March

Originally from Northern Italy and named for the fair city of Verona, this heirloom celeriac variety produces large white skinned globes with a sweet yet savory flavour and a creamy texture, similar to a potato. Crisp and delicious, and it keeps all winter, once you’ve grown it you’ll realise that ugly is only skin deep.

'Golden Self Blanching' produces thick, crisp, juicy, aromatic stalks of celery with solid hearts that have no hint of bitterness or stings. This dwarf variety is ideal for smaller gardens and does not need blanching. It produces naturally cream-coloured stalks with a crisp, crunchy texture and mild flavour.

Cutting celery or Leaf celery is the type that is used in Europe. It looks similar to parsley but tastes like regular stalk celery, but with a slightly stronger, herbier taste. It is a darker green, with thin, rounded, flexible stalks and curly, aromatic leaves; it is much easier to grow than its big brother.

While there are now several varieties of leaf celery, one of the most popular is Par-Cel. Resembling curled parsley with the flavour of celery., this Dutch heirloom can be difficult to find in most grocers. Originated from Holland, it was dispersed by German settlers, which is why it is also known as Zwolsche Krul.

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.

Camomile is a most useful plant. It can be used to make beautiful lawns and raised beds, an infusion of the plant is an ideal family remedy, calming and sedative, perfect for restlessness or travel sickness, while for gardeners the tea is effective as a spray to prevent 'damping-off' of seedlings

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.

These easy to grow chives are one of the famous fines herbes of French cuisine. Easily raised from seed, they are perennial bulbs that spread to form neat tufted clumps, ideal for edging beds and paths. They are particularly attractive when in flower and are a favourite of bees and other pollinating insects.

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.