A native of British meadows and fields, this gardeners' favourite is loved by butterflies & bees. Relive childhood memories of golden fields of corn, peppered with the bright blue cornflowers and the gentle hum of busy pollinators on a bright summer's day. Quick and easy to grow, this colourful British favourite is ideal for naturalising and will attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Also known as Batchelors Buttons, this showy annual is a slender, dainty plant with sky-blue flowers. Perfect for punctuating wild gardens or meadows with colour. Ideal too to get kids interested in gardening or for time-strapped gardeners who want results without the effort! A hardy annual, cornflowers will grow and flower in the same year (or the following year if sown late in the year). Excellent as a cut flower, you can add a bunch to a vase or use them in mixed bouquets. Never before has it been so important to protect pollinators such as bees, and this wildflower is ideal to encourage them into your garden. Bees are invaluable for pollinating a whole range of plants and especially useful for kitchen gardens to enable the formation of many fruits and vegetables. Take a look at our bee book for more details on these fascinating insects. Growing to 60cm (24in) Sow outdoors, March-May or August-October, directly where they are to flower. Flowers July - September. Supplied as a pack of 70 seeds. Native grown seed not taken from the wild.
Velvet trumpets of pinky purple make this woodland native a must-have for wildlife gardens. Becoming rarer in the wild, foxgloves make very striking garden plants. Their beautifully dappled blooms attract pollinating insects and are a favourite of our native bumble bees. Quick and easy to grow, digitalis is ideal for naturalising and will attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Known commonly as foxgloves, this architectural plant will punctuate borders with spires of bloom. Perfect for filling wild gardens or meadows with colour, they'll self-seed with abandon! A hardy biennial, plants will grow a rosette of bright green, furry leaves in the first year, and produce a magnificent spike of spotted trumpets in their second year. Never before has it been so important to protect pollinators such as bees, and this wildflower is ideal to encourage them into your garden. Bees are invaluable for pollinating a whole range of plants and especially useful for kitchen gardens to enable the formation of many fruits and vegetables. Take a look at our bee book for more details on these fascinating insects. Growing to 60cm (24in) Sow outdoors, April-July, directly where they are to flower. Flowers May - July Supplied as a pack of 900 seeds. Native grown seed not taken from the wild CAUTION: Toxic if eaten.
Alliums are a showstopping spring bulb that are guaranteed to catch the attention of everyone who sees them. Giant magenta-pink spheres of flowers stand majestically on long stems above their broad, green leaves each spring. These wonderful alliums will look simply stunning in wherever you plant them in your garden. Perfect for positioning at the back of your borders, these will look incredible when group with low growing spring bulbs to really create a beautiful display. Blooming from mid-May, these truly head-turning plants will last for years to come. Related to onions (but do not eat them!), they are very tough, and hardy and they are great for beginners. You could also cut and dry them for fantastic indoor displays. Supplied as a 2 pack of bulbs, size 18/20 ready to plant in autumn. Growing to a height of 1.2m.
Also known as 'Fox's grape fritillary', Fritillaria uva-vulpis is a bulbous perennial with lance-shaped leaves and sprays of up to 7 hanging, bell-shaped flowers. The blooms are dark purple-brown with yellow inside and often bright-yellow tipping. Each delicate flower is highlighted with fine veining and contrasts delightfully with its glaucous, grassy leaves. One of the more robust fritillaries, they have been found growing wild - testament to their tolerance of the UK climate and proof that they will naturalise when happy. Perfect for borders, patio pots and container displays, they can be grown in any semi-shaded part of your garden, decking or balcony. Supplied as a pack of 20 bulbs, size 5/6 ready to plant out in autumn.
