***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Gardener's Sweetheart is an overachiever. It produces trusses as long as your forearm, laden with cute red tomatoes, shaped like anatomical hearts. Unusually for most heirloom varieties, Gardener's Sweetheart has a high resistance to splitting so you can leave whole trusses of tomatoes to ripen before picking them. The tomatoes have a lovely firm texture (they make great sauces too) and sweet flavour.
As with many tomatoes, the flavour of this variety is deadened with over-watering. Once plants are established, water the absolute bare minimum (if growing in open ground) and you will be rewarded with the sweetest fruits.
Gardeners Sweetheart is a vining, (indeterminate) variety which is best grown undercover, grown up strings - either in the ground or in containers.
Sow: March, with heat (25C)
Harvest: July-September
Kitchen: Pairs with savoury (anchovies, capers, cured pork), aromatic (basil, coriander, thyme), spicy (anise, clove, cinnamon), fats (avocado, cream cheese).
Approx 20 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Solanum lycopersicum
Germ Rate: 100% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
A fabulously large podded heirloom mangetout, originating from the south of France. Brilliant to grow with kids because the sweet, 12cm long pods are easy to spot and pick. The peas keep on the vines for ages before they get starchy or stringy. Unlike most modern pea varieties, Carouby de Maussane produces long vines (up to 1.5m) and has an extended harvest season - ideal for home gardeners.
Sow: March to May outside
Harvest: June - July
Kitchen: Steam or sautee. Pairs well with alliums (garlic, onions, shallots), fats (butter, feta, smoked fish, bacon), aromatics (mint, dill, parsley, chilli).
18g (approx 100 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Pisum sativum
Germ Rate: 96% Oct 25
Mizuna is one of the most popular winter salad leaves out there. It produces succulent, green winter leaves with a mild, peppery flavour. It is more vigorous than the other winter salad leaves we offer and very frost tolerant. A brilliant bulker for winter and early spring salad mixes. Sow: mid March-May & Aug-Sept (undercover or outside)Plant: densely for baby leaves, 20cm for salad leavesHarvest: 4-8 weeks after sowingKitchen: Eat fresh, pickled or stir fried. Pairs with citrus (lemon, lime, ponzu), aromatics and spices (coriander, ginger, five spice, chilli), alliums (spring onion, garlic, garlic chives), fats (sesame, cashew).Notes: Early sowings benefit from fleece. Sowings bolt around the solstice. Long harvest period, particularly over winter - you'll have greens from October into spring.1g / ~450 seedsGerm 94% Aug 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Finally, a deep purple bean that actually tastes good! The pods are slender, slightly flattened and beautifully straight. They start off as soft lilac flowers which are something to be appreciated in their own right. As with most purple vegetables, the purple colour disappears once they're cooked. Fun while it last though, and the beans are easy to spot when you're harvesting. Blooming Prairie is a dwarf French bean and the plants will grow to 30cm off the ground - no need to stake.
Sow: April undercover, May-June outside
Plant: 30cm apart
Harvest: July-September, pick regularly.
Kitchen: Cook lightly and pair with savoury (parmesan, bacon), aromatic (tarragon, ginger), acid (white wine, lemon), fats (olive oil, almonds).
Notes: Sow a second succession in June for continuous harvest.
Approx 20 seeds We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Phaseolus vulgaris
Germ Rate: 80% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
An opportunity to grow a very rare, dual-use variety. Orach is a drought resistant plant, producing very tasty salad leaves and cooking greens, not dissimilar to spinach. Rose Gold produces zesty green leaves on pink stems. When the plant goes to seed, the party really begins, with tall, pink and gold spangly seed heads. Use fresh, dry or just enjoy the sound of them rustling in the wind.
Plants come back best when self sown - allow at least one plant to self sow for next year's supply.
Sow: April undercover, May-June outside.
Plant: 4-6 weeks after sowing at 30cm. Wait until risk of frost has passed.
Harvest: Young leaves for eating. Pick stems when flowers are half open. 60cm stem length.
Vase: Expect a vase life of 7 days.
Approx 100 seeds. We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Atriplex hortensis
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
The daintiest winter squash we grow! The plants are much less brutish than other varieties, co-existing well with the other plant life in your vegetable patch.
