June

Perpetual Spinach 'Everglade' is a modern selection with an upright habit and dark green compact leaves that contrast sharply with bright white stems. It responds particularly well to repeat cutting and is one of the easiest and most productive vegetables for a small space.

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.

Kohl Rabi ‘F1 Korfu’ is a light green skinned variety. This versatile hybrid is suitable for both forcing and for year round field production. It can be planted under cover for extra-early harvesting. This slow-bolting, quick maturing variety is highly resistant to stem splitting, lignification and over-enlargement.

Kohl Rabi ‘F1 Ballot’ is an early maturing purple variety. With round shaped stems and good quality, delicate flesh, it is resistant to bolting, stem splitting and lignification. Ballot is an F1 hybrid with good quality, delicate flesh; they are juicy, sweet and crunchy. Time to maturity is typically 75 to 80 days.

'Delicacy White' is much improved over the previous Vienna varieties, producing pale green globe shaped roots with a crisp white flesh.Sow from late February to the end of August for a continuous supply. “Delicacy White” is an ideal companion to “Delicacy Purple” as it matures a little earlier.

'Delicacy Purple' is much improved over the previous Vienna varieties, producing a crop that is slightly more tender and with more flavour, it has good standing ability, is low growing and matures quickly, progressing from sowing to harvesting in a couple of months.

Until recently Cavolo Nero, or 'Tuscan Kale', was one of Italy's best kept secrets. Simply adored, especially in the north of Italy, it has been an essential fare of traditional dishes for centuries. Cavolo Nero can now be found in garden markets, specialist greengrocers and trendy restaurants throughout Europe.

'Jagallo Nero' is a cut leaf form of Cavolo Nero, the more familiar Italian black cabbage. The deeply indented, blue-grey leaves combine a delicate cabbage flavour with a crunchy texture. Suitable for baby salad leaf and ideal for winter salads.

Kale 'Black Magic' is an improved Italian Black Kale, bred to be more tender with better flavour. The winter hardy plants more cold tolerant, vigorous and slower-to-bolt than other Italian kales. They form an easy-to-harvest rosette of very dark, savoyed leaves with a flavour that is rich and mild.

'Dwarf Green Curled' is a compact, hardy and easy to grow kale. It produces an abundance of tender and delicate, densely curled green leaves which can be harvested throughout the winter months. Kale is one of the least problematic crops, it will tolerate conditions that would make most brassicas keel over!

Kale 'Thousand Head' is a plain-leaved variety which is extremely reliable and prolific. It is particularly winter hardy and consequently a popular product with growers in northern areas. There is none of the heartache of seeing all one’s hard work destroyed by a sharp and prolonged frost.

Some years ago, we knew kale as a hearty winter meal, suddenly its popularity soared and ‘Kale Madness’ erupted. Now available in all manner of shapes, sizes and colours. 'Scarlet Curled' Kale is a highly attractive and ultra-hardy variety, the leaves intensify in colour turning to violet-red after a few frosts.

With deeply cut, slate green oak-like leaves ‘Red Russian’ is one of the tenderest and sweetest kales available. Sow under cover in autumn for baby leaves after four to six weeks, or directly outdoors for over-wintering. This hardy crop can provide nutritious leaves even in the depths of winter.

Kale 'Red Ruble' is a red, Russian-type kale that has been specially bred for the salad leaf market. Its beautiful wine-red serrated foliage makes a quick growing colourful tasty salad leaf. Grown year-round on a windowsill and picked young and small, they can be added to lettuces to make your own mesclun mix.

The thing I love about kale the most is not its superfood qualities, its lovely bright green leaves or the sweet cabbagey taste. I love kale simply because it is there when I need it. Kale Kapral is a medium early variety. Tremendously hardy, it will defy anything that winter can conjure up.

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.

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.