These unusual alliums flower in summer, unlike most other varieties, so they're definitely something different. Instead of flowering in the familiar globes, they form dense drumstick shaped flowerheads made up dozens of green buds that gradually turn to magenta before opening from the top downwards. Flowering in July and August and with low growing foliage, the drumstick allium's long, straight flower stems look stunning amongst other summer flowers, and they work well in groups or dotted through borders and is a great eye-catching specimen grow in pots. Recommended by the RHS as a 'Plant for Pollinators', the flowers are a favourite with bees and butterflies and they're ideal for cutting too. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Preferring a sunny location, alliums are not too fussy about soil type and will grow well, naturalising and multiplying over the years. Clumps can be dug up and split every few years to stop them becoming congested. Supplied as 50 bulbs, size 4/5, ready to plant in autumn, growing to a height of 90 cm (3 ft) and width of 10 cm (4 in).
With its semi-globe shaped flowerheads packed full of dozends of tiny cream flowers, each with a green centre, allium nigrum is a gorgeous variety, and a refreshing change to the more common purple alliums. This is a compact allium, only reaching 40 cm (16 in) tall, making it ideal for growing in pots or towards the front of borders. Its strappy leaves for in clump just above ground level, leaving the flower stems to stand alone, enhancing the beauty of the flowers. Recommended by the RHS as a 'Plant for Pollinators' the flowers are produced throughout May and June and are a favourite with butterflies and bees. The flowerheads gradually turn to seed, but maintain their shape, looking amazing if left on the plant over the winter, and Alliums look great as cut flowers, whether still in bloom or as dried seed heads - you can even spray them white or purple to bring back the flower colour. Preferring a sunny location, alliums are not too fussy about soil type and will grow well, naturalising and multiplying over the years. Clumps can be dug up and split every few years to stop them becoming congested. Supplied as 10 bulbs, size 10/12, ready to plant in autumn, growing to a height of 40 cm (16 in) and width of 10 cm (4 in).
Muscari armeniacums immensely pretty, purple-blue, bell-shaped flowers looking almost like upside-down bunches of grapes. Resembling a miniature hyacinth, the blooms look stunning against its long, narrow, deep-green leaves when in bloom from April and May. Plant them with bright yellow daffodils for a wonderful contrast. Free-flowering, vigorous and very easy to grow, Grape Hyacinths will rapidly naturalise and spread by seed, creating a sea of colour in the spring. They are the perfect bulb for inexperienced gardeners, or those short of time who can be guaranteed a fabulous show, whatever their level of experience. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Best in groups in borders or pots, plant them with brightly coloured spring bulbs for a wonderful contrast. Supplied as a pack of 50 bulbs, size 7/8 ready to plant in autumn. Growing to a height of 50cm and width of 10cm.
Alliums are a showstopping spring bulb that are guaranteed to catch the attention of everyone who sees them. Giant lilac spheres of flowers stand majestically on long stems above their broad, green leaves each spring. These wonderful alliums will look simply stunning in wherever you plant them in your garden. Perfect for positioning at the back of your borders, these will look incredible when group with low growing spring bulbs to really create a beautiful display. Blooming in June and July, these truly head-turning plants will last for years to come. Related to onions (but do not eat them!), they are very tough, and hardy and they are great for beginners. You could also cut and dry them for fantastic indoor displays. Supplied as a 10 pack of bulbs, size 10/12 ready to plant in autumn.
Allium 'Mount Everest' is a fabulously statuesque variety with huge flowerheads that look like exploding white fireworks. Made up of around fifty individual star shaped flowers, they form stunning globes up to 15 cm (6 in) in diameter. Easily growing to 1.2 m (4 ft) tall, the robust, straight flower stems rise up high about the broad, strap-like green foliage, and look stunning as the sway amongst other plants. Recommended by the RHS as a 'Plant for Pollinators' the flowers are produced throughout May and June and are a favourite with butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects. As the flowerheads gradually turn to seed, they maintain their shape and will look amazing left on the plant over the winter, especially on frosty days. They're also magificent as cut flowers with there huge size creating bold, extravagant arrangements, whether still in bloom or as dried seed heads - which can last for years. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Preferring a sunny location, alliums are not too fussy about soil type and will grow well, naturalising and multiplying over the years. Clumps can be dug up and split every few years to stop them becoming congested. Supplied as 2 bulbs, size 18/20, ready to plant in autumn, growing to a height of 1.2 m (4 ft) and width of 30 cm (1 ft).
