Seeds
Seeds are gathered in the summer and are available early fall.
Sometimes we have some seeds available in the spring, so if you need something, contact us!
Most of our plants are native to the Gulf Islands / Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Seeds are all sustainably grown from plants in my 35 year-old garden on Salt Spring Island, not gathered from the wild. All seed packs are $5.00 plus a $7 shipping charge. Minimum seed order of $20.
Allium cernuum Nodding Onion. Pale to bright pink nodding flowers. Easy to grow in well-drained soils. Full sun to half-day sun. This plant can be grown as an ornamental, or in rich garden soil it can be grown like chives or garlic. It has an amazing flavour. 50+ seeds
Allium cernuum "album" Same as above but with white flowers. 25+ seeds
Allium amplectens Slimleaf Onion. Native to Salt Spring Island. White flowers with pink stamens.
Allium amplectens, pink. A pink-blooming selection that is exceptionally attractive to bees.
Camassia leichtlinii / Camassia quamash - Mixed Seeds Our growing field has a mix of these two plants together, although there are more Tall-flowering Blue Camas than the smaller Common Camas in the mix. My stock originated from seeds from Saltspring Island and Greater Victoria. 40+ seeds N/A 2024
Delphinium menziesii Menzies' Larkspur. Perennial. Incredibly deep blue blossoms in the wild, but under cultivation plants can vary from royal blue to a soft mauve. 3 years from seed to first blossoms. Grows and blooms according to site and soil - from 5 to 24 inches. This plant needs space and will not do well if crowded, so do not overseed. First year plants are very tiny, but treat them well and the next year they will surprise you. 40+ seeds.
Dodecatheon hendersonii (now Primula hendersonii) Broad‑leaved Shooting Star. Perennial, forming a tidy rosette of leaves in early spring followed by exquisite, cyclamen-like blossoms in shades of magenta. Dies down completely in the summer, so be sure to mark where you planted it. 3 to 5 years to first blossoms. 40+ seeds
Dodecatheon pulchellum (now Primula pauciflora) Few-flowered Shooting-star.
The Latin pulchellum means “beautiful.” These are a good garden choice as they have a longer blooming time than D. hendersonii and if watered, hold their leaves into July. 40+ seeds
Erythranthe guttata (Mimulus guttatus) Large Yellow Monkey-flower. Winter-hardy Annual in zone 8. It likes lots of water! If you keep it wet and feed it a diluted fertilizer (I make a manure tea) it will bloom all summer from an early spring or late fall seeding. 75+ tiny seeds
Erythronium oregonum a.k.a. Fawn Lily, Easter Lily, Dog-tooth Violet. These nodding white lilies with lovely dappled leaves are the epitome of spring in the gulf islands. They like partial shade and a well-drained, good soil. You’ll need patience with these, as they can take up to to 7 years to bloom, but they are worth it! Give them compost mulch in the fall and manure tea in the spring and they will respond with strong growth and a possible 4th year flowering. 1st year seedlings look like grass, so be careful not to weed them out (they are easily distinguishable as they hold onto their seed coats). A generous 50 + seeds
Lomatium utriculatum “Spring Gold.”One of the first flowers to bloom in the spring. A deep-rooted perennial which prefers full sun. Must have well-drained soil (add grit to your planting mix). It varies in height depending on the soil, from 3 to 10 inches high. I grow it without compost or mulch on a south-facing slope. 35 + seeds
Olsynium douglasii (was Sisyrinchium douglasii) Satin-flower. Perennial. 3 to 4 years from seed to bloom. They are one of the very first flowers to blossom in the spring, often by the 1st of March. Nodding magenta flowers with petals that shine (like satin). These are native to Coastal Vancouver Island and the mainland. I’ve never found them on Salt Spring Island. Do not mulch. 30 seeds N/A 2024
Plectritis congesta Sea Blush. Winged seeds, originating from a seven-acre island in British Columbia, where my family lived for many years. In order to keep these seeds true to the variety, I don’t grow any other stock. They are difficult to clean, so a small amount of plant material will accompany these seeds.
35+ seeds N/A 2024
Tellima grandiflora Fringecup. Perennial. Fragrant, intricately petalled blossoms on tall stalks above a rosette of soft hairy leaves. Prefers moist shade. 100+ seeds
All seed packages are $5 each. Shipping charges extra.
Our nursery is small, but we sometimes have plants and seeds available when larger places are sold out.
If you are looking for native plants in large amounts or for landscaping and restoration,
we recommend Satinflower Nurseries https://satinflower.ca/
and Fraser's Thimble Farms http://www.thimblefarms.com/