Climbing or Trailing Vegetables

Trailing Strawberry ‘Rainbow Treasure’ – Seeds (Fragaria ananassa)

Trailing Strawberry ‘Rainbow Treasure’ (Fragaria ananassa) is a delicious and decorative variety that produces sweet, juicy berries along trailing stems. Ideal for hanging baskets, containers, and window boxes, this strawberry delivers a continuous harvest from early summer to autumn. Hardy, easy to grow, and compact, it also produces attractive flowers that attract pollinators, making it a beautiful and productive addition to any garden.

Why Grow "Rainbow Treasure"

• Sweet, juicy strawberries with continuous summer-to-autumn harvest

• Trailing habit perfect for hanging baskets and containers

• Compact, easy-to-grow, and hardy variety

• Attractive flowers that attract bees and pollinators

Key Features

• Type: Perennial (Fragaria ananassa)

• Height: 15–20 cm (trailing)

• Flowering/Fruiting: Early summer to autumn

• Position: Full sun

• Uses: Hanging baskets, containers, window boxes, garden edges

Ideal For

• Patio and balcony containers

• Hanging baskets and decorative displays

• Small-space or urban gardens

• Pollinator-friendly gardens

Sowing & Growing

• Sow indoors: February–April in trays or pots

• Germination: 14–21 days at 18–20°C

• Transplant outdoors after frost, spacing 20–25 cm

• Prefers fertile, well-drained soil in full sun

• Regular watering encourages fruiting

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.

Tomato ‘Herodes’ – Seeds

(Lycopersicon esculentum) – Heirloom Beefsteak Tomato

The ‘Herodes’ tomato is a traditional heirloom beefsteak variety from Eastern Europe, valued for its large, meaty fruits and outstanding flavor. The fruits ripen to a deep rosy-red with pink undertones, offering a rich, sweet, and slightly tangy taste – perfect for slicing, salads, and summer sandwiches. Highly productive, vigorous, and disease-tolerant, this indeterminate variety continues to set fruit throughout the season.

Key Features

• Type: Indeterminate (climbing)

• Fruit: Large beefsteak, 250–400 g

• Color: Rosy red/pink

• Flavor: Sweet, rich, and meaty

• Height: 150–200 cm

• Position: Full sun

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained, moisture-retentive

Ideal For

• Fresh slicing and caprese salads

• Summer sandwiches and burgers

• Juices, sauces, and preserves

• Greenhouses, polytunnels, or sunny outdoor beds

Sowing & Growing

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

• Germination: 7–14 days at 20–25°C.

• Transplant: Pot on when true leaves appear.

• Plant out: May–June, after frost, spacing 50 cm apart.

• Harvest: July–September.

Care Tips

• Requires staking or caging.

• Remove side shoots for better airflow and larger fruits.

• Feed with high-potash fertilizer once flowers set.

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.

Cucamelon 'Mouse Melon' – Seeds (Melothria scabra)

The quirky and delicious Cucamelon, also known as the Mouse Melon or Mexican Sour Gherkin, produces miniature watermelon-lookalike fruits with a refreshing cucumber-like taste and a hint of citrus. These grape-sized fruits are perfect for snacking, adding to salads, or pickling. Easy to grow and highly productive, they are a fun and unique addition to any kitchen garden.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors from April to May in pots at 20–24°C.

• Sow 1 cm deep in moist compost.

• Transplant seedlings into larger pots or outdoors after the last frost.

• Train plants to climb trellises or supports for the best yield.

• Harvest fruits when grape-sized and firm.

Key Features

• Produces tiny fruits resembling watermelons

• Refreshing cucumber flavor with a citrus twist

• High-yielding and easy to grow

• Decorative and fun addition to gardens

• Perfect for snacking, salads, and pickling

Ideal For

• Healthy snacking straight from the vine

• Adding crunch and flavor to salads

• Homemade pickles and preserves

• Gardeners looking for unusual and exciting crops

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: April to May (indoors)

• Plant out: Late May to June

• Spacing: 30–40 cm apart

• Harvest: July to October

Quick Tip

• Grow Cucamelons on a trellis or in hanging baskets to make harvesting easier and keep fruits clean.

Early Pea ‘Kelvedon Wonder’ Seeds (Pisum sativum)

Harvest sweet, tender peas early in the season with Early Pea ‘Kelvedon Wonder’ (Pisum sativum). This climbing variety produces long, plump pods packed 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 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 variety with long, plump, sweet pods

• Hardy climbing and highly productive

• Ideal for fresh eating, steaming, or freezing

• Easy to grow in temperate climates

• Perfect for vegetable gardens and allotments

Ideal For

• Early-season vegetable gardens and allotments

• Fresh harvest for cooking or 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 for a continuous early-season harvest.

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.

🧽 Luffa cylindrica Loofah / Sponge Gourd – Fast-Growing Climber for Edible Young Fruits & Natural Sponges

Luffa cylindrica is a vigorous, warm-season climbing plant grown both as a vegetable and for producing natural loofah sponges. When harvested young, the smooth green fruits are tender and mild, ideal for stir-fries and curries. Left to fully mature, the fruits dry into fibrous sponges perfect for eco-friendly household and personal care use. With its large leaves, yellow flowers, and strong vines, luffa is also an attractive plant for greenhouses, tunnels, and sunny walls.

Key Features

● Dual-purpose plant: edible young fruits or natural sponges
● Fast-growing, vigorous climbing habit
● Large yellow flowers attractive to pollinators
● Ideal for greenhouses, polytunnels and warm gardens
● Sustainable, plastic-free sponge alternative

How to Sow & Grow Luffa cylindrica (UK)

Sow indoors: III–IV (March–April) in pots
Transplant outdoors: V–VI (May–June) once frost risk has passed and nights stay warm
Direct outdoors: Not recommended in cool climates
Harvest (edible): VII–IX (July–September)
Harvest (sponges): IX–X (September–October)

Germination temperature: 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
Average germ time: 7–14 days
Depth: 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in)
Light required: Yes
Moisture: Regular watering; do not allow to dry out
Environment: Full sun
Soil type: Rich, fertile, well-drained soil with added compost
Plant spacing: 60–90 cm (24–36 in)
Vine length: 3–5 m (10–16 ft)

Sowing & Growing Tips (variety-specific)

● Provide strong supports for climbing vines.
● Start seeds indoors for best results in the UK.
● Harvest young fruits frequently for vegetable use.
● Allow fruits to fully mature and dry on the vine for sponges.
● Peel and rinse mature fruits to reveal the natural loofah fibre.

Special Features

● Produces genuine natural loofah sponges
● Edible fruits when young, fibrous sponges when mature
● Excellent choice for sustainable living gardens

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