassica rapa\u003c\/em\u003e, susceptible to the cabbage worm and the cabbage fly — insect netting useful from sowing on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Annual to biennial depending on conditions. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other \u003cem\u003eBrassica rapa\u003c\/em\u003e (turnip, pak choi, etc.) — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30-60 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 40-60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade essential in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, cool, well-drained, neutral soil. Thin to 15-20 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow early April to mid-May for spring harvest, then mid-August to mid-September for fall harvest. Tolerates light autumn frosts well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42600956166316,"sku":"GC-H-BRORAA-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":41487766978732,"sku":"GC-H-BRORAA-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":41487768715436,"sku":"GC-H-BRORAA-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/rapinih.jpg?v=1664221203"},{"product_id":"semences-radis-rouge-cherry-belle-ancestral","title":"Cherry Belle Heirloom Radish","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaphanus sativus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic red radish — the very image that comes to mind when you say the word: a perfect, luminous little scarlet ball set on its tuft of green leaves like a cherry forgotten in the vegetable garden. A Dutch variety originally selected for its near-mathematical roundness and uniform colour, Cherry Belle won the All-America Selections award in 1949 and has since become the absolute standard for the round red radish in North America — the variety against which all others are measured, and the one found in most North American family gardens for three generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDifferent in shape and speed from the French Breakfast, the Black Spanish (large, black, long-keeping), the Daikon (Asian, giant) and the Wasabi radish (pungent root and foliage), this is the everyday radish — the first harvest of the spring garden, and probably the best entry point for anyone starting to garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerfectly round little roots 2-3 cm in diameter, intense scarlet red, with pure white firm crunchy flesh. Classic radish flavour: mild and juicy when picked young, sharper at full maturity, with that small mustardy note characteristic of the Brassica family (also found in mustard, wasabi and horseradish — all rich in \u003cem\u003eisothiocyanates\u003c\/em\u003e, the volatile compounds responsible for that pungent sensation in the mouth).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClassic but always pleasing uses: sliced raw in salad, snacked whole with a little knob of butter and a pinch of fleur de sel as an aperitif (the radish-butter-salt combination is the French snack par excellence), grated into an open-faced sandwich, quick-pickled in rice vinegar to accompany an Asian bowl, or simply chewed straight out of the soil, still warm — the flavour is unmatched. Don't throw away the leaves: briefly sautéed like spinach, they are delicate and delicious.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e One of the fastest vegetables in the garden — 22-25 days from sowing to harvest — making it probably the first vegetable a child can watch grow and harvest in their own garden. Direct-sow only (the radish hates being moved), as soon as the soil can be worked in spring (mid-April in Québec) and until late August for staggered sowings. For continuous, always-fresh production, sow a thin row each week or every two weeks rather than all at once — otherwise you end up with 200 radishes ripening together and hardening as they wait to be eaten. Thin imperatively to 3 cm in the row after emergence; without thinning, the roots stay tiny and fibrous. Radish tolerates light part shade in summer (in full sun and high heat, it bolts quickly, going hollow and pungent), making it an excellent crop to slip between others more demanding for space and sun — a small under-cover crop, in tight rows beneath tomatoes or corn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Heritage variety, AAS winner 1949. Annual. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other radishes (Wasabi, Daikon, Black Spanish, French Breakfast — all \u003cem\u003eRaphanus sativus\u003c\/em\u003e) — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 15-20 cm (foliage).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 22-25 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade accepted in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, well-drained, moderately rich soil. Thin to 3 cm in the row after emergence.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow mid-April to late August in Québec, in staggered sowings every 1-2 weeks for continuous harvest. Tolerates light spring and autumn frosts well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42562902884524,"sku":"GC-H-RADRCB-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42562902982828,"sku":"GC-H-RADRCB-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42562903048364,"sku":"GC-H-RADRCB-5K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":42562903113900,"sku":"GC-H-RADRCB-25K","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/radishcbh.jpg?v=1664221311"},{"product_id":"semences-radis-daikon-biologiques","title":"Daikon Radish","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaphanus sativus var. longipinnatus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \"great radish\" of Japan — \u003cem\u003edai-kon\u003c\/em\u003e, literally \"big root\" — has been cultivated in East Asia for more than a thousand years, where it holds a place in daily eating comparable to that of the potato in Europe. Far from the little pink radish snacked at the aperitif, the daikon is a heavyweight: long pearly-white cylindrical roots reaching 30-40 cm long and 8 cm in diameter, weighing a kilogram or more, with dense, juicy, surprisingly mild flesh — far less pungent than Western radishes, almost sweet in the mouth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemarkable versatility, in Asian cooking and well beyond: finely grated and drained as \u003cem\u003edaikon oroshi\u003c\/em\u003e, that fresh light condiment served with tempura and grilled fish in Japan; yellow-pickled (\u003cem\u003etakuan\u003c\/em\u003e) in rice bran and turmeric; cubed for Korean \u003cem\u003ekkakdugi\u003c\/em\u003e kimchi; simmered for hours in Japanese \u003cem\u003eoden\u003c\/em\u003e or Korean beef broth until translucent and melting; julienned in Vietnamese \u003cem\u003ebánh mì\u003c\/em\u003e with carrot; or simply sliced as a flash pickle with vinegar and sugar. The leaves — often discarded — are actually delicious sautéed with sesame oil, like turnip greens. An unexpected garden bonus: the daikon's long taproot penetrates deep into compacted soils, creating channels of aeration and drainage — hence its use as a green manure on some farms in organic transition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e The daikon is an autumn radish par excellence. Spring-sown, it tends to bolt before properly forming its root, under the influence of long days and heat. The right timing in Québec: late July to mid-August for a harvest from late September to November. Soil deeply loosened (minimum 30 cm of loosened earth, ideally 40), free of stones or fresh manure — the long root must be able to descend straight, and the slightest obstruction makes it fork. Harvest before hard frosts, but after a few cool nights that concentrate the sugars. Keeps several months in the root cellar in lightly damp sand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Annual to biennial depending on conditions. