Sow in April

Cucumber White Wonder – 50 Seeds (Cucumis sativus) Rare

Cucumber White Wonder is a rare and unique cucumber variety, producing crisp, pale white fruits with a sweet, mild flavor. Its unusual color and tender texture make it a standout for fresh salads, pickling, and gourmet presentations. Fast-growing and productive, this variety thrives in sunny garden beds or containers, perfect for gardeners seeking something extraordinary.

Key Features

• Fruit Color: Pale white

• Flavor: Sweet, mild, and crisp

• Growth Habit: Vigorous, climbing or trailing

• Maturity: 50–60 days

• Use: Fresh salads, pickling, and culinary presentation

• Yield: High and consistent

Ideal For

• Home vegetable gardens

• Container and balcony growing

• Gourmet and specialty cooking

• Rare and unusual garden collections

Sowing & Growing

• Sow indoors: February–April

• Transplant outdoors: After last frost

• