Direct Sow In Spring

Salsola komarovii, popularly known as Okahijiki is considered to be one of Japan’s oldest vegetables. A gourmet specialty, it is found in the wild growing in salt laden coastal marshes. A first tentative taste of a sprig reveals a surprising texture, the tubular leaves and branched stems are juicy with a crisp texture and salty flavour.

Satureia montana ssp. citriodora is a lemon-scented variety of Winter Savory from the Apennine mountains. The small perennial shrubs are semi-evergreen, they retain their aromatic, lemon scented leaves in all but the coldest gardens and remain useful all year round.

Summer savory 'Midget' is a compact variety, this fast-growing annual provides an abundant supply of leaves, growing quickly to a height of about 25cm. With slender bronze green leaves and rose-white tubular flowers which bloom from July to September.

Winter savory, the perennial savory has the same properties as its summer relative Summer savory, although it has a heavier aroma and a sharper pine type flavour. The small perennial shrubs are semi-evergreen, retaining their leaves in all but the coldest gardens and remain useful all year round.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of traveling to countries such as Japan or China will appreciate the bewildering but totally delicious array of vegetables on offer there. No wonder the Japanese have no problem reaching their official recommended intake of not merely five, but 17 portions of fruit and veg per day!

Sorrel De Belleville is a small French cultivar. It is hardy and well-proven to be productive under almost any conditions with an excellent lemon flavour. One of the earliest green crops and embarrassingly easy to grow, it needs no attention other than when you want to eat it.

Buckler Leaf Sorrel, sometimes called 'True French Sorrel' is a superb salad crop. It has all the best qualities of common sorrel but is a much smaller, more compact plant. It has the same vibrant, lemony taste, but is less sour and it has a softer texture. Its distinct leaves are shaped like a shield.

Mexican Tree Spinach is the latest ‘new’ arrival on the veg-growing scene. With a hundred different names including 'Micro Glitter Spinach' - this is a beautiful plant to have in the garden or allotment. Vivid pink tinged triangular bright green leaves with each new set of leaves blushed a shocking magenta.

'F1 Autumn Crown’ is a new butternut crossed with a Winter squash, Crown Prince F1, which produces the shape of one parent and the buff colour of the other. More importantly, it has inherited early ripening from Crown Prince, setting fruits at least a month before the previously available fastest butternuts.

'Blue Kuri' is a traditional open pollinated Japanese squash that has lovely blue-green skin. This beautiful sweet, versatile squash matures in 95 to 110 days to a convenient 15 to 20cm in diameter. Rich, sweet and nutty, the contrast between blue rind and orange flesh looks great on the plate.

'Burgess Buttercup' sets the standard for buttercup squash. It is considered the sweetest of squash and is smaller and faster to mature than many other winter squashes. The dark green fruits feature a distinctive grey button on the blossom end. Use for roasting with the joint, soups and pumpkin pie.

Squash 'Carnival' is uniquely flecked with shades of green, gold and yellow; each one is different. The plants grow in a semi-bush fashion, ideal for smaller growing spaces and ready in 85 days, they can be harvested as summer squash or left for autumn. The perfect size for cooking whole, they are also pretty enough to decorate the home.

Adaptable to many growing and soil conditions, Squash ‘Delica F1’ performs best in moderate temperatures. It consistently produces high quality, dark green striped fruit with a bright orange, creamy interior. The flesh is of excellent quality, sweet with a delicate taste of chestnut.

Winter Squash 'F1 Honey Bear' is a high sugar Acorn type squash. Mini-acorn fruits are just the right size halved for single servings. The compact plants have a semi-bush habit, are early to mature and high yielding. The sweet golden-orange flesh has a flavour that hints of hazelnuts and pepper.