Alexanders are an ancient food source, cultivated for many centuries. This biennial wild flower, with dark green, shiny leaves and umbels of yellow-green flowers can be grown as an ornamental or can be put to use as a culinary herb or spice, the flavour is said to be similar to myrrh.

Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli has been selected for its hardiness and flavour. Heavy cropping it has good quality spears that can be harvested over many weeks. It is one of the most flavoursome of vegetables, standing beside asparagus and globe artichokes. Sweet and delicate, it melts in the mouth.

Extra-Early Purple Sprouting “Rudolph” is bred to perform well in the September to February period but is at its best from November to February. With medium to large, deep purple, succulent spears that have outstanding flavour, team with Cardinal for a longer harvest period.

Late Purple Sprouting “Cardinal” is our latest cropping variety for harvest late March to May. Heavy cropping, it produces medium large deep purple spears with excellent flavour on large framed uniform plants. Team with extra early sprouting varieties, such as “Rudolph” for an extended harvesting period.

If more people tasted home grown Purple Sprouting Broccoli they would surely cultivate it. You would see it on London balconies, in country herbaceous borders and standing proud in every kitchen garden in the land. Late Purple Sprouting Broccoli follows on from Early Sprouting.

Flourishing famously in Mediterranean and Chinese cultures, elsewhere Raab is still a bit of a curiosity. Easy and fast growing, it can be useful as it comes ready when ordinary broccoli isn't available, but this isn't just a replacement for broccoli, it is a great vegetable in its own right.

Introduced to the seed trade between 1914-1918. This lovely, old fashioned Broccoli variety is a very disease resistant, very hardy and very prolific producer of large dark green heads. Italian Green Sprouting Broccoli will produce a number of good-size side shoots once the initial head is harvested.

Beet ‘Bulls Blood’ is a magnificent old dual purpose variety Today it is used by commercial growers for both baby leaf and mixed salad leaves. Harvest at any stage of growth, use the leaves for baby leaf, in mixed salads or use steamed like spinach, or the roots can be left to grow like any other beetroot.

As the name suggests Swiss Chard ‘Flamingo’ produces attractive pinky-red stems. One of the easiest of all vegetables to grow with a long cropping season. It has a wonderfully mild sweet flavour typical of the Swiss Chards, the leaves can be picked small for salad use or left to mature.

Swiss Chard ‘Fordhook Giant’ may just well be the perfect vegetable. This well known bolt resistant variety has been a market leader for years. A fine flavoured variety that produces thick, dark green, crisp, crumbled leaves with a broad white rib on juicy white stalks. One of the easiest of all vegetables to grow.