White Splendours classic daisy-like flowers appear as if from nowhere in early spring, creating a carpet of elegant blooms that will come back for years to come! Their long, pretty petals burst from its central yellow stamens, creating a beautiful contrast against its green foliage. Very easy to grow, once planted you can leave them in the ground and they will naturalise, so if you want to create the perfect spring paradise, then this collection is the easy way to an eye-catching floral display. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Supplied as a pack of 10 bulbs, size 5/7 ready for planting in autumn. Growing to a height and width of 15cm.
Anemone blanda Blue Shades classic daisy-like flowers appear as if from nowhere in early spring, creating a carpet of colour that will come back for years to come! Their long, pretty purple-blue petals burst from its central yellow stamens, creating a beautiful contrast when planted with white varieties. Very easy to grow, once planted you can leave them in the ground and they will naturalise, so if you want to create the perfect spring paradise, then this collection is the easy way to an eye-catching floral display. Supplied as a pack of 50 bulbs, size 4/5 ready for planting in autumn. Growing to a height and width of 15cm.
Dutch Irises make a wonderful addition to the spring garden with their highly unusual flowers. Plant them in pots or borders in a sunny spot and you will reap the rewards year after year! Ideal for indoor cut-flower displays, their unusual and striking blooms come in contrasting shades of purple, white, orange, and yellow. Be sure to plant plenty so you have enough for your own vase and for giving some to friends and family! With their straplike, grey-green leaves and sturdy stems, Dutch irises are attractive when planted in groups in beds and borders. They will also make a superb addition to pots. Very hardy and easy to grow, they are the perfect plant for those with little gardening experience or anyone who wants great results with little effort. Supplied as a pack of 50 bulbs in mixed colours, size 6/7 ready for planting out in autumn. Growing to a height of 60cm and width of 10cm.
Get your garden spring ready with this vibrant collection of stunning woodland flowering anemone corms. Anemone coronaria De Caen explodes with early season colour, creating a carpet of reds, pinks, blues and whites that will return to your garden in spring for years to come. They love sunshine, and their poppy-like, velvety flowers also make fantastic indoor cut flower displays. Very easy to grow, once planted you can leave them in the ground and they will naturalise, so if you want to create the perfect spring paradise, then this collection is the easy way to an eye-catching floral display. Anemone De Caen makes a voluptuous display in a group but are equally impressive when grown singly, where you can truly appreciate the sumptuous flowers. Their delicate, cupped blooms each have a darker central eye and appear from March to April above a mound of deeply divided, fresh green fern-like leaves. Ideal for a sheltered, sunny site, this is a charming collection of colours to make your spring garden truly spectacular. Supplied as a collection of 50 bulbs, ready for immediate planting into pots or in the garden.
This heavy cropping, super-sweet, large cherry tomato is a top choice for both the beginner and experienced vegetable grower. An indeterminate variety (needs support), it can be reliably grown in a greenhouse or outdoors, producing and abundance of long trailing vines with 10-14 fruits per truss all summer long - quite literally, a gardener's delight! Cropping from early summer right into October, 'Gardener's Delight' will reward with super-sweet, richly flavoured fruits with red, glossy skins - perfect for salads and sandwiches as well as for cooking. Try roasting whole trusses with fruit still attached for an attractive addition to pizzas and other savoury dishes - the deliciously sweet flavour will intensify as they cook. Easy to grow, all you need is a warm windowsill for the seeds to germinate and seedlings usually appear within 7-14 days. When large enough to grow on, they can be transplanted into moist but well-drained, fertile soil or compost in large pots, growbags or border in the greenhouse, or positioned outside in a sunny, sheltered position once the frosts are over. All they need is a sturdy support and some pinching out of sets to encourage a tall, upright central stem. Sow indoors into a pot of compost, January to April to plant out April to June, 45cm (18in) apart into warm, well-drained, fertile soil or compost in a sunny, sheltered position outdoors or in a greenhouse. Harvest from June to October, depending on position. Supplied as a packet of approx. 75 seeds ready to sow indoors.