The squashes themselves are small too - rarely weighing over a kilo - making them the perfect size to roast whole. Fruits have a creamy texture and thin, digestible skins so no need for peeling. If the season is long, the fruits will mature to a dusty orange - pick at any stage.
Sow: April (undercover, ideally at 21C), late May outside
Plant: end May, 60cm spacing
Harvest: Sept-Oct
Kitchen: Roasted whole. Pairs with fats (hazelnuts, peanut, walnuts, goats cheese, feta), citrus (lemon, lime), aromatics & spices (coriander, sage, rosemary, thyme, chilli).
Notes: Protect early plantings from frost.
approx 15 seeds
Cucurbita moshata
Germ Rate: 98% Oct 25
A proper Swiss Chard with wide juicy stems and deep green, shiny leaves. A very different plant from our other varieties Fireworks and Verde da Taglia. We think of it as the European version of Pak Choi - a leafy green, bred for its crisp stems rather than its verdant leaves. For this reason it makes a great stir fry addition throughout the summer months when it's impossible to grow Pak Choi. It's a very generous green to grow - if you harvest individual stems, a couple of sowings will have you sorted for the year.Sow: April (undercover) & July (outside or undercover) for continuous supply. Plant: 4 weeks after sowing, or sow direct.Harvest: Baby leaves in 6 weeks, big leaves in 8-10 weeks. Harvest outside leaves.Kitchen: Eat baby leaves raw and cook older leaves - steam, sautee, or braise. Cook stems a little longer than leaves. Pairs with acid (lemon, balsamic vinegar, lime), fats (goats cheese, walnuts, coconut milk, butter), salty (olives, feta, parmesan), aromatics (chilli, nutmeg, dill, fennel, thyme).~2.5g/150 seedsGerm: 81% Sept 25
If you can call a courgette bodacious, then Costata Romanesco is the one. Big bold plants, with flowers bright and brazen, it really is something to behold. This Italian heirloom has been bred to produce exceptionally large flowers - perfect for stuffing with goats cheese, dipping in batter and frying. The courgettes themselves are also second-to-none. Beautiful striped skins, firm texture and nutty flavour.You’ll only need one or two plants to feed a family. Grow a couple more and you’ll be feeding the whole street.
Sow: April (undercover, ideally at 21C), late May outside
Plant: end May, 60cm spacing
Harvest: July-Sept
Kitchen: Slow cook, BBQ or roast. Pairs with fats (pine nuts, goats cheese, ricotta, feta, halloumi), citrus (lemon) salty flavours (capers, olives, anchovy, bacon), aromatics (coriander, dill, basil, marjoram).
Notes: Protect early plantings from frost. This variety has a tendency to develop yellow patterns on the leaves. This is a quirk of the variety, not a defect or disease.
~15 seeds
Germ 92% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
A kale that needs very little introduction. Nero di Toscana has a reputation for being the kale of choice for any gardening gourmet. The long, deep green leaves are more tender than standard curly kales with a flavour that sweetens after the first frost. A Tuscan heirloom which has been bred to withstand both hot and cold temperatures, you can harvest this kale from late summer to early spring.
Sow: March-April (undercover or outside with fleece or cloche)
Plant: May, 45cm apart
Harvest: Late summer- early autumn
Kitchen: Roast, steam, sautee or braise. Pairs with acidic flavours (lemon, white wine), fats (sesame, bacon, chorizo, walnuts, parmesan), alliums (garlic, leeks), aromatics & spice (mustard, cumin, parsley, coriander, ginger, chilli).
Notes: To avoid massive cabbage heads, grow no further than 45cm apart. As with all brassicas, plant deep to avoid toppling
0.5g (approx 150 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Brassica oleracea
Germ Rate: 97% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Little Finger is one of the best carrots to grow with children. They are fast growing, sweet tasting and a very satisfying size. The medium-long roots grow up to a finger-width wide (hence the name) so they are ideal left whole and crunched as kids snacks or crudites. Unlike most carrot varieties, Little Finger is specifically adapted to clay soils - one to try if you’re still trying to grow your first straight carrot!
Sow: May until mid-July, direct sow.
Harvest: At least 12 weeks from sowing.
