Lacey, magenta leaves which are more refined than similar varieties available such as 'Purple Frills' and 'Ruby Streaks'. A stalwart salad mustard for cut-and-come again winter salads. The young leaves are mild, becoming more peppery as the plant ages. Slugs and snails tend to leave this variety alone - perhaps because of its unique leaf shape. The young leaves are mild and become more spicy as they age and spring approaches.
As with most of the salad greens in this catalogue, their use in the UK can all be traced back to the godmother of Grow Your Own, Joy Larkcom. Her book 'The Salad Garden' originally published in 1987 is a seminal work on the subject. Her careful recommendations are both tasty and decorative, as she puts it, salad vegetables which 'feed the body and the spirit'.Sow: mid March-May & Aug-Sept (undercover or outside)
Plant: densely for baby leaves, 20cm for salad leaves
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. Sowings bolt around the solstice.
Also available in our 'Cool Greens' winter salad seed collection. Download our Winter Salads Growing Guide to learn more about growing winter greens.
~1g/450 seeds
81% July 25
A tasty Chinese mustard with brightly coloured stems ranging from purple to fuchsia to baby pink. Leaves are shiny with serrated edges, coloured vivid green or deep burgundy. A colourful addition to baby salad mixes but also tastes great cooked.Vivid choi is slow to bolt, cold hardy and versatile in the kitchen. A good choice for home gardeners looking to grow delicious greens you can't buy in the shops.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, braised or stir fried. Pairs with citrus (lemon, lime), 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. Cool weather and plant maturity bring out the purple and pink colouring.
Also available in our 'Cool Greens' winter salad seed collection. Download our Winter Salads Growing Guide to learn more about growing winter greens.~1g/450 seeds
Germ: 97% July 25
A dusky red butterhead for spring, summer and autumn cropping. Forms satisfying, compact heads with outside leaves tinged red, fading to a lime green heart. Suited to spring, summer and autumn cropping and holds an RHS AGM for summer cropping on account of it being slow to bolt. 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-May undercover, May-July outside. Stagger sowings for continuous supply.Plant: 4-6 weeks after sowing, plant 20cm apartHarvest: Feb-AprilKitchen: 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.
~200 seeds/0.025gGerm 87% Nov 24
Marys Niagra is strictly suited to gardeners with a sweet tooth who welcome a little wildness into their gardens. Also known as cape gooseberries, these berries are all individually wrapped in a papery husk. The orange berries inside taste like the layer of caramelized pineapple you get on a pineapple upside down cake. Totally delicious.Despite having their roots in North America, these grow with wild abandon - the plants are big and the fruits are plentiful. They grow 30cm up and then start to bush outwards to almost 3 foot wide! We think they would look tremendous cascading down the side of a container. Fruits fall off the plant when ripe. You can give them a little shake to encourage them and leave to ripen fully on a window sill. Fruits keep well.Sow: March-April with heat (21-25C)Plant: 50-100cm apartHarvest: July-SeptemberKitchen: Eat straight off the plant or incorporate into fruity desserts - they're particularly good in pavlovaNotes: This variety grows well outside.
~20 seeds
Germ 96% Nov 24
A productive salad leaf and stalwart cut flower rolled into one. Wrinkle Cress grows quickly and abundantly, adding pep to your salads from autumn through to spring. As the days lengthen, plants throw up shoots full of tiny white flowers which gradually transforming into graceful seed heads. The seed heads can be picked when glaucous green or when dry and silvery. They are super versatile - an easy way to add texture to late summer and autumn arrangements. Use fresh or dried.
Sow: mid March-May & Aug-Sept (undercover or outside)
Plant: direct sow or plant 10-20cm apart
Harvest: Salad leaves 4-8 weeks after sowing. Cut seed heads when the uppermost flowers have faded.
Kitchen: Eat fresh in winter and early spring salads. Pairs with citrus (orange, lemon, lime), aromatics and spices (coriander, ginger, five spice, chilli), alliums (spring onion, garlic), fats (sesame, cashew).
Vase: Expect fresh seed heads to last for a week.
