March

When it comes to cantaloupes, some people agree that the French do it better. Sweet and juicy, 'Cantaloupe di Charentais' melons are delicate fruits, about the size of a grapefruit, ther flesh is firmer and richer than your average cantaloupe. Sweet with a taste of honey, the thick, luscious flesh is delicious right down to the rind.

Melon Galia is an F1 variety, specially bred for maximum vigour and uniform growth it performs reliably despite cooler summers, you can even grow it in humid or rainy climates without worry. The fruits have a spicy-sweet aroma, with a flavour more like a cantaloupe than honeydew.

Today Ananas melons are grown for specialty markets in Europe and America and are somewhat rare to find. Extremely juicy the tropical flavours are followed by a faint, caramel-like aftertaste. Wonderful but rarely available, this variety is well worth growing at home. Sow from February to May for harvesting July to September.

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.

Peppermint is a perennial favorite for many people, it has high menthol content and its refreshing taste is uplifting and cleansing. Popular for infusions and a favourite among herbal tea drinkers, it is one of the easiest herbs to grow yourself. Get creative and include in Schnapps, Mint Juleps or Mojitos!

Who can resist the smell of fresh mint in the garden? Mentha spicata is the best strain grown from seed. It is an exceptionally fragrant and ornamental plant in addition to having many culinary uses, it is also extremely attractive to butterflies and bees, making a wonderful addition to a wildlife garden.

Dating back to the time of the Pharaoh's, Egyptian Mint is characterised as refreshing, cooling and flavourful. Well rounded with no bitter aftertaste, Egyptian Mint has a stronger flavour similar to Apple Mint but, this is a much more robust plant with sturdy upright stems and large velvety green-grey leaves.

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.

Mitsuba is a classic seasoning that is very popular in Asian cuisine. Used as both an herb and a salad green and added fresh or cooked to anything from soup to sushi. Mitsuba's look and aroma are distinctive, for the herb aficionado or aesthetically motivated cook, it is a great addition to the gourmet garden.

Monarda fistulosa, also known as Bergamot is famed for its medicinal qualities. While in the perennial border these lovely plants produce a mass of mauve-purple blooms (even in their first year from an early sowing) and have uniquely scented foliage. Highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

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.

Nasturtium 'Blue Pepe' is a unique variety from Europe. A culinary variety, originally bred for the edible blue-green leaves and vivid dark red flowers. The flowers dress up a plate and pair sweetness and spice while the leaves deliver peppery punches.

Veteran gardeners are probably already aware of nepeta’s versatility in the garden. From its popular partnering with roses to the softening effect it has on hard edges. Nepeta is an ideal perennial for new gardeners and, of course, cats adore it.

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.

Italy boasts many varieties of onion, but perhaps the most famous is Cipolla di Tropea. It can be sown in either autumn, September to October or in spring, late February to early April. The shape of its bulbs, the deep purple colour, its extraordinary sweetness, and its refined taste, make it one of the most interesting products in the entire Italian agriculture.

A very popular and reliable variety for well over 100 years, Onion 'Density 4' is ideally suited to our climate producing medium to large, globe shaped, straw coloured bulbs with pure white flesh and a good flavour. As a standard maincrop it offers excellent quality, high yields and a very good storage life.