April

A traditional autumn maturity variety, Cabbage ‘Glory of Enkhuizen’ is an excellent variety that was originally bred in 1899. The medium-large, hard round heads are light green in colour, used in slaws, salads, soups and stir fries, it is a good keeper, ideal for storage, and for kraut.

Not all cabbages have the round shape that we usually find on the market. Cuor di Bue Grosso, literally translated means ‘Large Heart of the Ox’, a cultivar with a beautiful conical shape, large, firm, pointed hearts and sweet compact heart, and looking at its glorious shape ‘Ox Heart’ is the perfect name for it

Cabbage Brunswick is a fine flavoured, popular old variety. Cold hardy and drought tolerant It can be sown early and grown to huge proportions but is more usually sown in March to May for harvesting August to October. Used in soups or stews, made into sauerkraut or coleslaw.

‘Red Bull’ is a specialist sprout variety from Europe, it offers smaller yields of dark red sprouts, but has a milder, delicate, nuttier flavour than standard green types. The red colour is enhanced with the first light frosts. The resulting sprouts are small and tasty, and look gorgeous in the pan and on the plate.

A vast improvement on the older varieties. Calabrese Ironman F1 possesses the usual advantages of a hybrid - vigorous habit with excellent uniformity and high yields of larger than normal heads. Producing excellent quality, uniform dense heads and a very good dome shape. Harvest late June to November.

Flourishing famously in Mediterranean and Chinese cultures, elsewhere Raab is still a bit of a curiosity. Easy and fast growing, it can be useful as it comes ready when ordinary broccoli isn't available, but this isn't just a replacement for broccoli, it is a great vegetable in its own right.

Kailan is a fantastic vegetable chimera - the florets of broccoli, the stems of asparagus, and leaves like tender collard greens. 'Kichi' is a uniform variety with large blue green waxy leaves and excellent stem and bud eating quality. It has a mild flavour and, best of all can be harvested in only eight weeks.

This lovely, old fashioned Broccoli variety is a very disease resistant, very hardy and very prolific producer of large dark green heads. Italian Green Sprouting Broccoli is very easy to grow and will produce a number of good-size side shoots once the initial head is harvested.

Extra-Early Purple Sprouting 'Rudolph' is bred to perform well in the September to February period but is at its best from November to February. With medium to large, deep purple, succulent spears that have outstanding flavour, team with Cardinal for a longer harvest period.

Borage is one of the most reliable sources of blue flowers, often flowering lavishly for weeks after sowing. The beautiful blue star-shaped flowers are edible and very important for bees, providing pollen and nectar in prodigious amounts.

The herb borage is a well known annual with beautiful blue flowers. Not so well known and not often written about is the equally beautiful form 'alba' which boast pure white, perfectly star-shaped flowers. This mixed pack of seeds gives both blue and white forms.

The herb borage is a well known annual. Not so well known is the equally beautiful form 'alba' which boast pure white, perfectly star-shaped flowers. Each flower is centred by five black stamens which heighten the drama. The flowers are edible, garden visitors can be converted to herbal advocates simply by offering a taste of its white flower.

Beetroot 'Boldor' is a superb, improved golden beetroot that offers superior seedling emergence, strong vigour and excellent uniformity. Attractive copper skinned, globe shaped roots with beautiful, sweet, juicy yellow flesh. Ideal for salads or for juicing. Sow March to July for harvesting June to December.