~1g / 400 seeds
Germ 93% Nov 24
Brit Pop is our solution to a very British problem - the late summer runner bean glut. Those few weeks in August when you have runner beans growing out of your ears and your neighbours, fellow allotmenteers and in-laws are trying to sneak their excess runners into your doorstep. Brit Pop is a beautifully diverse mix of varieties which all flower and pod up at slightly different times - giving you an extended harvest, without a massive glut. Each year we allow the plants to freely pollinate and set seed, keeping our Brit Pop population diverse. And if that's not a good enough reason to buy them, just look at the seeds themselves - a stunning mix of purples, pinks, blacks, blues, whites and browns - no two are the same!These are very rare seeds which we have a limited supply of. There is nothing similar on offer in the UK and we continue to bulk these up year-on-year.Sow: May in pots or modulesPlant: 1-2 weeks after sowing, 30cm apart.Harvest: July-SeptemberKitchen: Steam or sautee. Pairs well with alliums (garlic, onions, shallots), citrus (lemon), fruity (tomato), salty (feta, olives, capers), fats (ricotta, butter, bacon, almonds), aromatics (paprika, cumin, parsley, chilli), Notes: Protect emerging seeds from rodents. Plants need a strudy structure to climb up. Plants will have different flower colours - red, white and bicoloured - maybe some apricot shades if you're very lucky.~15 seeds
Germ 80% Nov 24
The best tasting perpetual spinach out there - sweet, tender, verdant green leaves on slim stems. Verde da Taglio is an easy-to-grow Italian heirloom which is perfect for gardeners who want to make the most out of their growing space. A couple of sowings will provide you with year-round greens. This is one of our favourite greens in the catalogue - we grow it every year without fail.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).1.5g / ~75 seedsGerm 83% Dec 24
Ratio is a short, well branched broad bean which is our pick for small vegetable gardens. It was a top performer in our container growing trial of 2024 and its bushy habit makes it perfect for anyone who wants to avoid staking their beans. The pods are shorter-than-average (much like the plants) and the beans are plump and delectable.This is an all-round brilliant variety specifically bred for organic growing conditions by De Bolster in the Netherlands. Sow: Valentines day - May direct 20-30cm apartHarvest: June - JulyKitchen: Steam or sautee. Pairs well with alliums (garlic, onions, shallots), fats (butter, feta, smoked fish, bacon), aromatics (mint, dill, parsley, chilli).Notes: Keep an eye out for black fly and nip the growing tips off at the first sign of invasion.~30 seedsGerm: 96% Nov 24
Smooth, round crimson roots with a good crunch. They look particularly beautiful sliced into rounds, pure white flesh contrasting with the bright red skin. They taste best pulled straight out of the ground, soil rubbed off on a trouser leg. Eat from marble sized, all the way to the size of a ping pong ball. You'll be surprised at how big the roots can get without getting spongy or spicy. This variety has a particularly long harvest window and is resistant to downy mildew. Sow: February (undercover) until May. Sow little and often.Harvest: 4 weeks from sowing, longer if sown early.Kitchen: Raw, pickled or braised. Pairs well with fats (melted butter, aioli, sour cream, yogurt, walnuts), aromatics (rosemary, anise, thyme, dill, mint), citrus (lemon).4g / ~275 seedsGerm: 89% Oct 24
An unusual rocket variety with deep green, broad leaves which aren't lobed like standard rocket varieties. It is slower growing and slower to bolt than more vigorous alternatives such as 'Victoria'. A substantial, peppery leaf for salads harvested between autumn and spring.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 or just wilted. Pairs with citrus (lemon, balsamic vinegar), aromatics (basil, dill, mint) and spices (chilli), salty (capers, olives, feta), fats (blue cheese, goats cheese, pine nuts).Notes: Early sowings benefit from fleece.
Also available in our 'Cool Greens' winter salad seed collection. Download our Winter Salads Growing Guide to learn more about growing winter greens.~0.5g/250 seedsRocAst-00145-WNO-CGerm 92% Jul 25
Not the most exotic sounding lettuce on our list but Maureen is as reliable as they come. Bred to outperform the standard Little Gem type in resistance to downy mildew and seasonality. Bright, fresh green, compact hearts which are equally at home in a crisp Caesar salad as they are braised with bacon and peas.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-May undercover, May-July outside. Stagger sowings for continuous supply.Plant: 4-6 weeks after sowing, plant 20cm apartHarvest: Feb-AprilKitchen: 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.~200 seeds/0.025gGerm 87% Nov 24
Mibuna is your answer to home grown greens from autumn to early spring. Gentle peppery flavour that is hotter than Mizuna, milder than Golden Frills. The leaves are elongated and flex backwards, making a small well for salad dressings to sit in. They are a deep, healthy green colour.Mibuna originated from the Mibu region of Kyoto City in Japan, where it was bred from a mizuna hybrid. It's been cultivated from 1804. Use Mibuna as you would Mizuna - a baby leaf salad, a stir fry green or wilted in ramen. In Japan its mixed with kombu (an umami flavour-rich seaweed) and chilli to make a quick salty pickle called asazuke. A crisp, spicy, umami flavoured side dish - exceptionally moreish.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.
