Salad Garden Essentials

Tomato 'Black Prince' – Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum)

The Tomato 'Black Prince' is a famous Russian heirloom variety, cherished for its rich, earthy flavor and striking deep reddish-brown fruits. Medium-sized and packed with a sweet yet complex taste, this tomato is perfect for fresh eating, salads, roasting, and sauces. Hardy and adaptable, it thrives in both outdoor gardens and greenhouses, offering consistent yields of uniquely colored fruits.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors from February to April, 0.5 cm deep in trays or pots.

• Keep at 18–22°C until germination.

• Transplant seedlings into larger pots, then outdoors or greenhouse after frost.

• Support plants with canes or cages to encourage heavy yields.

Key Features

• Traditional Russian heirloom tomato

• Medium-sized fruits with deep reddish-brown skin

• Distinctive sweet, rich, and earthy flavor

• Reliable yields in greenhouse or outdoor conditions

• Excellent for fresh eating, cooking, and sauces

Ideal For

• Heritage vegetable gardens

• Fresh slicing and salads

• Cooking, roasting, and preserving

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: February to April

• Plant out: May to June

• Harvest: July to September

Quick Tip

• For best flavor, allow fruits to fully ripen on the vine before harvesting.

Tomato 'Sweet Million' – Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum)

Tomato 'Sweet Million' is a hugely popular cherry tomato variety, loved for its prolific trusses of bite-sized fruits that are bursting with sweetness. Producing heavy yields of glossy, bright red tomatoes, this vigorous variety is perfect for snacking, salads, and adding fresh bursts of flavor to your dishes. A strong-growing, indeterminate (cordon) type, it thrives in greenhouses or sunny outdoor spots.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: February – April in seed trays or pots.

• Transplant seedlings to larger pots or greenhouse borders once established.

• Plant outdoors after the last frost in a sunny, sheltered spot.

• Requires support and regular side-shoot removal (cordon type).

Key Features

• Produces masses of sweet cherry tomatoes

• High-yielding and reliable variety

• Fruits in long trusses for easy picking

• Excellent for salads, snacking & garnishes

• Indeterminate (cordon) – needs staking

Ideal For

• Greenhouse or outdoor growing

• Fresh eating straight from the vine

• Salads, pasta, and summer dishes

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: February – April

• Harvest: July – October

Quick Tip

For the best flavor and continuous cropping, harvest fruits regularly and feed plants weekly with a tomato fertilizer once trusses set.

Tomato "Costoluto Fiorentino" – Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum)

Tomato "Costoluto Fiorentino" is a classic Italian heirloom variety, cherished for its deeply ribbed, juicy red fruits and rich, sweet flavor. Perfect for fresh salads, sauces, and canning, this variety is vigorous, high-yielding, and adds authentic Italian taste to home gardens. Its distinctive shape and vibrant color also make it a visual standout in your garden and kitchen.

How to Grow

• Sow seeds indoors from February to April, 0.5 cm deep in seed trays or pots.

• Maintain 18–22°C until germination.

• Transplant seedlings outdoors or into greenhouse after the last frost.

• Space plants 50–60 cm apart in fertile, well-drained soil with full sun.

• Support plants with stakes or cages to handle heavy fruits.

Key Features

• Heirloom Italian tomato with deep ribbed, juicy fruits

• Rich, sweet flavor ideal for salads, sauces, and canning

• Vigorous and high-yielding

• Distinctive appearance and vibrant red color

• Suitable for outdoor gardens and greenhouse cultivation

Ideal For

• Fresh salads, sauces, and canning

• Home gardens and container growing

• Heirloom tomato collections and culinary use

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: February to April

• Plant out: May to June

• Harvest: July to September

Quick Tip

• Regularly remove side shoots and support plants to maximize fruit production and maintain healthy growth.

Cherry Tomato “Minibel” – 40 Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum)

Description:
Grow sweet, bite-sized cherry tomatoes with “Minibel” (Solanum lycopersicum). This compact, high-yielding variety produces clusters of bright red, flavorful tomatoes ideal for salads, snacking, and garnishing. Perfect for containers, greenhouses, or small garden spaces, Minibel is easy to grow from seed and provides continuous harvests throughout the summer. A must-have for home gardeners seeking fresh, delicious cherry tomatoes.

Key Features

• Compact, high-yielding cherry tomato variety

• Bright red, sweet, and flavorful fruits

• Continuous harvest from summer to early autumn

• Ideal for containers, greenhouses, and small gardens

• Easy to grow from seed

Ideal For

• Containers and balcony planters

• Greenhouses and small garden beds

• Salads, snacking, and culinary use

• Home gardeners seeking fresh, flavorful tomatoes

Sowing & Growing

• Sow Indoors: February–April

• Transplant Outdoors: May, after frost

• Germination: 7–14 days at 20–25°C

• Spacing: 30–40 cm apart

• Support: Staking or cages recommended

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained

Care Tips

• Water consistently, keeping soil moist but not waterlogged

• Fertilize regularly with a tomato or balanced fertilizer

• Prune lightly to improve airflow and fruit production

• Harvest when tomatoes are fully red for best flavor

Cucumber 'Telegraph Improved' – Seeds (Cucumis sativus)

Enjoy crisp, tender cucumbers with Cucumber 'Telegraph Improved', a classic English variety renowned for its long, slender, dark green fruits and mild, sweet flavor. Ideal for fresh salads, sandwiches, and pickling, this variety is highly productive and resistant to common cucumber diseases. Perfect for home gardens, allotments, or greenhouse cultivation.