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other nearby radishes — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30-50 cm for the tops.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50-70 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoil deeply loosened (30-40 cm), free of stones or fresh manure, moderately rich. Thin to 10-15 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow late July to mid-August for fall harvest. Spring sowing is possible but often disappointing — summer heat bolts the plant before the root forms fully. Tolerates light frosts well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"400","offer_id":42601301278892,"sku":"GC-O-RADDAI-400","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":42601301311660,"sku":"GC-O-RADDAI-2K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":42601301344428,"sku":"GC-O-RADDAI-10K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50000","offer_id":42601301377196,"sku":"GC-O-RADDAI-50K","price":33.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/radishdaikono_6f995a9b-e298-4bd3-9080-5a105058456a.jpg?v=1698942950"},{"product_id":"semences-carotte-rouge-chantenay-ancestrales","title":"Red Chantenay Heirloom Carrot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaucus carota sativa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShort, wide carrots, perfect for storage!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduces roots ~15 cm (6\") in ~65-70 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"400","offer_id":42613460664492,"sku":"GC-H-CARRCH-400","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":42613460697260,"sku":"GC-H-CARRCH-2K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":42613460730028,"sku":"GC-H-CARRCH-10K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50000","offer_id":42613460762796,"sku":"GC-H-CARRCH-50K","price":48.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/chantenayrh.jpg?v=1664221215"},{"product_id":"semences-chou-golden-acre-ancestral","title":"Golden Acre Heirloom Cabbage","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea var. capitata.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the great classics of the early head cabbage — introduced in 1929 by the English seed house Sutton's Seeds, and very quickly adopted by North American gardeners looking for a reliable, compact and above all early variety. Where most traditional head cabbages take 80-100 days to form their head properly, Golden Acre produces it in just 60-65 days after transplant, making it one of the very first fresh cabbages of the season — ready to harvest in July when later varieties are still forming their hearts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA round, tightly closed head 1-1.5 kg, glossy medium green, with crunchy, mild, lightly sweet flesh — particularly successful in a creamy mayonnaise coleslaw, in fresh spring rolls, in quick homemade kimchi, or simply finely shredded with carrot, red onion and an old-style vinaigrette. A compact plant (barely 30-40 cm tall) that takes little space in the garden, making it a choice variety for small spaces, raised beds, or intensive rotations where you want to free up ground quickly for a second crop. Good field-holding too: less prone to splitting than many other varieties when harvest is delayed a bit — a precious quality for the amateur gardener who doesn't always have time to pick at the perfect moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Start indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting (April in Québec for an early summer harvest), or possible by direct-sowing in early June for a late-summer harvest. Like all cabbages, susceptible to the cabbage worm and other crucifer pests — insect netting from transplanting on, or wait until late August for a fall sowing when insect populations drop. Soil rich in organic matter, regular watering without ups and downs (water stress during head formation causes splitting). Harvest when the head feels firm to the touch by gently pressing the top with your palm: if it yields a little, it's not ready; if it resists firmly, that's the moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial, flowers in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with all other \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e (broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc.) — isolate rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30-40 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 60-65 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5). Space plants 40-45 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost (April in Québec) for early summer harvest, or direct-sow in early June for late-summer harvest. Strict rotation with other crucifers (3-4 years).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42598374932652,"sku":"GC-H-CABGOL-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42598374965420,"sku":"GC-H-CABGOL-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42598374998188,"sku":"GC-H-CABGOL-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":44180305248428,"sku":"GC-H-CABGOL-25K","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/goldacrecabbage.jpg?v=1664221207"},{"product_id":"semences-betterave-sucre-ancestrale","title":"Heirloom Sugar Beet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn agricultural curiosity that became geopolitical. It all began in 1747, when the Prussian chemist Andreas Marggraf isolated, for the first time, crystallized sugar from a European root — proof that tropical cane was not the only thing that could sweeten the world. But it was Napoleon who really launched it, ordering in 1811 its mass cultivation in France to circumvent the British blockade on Caribbean sugar. Two centuries later, nearly 30% of the world's sugar still comes from it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA conical, long cream-white root, reaching 1 to 2 kg, packed with 16 to 20% sucrose. Not a table beet — its flesh is pale and fibrous — but a treasure for anyone who wants to make their own beet syrup (a sort of homemade molasses, dark and caramelized), experiment with artisanal fermentation, or produce a luxurious winter fodder for backyard animals. Bonus: the young leaves, like those of Swiss chard, are edible cooked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Each beet seed is actually a glomerule — a cluster of several seeds fused together; expect several seedlings per hole, to be thinned without mercy. For the taproot, work the soil deeply (30 cm minimum), loosened and cleared of stones that would force the root to fork. Ideally neutral soil (pH 6.5-7.5): the beet hates acidity — a common situation in Québec soils, where a preliminary liming is often welcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiennial: flowering only occurs in the second year. To produce your own seeds, the roots must be kept frost-free over winter and replanted the following spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30-50 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 90-110 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeep, loose, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Thin to 15-20 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring (mid-May in Québec). To make a syrup worthy of the name, plan on several kilograms of roots — it reduces a lot in cooking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42119857930412,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42119857963180,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42119858192556,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":42119858225324,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/sugarbeet.jpg?v=1664221188"},{"product_id":"semences-chou-fleur-early-snowball-ancestral","title":"Early Snowball Heirloom Cauliflower","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea var. botrytis.