Also available in our 'Cool Greens' winter salad seed collection. Download our Winter Salads Growing Guide to learn more about growing winter greens.
~1g/450 seedsGerm 96% July 25
Lovely golden globe-shaped beetroot that bring a bit of sunshine to your plate. This variety has very strong, healthy, upright stems which are sturdy enough to bunch or cook as a green. The roots have a intense, turmeric-yellow colour which persists even after cooking. With such bright colouring, surely these beets are brimming with antioxidants. Beetroot are one of the easiest crops to grow but are a bit of a marmite crop in the kitchen. We find the yellow varieties have a milder, and more aromatic flavour than their red counterparts.Sow: April-July, can be sown in modules or directPlant: 4 weeks after sowing.Harvest: June-OctoberKitchen: 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/200 seedsBeeWin-00075-TMR-OGGerm 81% Dec 24
Rothild is a sweet, fragrant carrot which is easy to grow. The roots are bright, cartoon carrot orange, signifying their high carotene content. Intense colouring = more nutritious. A joy to eat and a joy to grow. We find it to be a very productive carrot, yielding lovely long roots even on our heavy clay soil. 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.~800 seeds/1gCrtRot-00142-MOL-OGGerm 89% Dec 24
A crisp, green Batavian type with a hint of an iceberg lettuce about it (in the very best way possible). Leaves are sweet in flavour and well-savoyed so they hold a salad dressing well. Can be grown for cut and come again baby leaves or as a heading lettuce.Lettuce is a very ancient crop, originally domesticated in Africa 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: March-July for harvests into autumn. March-April undercover, May outside. Four sowings across the year will have you eating plentiful salad leaves year round if you harvest by picking leaves off the stem.Plant: 4 weeks after sowing at 20-30cm spacing.Harvest: 8 weeks after sowingKitchen: Crisp - perfect for a shredded with red cabbage and red onion for a kebab-style salad.Notes: Do not let seeds get hot when germinating - 15C is ideal, anything above 18C encourages seed dormancy.~200 seeds/0.25gLetBdP-00009-TMR-OGGerm: 100% Dec 24
Golden Frills is a vigorous variety, producing an abundance of lacy, golden-green leaves. A stalwart mustard for cut-and-come again winter salads. The young leaves are mild, becoming more peppery as the plant ages. I find slugs and snails tend to leave this variety alone - perhaps because of its unique leaf shape. Harvest the yellow flowering tips too - they're spicy and sweet.Golden Frills, along with a lot of the popular Asian greens, was popularised in the UK by the godmother of Grow Your Own, Joy Larkcom. Her book 'The Salad Garden' originally published in 1987 is seminal. Her careful recommendations are both tasty and decorative to 'feed the body and the spirit'.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 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. Sowings bolt around the solstice. Long harvest period, particularly over winter - you'll have greens from October into spring.