Kitchen: Roast, braise or eat raw. Pairs well with acid (balsamic, white wine, lemon), aromatics (cumin, dill, mint, thyme, rosemary, coriander, ginger, chilli), fats (sesame, olive oil), alliums (leeks, garlic).
Notes: Sow late May to early June to avoid carrot root fly.
1g (approx 800 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Daucus carota
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
A true British heirloom, dating back to 12th century and hailing from the North of England. Once a staple, today they are most frequently found doused in salt and vinegar. They are as delicious as they sound.
Carlin peas are traditional drying peas, grown to harvest and eat as a pulse rather than the sweet fresh peas we're more familiar with. Grow these fuss-free plants and feel the wholesome satisfaction of loading up your store cupboard with home grown pulses this winter!
Sow: March to May outside
Harvest: June - July
Kitchen: Steam or sautee. Pairs well with alliums (garlic, onions, shallots), fats (butter, feta, smoked fish, bacon), aromatics (mint, dill, parsley, chilli).
18g (approx 100 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Pisum sativum
Germ Rate: 98% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
The best dwarf french bean we've found for delectable, fine green beans. The beans are straight, narrow - what we think of as a true French bean, quite different from thicker green bean varieties. The plants are upright with strong growth to support heavy harvests.
Like many dwarf varieties, Faraday has been bred to produce abundant beans over a few weeks. Sow a second succession for late summer harvests, or a later maturing variety such as Dior.
Sow: April undercover, May-June outside
Plant: 30cm apart
Harvest: July-September, pick regularly.
Kitchen: Cook lightly and pair with savoury (parmesan, bacon), aromatic (tarragon, ginger), acid (white wine, lemon), fats (olive oil, almonds).
7.5g (approx 45 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Phaseolus vulgaris
Germ Rate: 94% Sept 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Fireworks makes a beautiful addition to your garden (vegetable or ornamental) and a very nutritious addition to your plate. You can 'eat the rainbow' by growing just one variety! It's a celebration of colour and diversity. You'll find stems in icy white, canary yellow, zesty orange, and cerise red with leaves ranging from verdant green to deep burgundy.
Say goodbye to uniformity and say hello to diverse form and colour. This is a diverse interbreeding population of plants rather than a single variety. If you dig up a seed cluster as its germinating and you'll see different coloured shoots stretching out of a single cluster. Each cluster is made up of several individual seeds, each with their own unique genetics. What a joy.
Sow: April (undercover) & July (outside or undercover) for continuous supply.
Plant: 4 weeks after sowing, or sow direct.
Harvest: Baby leaves in 6 weeks, big leaves in 8-10 weeks. Harvest outside leaves.
Kitchen: Eat baby leaves raw and cook older leaves - steam, sautee, or braise. Cook stems a little longer than leaves. Pairs with acid (lemon, balsamic vinegar, lime), fats (goats cheese, walnuts, coconut milk, butter), salty (olives, feta, parmesan), aromatics (chilli, nutmeg, dill, fennel, thyme).
3g (approx 150 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Beta vulgaris var. cicla
Germ Rate: 84% Sept 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Vibrant green leaves a top long, slender white stems with no bulbing. Ishikura is a fantastically robust and frost hardy Japanese variety with a crisp texture and mild onion flavour. Awarded an RHS AGM for its vigorous growth. Sow every couple of months for harvests throughout the year.
Sow: Feb-March undercover, April-September outside. Sow clusters of 10 in modules or sow direct 5cm apart. Stagger sowings every 8 weeks for continuous supply.
Plant: 4-6 weeks after sowing, plant clusters 20cm apart
Harvest: Year round
Kitchen: Best used in salads or slowly caramelised.
Notes: Keep cool while germinating. Temperatures above 20C inhibit germination.
Allium fistulosum
1.5g (approx 375 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Germ Rate: 91% Sept 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Maravilla de Verano was the stand out lettuce in our 2025 lettuce trial (one of the driest summers on record). While all the other varieties had bolted or turned bitter, this beauty stayed luscious, succulent and sweet. It's a glorious Batavian type with large green leaves, tinged with red. A standout variety for summer salad production and great for gardeners who tend to forget to water their plants.
Sow: Feb-May undercover, May-July outside. Stagger sowings for continuous supply.
Plant: 4-6 weeks after sowing, plant 20cm apart
Harvest: Feb-April
Kitchen: Best used in salads.