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe white cauliflower in its most classic and recognizable expression — selected in 1888 by the famous Peter Henderson seed house of New York, and one of the oldest cauliflower varieties still widely cultivated in North America. The \"Snowball\" line designates an entire type of compact cauliflower, with a dense, well-closed head, immaculately white under wrapping leaves that naturally shield it from the sun and preserve the whiteness of the flesh. It's the cauliflower of the collective imagination — the one seen at the market stall and in recipe books: elegant, sober, without frills.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBotanically, the cauliflower head is an odd thing: it's actually an inflorescence — a dense bouquet of undeveloped, fused flower buds — placing the cauliflower in the small category of vegetables eaten in the state of aborted flowers. The flavour is mild, lightly sweet and nutty at full maturity, slightly sulfurous after prolonged cooking. Magnificent steamed and drizzled with brown butter and capers, oven-roasted whole or in quarters until the edges caramelize (\"roast cauliflower\" style, now a restaurant favourite), grated as \"cauliflower rice\" for low-carb diets, in a classic cheese gratin, or in an Indian-style velouté with turmeric and coconut milk. Compact head 15-18 cm across, and a relatively short cycle for a cauliflower (50-60 days after transplant) — hence the \"Early\" in its name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cauliflower is notoriously capricious. It needs soil very rich in organic matter, perfectly regular watering (moisture jolts trigger the formation of small, prematurely aborted heads — what's called \u003cem\u003ebuttoning\u003c\/em\u003e), and cool conditions. In Québec, two possible windows: summer harvest by indoor start in April and transplant in May, or — often more reliable — fall harvest by sowing indoors in early June and transplanting in early July. Insect netting is mandatory from transplant against the cabbage worm. Although the variety is described as self-blanching, some gardeners fold the large outer leaves over the forming head and tie them loosely to guarantee an impeccable whiteness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial, flowers in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with all other \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e (cabbage, broccoli, kale, etc.) — isolate rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 50-70 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50-60 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade accepted in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery rich, deep, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5). A hungry plant — amend generously with mature compost. Space plants 50-60 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 6-8 weeks before transplant. For fall harvest in Québec, sow in early June and transplant in early July. Strict rotation with other crucifers (3-4 years).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":41811957678252,"sku":"GC-H-CAUSNO-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":41811957711020,"sku":"GC-H-CAUSNO-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":41811957743788,"sku":"GC-H-CAUSNO-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":44180306755756,"sku":"GC-H-CAUSNO-25K","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/snowcrown_67c1620b-0a35-474e-a6fc-30935a658512.jpg?v=1664221226"},{"product_id":"semences-chou-rouge-red-acre-ancestral","title":"Red Acre Heirloom Cabbage","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea var. capitata.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cabbage is one of the most domesticated garden plants in the world — descended from a single wild ancestor of the coastal cliffs of Europe, it has produced through millennia of selection broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, and every variety of head cabbage. The red version, later in arrival, appeared in Central and Eastern Europe in the 16th-17th centuries, where it became inseparable from the winter cooking of Germany, Poland and Hungary. A dense, hard, heavy head weighing 1-2 kg, whose purplish leaves stripe the heart with fine white veins almost geometric — cutting a red cabbage in half reveals a pattern of astonishing graphic beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA milder and slightly sweeter flavour than green cabbage, which improves after the first frosts (the plant mobilizes its sugars as a defence mode against the cold). Magnificent raw — finely shredded in a coleslaw with mustard-and-apple vinaigrette — or as German \u003cem\u003erotkohl\u003c\/em\u003e, slowly braised with apple, vinegar and cinnamon. Chemistry bonus to show the kids: the cooking juice works as a natural pH indicator — pink in an acid medium (vinegar), purple at neutral, blue-green in alkaline (baking soda). Excellent root-cellar keeper for 2 to 4 months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Crop rotation is not optional for cabbage. All crucifers (cabbage, broccoli, turnip, radish, mustard) share the same soil diseases — clubroot first and foremost — and the same pests (cabbage worm, flea beetle, cabbage fly). Ideally, wait 3-4 years before putting another crucifer in the same spot. Cover young plants with insect netting from transplant on — the cabbage white butterfly lays on the slightest exposed leaf, and its caterpillars turn a beautiful plant into lace within days. Indoor start for summer harvest, or direct-sow mid-June for fall harvest (the best for storage).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial, flowers in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with all other \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e (broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc.) — isolate rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30-50 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 70-100 days depending on the variety.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained, rather alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5) — clubroot thrives in acid soil. Space plants 45-50 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost for summer harvest, or direct-sow in early June for fall harvest and winter storage. Tolerates and improves with the first frosts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42088854585516,"sku":"GC-H-CABRED-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42088856453292,"sku":"GC-H-CABRED-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42088856486060,"sku":"GC-H-CABRED-5K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":42088857960620,"sku":"GC-H-CABRED-25K","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/redacrecabbage.jpg?v=1664221211"},{"product_id":"semences-chou-pak-choi-tige-blanche-ancestral","title":"White-Stem Heirloom Pak Choi","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica rapa subsp. chinensis.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classic pak choi in its mature, fully developed form — the version found by the thousand in Cantonese markets and which has structured the everyday cuisine of southern China for more than two thousand years. The name \u003cem\u003epak choi\u003c\/em\u003e (sometimes spelled \u003cem\u003ebok choy\u003c\/em\u003e) comes from Cantonese 白菜 (\u003cem\u003ebaak choi\u003c\/em\u003e), literally \"white vegetable,\" in reference to its broad, fleshy white stalks. A linguistic curiosity: in Mandarin, this same term \u003cem\u003ebáicài\u003c\/em\u003e actually designates napa cabbage, and our pak choi is called \u003cem\u003exiǎo báicài\u003c\/em\u003e there (\"little white cabbage\"). This drift between the Chinese languages testifies to a very ancient domestication — the first Chinese agricultural treatises mention it as early as the 6th century AD, in the famous \u003cem\u003eQimin Yaoshu\u003c\/em\u003e. Botanically, it's the same species as the turnip and rapini: \u003cem\u003eBrassica rapa\u003c\/em\u003e, with its multiple subspecies arising from a millennium of selection practiced in northern China.