Grow vegetables you'll be hard pressed to find in the supermarket! Find rare and unusual varieties to add to your productive garden. All tried and tested in the UK climate! Shop our seeds and sow something special!
Rare & Unusual Vegetables
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Basil 'Greek Basil'
Cute, compact basil with bright, fresh flavour. Greek basil is Italian basil's smaller cousin - it has small leaves and only grows to 25cm high. It is sweeter than traditional Genovese types which we think makes it well suited to using in salads and as a garnish. Its small stature also makes it perfect for growing in pots on a window sill. Sow: mid March-July (at around 22C)Plant: 20cm 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.0.5g (approx 300 seeds). We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate. Germ 74% July 25
£1.95
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Cabbage 'Kalibos'
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 Brassica oleracea 0.5g (approx 125 seeds). We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate. Germ Rate: 90% Oct 25
£2.55
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Parsnip 'Thrupp'
Thrupp is a very special parsnip and an example of the wonders that can come out of community seed saving. This genetically diverse, modern-landrace parsnip was originally bred by Amanda Godber at an allotment site in Stroud, Thrupp has been stewarded by Down to Earth Stroud and the Stroud Community Seed Bank for years. It was brought to my attention by seed steward Dan Fox of Two Acre Farm in the Mendips. Dan has put lots of work into trialling, selecting and adapting the parsnip and the seed offered here has been grown on his farm. He describes them as 'proper parsnips' with very little forking - a very rare variety which is strongly adapted to the South West climate. 1g (approx 200 seeds). We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate. Pastinaca sativa
£2.85
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Cabbage 'Violaceo di Verona'
We are really excited to be offering this rare and beautiful Northern Italian heirloom cabbage - Violaceo di Verona. It has lightly crinkled leaves which range from glaucous green to plum purple. This selection is a beautifully diverse - each plant has slightly different colouring and leaf texture. One thing that stays consistent is the flavour - the cabbages are top-knotch - deliciously sweet, particularly after cold weather. Plants are on the larger size, so perhaps not the most sensible choice for smaller gardens.Sow: March-April (undercover or outside with fleece or cloche)Plant: May, 45cm apartHarvest: Autumn-WinterKitchen: 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 125 seeds). We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate. Germ 95% Sept 25
£2.75
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Leek 'Shades of Belgian Blue' Seeds
The most stunning winter leek I've come across. Shades of Belgian Blue is a diverse mix of winter-hardy leeks with leaves that tend towards blue and purple pigmentation. Cold temperatures bring out the stunning colouring. Selected for rust resistance.Diverse population which has been selected to overwinter well in our soggy field in Dorset. This is an Open Source Seed Initiative variety. Sow: April-May undercover or outside. Sow thickly in a seed bed. You can make a seed bed in open soil or use a crate/large pot filled with a multipurpose compost.Plant: May-June. Separate leek seedlings and trim roots and leaves by two thirds. This makes it easier to plant the leeks. Dib holes 20cm apart. Place 1 leek in each hole for big leeks, 3 in each hole for baby leeks. Do not recover with soil.Harvest: October-JanuaryKitchen: Almost as versatile as an onion. Slow cook to bring out sweetness or roast, barbecue & grill whole to add another flavour dimension. Pairs well with acid - lemon, white wine; fats - butter, cream, yogurt, cheese; aromatics - chervil, chives, tarragon, thyme.1g (350 seeds). We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate. Germ: 89% Jan 26
£2.15
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Salad Leaf Buck's Horn Plantain
A traditional Italian winter salad leaf, cropped from autumn to early spring. It is very easy to grow and will thrive in any garden (even coastal ones!) but rich soils will yield more succulent leaves. Rich in calcium, vitamins A and B2.Buckshorn plantain has been a prized salad green in Italy since the 16th traditional ingredient in Italian peasant cooking. It is an authentic element of Roman misticanza - a salad mix of wild greens. You'll find it on Tuscan and Umbrian tables sauteed with white beans in Minutina e Fagioli. Try it in Frittata con Erba Stella or as a replacement for basil in pesto. Sow: April-AugustPlant: 30cm apartHarvest: 8-10 weeks after sowingKitchen: Eat fresh or wilted. Pairs well with citrus (lemon), spices (fennel, chilli), alliums (spring onion, garlic), fats (parmesan, eggs, butter, walnuts), salty (olives, capers).Notes: Early sowings benefit from fleece. 0.15g (approx 500 seeds). We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
£2.10
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Salad Burnet
A lovely salad green for spring and autumn harvests with a distinctive cucumber flavour. Salad burnet is an easy-to-grow perennial which we find tastiest when grown as an annual each year. Harvest the tender leaves at the centre of the rosette and add them into salads or use as a herb. Particularly nice chopped up finely and used in herb mixes with rice or to flavour raita.Sow: mid-March to JulyPlant: 30cm apartHarvest: 8 weeks after sowingKitchen: Eat fresh. Pairs well with citrus (lemon, lime), aromatics (dill, coriander, fennel, chilli), alliums (spring onion, garlic), fats (cream cheese, yoghurt, sesame).Notes: Early sowings benefit from fleece. 0.5g (approx 100 seeds). We pack seeds by weight, the number of seeds in a packet is an estimate.
£2.10
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