A bloom that is so exotic looking that is almost resembles a beautiful sea creature from a coral reef, Ferraria crispa 'Starfish Lily' is an amazing, but easy to grow bulb. Ideally planted in a sheltered spot, free of frost, or alternatively, grown in a pot in a greenhouse or conservatory this out of this world plant will produce its foliage in late autumn, developing thick, fleshy leaves in preparation for the flowers that will appear in spring. The blooms, once they have fully developed, have brown frilled edges, brown and purple spots of colour and a striking orange anthers, a real kaleidoscope! If you want to grow something out of the ordinary this year, then this is the plant for you!
A top-quality variety that matures quickly, 'Ferrari' gives reliably high yields of slender, straight and stringless round pods that have superb taste and texture - far superior to any shop-bought bean. This worthy recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit is easy to grow, with good resistance to disease such as Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV), Halo Blight and Anthracnose, so is a great choice for gardeners of any experience. Being a dwarf type bean, it is ideal for growing in containers, as well as in beds and borders, producing compact, bushy plants that don't need staking. The succulent beans have a rich green colour and an excellent flavour and are a great source of fibre and vitamins A and C. If not left too long on the vine, the beans are stringless, so for best flavour and texture, pick them when they reach 15cm (6in) in length. They are best harvested in one picking, as soon as they are ready; if you have more than you can eat, they will keep well and are also good for freezing. For early harvests, sow from April, indoors or outdoors under cloches, or outdoors from May to July directly into their cropping position. The plants are fast-growing, and produce attractive white flowers followed by the pods. The pods will be ready for picking 12 weeks after sowing, with plentiful crops over a short period (about 2 weeks). Regular sowings every couple of weeks or so will extend the cropping season through to autumn. For best results, grow in a sunny, sheltered position. These beans will thrive in fertile, moist but well-draining soil, so dig in some well-rotted manure before sowing in a bed or use good-quality compost in a container. Supplied as a pack of 100 (approx.) seeds ready to sow indoors into individual pots or outdoors into their cropping position. Grows up to 60cm (24in). Successional sowing will produce harvests from June to October.
This strange and fascinating member of the Iris family looks as though it would be at home in an aquarium! Growing from a small corm, flesh sword like leaves appear in early summer followed by the intricately beautiful fragrant flowers borne on 40cm stems. As a half hardy plant Ferraria is best grown in a pot - it like good drainage so mix 30% coarse sand with your compost. Flowers appear in spring and early summer after which the pot can be left to dry as bulbs become dormant. At the end of summer lift and replant - you'll find the bulbs multiply from year to year so you'll soon have a plentiful crop of this rare beauty!