Climbing or Trailing Vegetables

Tomato ‘Maskotka’ – Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum)

Tomato ‘Maskotka’ is a Polish-bred bush variety producing abundant clusters of small, juicy, sweet cherry tomatoes. Compact and naturally trailing, it is perfect for pots, hanging baskets, and containers, making it a favorite for balcony and patio growing. With its reliable crops and rich flavor, ‘Maskotka’ is an excellent choice for fresh snacking, salads, or garnishes.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: February – April, 0.5 cm deep in seed trays or pots.

• Transplant: When seedlings are large enough, move to individual pots. Harden off and plant outdoors after the last frost.

• Position: Full sun, sheltered spot.

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained compost.

• Habit: Compact bush (no need to pinch side shoots).

Key Features

• Heavy crops of sweet cherry tomatoes

• Compact, trailing bush – ideal for containers & baskets

• Early and reliable cropping variety

• Low-maintenance: no staking or pinching required

Ideal For

• Pots, hanging baskets, and balcony gardens

• Fresh eating straight from the plant

• Salads, garnishes, and healthy snacking

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: February – April

• Harvest: July – September

Quick Tip

‘Maskotka’ thrives in containers with regular feeding and watering. Perfect for those who want high yields with minimal effort.

Tomato Trailing 'Bajaja' – Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum)

Tomato Trailing 'Bajaja' is a vigorous, trailing tomato variety producing clusters of small, sweet, and juicy fruits. Ideal for hanging baskets, containers, and small garden spaces, its cascading growth habit combines ornamental appeal with abundant harvests. Perfect for fresh eating, salads, and snacking straight from the garden.

How to Grow

• Sow seeds indoors from February to April, 0.5 cm deep.

• Maintain 18–22°C until germination.

• Transplant seedlings outdoors or into large containers after the last frost.

• Space plants 40–50 cm apart.

• Provide support or allow trailing habit for hanging baskets and elevated planters.

• Water regularly and ensure full sun for best fruiting.

Key Features

• Trailing growth habit suitable for containers and hanging baskets

• Small, sweet, and juicy fruits

• High-yielding and compact

• Ideal for fresh salads and snacking

• Decorative and productive in small garden spaces

Ideal For

• Hanging baskets, patios, and container gardens

• Fresh snacking and salads

• Gardeners with limited space seeking ornamental and edible plants

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: February to April

• Plant out: May to June

• Harvest: July to September

Quick Tip

• Regularly pinch off shoots near the base to encourage more lateral fruiting and maintain a tidy trailing habit.

Pumpkin 'Rouge d'Etampes' – Seeds (Cucurbita pepo)

The Pumpkin 'Rouge d'Etampes', also known as the Cinderella Pumpkin, is a stunning French heirloom variety prized for its large, flattened, deeply ribbed fruits with a vivid red-orange skin. Traditionally grown in the Paris region, it is famous for both its striking ornamental appeal and its delicious, sweet, fine-grained flesh.

Perfect for roasting, soups, pies, and preserves, it’s also a favourite for autumn displays thanks to its dramatic shape and colour.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: April – May, in pots

• Sow outdoors: Late May – June, after last frost

• Planting distance: 100 cm apart

• Soil: Rich, fertile, well-drained soil with added compost or manure

• Position: Full sun

• Care: Keep well-watered, mulch to retain soil moisture, and provide space for trailing vines

Key Features

• Traditional French heirloom pumpkin

• Beautiful flattened, ribbed, red-orange fruits

• Excellent sweet flavour for roasting, soups, and pies

• Dual purpose – culinary and ornamental

• Large fruits with good yields

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: April – June

• Harvest: September – October

Vegetable Sponge – Seeds (Luffa cylindrica)

Grow your own natural sponges with Luffa cylindrica, also known as the vegetable sponge or loofah. This fascinating gourd plant produces long green fruits that, when matured and dried, reveal a fibrous interior perfect for eco-friendly sponges, bath accessories, and natural scrubbers. Young fruits can also be cooked and eaten like courgettes. A rewarding and unique plant for gardeners who love trying something different.