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn open vase-shaped plant, 25 to 35 cm tall at full maturity, forming a crown of broad, fleshy, crunchy white petioles topped by rounded dark green leaves, glossy and lightly curled. Different from the baby pak choi already described in our pages, where the whole plant is harvested at just 30 days for tender mouthfuls — here, it's the mature version cooked by separating the two parts, because they have distinct cooking times. The white stems, juicy and crunchy (mild flavour, lightly sweet, recalling napa cabbage but finer), are stir-fried first in the wok with garlic, ginger and sesame oil; the green leaves, more delicate, are added at the end to stay tender and bright green.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresent in all the Cantonese classics — stir-fried with beef and oyster sauce, in a bowl of wonton noodles, in hot pot, in dumpling soup, or simply steamed and drizzled with a reduction of soy sauce, sesame oil and fried garlic. Note: the white stems contrast beautifully in the dish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all \u003cem\u003eBrassica rapa\u003c\/em\u003e, pak choi hates heat and bolts quickly under a summer heat wave. Winning Québec strategy: sow at both ends of the season — mid-April to mid-May for the spring harvest, then early August to early September for the fall harvest (often the most generous, the leaves becoming especially tender and sweet under cool nights). Direct-sowing is preferable; pak choi doesn't like being moved. Harvest by cutting the whole plant at the base, or pick outer leaves as needed and let the heart keep growing. Like all cabbages, susceptible to the cabbage worm and cabbage fly — insect netting from sowing recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Annual. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other \u003cem\u003eBrassica rapa\u003c\/em\u003e (turnip, rapini, mizuna, napa cabbage) — isolate rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 25 to 35 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 45 to 60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade mandatory in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, fresh, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. Space plants 20 to 25 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow mid-April to mid-May for the spring harvest, then early August to early September for the fall harvest. Tolerates light frosts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":41534576492716,"sku":"JV-A-PAKTBL-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":41534576525484,"sku":"JV-A-PAKTBL-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42088802681004,"sku":"JV-A-PAKTBL-5K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":42088803926188,"sku":"JV-A-PAKTBL-25K","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/pakchoiwhite.jpg?v=1664221209"},{"product_id":"semences-carotte-parisienne-ancestrale","title":"Parisian Heirloom Round Carrot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaucus carota subsp. sativus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA little marvel inherited from the Parisian market gardeners of the 19th century, who cultivated their vegetables in the heart of the city, in walled gardens with often shallow, heavy or stony soils where the classic long carrots refused to grow straight. Their answer: select a round, short, almost spherical carrot, content with twenty centimetres of loose earth to produce perfect roots. Small bright orange globes 2 to 5 cm across, like ping-pong balls, with smooth skin and fine, sweet flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal for gardeners coping with difficult soils — clay, rocky, or simply not deep enough — for growing in pots or containers on a balcony, and for impatient gardeners: harvest possible in 50 to 60 days, sometimes less with a late sowing. Delicious picked young, barely bigger than a marble, just rinsed and crunched raw. Sublime glazed in butter and honey to accompany a roast, or tossed whole into a pot-au-feu where it holds its shape and texture. Children adore it — its bite size makes it irresistible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Take advantage of its speed for successive sowings every three weeks, May through late July — it's probably the most forgiving carrot for that kind of juggling. Same requirements as other carrots for good germination: surface-loose soil, no crust under any circumstances, moisture maintained until emergence (14 to 21 days). But good news for depth — 20 cm of loose soil is plenty, which opens the door to window boxes, deep containers and shallow beds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial — flowering only occurs in the second year.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 20 to 30 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50 to 60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurface-loose soil (minimum 20 cm deep), free of stones and fresh manure. Thin to 5 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (late April \/ early May in Québec), in successive rows every three weeks through late July. Ideal in pot or container culture on a balcony.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":41534596415660,"sku":"GC-H-CARPAR-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":41534596448428,"sku":"GC-H-CARPAR-1000","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42088611774636,"sku":"GC-H-CARPAR-5000","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":42088707457196,"sku":"GC-H-CARPAR-25000","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/parisiancarrots.jpg?v=1664221223"},{"product_id":"semences-concombre-marketmore-76-ancestral","title":"Marketmore 76 Heirloom Cucumber","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucumis sativus.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reference garden cucumber in North America for five decades. Developed in 1976 by the breeder Henry Munger at Cornell University — hence the \"76\" marking the release year — it came out of a long crossing program aimed at uniting in a single variety resistance to several major diseases that traditionally ruin cucumbers: scab, powdery mildew, downy mildew and mosaic virus. The result: an open-pollinated, productive and robust cultivar that has let home gardeners and organic market growers succeed with their cucumbers without resorting to pesticides or patented hybrids.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong, straight fruits 20 to 22 cm, a uniform dark green, with smooth tender skin that needs no peeling. White, firm, crunchy, juicy flesh, mild and fresh in flavour with no trace of bitterness — a cucumber frankly superior to what you find at the grocery store. Perfect sliced in a salad, in sticks with tzatziki, slipped into a sandwich, turned into pickles when harvested younger, or blended into gazpacho with yogurt and dill on heatwave days. Vigorous climbing plant that produces continuously from mid-July to frost, provided you pick regularly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cucumber hates being moved — its roots are fragile and it broods for a long time over a rough transplant. If you start indoors (3 to 4 weeks before planting out, no more), use biodegradable pots that go straight into the ground. Otherwise, direct-sow in early June once the soil is well warmed. Install a trellis — it improves air circulation (and so disease resistance, already good), keeps the fruits straight and clean, and makes harvesting far easier — much better than hunting for cucumbers in a tangle of leaves on the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Stable variety, reproduces faithfully. Monoecious, bee-pollinated: crosses with other nearby cucumbers — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: climbing stems 1.5 to 2 m, to be trellised.