GROWING

Versatile mix of salad leaves which are delicious cooked gently in stir fries or eaten raw in salads. Sow outdoors from April to June, providing protection from aphids and caterpillars with enviromesh, then sow from September to March under glass to provide a long cropping season. Leaves will be ready to harvest within 8-10 weeks from sowing.Sow very thinly, 12mm (½in) deep, in rows 38cm (15in) apart. Alternatively sow singularly in jiffy modules or similar, or space sow 25mm (1in) apart in filled seed trays of moist seed compost.Thin to 10cm (4in) for ‘baby leaf’, to 20cm (8in) for larger plants and to 30cm (12in) for fully mature plants. Transplant module raised plants to 30cm (12in) apart. Keep well watered throughout the growing period to avoid bolting and flavour loss, especially during summer. Harvest outdoor sowings June to October and under glass sowings November to May.

The culmination of 14 years’ British breeding. A round, pink brown shallot with crisp, white flesh tinged with pink. Shallots are higher in dry matter content than onions and the concentration of volatiles (which make you cry) is higher. Shallots are also higher in sugars which, masked in the raw state, are noticeable when cooked to a high temperature as they caramelise and make the shallot taste sweeter.Sow thinly into well raked soil where the plants are to be cropped. Make succesional sowings, 1cm (½in) deep in drills 30cm (12in) apart. Thin seedlings to 5cm (2in) apart when large enough to handle.

A decorative spinach variety bringing flavour and colour to the plate. Unusual red veining and red stems make this a stand out variety on the veg patch. Excellent as a baby leaf for salad use, when picked around 35 days from sowing. The leaf veining becomes more pronounced as the plants mature into large leaves. Good downy mildew resistance, but water regularly in hot spells to prevent bolting. Direct sow spinach outdoors from March to August in well prepared, fertile, moist soil in sun or semi shade. Early spring and autumn sowings can also be made under cloches or in the border soil of a cold greenhouse. Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 1cm (½in) in drills 30cm (12in) apart in soil which has been raked to a fine tilth.When large enough to handle, thin out seedlings to 5cm (2in) apart. The thinnings are ideal for adding to salads. Sow every 3 to 4 weeks for a continual supply of spinach leaves throughout summer and autumn.

"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."Sow seeds March-August for salads, March-April as a bulb onion. Seeds are best sown thickly in broad drills for pulling as salad/ bunching onions. Sow 13mm (½in) deep, in drills 30cm (12in) apart. If sowing for mature bulbs, sow seed more thinly.No need to thin seedlings for salads. If for bulbs, thin to 5cm (2in) for smaller bulbs or 1cm (4in) for larger bulbs.Will grow in any fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Keep well watered.