Notes: To make the most out of your space, you can sow/plant 10cm apart then harvest every other plant leaving the remaining half to head up. Do not let seeds get hot when germinating. 15C is ideal, anything above 18C encourages seed dormancy.
0.25g (approx 200 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Lactuca sativa
Germ Rate: 100% Sept 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Cottagers is one of the oldest kales the UK, dating back to a time when gardens weren't places to sit and admire, they were places to grow food, medicine and fibre. Cottagers is a tall, productive and exceptionally hardy variety - it will give you leaves all winter and tasty shoots in the spring. The plants are beautiful with glaucous green leaves and purple ribs.
Sow: March-April (undercover or outside with fleece or cloche)
Plant: May, 45cm apart
Harvest: Late summer- early autumn
Kitchen: Roast, steam, sautee or braise. Pairs with acidic flavours (lemon, white wine), fats (sesame, bacon, chorizo, walnuts, parmesan), alliums (garlic, leeks), aromatics & spice (mustard, cumin, parsley, coriander, ginger, chilli).
Notes: To avoid massive cabbage heads, grow no further than 45cm apart. As with all brassicas, plant deep to avoid toppling
Approx 100 seeds. We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Brassica oleracea
Germ Rate: 96% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Our favourite oak leaf lettuce. Cerbiatta brings a beautiful and unusual silhouette to your salad bowl. Originating from Italy, Cerbiatta is bright green and crunchy with a strong - for want of a better word - lettuce-y flavour. I find it very vigorous and well suited to growing for cut and come again salad greens or in a loose leaf mix. Crowned with RHS AGM award.Lettuce is a very ancient crop, originally domesticated by the ancient Egyptians for its seeds and sap which were used as a pain killer and sedative. The Romans went on to cultivate lettuce for its leaves and used it as a braising green.Sow: Feb-April undercover, May-July outside. Stagger sowings for continuous supply.
Plant: 4-6 weeks after sowing, plant 20cm apart
Harvest: Feb-April
Kitchen: Best used in salads.
Notes: To make the most out of your space, you can sow/plant 10cm apart then harvest every other plant leaving the remaining half to head up. Do not let seeds get hot when germinating. 15C is ideal, anything above 18C encourages seed dormancy.
0.25g (approx 200 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Lactuca sativa
Germ Rate: 100% Sept 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Crisp, sunshine yellow beans with a bright, buttery flavour. One of the best tasting French beans we've grown. We offer the white seeded strain of this variety which we think is more tender than the black seeded type. The pods are wide and flattened and tend to curve if grown outside. An easy-to-harvest variety on account of the brightly coloured beans.
Our original seed for this variety was gifted to us by incredible heirloom bean seed producer Pippa Rosen from Beans & Herbs.
Sow: April undercover, May-June outside
Plant: 30cm apart
Harvest: July-September, pick regularly.
Kitchen: Cook lightly and pair with savoury (parmesan, bacon), aromatic (tarragon, ginger), acid (white wine, lemon), fats (olive oil, almonds).
Notes: This is a climbing French bean and will easily grow to 6ft so stake accordingly.
Approx 20 seeds We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Phaseolus vulgaris
Germ Rate: 98% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Flageolet beans are some of the tastiest drying beans you can grow - so creamy, so good. We think of them as luxurious legumes, grown to feed French aristocrats in 17th century. Despite their pedigree, it's incredibly difficult to find seeds of these varieties in the UK. Flageolet Vert is our offering - a very rare variety which forms beautiful pale green beans which hold their shape when cooked. The plants are very productive, dwarf types.
Sow: April undercover, May-June outside
Plant: 30cm apart
Harvest: July-September, pick regularly.
Kitchen: Cook lightly and pair with savoury (parmesan, bacon), aromatic (tarragon, ginger), acid (white wine, lemon), fats (olive oil, almonds).
Approx 20 seeds We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Phaseolus vulgaris
Germ Rate: 100% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Tall, elongated beetroot which resembles something a little bit rude. We like to sow them alongside faster-maturing globe types like Wintersonne. We harvest the globe beetroot first and leave Cylindra for autumn harvests and winter storage. It's our go-to for pickled beetroot because the elongated shape makes for beautifully even slices.
Sow: April-July, can be sown in modules or direct
Plant: 4 weeks after sowing.
