August

Famously named after the town in the Netherlands from where it originated, Carrot Berlicum is a long, cylindrical shaped, stump rooted type of carrot, suitable for maincrop production. It has good colour and texture, a high sugar content, fine carrot flavour and a crisp tenderness.

Recent carrot breeding has concentrated on root fly resistance, Carrot 'F1 Resistafly' is the newest variety. The hybrid is unique in its high carotene concentration. Growing 16 to 18cm in length, it is excellent maincrop to late season variety. Sweet and juicy the taste qualities are astonishing.

Early Nantes 2 An excellent variety for early and successional crops producing uniform blunt-ended cylindrical roots. With good carrot fly resistance, it matures in 110 days in a warm climate and reaches an average size of 15cm. Ideal for freezing. Sow February to August, harvest in June to October .

Launched in 2005, Purple carrots caused a great stir at grower's and farmers markets. With compelling health benefits and a thumbs-up from taste testers they have quickly established themselves as an interesting choice of many home growers. 'Purple Dragon' has a beautiful purple skin, the deep velvety exterior gives way to a starburst of brilliant orange at the core.

With a unique combination of characteristics, Celtuce is named after its celery-like stalks and lettuce-like leaves. The flavours are mild and delicate. The crispy and tender stalks are stir-fried or used in soups while the leaves are used in salads or cooked like spinach.

Swiss Chard is a good choice for the beginner or busy gardener, it will give you tasty spinach type leaves for up to 12 months from a single sowing. 'Canary Yellow' has an upright growth, they plants can also be used as an ornamental plant. Deliciously succulent, they are worth growing for the colour alone.

Chervil 'Massa' has a sophisticated yet gentle, aniseedy warmth. It is a dark green selection with smooth leaves and good plant vigour, it has better cold tolerance than standard Chervil and is used for autumn sowings, it also bolts much later.

Famous for the forced, blanched heads or ‘chichons’ that are loved by gourmets Chicory 'Brussels Witloof' is the traditional finely-textured variety used for forcing. With a delicious, tangy, unique flavour, it is very easy to grow and produces one of the finest tasting winter vegetables.

The classic tall Italian radicchio. Upright with red and white striped leaves with large pure white stems. Highly prized, this flavoursome early variety is grown in the Treviso area in winter and is eaten, root and all, simply pan fried or grilled. It has high resistance to cold.

‘Variegata di Castelfranco’ has a beautiful form with wavy leaves that are flecked with purple. It is one of the hardiest and easiest to grow at any time in the year. Traditionally sown in mid to late summer, the harvest begins in December and lasts well into winter.

One of the most instantly recognisable vegetables in Cantonese cuisine. Choy Sum ‘Fuubi’ is one of the most uniform and productive, widely grown by the specialist producers of this crop. This slow flowering, late maturing variety is tolerant of low temperatures. It has good holding ability with deep green leaves and a quality stem that is smooth and fleshy.

Choy Sum is one of the most popular vegetables in China and is now also widely used in the western world. With tender, delicious stems and flower buds, the flavour can be described as midway between cabbage and spinach. Choy Sum 'Gunsho' is a vigorous and productive 80 day type.

Instantly recognisable in Cantonese cuisine. Choy Sum 'Purple Stem' is an absolute fabulous vegetable. You use the whole plant: Flowers, buds, leaves and stems, and if allowed to mature and bolt, yellow flowers will shoot and the plant becomes sweeter and more succulent.

Coriander 'Slobolt' is a variety for leaf production that is resistant to bolting and running to seed. It isn't a hard plant to grow and of course, fresh herbs and spices have far better flavours than dried ones. Home grown herbs are infinitely superior, the difference can be quite startling.