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 60 to 70 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained soil, kept cool with good mulching. Space plants 40 to 50 cm apart on the trellis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart indoors 3 to 4 weeks before last frost in biodegradable pots, or direct-sow in early June once the soil is at 18 °C minimum. Harvest regularly (every 2 to 3 days at peak production) to stimulate the formation of new fruits.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":42601056370860,"sku":"GC-H-CUCMAR-40","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":42601056403628,"sku":"GC-H-CUCMAR-200","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42601056436396,"sku":"GC-H-CUCMAR-1K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42601056469164,"sku":"GC-H-CUCMAR-5K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/marketmore_f760c3c1-8c9c-492d-b79c-0f6a0cf1894a.jpg?v=1664221250"},{"product_id":"semences-laitue-frisee-grand-rapids-ancestrale","title":"Grand Rapids Leaf Lettuce Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLactuca sativa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA historic figure of North American market gardening. Developed around 1890 by Eugene Davis, a market gardener of Grand Rapids, Michigan, it was specifically selected for forcing under glass — it's the one that, at the turn of the 20th century, made possible the commercial production of winter lettuce in the cold regions of the American Northeast and Midwest, and that long dominated grocery stores from January to March before the arrival of fast transport from California. An old variety, but astonishingly modern for its time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrilliant lime-green leaves, very frilly and wavy at the edges, with a texture both tender and crunchy, mild, fresh in flavour, without bitterness. A loose-leaf type for progressive picking — take outer leaves as needed, and the plant keeps producing from the centre. A precious peculiarity: it's one of the most cold-hardy lettuces — it germinates at temperatures where the others remain dormant, sails through light frosts unfazed, and gives beautiful harvests very early in spring and very late in fall, as well as under unheated tunnel. For winter gardeners equipped with a cold greenhouse or cold frame, it remains a reference today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grand Rapids needs light to germinate — it's hard-coded genetically. Sow on the surface or cover with barely 2-3 mm of fine potting mix, no more, or emergence will fail. Unlike most lettuces, its germination tolerates relatively low temperatures (10 to 15 °C), which lets you sow it earlier than any other — from late March under tunnel or in a cold greenhouse in Québec. To stretch the harvest, sow in successive rows every 10-14 days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Heirloom variety. Self-fertile, so very few crossings to fear — ideal for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 20 to 25 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 45 to 50 days for the full rosette; young leaves from 25 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall, part shade in midsummer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, fresh, well-drained soil. Thin to 20 cm for full rosettes, or sow densely for young-leaf picking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked — one of the first lettuces you can sow (late March \/ early April under tunnel, mid-April in the open field in Québec). Excellent also for late-summer sowings and cold-greenhouse culture for winter harvest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"800","offer_id":42558842011820,"sku":"GC-H-LETGRA-800","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4000","offer_id":42558842044588,"sku":"GC-H-LETGRA-4K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20000","offer_id":42558842077356,"sku":"GC-H-LETGRA-20K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100000","offer_id":42558842110124,"sku":"GC-H-LETGRA-100K","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/leaflettuce.jpg?v=1664221272"},{"product_id":"semences-laitue-romaine-parris-island-ancestrale","title":"Parris Island Cos Romaine Lettuce Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLactuca sativa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the oldest domesticated lettuce lines — romaine, called \"cos\" in English after the Greek island of Kos from which it is said to originate, was already cultivated in the gardens of pharaonic Egypt, where it was credited with aphrodisiac virtues. The modern Parris Island selection, more prosaically, was developed in 1952 by the United States Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Clemson University, in South Carolina, and named after the neighbouring island. Goal of the program: a romaine resistant to mosaic virus and tip burn, capable of producing in the stubborn heat of the American South.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElongated upright head 25 to 30 cm, with crunchy, ribbed medium-green outer leaves and a compact heart of pale yellow-green, sweet, tender, almost buttery. Romaine is the lettuce that best withstands light cooking — grilled cut in half on the barbecue with a drizzle of olive oil, it's a revelation — and the uncontested darling of Caesar salad, itself invented in 1924 by an Italian-Mexican restaurateur of Tijuana. Its hand-held structure and crunchy central rib also make it a perfect vehicle for wraps, lettuce tacos, or simply a sandwich that doesn't go soggy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Parris Island was specifically selected for heat resistance, which makes it one of the rare lettuces you can reasonably sow in June for a harvest in the heart of the Québec summer — where the others bolt. For truly firm, well-formed heads, space generously (25-30 cm) and keep the soil constantly moist — water stress leaves a residual bitterness in the heart. Harvest the whole head with a knife while it's still firm, or pick leaf by leaf starting from the outside to stretch the harvest over several weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Self-fertile, so very few crossings to fear.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 25 to 30 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 65 to 75 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade accepted in summer heat.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, fresh, well-drained soil, kept constantly moist. Thin to 25-30 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (mid-April in Québec), in successive sowings through mid-June, then a new window from mid-August for a fall harvest. Tolerates summer heat better than most lettuces.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"800","offer_id":42558841356460,"sku":"GC-H-LETPAR-800","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4000","offer_id":42558841389228,"sku":"GC-H-LETPAR-4K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20000","offer_id":42558841421996,"sku":"GC-H-LETPAR-20K","price":9.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100000","offer_id":42558841454764,"sku":"GC-H-LETPAR-100K","price":33.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/romaineh_3fb4e15d-e758-49c9-99fd-1eba6c11afa0.jpg?v=1698955437"},{"product_id":"semences-asperge-mary-washington-ancestrale","title":"Mary Washington Asparagus Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAsparagus officinalis.