Late Winter Vegetable Seed Collection
We get a lot of questions about what vegetables you can plant the earliest in your garden in late winter so we put together a collection of vegetable seed varieties that thrive in cool weather. We direct-sow these seeds in our garden around mid to late February here in zone 7b.
The collection includes 9 seed packets in a cloth gift bag.
(These vegetables all grow great in the fall too!)
Seed Varieties:
Sugar Snap Pea (Pisum sativum 'Macrocarpon Group')
Similar to a "Snow Pea" in many ways, sugar snap peas differ in that the pods are eaten when they plump up instead of when the pod is flat.
Origin: We brought the parent seed of this great variety home from France where we obtained seeds from a farmer at the Marché Président Wilson in the 16th arrondissement of Paris many years ago when the kids’ grandparents lived in nearby Suresnes. The farmer has grown and saved seeds of this variety for many years on his farm north of Paris in the town of Chambly. This farm is also the original source of our French breakfast radishes, Mangetout Snow Peas and mâche.
(Approximately 35 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: sow 1 seed 1" deep every 2" as soon as soil can be worked in spring or about 60 days before your first average frost in fall. No thinning required. Full sun to part-shade. We recommend trellises and tomato cages or bamboo tepees work great!
French Breakfast Radish (Raphanus sativus)
There are few plants more gratifying to grow than radishes. Harvest can be as little as 25 days from sowing. Our French Breakfast variety is an heirloom that grows to look like little fingers rather than the traditional globe shape.
Spice is in part dictated by soil and these can range from very mild to having quite a kick! Radishes grow best in mild temperatures so they are a crop we plant as early as late-February. And of course, we eat our radishes with butter. Bon appetit!
Origin: We brought the parent seed of this great variety home from France where we obtained seeds from a farmer at the Marché Président Wilson in the posh, 16th arrondissement of Paris many years ago when the kids’ grandparents lived in nearby Suresnes. The farmer has grown and saved seeds of this variety for many years on his farm north of Paris in the town of Chambly. This farm is also the original source of our Snow Peas (Mangetout) and Sugar Snap Peas.
(Approximately 50 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: sow 1 seed every 1" in rows 4" apart as soon as soil can be worked in spring. Full sun to part shade. Thin to 1 plant every 2" when sprouts emerge. Growing Tip: Be sure to thin radishes to at least 2" apart or roots will be stringy.
Chioggia Beet (Beta vulgaris)
This gorgeous beet is an Italian heirloom variety originally from the town of Chioggia, Italy, just across the lagoon from Venice. Also known as: Bassano, Bull's Eye, and Candystripe.
Chioggia beets are milder than other varieties and have less of an earthy taste but are still packed with nutrients and have beautiful concentric circles of alternating pink and white.
We like to roast Chioggia and add them to salads with goat cheese or cubed and sautéed with garlic in olive oil. The greens are also tasty and nutritious and the thrill of pulling a gorgeous beet from the soil is one of the highlights of the gardening season!
Origin: We brought the parent seed of this beautiful beet to our garden after saving seeds from the garden of a friend in Nice, France.
(Approximately 50 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: Sow beet seeds 1/2 inch deep, 4 inches apart in early spring, 2-4 weeks before average last frost date or in fall 6-8 weeks before first frost date in full sun.
Arugula (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa)
Arugula has been used as a salad green since antiquity and the flavor is peppery, with a hint of tartness. We love to add arugula to salads and as a pizza topping. With tons of nutrients and an easy-to-grow habit, arugula is a great addition to the garden and does well in containers too. Arugula is frost-tolerant and becomes a staple in our diet during the fall and winter when less hardy greens are finished.
Origin: We harvested the parent seed of the arugula in our catalog about twenty years ago from a wild plant near the village of Le Broc, France. Le Broc is situated in the mountains overlooking the Var River just about ten miles north of Nice.
(Approximately 200 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: Sow 1 seed 1/4" deep every 2" in early spring or in early fall. Full sun to part-shade.
Watermelon Radish (Raphanus sativus acanthiformis)
This beautiful radish is a treat for the eyes and palate! Watermelon radishes are sweeter than most radish varieties and have a beautiful interior that looks like a ripe watermelon. Radishes prefer to grow in sunny but cool conditions and can be sown either in early fall or late winter. About 60 days from planting to harvest. Occasionally, these radishes have a purple color.
