Ancient Crops

Dandelion is reviled by lawn manicurists yet, like Burdock, it is one of the most esteemed herbs in healing, the benefits are endless. The young raw leaves can be used in salads or cooked as a vegetable, the leaves contain more iron than spinach and are a excellent source of vitamins.

Eryngium maritimum is an evergreen perennial plant native to Europe. Often found on sea shores, it is a protected species in many parts of the world. Highly ornamental, it is grown in gardens for its metallic bluish flowers and intensely whitish-glaucous leaves, it is very attractive to bees and butterflies.

Evening Primrose is a classic plant, with its beautiful yellow flowers is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. The whole plant is edible: leaves can be cooked as greens and the nutty-flavoured roots can be boiled and eaten like potatoes, parsnips, or salsify. The flowers make a lovely salad garnish.

Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum', commonly called Golden Feverfew or Golden Feather, is a clump-forming, dwarf cultivar which typically grows only 20 to 30cm tall and features small daisy-like flowers and chartreuse aromatic foliage. It blooms profusely between July and October.

Whether your interest lies in medicinal herbs or simply its decorative qualities, growing Feverfew can be a welcome addition to any garden or allotment. Feverfew is a good companion plant and a natural insect repellent. Ideal for planting around outdoor seating areas and pathways

Good King Henry has been used as a vegetable for centuries and was once a common sight in every garden. Good King Henry may have lost his court and become something of a rarity today, but this unique herb has much to offer to the home or cottage gardener.

Hyssopus officinalis 'Alba' is a much less well known variety of hyssop. Also known as 'White Hyssop' the plants sport bright white flowers from July to October. Widely used as a 'taste enhancing' herb or wildlife plant, the plants are a dark, vibrant green with a spiky, upright habit and narrow tongue-like leaves which have a peppery scent when stroked.

Hyssop, once recognised as a medicinal herb is enjoying a revival with home gardeners. An aromatic herb similar to rosemary or lavender, it makes an excellent low hedge and more unusual alternative to box. The plants are a dark, vibrant green with a spiky, upright habit and narrow tongue-like leaves. 'Pink' Hyssop sports vibrant, pink flowers.

Hyssop is a strong-flavoured aromatic herb which is enjoying a revival with home gardeners. An ideal plant for use in containers or as a low hedge or border within the herb garden. Highly attractive to bees, it makes excellent honey and is a must for any wildflower garden.

Woad has been grown for its indigo-blue pigment and for its medicinal properties since the 13th century, recently capturing popular imagination as the blue dye for body paint used by the Celts. This fashionable plant has a fresh wildflower appearance that can brighten any garden.

Lavendula angustifolia is an excellent plant for low informal hedging and as a specimen evergreen for borders and formal gardens. Flowering generally begins from mid to late June to early July. The flowers have a rich sweet scent and are highly attractive to bees and other beneficial insects.

Liquorice has been grown in England since the Dark Ages. The fresh root is bright yellowish brown, soft and pliable, it is harvested in the autumn and is dried for later use. The aroma is strongly reminiscent of anise or fennel. The taste is dominantly sweet, warm and medical.

Malabar Spinach, is a vining type of plant that thrives in hot temperatures, it is a discovery that is a boon for those of us that love our greens but find the warm days of summer a bit too hot for good growth. It can be grown throughout the summer and can even cope when the heat exceeds 32°C (90°F).

Commonly called Malabar Spinach, Basella rubra is valued for the brilliant fuchsia-purplish colour of its leaf stems and veins as well as its mild flavour. The leaves are delicious mixed in with other greens in tossed salads. Juicy and crisp, the flavours of citrus and pepper accompany the succulent leaves.

Is it an exceptionally small cucumber or the world’s cutest watermelon? That is the vexing question. This tiny melon has been creating a buzz. Its unique flavour, with hints of cucumber and lime, its ease of growth, not to mention its productivity, all conspire to recommend this unusual vine to home gardeners looking for something new to add to their menus.

Minutina, also known as Erba Stella is a unique, cold weather salad green prized in Italy for its mild nutty flavour and crunchy texture. This perennial can be grown all winter in temperate climates. With a mild nutty flavour and crunchy texture it is a great addition to salad mixes or for stir-frying.

Mugwort has been known since ancient times, with a multitude of medicinal uses. This amazing shrub is closely allied to the Artemisia absinthe and botanically related to tarragon. It has a mellow sage-like aroma. it repels insects and is employed as a natural dye and an aromatic culinary herb.

The Stinging Nettle is a very valuable plant, used for food and medicine by traditional cultures for hundreds of years. This wild herb is one of the most useful plants we have. Most useful to the organic gardener they can be used to make nitrogen-rich liquid feed for your plants.

We have all heard of Nigella Lawson, the British cooking show goddess who advocates the importance of a well-stocked pantry. But the seeds had the name first. Nigella sativa have a spicy, nutty flavour with a crunchy texture, they may be used whole or ground, and develop their flavour best after short toasting.