Alexanders are an ancient food source, cultivated for many centuries. This biennial wild flower, with dark green, shiny leaves and umbels of yellow-green flowers can be grown as an ornamental or can be put to use as a culinary herb or spice, the flavour is said to be similar to myrrh.
Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli has been selected for its hardiness and flavour. Heavy cropping it has good quality spears that can be harvested over many weeks. It is one of the most flavoursome of vegetables, standing beside asparagus and globe artichokes. Sweet and delicate, it melts in the mouth.
Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli has been selected for its hardiness and flavour, it can be harvested over many weeks. It is one of the most flavoursome of vegetables, standing beside asparagus and globe artichokes. Sweet and delicate, it melts in the mouth. Organic Seeds.This lovely, old fashioned Broccoli variety is a very disease resistant, very hardy and very prolific producer of large dark green heads. Italian Green Sprouting Broccoli is very easy to grow and will produce a number of good-size side shoots once the initial head is harvested.
Flourishing famously in Mediterranean and Chinese cultures, elsewhere Raab is still a bit of a curiosity. Easy and fast growing, it can be useful as it comes ready when ordinary broccoli isn’t available, but this isn’t just a replacement for broccoli, it is a great vegetable in its own right.
A vast improvement on the older varieties. Calabrese Ironman F1 possesses the usual advantages of a hybrid – vigorous habit with excellent uniformity and high yields of larger than normal heads. Producing excellent quality, uniform dense heads and a very good dome shape. Harvest late June to November.
‘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.
Worth growing for the colour alone, Red Chard will give tasty spinach type leaves for up to 12 months from a single sowing. It is a good choice for the beginner or busy gardener. The striking deep green leaves with red veins are a beautiful addition to any garden. RHS AGM. Organic Seed.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.
Vit is an easy to grow, vigorous variety for spring and autumn crops. This French variety is mildew-resistant with long, oval, glossy green leaves which form a heavy bunch, They have a tender, delicate nutty, minty flavour. An excellent winter gap filler, both in the vegetable garden and at the dining table.
In France this humble plant is called la mâche and enjoys an elevated gourmet status. Vit is an easy to grow, vigorous variety. Mildew-resistant with long, oval, glossy green leaves with a tender, delicate nutty, minty flavour. Organic Seed.Corn Salad ‘Verte de Cambrai’ is a traditional old French variety, the compact plants have good colour and small leaf shape. It is among the softest and most tender of all greens, the leaves have a sweet buttery flavour which almost melt in the mouth.
‘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.
Good King Henry was once a common sight in every garden. He may have lost his court and become something of a rarity today, but this unique herb has much to offer to the home or cottage gardener. Organic Seed.
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.
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.
Mibuna is a delicate and unusual plant that has been grown for centuries in Japan. It is best enjoyed in baby leaf salads where its addictive flavour can shine, or in stir-fries for a milder taste. Perfect for “cut and come” scissor harvest.
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.
The marvellous Mizuna is an oriental wonder! It grows as a large rosette of finely serrated, feathery leaves, which are dark, glossy green, similar to rocket leaves. A very hardy plant, being both heat and cold tolerant, it usually grows better in moist conditions.
The marvelous Mizuna is an oriental wonder! It grows as a large rosette of finely serrated, feathery leaves, which are dark, glossy green, similar to rocket leaves. A very hardy plant and very easy to grow. Organic Seed. Shiso ‘Aoshiso’ leaves make for exquisite decoration. It is finely sliced with ginger and added to salads, sautéed vegetables, sashimi, tempura and sushi. Available either red or green, the red having more of an anise flavour and slightly less spicy than the green variety, which tastes more like cinnamon.
Summer Purslane was highly esteemed and cultivated in Europe as far back as the Middle Ages, but is now cultivated only for specialised connoisseurs.This wonderfully succulent and cooling herb has tangy leaves make a very nice contrast, in texture as well as taste to other salad leaves.
This highly esteemed ancient crop can be used raw in salads, sautéed as a side dish or cooked like spinach. Summer Purslane has a crispy texture you would expect from a succulent and an interesting nutty, peppery flavour. It is salty on the tongue.
This incredibly succulent, melt-in-your-mouth raw salad green has recently gained popularity in the gourmet greens world, attracting both world class growers and chefs. Best used fresh and tiny, these elegant leaves bring a rich, tart-creaminess to delicate, micro-green salads.
‘Wild’ or ‘Perennial’ rocket is gaining in popularity; it has narrower and more deeply divided, aromatic leaves than the annual variety. With a sharp and clean flavour they hardly need a dressing. For restaurant quality micro-greens or pesto, use wild rocket when only the finest ingredients will do!
‘Dentellata’ is a classic salad rocket with a typical wild rocket indented leaf shape. With good texture and colour it has a mild flavour. Also known as arugula, it is popular in Italy and Southern France, where it has been grown and eaten for centuries.
