July

'Autumn Giant' is a well-known and respected maincrop cauliflower with large dense white curds which are thoroughly protected by the leaves. Sow in mid spring for an autumn harvest, or late spring, for a winter harvest.

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 is an herb for the connoisseur of fine flavours and fragrances, and as you might expect from its refined appearance, chervil tastes mild and subtle, a little like parsley, but with a sophisticated yet gentle, aniseedy warmth. It is one of the French fab four of flavour in a fines herbes.

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.

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.

Coriander 'Leisure' has been bred specifically for large, flavoursome leaf production, a particularly fine variety of superb quality. Extra slow bolting, it is particularly suited to hot weather regions. It is an excellent herb for slightly shaded areas, is very easy to grow and makes a good window box herb.

Coriander is not one of the world's favourite flavourings, it's two of them. This dual purpose herb is grown both for its seeds or fresh young leaves. 'Santo' is probably the best variety of coriander for leaf production as the plant combines very slow bolting with an upright habit and excellent flavour.

Watercress has risen to a starring role in elaborate culinary preparations and is as beneficial for the health as much as the palate. This highly nutritious aquatic herb has a lovely mustardy bite most commonly served raw as a garnish or as part of a salad.

For centuries, Samphire was food for the poor, free to those who picked it, usually ordinary people living by the sea. It is ironic that today it is regarded as a specialty food and is often served with an accompanying price tag. Somewhere between asparagus and seaweed in flavour, Rock Samphire has the thrill of a mermaid’s kiss.

'Cornet de Bordeaux' is a very fine old French variety of endive that produces looser, wavier interior foliage that flares into a veritable cornet. The thick, buttery yellow leaves are very succulent and delicious, they have that special thick crunch of Italian endives, but with a sweeter flavour.