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAsparagus is a plant of ancient dignity — already cultivated by the Egyptians, celebrated by Pliny the Elder in his \u003cem\u003eNatural History\u003c\/em\u003e, served to the Roman emperors who considered it so refined a dish that they sometimes shipped it as far as the borders of the Empire packed in Alpine ice. The Mary Washington selection, named after George Washington's mother, was born around 1919 in the laboratories of the United States Department of Agriculture under the direction of J.B. Norton, as one of the first asparagus varieties resistant to rust — a disease that was ravaging commercial asparagus beds at the time. It has remained the reference variety of North American vegetable gardens for a century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLong, straight spears, tender green lightly tinged with mauve at the tip, with fine, sweet flesh, no fibre and no bitterness when harvested at the right stage. But the real gift of this plant is its longevity — a well-established asparagus bed produces for 15 to 25 years, sometimes more, from a single sowing. It's probably the best return on investment in the vegetable garden: a few hours of well-considered work up front for decades of spring harvests. And what harvests — six to eight weeks of fresh asparagus from April to June, just steamed with brown butter and a dash of lemon, roasted in the oven, blanched into risotto, or simply crunched raw in the garden, barely snapped, in that unique flavour that announces the return of the warm season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e This plant demands patience and a well-chosen spot. From seed, count three years before the first real harvest — year one, let it grow without taking anything to build a deep root system; year two, a few spears only over 2-3 weeks; year three, full harvest. Choose the permanent spot with care: sandy or loamy, deep, drained, never soggy soil, with neutral to slightly alkaline pH (asparagus hates acidity). Never move an asparagus bed once established — it does not forgive. Prepare a 30-40 cm trench, enrich with mature compost, and plant for the next twenty years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Hardy perennial (zone 3). Dioecious — separate male and female plants. Males are more productive (they don't invest energy in producing red berries).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 1.2 to 1.8 m for summer foliage (left to grow into green ferns after the end of the harvest).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 3 years from seed for the first real harvest. Productive for 15 to 25 years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeep soil, sandy to loamy, perfectly drained, rich in organic matter, pH 6.5-7.5. Space plants 40 cm apart in the row, 1.2 m between rows.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndoor start 10 to 12 weeks before last frost, or direct-sow as soon as the soil can be worked. Seeds benefit from a 24- to 48-hour soak before sowing. Transplant to the permanent location at the end of the first season or the following spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42605434470572,"sku":"GC-H-ASPMAR-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42605434503340,"sku":"GC-H-ASPMAR-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42605434536108,"sku":"GC-H-ASPMAR-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":42605434568876,"sku":"GC-H-ASPMAR-2500","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/asparagusmw_ff41f5cb-3e72-45cc-a7e1-50fcd3d7e363.jpg?v=1664221172"},{"product_id":"semences-aubergine-black-beauty-ancestrale","title":"Black Beauty Eggplant Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolanum melongena.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmerica's standard eggplant for more than a century. Released by the Burpee house in 1902 — the same year as the famous Golden Bantam corn, as if by a singular stroke of horticultural luck — Black Beauty has remained to this day the reference variety of North American vegetable gardens: it's the shape, the colour, the size you visualize instantly when you say \"eggplant,\" the one you see on grocery shelves and in cooking magazines. But eggplant itself is far older — cultivated in India for more than 4,000 years, spread by the Arabs toward the Mediterranean in the 8th century (the word \"aubergine\" itself comes from the Arabic \u003cem\u003eal-bāḏinjān\u003c\/em\u003e, itself from the Persian \u003cem\u003ebādenjān\u003c\/em\u003e), and arriving late in Europe in the Middle Ages, where it was long called \u003cem\u003emala insana\u003c\/em\u003e, \"mad apple,\" out of fear of its membership in the Solanaceae family, which also includes poisonous belladonna.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOval, heavy fruits 15 to 20 cm long, weighing 700 to 900 g, with a purple-black skin of an almost varnished gleam, and white, firm flesh, lightly bitter when harvested too old but mild and velvety at full maturity. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking has elevated it to star status: Greek \u003cem\u003emoussaka\u003c\/em\u003e in layers with ground meat and béchamel, Lebanese \u003cem\u003ebaba ganoush\u003c\/em\u003e with flesh grilled over fire, smoked and mashed with tahini, Italian \u003cem\u003eparmigiana\u003c\/em\u003e baked with mozzarella and tomato, Niçoise \u003cem\u003eratatouille\u003c\/em\u003e simmered with zucchini, tomato and pepper, Indian \u003cem\u003ebaingan bharta\u003c\/em\u003e fire-roasted with garlic, Turkish \u003cem\u003eimam bayildi\u003c\/em\u003e stuffed with confit onions until \"the imam fainted\" with pleasure, says the legend. And the most useful kitchen secret: salt the eggplant slices, let them drain 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry before cooking — it concentrates the flavour, eliminates any residual bitterness, and greatly reduces the amount of oil absorbed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eggplant is probably the most demanding member of the tomato-pepper-chili family. It wants intense heat (germination at 25-30 °C), a long season, and hates anything that resembles cold — a chill snap in early season freezes the plant for weeks. Indoor start mandatory 10 to 12 weeks before transplanting, in individual pots, in a warm spot under a grow light on a heat mat. Transplant only when nights are stable above 15 °C in Québec — that means mid-June at the earliest, never sooner. The warmest available spot (south wall, sheltered garden) is mandatory. Harvest the fruits young and glossy — if the skin starts to lose its shine, they're too old and the flesh will be fibrous and bitter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Largely self-fertile, but some crossing possible with other eggplants nearby — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60 to 90 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 70 to 80 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, sheltered from wind. The warmest spot in the garden.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained, warm soil. Space plants 50 to 60 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndoor start 10 to 12 weeks before last frost, at 25-28 °C minimum. Transplant once all risk of frost is past and the soil is at 18 °C (mid-June in Québec).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42630290800812,"sku":"GC-H-EGGBLA-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":41699734323372,"sku":"GC-H-EGGBLA-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":41699734356140,"sku":"GC-H-EGGBLA-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":44180300071084,"sku":"GC-H-EGGBLA-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/eggplantbb_1803e6ed-f3bf-457e-8784-716138d2cec1.jpg?v=1664221256"},{"product_id":"semences-haricot-menage-trois-ancestral","title":"Ménage à Trois Bean Mix Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhaseolus vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA colourful and delicious mix of Blue Lake, Pencil Pod and Royal Burgundy beans!