August

Lettuce leaf basil is a popular old Italian variety, a large leafed variety of Sweet Basil and one of the most productive of all basils. With very large, crinkled and highly aromatic leaves, it adds the texture of leaf lettuce while packing a tasty basil flavour to brighten up your summer sandwiches.

Basil ‘Red Rubin’ is a purple version of Italian large leaf basil, a multi-purpose variety that is one of the mainstays of many herb gardens. Distinguished from other purple basils by its sweeter aroma and flavour, the rich, dark purple leaves are more consistent in colour than some of the other purple basils.

Blooming earlier than most varieties, Basil ‘Blue Spice’ is a heavily fragrant variety with flavours of vanilla, spice and lemon. The dark purple flower stems produce dense spikes of dark purple bracts with light purple flowers. Add the floral sweetness of their perfume, and you have a plant well worth including in any ornamental planting.

The composition of oils varies greatly in different basil types, thus accounting for the wide range of scents available. True to its name, this Basil has a distinct cinnamon aftertaste, although it initially resembles sweet basil it has a cooler flavour. Use this herb just as you would use sweet basil.

Greek Basil is an improved variety of 'Bush'. It has a tight compact growing habit and forms a perfectly spherical bush appearing as though having been pruned. The size and scent make it suitable for growing in virtually any horticultural department:- beds, borders, path edging or even window boxes.

Purple Ruffles is probably the prettiest of basils, if not of all herbs. While it deserves a place in your kitchen garden, it also makes an excellent contrasting plant in a border. Tempting though it is to admire your plant, one taste will have you tearing the leaves of by the armful.

Sweet Genovese is often associated with Italian cuisine. Basil is native to the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This delicate herb has with an intense, spicy-sweet, aroma and a slight anise-like undertone. It is THE Basil for pesto and a wonderful companion plant.

Thai Basil 'Siam Queen' is a large leaf variety that has been cultivated to provide a distinctive set of traits preferred in Asian cuisine. It has an identifiable liquorice flavour not present in sweet basil, and its flavour is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil.

Holy basil, also called Tulsi or Sacred Basil is an ancient variety. It has highly aromatic, narrow oval leaves and pink flowers with a perfumed fragrance. This reddish-purple tinted plant exudes a delicious, sweet, clove-like aroma. The hotter the summer, the deeper the purple.

Beetroot 'Boston' is an excellent improved Boltardy selection. The round roots have a smooth skin and good internal colour and texture. Slow bolting, it is ideal for early sowings, this maincrop variety can be sown from early March right through to late August.

“The old Egyptian turnip or flat-rooted beetroot has the best flavour but is scarce.” Bob Flowerdew. Beetroot 'Flat of Egypt’ is a very old heritage variety that produces smooth skinned roots, often heart-shaped, with a deep red, tender and flavoursome flesh.

Kailan is a fantastic vegetable chimera - the florets of broccoli, the stems of asparagus, and leaves like tender collard greens. 'Kichi' is a uniform variety with large blue green waxy leaves and excellent stem and bud eating quality. It has a mild flavour and, best of all can be harvested in only eight weeks.

‘Red Bull’ is a specialist sprout variety from Europe, it offers smaller yields of dark red sprouts, but has a milder, delicate, nuttier flavour than standard green types. The red colour is enhanced with the first light frosts. The resulting sprouts are small and tasty, and look gorgeous in the pan and on the plate.