It has always been a pleasure to review Richters annual herb catalogue of plants and seeds. That it also includes a fascinating selection of gourmet vegetable seeds makes the experience even more rewarding.
This is the 50th year since the renown catalogue was first issued in 1970. Alas, founders Waltraut and Otto Richter are no longer with us, but son Conrad continues the heritage.
Having founded the flower nursery in the 1960s, the Richters set aside a small area in one of the greenhouses for speciality herbs for their own use. Back in those days, parsley and mint were the only herbs well-known to Canadians. Their own personal collection fascinated visitors to the nursery. Soon the Richters found themselves selling herbs.
That first catalogue was really a simple list of culinary, aromatic and medicinal plants, many never previously available to Canadian gardeners. Media attention brought an avalanche of requests for future catalogues.
Over the next two decades, as interest in their herbs grew, Richters decided to concentrate on just those. In the 1990s son Conrad, having completed his master's degree in botany, commenced to manage the company. A visit to Ghana gained Conrad knowledge of African herbs and a wife, Aku, who later joined Richters herbs in 1996. The ensuring almost quarter-century has seen Richters grown into what it is today.
Richters 357 Hwy 47, Goodwood, Ontario
Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.