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":41703264911532,"sku":"GC-H-BEAMAT-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":41703264944300,"sku":"GC-H-BEAMAT-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":41703264977068,"sku":"GC-H-BEAMAT-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":44169102033068,"sku":"GC-H-BEAMAT-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/mardigras_b6f1e2a6-3414-42fb-9694-a6e640115fcc.jpg?v=1664221178"},{"product_id":"semences-brocoli-calabrese-green-sprouting-ancestral","title":"Calabrese Green Sprouting Broccoli Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea var. italica.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original broccoli — the ancestor of every broccoli grown in North America today. Calabrese comes from Calabria, the southern tip of the Italian boot, where it has been selected since antiquity — Pliny the Elder already mentions green-inflorescence cultivars in the 1st century, and the Italian word \u003cem\u003ebroccolo\u003c\/em\u003e (\"the flowering crown of the cabbage\") gave its name to the whole botanical category. It's with the waves of Italian immigration of the early 20th century that this variety crossed the Atlantic and conquered North American gardens and grocery stores, where it was for a long time synonymous with the word \"broccoli\" until the arrival of modern hybrids in the 1960s-70s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn imposing plant 60 to 90 cm tall, which first produces a large firm, dense central head of deep green (12 to 20 cm across), made of tightly packed flower buds. But the real genius of this variety is in its name — \u003cem\u003eGreen Sprouting\u003c\/em\u003e. Once the central head is harvested, the plant doesn't stop there: it keeps producing for weeks smaller secondary heads at the axil of each leaf, harvested continuously until the hard frosts of fall. A single plant can thus yield 1 to 2 kg of broccoli spread over two months, where modern hybrids give only a single big head and stop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClassic broccoli flavour, firm and clean, without excessive bitterness. Sublime steamed tender with a drizzle of olive oil and garlic, oven-roasted at high heat until the edges caramelize (the current fashion that saves broccoli from over-long cooking), in Sicilian-style \u003cem\u003eorecchiette con i broccoli\u003c\/em\u003e with anchovies, garlic and breadcrumbs, or raw in florets as crudités.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Indoor start 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting (April in Québec for a summer harvest, early June for a fall harvest). Like all cabbages, susceptible to the cabbage worm and other pests — insect netting from transplanting on. The secret for maximizing the harvest of side shoots: harvest the central head young, before it starts to relax into flowers, cutting on a slant above several intact leaves — the plant then devotes all its energy to developing its axillary buds, which will give the secondary shoots for the rest of the season. Keep the soil fertile through regular applications of compost or nitrogen to support that prolonged production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial — flowering only occurs in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with all other \u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e (cabbage, kale, cauliflower, etc.) — isolate rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 60 to 90 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 60 to 90 days after transplant for the central head, then continuous harvest of side shoots for 6 to 8 additional weeks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun in spring and fall; part shade accepted in summer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5). Space plants 45 to 60 cm apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndoor start 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting. For an extended season, sow in two waves: April (summer harvest) and early June (fall harvest). Strict rotation with other crucifers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":42600957706412,"sku":"GC-H-BROGRS-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":42600957739180,"sku":"GC-H-BROGRS-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":42600957771948,"sku":"GC-H-BROGRS-5K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25000","offer_id":42600957804716,"sku":"GC-H-BROGRS-25K","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/belstar.jpg?v=1664221199"},{"product_id":"semences-courge-spaghetti-ancestrale","title":"Spaghetti Squash Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most astonishing squashes in the world — not for its outward appearance (a fairly ordinary cream-yellow oval fruit), but for what hides inside: flesh that, when cooked, spontaneously breaks down into long parallel filaments unmistakably evoking strands of pasta — hence the name. Native to Japan, where it was developed around the middle of the 19th century, spaghetti squash was introduced to North America in 1936 by the Japanese seed house Sakata Seed Co., and commercially distributed by Burpee under the English name \u003cem\u003eVegetable Spaghetti\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor decades it remained a curiosity for passionate gardeners; it experienced a major renaissance in the 1990s-2000s with the low-carb diet wave, which turned it into \u003cem\u003ethe\u003c\/em\u003e vegetable alternative to pasta. Botanically, it's still and always a \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e — the same species as all squashes (zucchini, pumpkins, crookneck, marrow squash, Delicata).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElongated oval fruits, broad-egg-shaped, 20 to 30 cm long, with smooth firm skin of a beautiful uniform cream-yellow at full maturity — skin colour is itself one of the best maturity indicators (harvest when the yellow is solid and the skin resists thumb pressure). Raw flesh pale yellow, firm, without particular flavour, but cooked, the magic happens: cut the squash lengthwise in two, scoop out the seeds, bake 40 to 50 minutes at 200 °C (or 20 minutes in the microwave for the hurried), then scrape the flesh with a fork to get the extraordinary \"spaghetti\" effect — hundreds of fine parallel filaments releasing in a bouquet. Mild, neutral, lightly sweet flavour, to be served as you would pasta: with tomato sauce and meatballs (the \u003cem\u003espaghetti and meatballs\u003c\/em\u003e version with real spaghetti squash in place of pasta), with alfredo sauce and parmesan, with Genoese basil pesto already described in our pages, with butter and cheese, with bolognese sauce, or simply with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Also excellent sautéed \u003cem\u003eaglio e olio\u003c\/em\u003e, baked au gratin with mozzarella, or in a vegetable \u003cem\u003epad thai\u003c\/em\u003e with peanuts and lime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Indoor start 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow in early June once the soil is well warmed to 18 °C. Vigorous semi-running plant to spread over 3 to 4 metres, spaced 1 m apart. Like all \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e already described, vulnerable to the squash vine borer (\u003cem\u003eMelittia cucurbitae\u003c\/em\u003e) — same prevention advice. Harvest at full maturity when the skin is uniformly yellow and the stem turns dry (generally late September in Québec, before the first hard frost). Post-harvest curing of 7 to 10 days at room temperature to develop sugars and harden the skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStorage: 2 to 4 months in a cool dry root cellar (10-15 °C, 50-70 % humidity — careful not to place it somewhere too damp like some other squashes); shorter than Butternut or Buttercup already described, longer than Delicata.