An early outdoor British ridge cucumber. This reliable cultivar produces heavy yields of 8 inch long, plump, dark green-skinned cucumbers. The flesh is crisp and white and perfect when sliced up in summer salads. ... Learn More

Minipop is delicious lightly steamed or stir-fried, and is also lovely raw in dips or salads as pre-dinner dips. It does not need to be sown in blocks and should be harvested when the silk tassels begin to show prior to pollination. ... Learn More

This famous and delicious Scottish 19th century heirloom variety of winter leek has large, very thick stems which have a fantastic sweet yet mild flavour. This variety is winter hardy and is slow to bolt. ... Learn More

With a mild yet tangy flavour and crunchy texture, this superb leaf is perfect for salads, producing deeply serrated leaves in profusion. Very easy and fast to grow, it is ready to eat just a couple of weeks from sowing! It is a very early productive salad for unheated greenhouses and also outdoor use in spring and autumn, making a rosette of lobed leaves with a tangy spinach flavour. ... Learn More

This very resilient, easy to grow kale is resistant to heat and aphids and is high in fibre, iron and vitamins. The dark, deliciously flavoured, emerald-green loose leaves, which appear an eye-catching black at a distance, are perfect in many cooked dishes, or when small in salads. ... Learn More

Vitamin-filled New Zealand spinach is milder tasting than its distant relation 'true spinach' and does not bolt in dry soils, making a triangular-leaved bush spreading 2-3 feet in all directions. (Discovered by Captain Cook in the 18th century!) ... Learn More

A bright green multi-leaf type of lettuce with deeply cut leaves. This variety can be grown on to form full heads, but is ideally suited for baby leaf production where it can be used alone, or mixed with other varieties to create your own baby leaf salad mix. ... Learn More

This compact aubergine is ideal for growing in a large pot on a patio or where space is tight. The two foot tall dwarf plants produce lots of egg-sized, baby aubergines. The fruit have no bitter after taste and store well after picking. ... Learn More

A traditional variety of open pollinated Savoy cabbage, Ormskirk has a medium-sized, compact head surrounded by the typical crinkled leaves and a fine, almost nutty flavour. The plants are quite hardy and can be harvested from Christmas onwards when many other vegetables are scarce. ... Learn More

A dual-purpose variety producing lots of nearly round green striped courgettes, which are a great for kebabs. These fruits can also be left to mature into small marrows, which are perfect stuffed. A neat spine-free bush habit. Perfect for containers. ... Learn More

Grow your own popcorn from start to finish. This very-best strain is as easy to grow as ordinary sweetcorn and will teach the kids where it comes from too. All it needs is a warm sunny patch in your garden and it will keep the kids amused all summer long! Simply harvest the cobs when ripe, strip the dry seeds and toss into a pan of hot oil. Don't forget the lid!! ... Learn More

This unusual deep purple form of the classic tomatillo verde makes a salsa with a difference. The fruits are still tart but with a little more sweetness than the standard green variety. The anthocyanins, which give the fruit its purple colouring, are a good source of antioxidants. The fruit turn purple in patches on the plant but become more uniformly purple if the fruit is exposed to sunlight on a windowsill after harvesting. The husks turn from green to buff as the fruit matures on the plant and make a fascinating garnish. ... Learn More

A 19th century Italian heirloom which is quick maturing and well suited for cooler climes. The medium-sized roots, with a sweet and mild flavour are very flat with a bright purple top and a white base below soil level, and store well. ... Learn More

This reliable radicchio forms a gorgeous, firm, round dark-red and white head, which appears like a jewel when you pull aside the tattered clump of outer leaves. With a unique and tangy taste, it adds flavour, colour, and crisp texture to salads. Palla Rossa Special Chicory Seeds can be planted for summer or autumn harvest. Simply cut the heads at the soil level and they often regrow. Matures in 85 days. (Open-pollinated seeds) ... Learn More

One of the most ornamental varieties, this RHS Award winner has pale green and bronze succulent-stemmed, mild tasting leaves, each stem coming in a different colour of the rainbow, ranging from pink and gold to purple and red. A winner whether used in cooking or as an ornamental border plant. ... Learn More