Origin: We were given the parent seed of our watermelon radishes by a friend who volunteers at community garden in Tokyo, Japan while we were on a trip to visit family there.
(Approximately 50 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: sow 1 seed every 2" in rows 4" apart as soon as soil can be worked in spring or in late summer. Full sun to part shade. Thin to 1 plant every 4" when sprouts emerge. Growing Tip: Be sure to thin radishes to at least 4" apart or roots will be stringy.
Mâche (Valerianella locusta)
Mâche is a wonderful salad green that grows in late winter and early spring. Also called "corn salad" or "lamb's lettuce", the small florets are never bitter and are a welcome green from the garden when it's cold outside and little else grows. The flavor is nutty and this native to Europe is common in salads throughout the continent.
Origin: We brought the parent seed of this great variety home from France where we obtained seeds from a farmer at the Marché Président Wilson in the 16th arrondissement of Paris many years ago when the kids’ grandparents lived in nearby Suresnes. The farmer has grown and saved seeds of this variety for many years on his farm north of Paris in the town of Chambly. This farm is also the original source of our French breakfast radishes and Snow peas.
(Approximately 100 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: Sow by scattering seeds in full sun to part shade and lightly cover with soil. Mâche can be sown in late fall in warmer climates or late winter in cooler climates. Seeds can take a while to germinate and prefer soil temperatures between 50-60F.
Carrot (Daucus carota)
The first time our kids pulled a carrot in the garden there was a moment of joy in realizing that carrots grow...under ground!!! Carrot are a wonderful and tasty addition to the garden. They can be eaten young and tender or left in the ground to be used at your convenience.
Our carrot variety is similar to many Nantes types and the cylindrical roots are often blunt-tipped, 6-10” long and quite sweet.
Origin: We came across a blooming carrot plant many years ago in France while touring the garden of a friend near Paris. We saved seeds and have grown the same variety for about 15 years.
(Approximately 100 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: Sow 1 seed 1/2" deep every 2" in rows in early spring or in late summer for a fall harvest. Full sun. Thin to one carrot every 4". Carrot seeds can take a while to germinate. Keep moist.
Lettuce Mix (Lactuca sativa)
We get really antsy for the spring gardening season to begin and we're always thankful for hearty lettuce. We plant our first crop in late-winter and harvest until the hottest part of summer. Great for salads and little garden snacks. Also, lettuce grows wonderfully in containers so sprinkle some seeds in a pot and you’ll have as much salad as you can eat!
Origin: Our lettuce mix has about eight different varieties. We collected the seeds over the years from several sources on our travels.
(Approximately 150 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: sow seeds in early spring by broadcasting and lightly pressing into the soil. Lettuce can tolerate light frost and we generally sow our first crop of the year in late February. You can also plant again in late summer for fall crops until the hardest freezes of winter. No thinning necessary for baby greens. Full sun to part shade.
Snow Pea (Pisum sativum)
Snow Peas are one of the first crops we sow outdoors and we often plant in early March. The sprouts are very tolerant of frost and it’s a good idea to plant snow peas early because they tend to suffer once the heat of summer sets in. Our French variety produces abundant 4" pods that have a crisp and refreshing flavor. The French call this type of pea “mangetout - eat all” because you eat the whole pea as opposed to shelling or English peas where you only eat the seed.
Snow Peas should be eaten when the pod is thin for the best flavor. We grow our snow peas on a wire fence and the vines grow 4-5'. Our snow peas often get dusted with snow sometime in March and their name is a testament to the hardiness of this fun garden vegetable.
Origin: We brought the parent seed of this great variety home from France where we obtained seeds from a farmer at the Marché Président Wilson in the posh, 16th arrondissement of Paris many years ago when the kids’ grandparents lived in nearby Suresnes. The farmer has grown and saved seeds of this variety for many years on his farm north of Paris in the town of Chambly. This farm is also the original source of our French breakfast radishes and mâche.
(Approximately 35 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: sow 1 seed 1" deep every 2" as soon as soil can be worked in spring. A fall crop can be sown in late summer about 60 days before your first average frost. No thinning required. Full sun to part-shade. We recommend trellises and tomato cages or bamboo tepees work great!
We hope you enjoy growing these early season crops!
