This hardy biennial is one of the most popular herbs for culinary use as a garnish, flavouring sauces and pastry, and associating particularly well with fish. With a stronger flavour than curled varieties, this 'Flat-leaved' or 'Italian' Parsley makes a useful, low maintenance addition to herb gardens, or grow parsley indoors on a bright kitchen windowsill. Height and spread: 45cm (18)
Herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow - you don't even need a garden! Just a few in pots on the patio or windowsill, or sown directly into your garden beds, will allow you to add that little extra to a dish. Growing your own parsley from seed, whether indoors or outdoors, will reward you with vigorous plants that can be cut just when you need a fresh bunch for your cooking - a much better solution than those frustrating supermarket pot herbs that barely last 2-3 weeks. 'Giant of Italy' is considered one of the very best flat-leaf parsley varieties, producing robust plants with sturdy upright stems bearing large, dark green leaves. Having a terrific sweet and pungent taste when used raw, it also retains its rich, strong flavour in cooked dishes - much better than its curly leafed cousin. The preferred choice of many professional cooks, this versatile, aromatic herb can be used in an endless variety of savoury dishes such as soups, stews and pasta, as well as added raw to salads and sandwiches; it also makes a tasty garnish that will rarely be left on the plate. Highly nutritious, parsley is packed full of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, being an excellent source of iron and vitamin C, as well as many other nutrients. Used as a medicinal herb for centuries, it is said to aid digestion, clear the skin and even to freshen the breath if chewed after eating strongly flavoured foods. This tall-growing variety will continue to produce fresh new leaves many times after being cut. The best flavour is in the young leaves and regular harvesting will promote the new growth. Grown outside, it will also attract beneficial insects to your garden. Being a hardy biennial, it will set seed in its second year, although it is best grown as an annual, although if grown in a sheltered, well-drained position, plants can be protected over winter with mulch or cloches to produce new growth in the spring. Supplied as a packet of 500 (approx.) seeds ready to plant indoors or outdoors in their growing position. Sow indoors all year round or outdoors from March to July, directly where they are to crop in containers or in the ground. Harvest all year round indoors or outdoors from May.
This deliciously sweet and crisp parsnip is fast to mature, in a smooth white skin. Roots have a good resistance to canker and will store well for use over the winter. Height: 45cm (18). Spread: 30cm (12).
Exceptionally long roots with smooth skins and a tasty flavour make this variety one of the best for your winter vegetable harvests. Roots have good resistance to canker. Height: 45cm (18). Spread: 30cm (12).
Easy-to-grow in virtually all soils, this flavoursome variety boasts a medium-length smooth root, long cropping period and good canker resistance. Ideal for baking and roasting. Height: 45cm (18). Spread: 30cm (12).
This is an outstanding, all-around performer which has smooth quality skin and a sweet flavour. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, E and folate and keeps in good condition in the ground. High yielding, it also offers a good resistance to canker. Parsnips are ready to be harvested once the tops die down, although it is tradition to wait till after the first frosts as it is said to improve the flavour.
A long-established favourite of the vegetable garden, 'Gladiator F1' is a top-quality variety that produces long, wedge-shaped roots with smooth skin and clean white flesh, so they are easy to wash and require minimum peeling. This winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit is winter hardy, canker resistant and a reliably heavy cropper that matures early, so can be lifted from October. They keep well in the ground to harvest over the growing season as required for the kitchen. Indeed, their fabulously sweet flavour is even better after the first frosts, which turn some of the starch into sugar. As well as being delicious, they are nutritious too, being a good source of vitamin C, folate, potassium and fibre, as well as low in calories. Easy to grow, parsnips prefer a light sandy, fertile soil that has been well worked and deeply dug so is free of stones, as this will ensure full sized, well-shaped roots of exhibition quality. Try growing faster cropping vegetables such as radish and lettuce in between parsnip rows to maximise the productivity of your plot. Supplied as a packet of 200 (approx.) seeds ready to sow outdoors from February to May, 40cm (16in) apart, directly into their cropping position. Harvest from October to February.
An early-maturing variety producing an abundant crop of tender green pods, each holding 7 to 8 delicious peas which freeze well if not used fresh. The dwarf plants (about 60cm/24in) are ideal for containers as well as the kitchen garden.
Dark green, semi leafless plant habit producing pods in pairs, averaging 8 dark green peas per pod. A heavy cropper even in poor growing conditions. Strong root rot tolerance and good powdery mildew resistance. Early maincrop maturity. Ideal for growing in containers. Height 80cm (32in)
Juicy, sweet and stringless, these 10cm (4in) crisp, flat pods are a marvellous way to eat peas. They?re ideal added to stir-fries or for steaming lightly. This variety has good resistance to powdery mildew and gives a good harvest throughout summer. Height: 90cm (35). Spread: 25cm (10).
High quality variety of double-podded crops that provide an excellent pea. Long, straight pods contain around 10 peas that are plump and delicious to taste, especially steamed or boiled with a little mint. Ideal for successional sowings to provide harvests all summer. Height: 75cm (30). Spread: 25cm (10).