Rocket ‘Dragons Tongue’ is a distinctive wild rocket variety with striking purple-red leaf veins which contrast beautifully with the dark green leaf. It is the essence of a lightly flavoured rocket – honeyed, grassy and only lightly peppery. It is something a bit little bit different for the salad bowl.
Sorrel De Belleville is a small French cultivar. It is hardy and well-proven to be productive under almost any conditions with an excellent lemon flavour. One of the earliest green crops and embarrassingly easy to grow, it needs no attention other than when you want to eat it.
Sorrel De Belleville is a small French cultivar. It is hardy and well-proven to be productive under almost any conditions with an excellent lemon flavour. One of the earliest green crops and embarrassingly easy to grow, it needs no attention other than when you want to eat it. Organic Seed.Buckler leaf sorrel is a superb salad crop, with all the best qualities of common sorrel it has the same vibrant, lemony taste but is less sour with a softer texture. Its distinct leaves are shaped like a shield.
Mexican Tree Spinach is the latest ‘new’ arrival on the veg-growing scene. A beautiful plant to have in the garden or allotment. Vivid pink tinged triangular bright green leaves with each new set of leaves blushed a shocking magenta.
‘Strawberry Sticks’ is a curious plant that is enjoying something of a resurgence. The berries make a colourful and edible accent in the garden and salads and the greens are deliciously edible.
‘Strawberry Sticks’ is a curious plant that is enjoying something of a resurgence. The berries make a colourful and edible accent in the garden and salads and the greens are deliciously edible. Organic Seeds.
Amaranth ‘Green Giant’ is a vigorous selection that produces slightly savoyed, large mid green leaves. The popular Calaloo in Caribbean cuisine, the leaves have a mild spinach flavour and can be harvested when plants are just 20cm tall.
Amaranth tricolor ‘Variegated’, also known as ‘Red Leaf’ has attractive oval, mid-green leaves that are streaked through with shades of red and purple. Easy to grow and tolerant of wide-ranging conditions. Its soft leaves are a great addition to salads and, like spinach, it melts delectably when cooked.
A favorite with chefs, Amaranth tricolor ‘Red Army’ is an intense cherry red selection that grows to around 35cm tall. The attractive leaves have a delicate pea-like flavour and can be used at babyleaf stage for salad or garnish, or can be left to mature for steamed vegetable or soups.
Broccoli ‘Summer Purple’ is an excellent summer cropping variety that is sown in spring to harvest late June to October. Eaten within an hour of picking, when still bursting with sappy natural sugars, it is exquisite.
Calabrese Broccoli ‘Belstar F1’ is a superb organic variety. The compact plants have round domes, small to medium beads and short flowering stems with a thick main stalk. Ideal for short-stemmed crown cuts or florets. RHS AGM. Organic Seed. ‘Burgundy’ is a standout purple sprouting broccoli. It’s the first ‘main head’ type in its class, delivering sweet, tender spears with a deep violet hue. Sown from April though to August, the harvesting period begins in June and runs right through to December.
Bred to overwinter, Purple sprouting broccoli ‘Mendocino F1’ is prized for its uniform, high-quality spears. Sow anytime from April to June, overwinter and harvest from mid March to mid April.
If you’re one of those gardeners who like to push the envelope, don’t forget to add purple sprouting broccoli to your overwintering repertoire. ‘F1 Rioja’ is a compact, very productive plant with a bushy habit, which produces very high quality, brightly-coloured spears.
Celery ‘Tango’ is an excellent quality, self-blanching celery that produces beautiful apple-green stems with good flavour and texture for that all-important celery crunch. ‘Tango’ is suitable for cultivating throughout the growing season, it has good resistance to bolting, and stands well during hot weather. RHS AGM. Organic Seed.Chicory Variegata di Castelfranco has a beautiful form with wavy leaves that are flecked with purple. Incredibly hardy and totally invaluable, this traditional variety is one of the easiest to grow at any time in the year.
Crambe maritima is a lovely dual purpose plant. This delicacy from the olden days has a unique delicate flavour, forced Seakale is a real delicacy. In the garden, it can be grown as an eye-catching and fragrant border plant. It has perhaps the most beautiful of all large glaucous leaves
One of the tenderest kales available, with a sweeter taste than most traditional varieties, ‘Red Russian’ is delicious raw in salads and excellent used in stir-frying. It will grow to baby leaf in only 25 days, just add to lettuce to make your own mesclun mix. Organic Seeds. 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.
One of the least problematic and hardiest plants in the Brassica tribe, Kale ‘Westland Winter’ is a medium early variety that typically grows 40 to 60cm tall, which makes it ideal for more exposed production areas. Organic Seeds.‘Black Magic’ is an improved Italian Black Kale, 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.
Simply adored, especially in the north of Italy, Cavolo Nero is an extremely cold hardy kale that will tolerate conditions that would make most brassicas keel over. Thank heavens we have finally managed to locate Organic Seeds!
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