A long-standing favourite for beginner and experienced gardeners alike, this British-bred, early cropping variety is proven to have the best resistance to the dreaded carrot fly, whose larvae like to burrow into carrot roots and make them vulnerable to rot. In addition to its excellent pest-resistant properties, 'Flyaway F1' is deserving of its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit because it is just such a good all-rounder, being easy to grow and producing plenty of tasty roots to harvest over a long growing season. One of the best-tasting carrot varieties you can grow, it produces sturdy, blunt-ended roots, typically 12-15cm (5-6in) or longer, with a smooth skin and deep orange colour. Its deliciously sweet flavour is balanced with a tender but crunchy texture - great for eating raw or in stir-fries, or conventionally boiled, steamed or roasted to make the most of its superior flavour. This reliable, trusted variety is a great companion plant to grow alongside onions, leeks or mint as their aroma will repel carrot fly, providing an extra line of deterrence to ensure good cropping. Supplied as a packet of approx. 350 seeds. Sow from March to July, directly where they are to crop in well-drained, light but fertile soil in a position that will enjoy full sun. Harvest from June to November. Early crops can be lifted from 9 weeks after sowing with main crops maturing up to 12 weeks and beyond. Successive sowings will provide continuous crops over the growing season.
This superb 'spring' onion - a winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit - is a tried-and-tested heritage variety that has been a firm favourite with beginner and experienced gardeners alike for more than 300 years. With tall, pure white-skinned stems progressing to bright green tops, its mild flavour nevertheless has a distinctive, crisp and piquant 'bite' when harvested young. Left to mature for a while longer, it will develop a stronger, more pungent flavour - equally delicious whether eaten raw in salads, slaws or potato salads, or added to stir-fries or other savoury dishes during the final stages of cooking. The definitive traditional 'spring' onion, it is fast-growing, compact and sturdy - ideal for patio containers or gardens with limited space. It is an ideal choice for growing in between other crops such as slow-growing brassicas to make maximum use of space, as well as a great plant for encouraging children to garden as they will quickly see the results of their efforts. Being a hardy annual, you can be sure of achieving successful early crops. Sow in succession every 2-3 weeks to ensure a continuous harvest from May to October. These onions will thrive in full sun; plant them 15cm (6in) apart in well-dug, fertile soil after the danger of frosts has passed. Supplied as a packet of approx. 650 seeds ready to sow outdoors directly in their cropping position.
This superb all-rounder will produce plentiful crops of medium-sized, bright red, juicy fruits whether placed outdoors or in a greenhouse. Easy to grow and having good resistance to disease, it is a great choice for beginners or experienced gardeners who want a harvest to be proud of. An indeterminate, or cordon type tomato, it will fruit most prolifically when side shoots are pinched out to encourage an upright central stem that requires a support. Each plant will then produce a succession of fruit-laden trusses that ripen from July onwards to give a continuous crop. If left unpruned they will still fruit well, although these will be smaller than those of pruned plants and will ripen later in the season. Being a winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, 'Alicante' is a dependable variety that rewards with super quality fruits full of that traditional rich tomato flavour. Their natural sweetness makes them a delicious component in salads and sandwiches and also ideal as a cooking ingredient. Green or immature fruits picked at the end of the season will ripen well on the windowsill - or even make a tasty green tomato chutney. Supplied as a packet of approx. 75 seeds ready to sow indoors from January to April for transplanting into larger pots when 10-15cm (4-6in) tall. Plant on into pots, growbags or a greenhouse border, or place in a container outdoors in sunny position in humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil or compost. Harvest from July to October.