Harvest: June-October
Kitchen: Roast or boil. Pairs well with spices (cinnamon, chili, cumin), acid (lemon, balsamic vinegar), fats (goats cheese, feta, walnuts, pinenuts, hazelnuts, pecans), salty (capers, olives), aromatics (mint, parsley, dill, fennel, thyme).
4g (approx 200 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Beta vulgaris
Germ Rate: 78% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
This kale is popular for a reason! Also known as 'Ragged Jack', its blue-green leaves have jagged edges and delicate purple stems and are some of the most tender greens around. Cold weather brings a sweeter flavour and a bright magenta colouring in the leaves.
Red Russian Kale came to Europe from North Siberia and its impressive frost hardiness has meant its been grown all over the Northern hemisphere. The 'Red' in the name refers to communism rather than the colour of the plant. In the US this variety is nicknamed 'Communist Kale'. Whatever your political persuasion, your bound to be impressed by this popular heirloom Kale.
Sow: mid March-May & Aug-Sept (undercover or outside)
Plant: densely for baby leaves, 20cm for salad leaves, 30cm for cooking greens.
Harvest: 4-8 weeks after sowing
Kitchen: Eat fresh or stir fried. Pairs with citrus (lemon, lime, ponzu), aromatics and spices (turmeric, ginger, five spice, chilli), alliums (spring onion, garlic, garlic chives), fats (sesame, cashew).
Notes: Early sowings benefit from fleece. Long harvest period, particularly over winter - you'll have greens from October into spring.
1g (approx 250 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Brassica napus
Germ Rate: 80% Sept 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
The most striking cabbage in the patch. Kalibos is a crisp, pointed cabbage in a shade of electric purple which is impossible to ignore. It must be very good for you too. This Eastern European heirloom is very sweet and very crisp. It's well suited to making into salads or krauts.
A beautiful choice for an ornamental kitchen garden, particularly when paired with French Marigold 'Red Gem'.
Sow: March-April (undercover or outside with fleece or cloche)
Plant: May, 45cm apart
Harvest: Late summer- early autumn
Kitchen: Roast, steam, sautee or braise. Pairs with acidic flavours (lemon, white wine). fats (sesame, bacon, chorizo, walnuts, parmesan), alliums (garlic, leeks), aromatics (mustard, cumin, parsley, coriander, thai sweet basil, ginger).
Notes: To avoid massive cabbage heads, grow no further than 45cm apart. As with all brassicas, plant deep to avoid toppling
0.5g (approx 150 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Brassica oleracea
Germ Rate: 90% Oct 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Green Purslane is a lifeline for any gardener who wants to grow fresh salad leaves through the heat of summer. Harvest the chunky tips for succulent leaves with a slight lemon-y tang. Very high in Vitamin E. Grow in between your tomatoes in the greenhouse or outside.
This Green Purslane we offer in the catalogue is distinct from Summer Purslane which is more widely available. Green Purslane is more delicate, closer to the wild form. We find it slower to flower and a much nicer texture than Summer Purslane, which can get a bit slimy.
Sow: April-July
Plant: 4 weeks after sowing at 20cm apart or interplant with your tomatoes.
Harvest: 8 weeks after sowing
Kitchen: Best eaten fresh in salads.
0.25g (approx 500 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Portulaca oleracea
Germ Rate: 99% Sept 25
***COMING NOVEMBER 1ST***
Beautiful butter yellow beans which are easy to spot and harvest. A great variety to grow with children. The beans are succulent with a mellow, grassy flavour. Dior is a slower maturing variety which offers longer harvests than most dwarf varieties. It works well grown with fast-maturing Faraday for extended harvests.
Sow: April undercover, May-June outside
Plant: 30cm apart
Harvest: July-September, pick regularly.
Kitchen: Cook lightly and pair with savoury (parmesan, bacon), aromatic (tarragon, ginger), acid (white wine, lemon), fats (olive oil, almonds).
7.5g (approx 45 seeds) We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
Phaseolus vulgaris
Germ Rate: 98% Sept 25
Feel the satisfaction of growing your own vegetables from our range of resilient, heirloom seeds! We have hand picked this range of vegetables for beginner gardeners who are keen to get growing. Shop our seeds and get sowing!
