May

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.

Akito F1 is a popular all female variety of ridge-cucumber which gives high yields of slender bitter-free fruits. Mildew resistant and suitable for growing outdoors or under-cover, it is an excellent choice for those who want the superior taste of a ridge-cucumber but the vigour of a modern hybrid.

F1 Burpless Tasty Green: According to most experts, this is the one to choose. The fruits are not giants, harvest when they are about 23cm long and enjoy the crisp, juicy flesh from which both bitterness and indigestibility have been eradicated. Very easy to grow.

Cucumber 'F1 Iznik' is a terrific and very popular cocktail cucumber, 12 to 14cm in length. It is seedless, spineless, thin-skinned, smooth, dark green, crisp and perfect for fresh snacking. A parthenocarpic variety with compact growth, suitable for container and greenhouse production as well as open-field.

Lemon Cucumbers are a very old variety cultivated since in 1894. Each fruit is the size of a small apple, hence it was known as 'Apple Cucumber', but as its fruit is a pale yellow in colour it is often called 'Crystal Lemon'. Very similar to a typical cucumber, with tender pale greenish skin and sweet flesh.

The original Marketmore was released in 1968, it is now firmly established as one of the 'Greats' in the cucumber world, very reliable and disease resistant it produces a large amount of fruit which usually grow to over 20cm in length Perfect for salads and with fresh, crisp and mild flavour.

Cucumber ‘Telegraph Improved’ is an improved strain of this superb heirloom variety. It is an excellent choice for cool greenhouse or cold frame growing. This reliable variety gives medium-long dark, smooth-skinned fruits with a excellent mild flavour.

Cucumber, 'Parisian Pickling' is the ideal cucumber for use in pickling and for eating fresh in salads. The fruits can be harvested while small and young at around 50 days for pickles or left to mature to 67 days for slicing cucumbers. Suitable for indoor and outdoor sowing and ideal for container growing.

Dandelion is reviled by lawn manicurists yet, like Burdock, it is one of the most esteemed herbs in healing, the benefits are endless. The young raw leaves can be used in salads or cooked as a vegetable, the leaves contain more iron than spinach and are a excellent source of vitamins.

This fabulous range of Edible Flowers and Herbs give decorative petals and leaves for use as garnishes and flavourings. Some are spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant, the range is surprising. They will bring a stunning finish to the food and drinks you that you love.

'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.

Used in many culinary dishes, the leaves and seeds of Fennel have a sweet aroma and an aniseed flavour. The fine clouds of feathery, bronze-purple leaves are wonderful in the herb garden or among tall perennials and grasses. The foliage acts as a delicate veil through which flower heads of plants can be seen.

The green garden fennel is a handsome and popular perennial, often planted on its own for impact or combined with other flowers in borders. The airy feather foliage is crowned in late summer with large heads of tiny flowers. Both leaves and seeds are useful and seeds may be left to ripen as a crop.

A relatively new vegetable in the English-speaking world but well-known in Asian cuisine, the flavour of garlic chives is more like garlic than chives, though much milder. Both leaves and the stalks of the flowers are used a stir fry ingredient. The flowers may also be used as a spice.