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Japanese heirloom variety, introduced to North America in 1936. Annual. Monoecious, bee-pollinated, so crosses with other \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c\/em\u003e (zucchini, crookneck, pumpkins, marrow, Delicata, pattypan) — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVine length: 3 to 4 m, semi-running habit.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 100 to 110 days after transplant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun, warmth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery rich, well-drained, warm soil. Generous compost application at planting. Space plants 1 m apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndoor start 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow in early June in Québec once the soil is at 18 °C. Storage 2 to 4 months in the cellar (10-15 °C, dry).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":42584879235244,"sku":"GC-H-SQUSPA-40","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":42584879268012,"sku":"GC-H-SQUSPA-200","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":44169098756268,"sku":"GC-H-SQUSPA-1000","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/spaghettisquash_d089019e-5b5b-4ef3-bb8f-01e0b0629f2c.jpg?v=1699044975"},{"product_id":"semences-carotte-jaune-solar-ancestrale","title":"Solar Yellow Carrot Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaucus carota sativa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA carrot that lives up to its name beautifully — long tapered roots of a brilliant solar yellow, almost golden at the heart, that bring a genuine burst of brightness to the harvest basket and the plate. A modern open-pollinated variety, selected from the old yellow lines that dominated European gardens before the orange carrot took over in the 17th century. It combines the exceptional sweetness of traditional yellow carrots with a regularity of shape and a vigour that the old varieties did not always have.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn especially mild, almost floral flavour, with less of the earthy note characteristic of orange carrots — many people who don't like the classic \"carroty\" taste become fans after a first meeting with Solar. Crunchy, juicy texture, high sugar content, which makes it one of the best carrots for fresh juice — extracted with a centrifuge or a slow juicer, it gives a naturally sweet golden-yellow juice that hardly needs to be cut with apple. Magnificent also roasted in caramelized sticks in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and maple syrup, in a deep yellow velouté soup with ginger and turmeric, raw in julienne in a slaw for the colour, or simply crunched on the spot in the garden. A carrot to include in a multicolour mix (orange-yellow-purple-white) for spectacular crudité platters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all carrots, slow (14 to 21 days) and delicate germination. Sow on the surface (maximum 1 cm deep), water with a fine spray to avoid washing away the tiny seeds, and keep constantly moist until emergence — covering the row with a board, a row cover or a burlap sack for the first 7 to 10 days helps enormously. Soil loosened deeply (25 cm minimum), free of stones and fresh manure that would fork the root. Solar is slightly more vigorous at germination than many other yellow varieties, which makes it a good choice for gardeners wanting to try non-orange carrots for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial — flowering only occurs in the second year (overwinter for seed production).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30 to 40 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 70 to 75 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, deep (at least 25 cm) soil, sandy to loamy, free of stones and fresh manure. Thin to 5 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (late April \/ early May in Québec). Possibility of a second sowing in July for fall harvest and winter storage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"80","offer_id":42562910617772,"sku":"GC-H-CARSYE-80","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400","offer_id":42562910650540,"sku":"GC-H-CARSYE-400","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":42562910683308,"sku":"GC-H-CARSYE-2K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":44180302987436,"sku":"GC-H-CARSYE-10K","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/solaryellow_27df6ca0-e926-4080-b7f0-cc28b7777011.jpg?v=1664221219"},{"product_id":"semences-bette-carde-rose-ecologique","title":"Red Swiss Chard","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris subsp. cicla.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the oldest vegetable garden plants of the Mediterranean basin, already described by the Greek naturalists in the 4th century BC, and which has accompanied European cuisine without interruption ever since. Botanically, it's a very close cousin of the beet — same species, different selection — that develops spectacular leaves and stalks rather than a fleshy root.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe red selection unfurls stems and veins of a deep crimson, sometimes almost violet, that contrast magnificently with the dark green, puckered leaf blade — a stained-glass effect in the vegetable garden when low sun cuts through them. Mild, earthy flavour, lightly sweet for the stalks, more marked for the leaves. Excellent sautéed with garlic and olive oil, slipped into a frittata, in pasta with currants and pine nuts Sicilian-style, in a cheese gratin, or cooked separately leaves then stalks to respect their distinct cooking times. Continuous harvest from July to the first serious frosts — take outer leaves as needed, and the plant produces new ones from the centre for months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like the beet, each \"seed\" is a glomerule containing several seeds — thin early and without mercy, or the plants compete and stay stunted. Chard is one of the rare leafy greens that doesn't bolt in summer heat — it sails through the summer unfazed where spinach and lettuces give up. To intensify the stalk colour, give it bright sun and resist the urge to over-fertilize with nitrogen — balanced soil gives more vivid colours than soil overfed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Biennial — flowering only occurs in the second year. Wind-pollinated; crosses with beets and other chards — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 45 to 60 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50 to 60 days (young leaves from 30 days).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun to part shade.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, deep, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Thin to 25-30 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked (early May in Québec). A single planting produces until hard frost — no need for successive sowings. Tolerates light frost at season's end.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"80","offer_id":41725276192940,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-80","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400","offer_id":41725276225708,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-400","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":41725276258476,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-2000","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":44223892127916,"sku":"GC-O-SWICHP-10000","price":39.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/scr_697e0189-7df6-4f82-89b6-e4858e765201.jpg?v=1698701556"}],"url":"https:\/\/joualvert.ca\/en\/collections\/fruits-vegetables.oembed","provider":"Joual Vert","version":"1.0","type":"link"}