A popular and reliable variety of beetroot, 'Boltardy' is an award-winning, proven gardener's favourite that produces plentiful crops of deep red, globe-shaped roots with a superbly sweet flavour. With fabulously sweet and tender roots, this delicious variety is perfect for cooking - whether roasting or pickling, or for soups and salads. Not only tasty, it is good for you, too, being an excellent source of folate, with good levels of potassium and vitamin C. The green leaves and stems also make good, nutritious eating when harvested young, at about 5-8cm tall. Rich in iron and vitamins, they have a similar flavour to leafy veg such as spinach, kale or Swish chard - delicious when steamed, sautéed or added to soups or stews, or even raw in a salad. Holding the RHS Award of Garden Merit, 'Boltardy' is guaranteed to give high-yielding, high-quality crops that are bolt-resistant, so can be sown for early to late harvesting. The roots' smooth skin, vibrant colour and ring-free flesh also make it a top choice for showing - and popular for organic gardening. Sow outdoors from March to July where they are to crop. They will thrive in a sunny position in fertile, light soil that is moist but well-drained. For maximum yields, sow every 2 to 3 weeks from February to June to ensure a constant supply through the season. Lift young roots to use as 'baby beets', leaving every other in a row to mature to a larger size, if desired. The larger beets can then be stored in dry sand, soil or peat in a cool position to ensure supplies through the winter. Supplied as a packet of approx. 180 seeds ready to sow outdoors March to July, 30cm (12in) apart, directly in their growing position, for harvesting June to October.
Otherwise known as cilantro, or Chinese parsley, this half-hardy annual is great to grow either seasonally outdoors in a container, border or herb garden, or indoors on a light windowsill to ensure a continuous supply of aromatic leaves throughout the year. Popular in Asian cooking, this versatile and piquant herb will add distinctive flavour to a wide variety of savoury dishes as well as being an interesting garnish or addition to salads. British-bred and vigorous, this coriander is slow bolting, with a low growing point, creating uniform, bushy plants that are perfectly suited to 'cut and come again' cropping and will replenish themselves well at least 3-4 times after cutting. So the real magic of this little packet of seeds is that it will allow you to say goodbye to those frustrating supermarket pot herbs that barely last 2-3 weeks and are reluctant to grow back when cut. Removing flower stems will prolong the production of young, tender leaves - or you can leave the flowers on if you want to harvest and dry the seeds for culinary use. Supplied as a packet of approx. 150 seeds ready to sow indoors or outdoors. Grows up to 40cm (16in) height and 25cm (10in) spread, depending on planting position. Harvest outdoors from mid-spring to the end of August, or indoors all year round.
What better way to add flavour to your cooking than picking herbs fresh from the plant? Growing your own - whether on your kitchen windowsill, balcony, patio or in your herb garden, beds or borders - is much more satisfying than buying successive pots of herbs from the supermarket that last only a couple of weeks. This hardy perennial is a member of the mint family, with its origins in the warm countries of Western and Southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean. Ancient Greeks called it 'Joy of the Mountain' and it was commonly woven into bridal bouquets and used in traditional remedies for its digestive and antiseptic properties. Its bright green, aromatic leaves and small white or purplish summer flowers make a lovely addition to any windowsill or garden. Considered the 'true oregano' by generations of cooks and gardeners, Greek oregano is the best of the bunch as far as flavour is concerned as it is has a stronger, more earthy character than other varieties, with hot and peppery notes. The warmer the weather, the more intense the flavour of the leaves will become - a great addition to tomato based dishes, pizzas, sauces, soups or marinades, or even added to salads. It's a good herb for drying and it stores well; dried leaves have a more intense flavour so can be used more sparingly than the fresh. Although more commonly grown in pots, if planted in the ground it provides great ground cover, forming slow-spreading clumps that can be trimmed back easily to maintain size and shape. Whether grown in the ground or in a pot, it makes a great companion plant as its strong aroma will repel ants and other insect pests whilst its summer flowers are particularly attractive to bees and other pollinators. Supplied as a packet of approx. 900 seeds ready to sow indoors year-round or outdoors from April to May. Grows to 40cm (16in) high. Plant in warm, light, well-drained soil or compost, 20cm (8in) apart, in a sunny position directly into a border or herb garden, or in pots or containers.