How to Grow

. Sow indoors: March – May, 1–2 cm deep in pots
. Transplant outdoors: After last frost or grow under cloche/greenhouse for best results
. Sow outdoors: May – June in fertile, well-drained soil
. Provide support such as a trellis or frame for climbing
. Keep soil moist and feed regularly for abundant harvests

Key Features

. Classic English cucumber with long, dark green fruits
. Mild, sweet flavor suitable for salads and fresh eating
. Highly productive and disease-resistant
. Ideal for greenhouse or outdoor trellis growing
. Reliable, uniform fruits perfect for slicing

Ideal For

. Fresh salads, sandwiches, and summer meals
. Home gardeners and allotment plots
. Greenhouse cultivation for early and high-yield crops
. Pickling and culinary versatility

Sowing & Harvest

. Sow: March – June
. Harvest: June – September

Quick Tip

Harvest regularly when fruits are firm and uniform in size to encourage continuous production throughout the season.

Chives ‘Bohemia’ – Seeds (Allium schoenoprasum) – Hardy Perennial

Chives ‘Bohemia’ is a hardy perennial herb, perfect for overwintering and providing fresh growth year after year. Known for its fine, hollow green leaves and mild onion flavor, it’s a versatile kitchen herb ideal for salads, soups, sauces, and garnishes. In summer, attractive purple-pink flowers appear, loved by bees and pollinators, making this a decorative as well as useful garden plant.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: February – April in pots or trays at 15–20°C.

• Sow outdoors: April – July in finely prepared soil.

• Thin or transplant seedlings to 20 cm apart.

• Prefers full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil.

• Cut regularly to encourage fresh growth.

Key Features

• Hardy perennial herb with overwintering growth

• Fine, mild onion-flavored leaves

• Decorative purple flowers attract pollinators

• Easy to grow in pots, borders, or herb gardens

• Reliable year-round harvests

Ideal For

• Fresh salads, soups, sauces, and garnishes

• Herb gardens, borders, and containers

• Attracting bees and pollinators

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: February – July

• Harvest: May – October, with regrowth in spring

Quick Tip

Divide clumps every few years to maintain healthy growth and extend the lifespan of your chive plants.

Trailing Cherry Tomato ‘Gardener’s Delight’ – Seeds (Solanum lycopersicum)

Description:
Grow sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes with ‘Gardener’s Delight’ (Solanum lycopersicum) — one of the most popular tomato varieties among home gardeners. This trailing and high-yielding variety produces long clusters of bright red fruits packed with rich, tangy flavor. Perfect for hanging baskets, containers, and greenhouse growing, it offers continuous harvests throughout summer. Easy to grow and bursting with taste, it’s ideal for salads, snacks, and fresh garden-to-table dishes.

Key Features

• Trailing, prolific cherry tomato variety

• Produces long trusses of sweet, tangy red fruits

• High-yielding and continuous summer harvests

• Excellent for salads, snacking, and cooking

• Easy to grow and well-suited for containers

Ideal For

• Hanging baskets and patio containers

• Greenhouse or outdoor cultivation

• Fresh snacking, salads, and sauces

• Home and urban gardeners

Sowing & Growing

• Sow Indoors: February–April

• Transplant Outdoors: May, after frost

• Germination: 7–14 days at 20–25°C

• Spacing: 40–50 cm apart

• Support: Canes or hanging supports recommended

• Light: Full sun

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

Care Tips

• Water regularly; avoid wetting foliage

• Feed with tomato fertilizer every 2–3 weeks

• Pinch side shoots to encourage fruiting

• Harvest when fruits are fully red and firm

Coriander Seeds (Coriandrum sativum)

Grow fresh, aromatic herbs with Coriander (Coriandrum sativum). This versatile herb produces feathery green leaves and aromatic seeds, perfect for salads, cooking, and spice blends. Fast-growing and easy to cultivate, it’s ideal for herb gardens, kitchen beds, and containers.

How to Grow

• Sow seeds directly outdoors from early spring to late summer.

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

• Sow seeds 0.5–1 cm deep and thin seedlings to 15–20 cm apart.

• Keep soil consistently moist for best germination (7–14 days).

• Harvest leaves when young and tender; collect seeds when fully mature.

Key Features

• Feathery, aromatic green leaves and flavorful seeds

• Fast-growing and easy to cultivate

• Ideal for fresh salads, cooking, and spice blends

• Suitable for outdoor and container growing

• Hardy and versatile culinary herb

Ideal For

• Herb gardens, kitchen beds, and containers

• Fresh salads, cooking, and seasoning

• Homegrown spice production

• Companion planting to attract beneficial insects

Sowing

• Best time: Early spring to late summer outdoors

• Depth: 0.5–1 cm

• Spacing: Thin to 15–20 cm apart

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

Quick Tip

• Sow in succession every 2–3 weeks for a continuous supply of fresh leaves and seeds.