Cabbage 'Champion' is a Collard type, popular in Victorian times for their non hearting crops of long, wavy leaves. 'Champion' produces superb yields of tender, dark green leaves with distinctly mild flavour and no aftertaste.
Short variety, ideal for beds and borders, no frames needed for support.
A dual purpose Italian variety with a pungent flavour. Spring Onion Lilia is best grown as a salad onion with nice, dark green leaves and a shiny, intense red inner core. Onion Lilia can also be grown as a maincrop, storing bulb onion. When fully mature it shows off its defined red and white inner rings
Spinach ?Monnopa? contains low levels of oxalic acid, giving it an excellent, sweet flavour. With an upright habit, it is easy to grow and harvest, providing you with a generous supply of rounded, pale green leaves. Perfect for harvesting as baby leaves or growing on as mature plants.
Distinctly marked, brightly coloured, semi cactus-like blooms each with contrasting petal tips. An outstanding garden performer, freely flowering throughout the summer in borders, as well as making an attractive cut flower
One of the most eye-catching varieties in our flower trials, with glowing orange, double flowers edged in burgundy. The edible flowers of Calendula 'Neon' add height and interest to annual borders, and make a stunning cut flower. Quick and easy to grow in almost any garden situation, and even grows well in coastal areas. Height: 70cm (28). Spread: 45cm (18).
A fantastic little cornflower rather like a ball of colour. Lower and neater than any we believe you will have seen before. Full of bloom at 15cm (6in) high. Ends up about 30cm (12in) high. Easy to grow and suitable for beds, borders, containers etc. Flowers summer. Height: 20-30cm (8-12in).
The ideal accompaniment to roast lamb - homemade mint sauce is hard to beat! Add to boiled new potatoes and peas, make mint jelly or garnish summer drinks. Growing mint plants is so easy and this aromatic herb plant has a multitude of culinary uses. This vigorous perennial is best planted in a container to control its spread. Height: 30cm (12). Spread: 100cm (39).
A flat-leaved parsley with a more intense flavour than some other varieties. This hardy biennial herb makes an excellent addition to the herb garden. Try growing parsley indoors on a bright kitchen windowsill, where Parsley 'Laura' is becoming increasingly popular for its versatility and diverse range of culinary uses. Height and spread: 45cm (18)
A beautiful hardy annual herb with rough leaves covered in silvery hairs and the most attractive celestial blue flowers. Nectar rich borage flowers are particularly attractive to pollinating insects, including bees which make distinctive flavoured borage honey. This versatile upright herb has a multitude of uses - add the cucumber flavoured leaves to summer drinks and salads, grow it as a companion plant close to other crops to attract pollinating insects, and at the end of the season plants make a useful bulky addition to the compost. Height: 60cm (24). Spread: 45cm (18). Medicinal note: Borage herb is a fine source of calcium and potassium and is recommended for toning up the glandular system, and all bronchial, lung and chest disorders. However you should always check with your doctor before using herbs for medicinal purposes.
A striking coral red-skinned and fleshed variety with 23-25cm (9- 10in) long roots. The rich colour is due to a high level of lycopene, a healthy antioxidant. The colour is more intense and the flavour deepens on cooking, although slicing or grating 'Atomic Red' raw in salads adds unique colour and flavour. Strong foliage aids lifting.
Sow directly outdoors - ready to flower in 12 weeks, the multibranching habit produces several blooms on one plant, ideal for the border and to cut for a vase.
Where Cosmos 'Xanthos' improved, 'Lemonade' excels! Just look at these delicate, citrus yellow blossoms ? simply masses of them are produced throughout the summer on short, branching plants. Fantastic for patio pots or as a robust and oh-so-floriferous border filler! Create a stunning and eyecatching display where these delightful new cosmos can be fully appreciated.
The soft blue-green leaves of sage are ideal for adding their rich flavour to meats and stuffing. This hardy sub-shrub is an essential herb for adding to the Sunday roast but also makes an attractive plant in the perennial border. The flavour of the leaves will be best when growing sage in warm, dry conditions. Height: 60cm (24). Spread: 90cm (36)
These raffia ties are a natural and environmentally alternative to plastic garden ties. Made from strips of the raffia palm tree leaves, they are robust and will keep your plants in place.
The best and truest red Californian poppy, 'Red Chief' performs well in all weathers and is easy to sow and grow in borders, where it'll flower all summer.
One of the most useful kitchen herbs for stews, stuffings and bouquet garni. This aromatic, evergreen thyme will grow almost anywhere in containers, rock gardens, borders, and even cracks in paving. Ideal for creating low, matt forming groundcover that will attract bees to the tiny, pink blooms. Thyme is particularly useful in coastal areas where it copes well with winds and dry conditions. Height: 30cm (12). Spread: 35cm (14).
Sow directly into hanging baskets, window boxes and pots. This stunning nasturtium has been specially bred for containers, rewarding you with a glorious tumbling habit. They're so easy to grow, and will romp away all summer long with spotted blooms and marbled foliage. Mix it with your other favourite basket plants or plant it as a strong single specimen display.
A dark bronze cherry variety producing long uniform trusses of super-sweet fruits (up to 15g each) with just the right balance of acidity.