~1g/450 seedsGerm 91% Oct 24
The sweet, tender-leaved basil variety from the homeland of pesto A.K.A. Genoa. These plants produce bountiful leaves which can be harvested young to use in salads or whizzed up into pesto to top pizzas, pastas and minestrone soup. A classic basil variety which we grow alongside our tomatoes every year. We find basil benefits from rich soil and a little shade. Remember it grows very happily in containers too - perfect for a sunny kitchen window sill.Sow: mid March-July (at around 22C)Plant: 20-30cm apartHarvest: 8 weeks after sowingKitchen: Eat fresh or just wilted. Think pizza, pasta, pesto (and soup).Notes: Bolted plants bring in a tonne of pollinators. Best grown undercover for unblemished foliage.~0.5g/300 seedsBasSwG-00054-MOL-OGGerm 79% Dec 24
Glossy courgettes in the deepest, darkest green. This well-behaved variety grows in neat, bushy clumps and throws out courgettes over a long period. A great variety to avoid a courgette glut. This is an all-round scrappy variety which was bred in the US for drought tolerance and mildew resistance. The plants have incredibly extensive root systems and are highly adapted to organic cultivation.Sow: April (undercover, ideally at 21C), late May outsidePlant: end May, 60cm spacingHarvest: July-SeptKitchen: 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).~15 seedsCouDS-00148-WNO-C
Germ 86% Feb 25
Our pick for a classic salad rocket - green, lobed leaves with strong peppery flavour. A fast growing, vigorous variety which works well as a cut-and-come-again salad leaf. It bolts faster than our other salad rocket variety 'Astro' which is slower growing. Ideally, you'll sow this variety thickly in successions. The flowers are a delicious salad ingredient too. It makes a flavoursome addition to salads from autumn until early spring. 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 or just wilted. Pairs with citrus (lemon, balsamic vinegar), aromatics (basil, dill, mint) and spices (chilli), salty (capers, olives, feta), fats (blue cheese, goats cheese, pine nuts).Notes: Early sowings benefit from fleece. Sowings bolt around the solstice.~1g/500 seedsRocVic-00112-CNS-CGerm 100% Nov 24
Pizzo is a lovely broad-leaved salad mustard with squiggly serrated edges. It adds verdant volume to winter salad pickings. Its visually similar to 'Green in Snow' but much milder. Definitely our preference for a productive winter salad leaf.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 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. Sowings bolt around the solstice. Long harvest period, particularly over winter - you'll have greens from October into spring.
Also available in our 'Cool Greens' winter salad seed collection. Download our Winter Salads Growing Guide to learn more about growing winter greens.~1g/450 seedsSaLPiz-00111-CNS-CGerm 91% Nov 24
Purple Top Milan is bred to grow fast and be eaten young. Harvest when they are ping pong sized and cook whole - skins and all. We are really happy with this selection of the variety - the roots are beautifully flattened with excellent bright violet colouring. They have a nice firm texture and well-balanced flavour. Turnips excellent way of making use of any gaps in the vegetable garden which begin to show in late summer. It's worth having a packet of seed spare just in case!Sow: Valentines day-March (undercover), July-August (direct)Plant: multisow and plant 20cm apart or sow direct and thin to 5-10cm apart.Harvest: 6-8 weeks from sowingKitchen: Eat fresh, pickled or stir fried. Pairs with acid (lemon, lime, ponzu, balsamic, wine), aromatics and spices (coriander, ginger, five spice, chilli, thyme), alliums (spring onion, garlic), fats (bacon, sesame, cashew).~1g/450 seedsGerm 97% Oct 24
Uber has all the vigour of a salad rocket with wild rocket flavour. It adds another dimension to a salad mix. Plant grow fully upright, even in winter, making them easy to harvest. It makes a flavoursome addition to salads from autumn until early spring. Leave to bolt - the flowers are delicious and provide early forage for pollinators.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 or just wilted. Pairs with citrus (lemon, balsamic vinegar), aromatics (basil, dill, mint) and spices (chilli), salty (capers, olives, feta), fats (blue cheese, goats cheese, pine nuts).Notes: Early sowings benefit from fleece. Sowings bolt around the solstice.~1g/500 seedsRocUb-00110-CNS-CGerm 89% Nov 24
Life is about the little things and having fresh herbs on hand is a joy. Grow a pot of chives and you'll have an abundant supply. They are generous producers which will happily self seed and bulk up year on year. Your bagel with cream cheese will never be without a sprinkling of chives.Sow: Direct sow into pots March-September (undercover or outside)Harvest: Lightly harvest 12 weeks after sowingKitchen: Pairs with proteins (eggs, fish, ham), fats (avocado, cream cheese), aromatics (chervil, basil, coriander, tarragon, parsley).Note: Chives are herbaceous perennials and die down over winter. They self-sow and clumps will bulk up. You can divide them in spring.~0.25g/ 200 seedsChvHrb-00058-MOL-OGGerm 98% Dec 24
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 seedsSaLMz-00092-MOL-OGGerm 92% Nov 24
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!