How to Grow

. Sow indoors in April, 1–2 cm deep in pots of moist compost, keeping them warm (20–25°C)
. Transplant outdoors or into a greenhouse after the last frost, spacing 60–90 cm apart
. Requires full sun, warmth, and rich, well-drained soil
. Support with trellis or canes for climbing vines
. Harvest young fruits for eating, or allow to mature fully for sponges

Key Features

. Produces natural loofah sponges when dried
. Young fruits edible, similar to courgettes
. Vigorous climbing plant with long vines
. Thrives in warm, sunny conditions
. Unique and sustainable garden crop

Ideal For

. Eco-friendly bath and kitchen sponges
. Gardeners who enjoy unusual crops
. Warm gardens, greenhouses, or polytunnels
. DIY natural skincare and household uses

Sowing & Harvest

. Sow: April – May
. Harvest: August – October (young fruits) or later for mature loofahs

Quick Tip

For sponges, leave fruits on the plant until skins turn yellow and dry, then peel to reveal the fibrous loofah inside.

Pea ‘Onward’ Seeds (Pisum sativum)

Enjoy a reliable and early harvest with Pea ‘Onward’ (Pisum sativum). This hardy climbing variety produces long, tender pods filled with sweet, flavorful peas, perfect for fresh eating, steaming, or freezing. Easy to grow and highly productive, it’s ideal for vegetable gardens, allotments, and homegrown culinary use.

How to Grow

• Sow seeds directly outdoors from early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.

• Use well-drained, fertile soil in full sun to partial shade.

• Sow seeds 3–5 cm deep and 5–7 cm apart in rows 50–60 cm apart.

• Provide stakes, netting, or a trellis for climbing growth.

• Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.

• Harvest pods when fully formed but still tender for best flavor.

Key Features

• Early-maturing climbing variety with long, tender pods

• Hardy and highly productive

• Ideal for fresh eating, steaming, or freezing

• Easy to grow in temperate climates

• Perfect for vegetable gardens and allotments

Ideal For

• Vegetable gardens and allotments

• Fresh harvest for cooking and freezing

• Climbing support with trellises or stakes

• Companion planting with nitrogen-fixing crops

Sowing

• Best time: Early spring outdoors

• Depth: 3–5 cm

• Spacing: 5–7 cm apart, rows 50–60 cm apart

• Prefers full sun to partial shade and fertile, well-drained soil

Quick Tip

• Sow successive batches every 2–3 weeks to enjoy a continuous early-season harvest.

Pea ‘Alderman’ Seeds (Pisum sativum)

Enjoy sweet, tender peas with Pea ‘Alderman’ (Pisum sativum). This classic climbing variety produces long, plump pods filled with flavorful peas, perfect for fresh eating, steaming, or freezing. Hardy and highly productive, it’s ideal for vegetable gardens, allotments, and homegrown culinary delights.

How to Grow

• Sow seeds directly outdoors from early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.

• Use well-drained, fertile soil in full sun to partial shade.

• Sow seeds 3–5 cm deep and 5–7 cm apart in rows 50–60 cm apart.

• Provide support with stakes, netting, or a trellis for climbing growth.

• Water consistently, keeping soil moist but not waterlogged.

• Harvest pods when peas are fully formed but still tender.

Key Features

• Long, plump, sweet-flavored pods

• Hardy, climbing, and highly productive

• Ideal for fresh eating, steaming, or freezing

• Easy to grow in temperate climates

• Perfect for vegetable gardens, allotments, and homegrown use

Ideal For

• Vegetable gardens and allotments

• Fresh harvest for cooking and freezing

• Vertical planting with trellises or stakes

• Companion planting with nitrogen-demanding crops

Sowing

• Best time: Early spring outdoors

• Depth: 3–5 cm

• Spacing: 5–7 cm apart, rows 50–60 cm apart

• Prefers full sun to partial shade and fertile, well-drained soil

Quick Tip

• Sow successive batches every 2–3 weeks to enjoy a continuous harvest throughout the season.

Passion Flower Seeds (Passiflora caerulea)

Exotic and captivating, Passion Flower produces intricate star-shaped blooms with white petals and striking blue-purple filaments. A vigorous climber, it brings drama and elegance to walls, trellises, and fences. Hardy in mild climates and excellent for attracting pollinators, this unique plant also bears ornamental fruit after flowering.

What Makes It Special

• Exotic, intricate blue-white flowers

• Vigorous climber for vertical spaces

• Attracts bees, butterflies, and pollinators

Key Features

• Botanical name: Passiflora caerulea

• Hardy perennial climber

• Height: 3–6 m (10–20 ft) with support

• Bloom time: Summer to early autumn

Ideal For

• Covering trellises, walls, and fences

• Conservatories and greenhouse cultivation

• Pollinator-friendly and ornamental gardens

Sowing

• Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours before sowing

• Sow indoors Feb–Apr at 20–25°C

• Germination: 3–8 weeks (sometimes longer)

• Transplant seedlings to pots, then outdoors after frost

• Flowers from the second or third year

Malabar Spinach – Seeds (Basella alba)

Malabar Spinach is a fast-growing, tropical vine known for its thick, succulent leaves and high nutritional value. Ideal for salads, stir-fries, soups, and garnishes, this heat-tolerant leafy green thrives where traditional spinach struggles.

Its vigorous climbing habit makes it perfect for trellises, fences, or vertical garden spaces. Malabar Spinach is not only delicious but also adds lush greenery and ornamental appeal to any garden.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: February – April

• Sow outdoors: After last frost, spacing 30–40 cm apart

• Position: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost

• Care: Water regularly; provide support for climbing; pinch tips to encourage bushier growth

Key Features

• Fast-growing, heat-tolerant leafy green

• Thick, succulent leaves perfect for salads, stir-fries, and soups

• Vigorous climbing vine suitable for trellises or fences

• Adds ornamental greenery to gardens

• Easy to grow and high-yielding

Harvest

• Harvesting period: 50–70 days after sowing

• Pick young leaves regularly for the best flavor and tender texture.

Short Tip

Provide a trellis or support for climbing; regular harvesting promotes continuous growth and keeps leaves tender.

Italian Climbing Black Bean 'Super Marconi Grano Nero' – Seeds

(Phaseolus vulgaris) – Heirloom Italian Pole Bean

The ‘Super Marconi Grano Nero’ climbing bean is a traditional Italian variety known for its long, flat pods and striking black beans inside. Highly productive, vigorous, and climbing up to 2–3 meters, it requires staking or trellising. Its pods are tender and delicious when young, while the mature black beans can be dried and stored for hearty soups, stews, and traditional Italian dishes.

Key Features

• Type: Climbing pole bean (annual legume)

• Height: 200–300 cm with support

• Pods: Long, flat, tender, up to 20–25 cm

• Seeds: Black beans inside when mature

• Harvest: 65–75 days from sowing

• Special: Dual-purpose – eat fresh pods or dry beans

Ideal For

• Fresh harvesting as flat green beans

• Drying and storing beans for winter dishes

• Italian and Mediterranean cuisine

• Vertical gardening with trellises or poles

Sowing & Growing

• Sow outdoors: May–July, once soil warms (min. 15°C)

• Spacing: 50 cm between rows, 10–15 cm between plants

• Support: Needs poles, netting, or trellis

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained, rich in organic matter

• Sunlight: Full sun

• Watering: Consistent, especially during pod setting

Care Tips

• Harvest young pods regularly to encourage continuous production.

• Allow some pods to fully mature for drying black beans.

• Rotate crops yearly to maintain healthy soil.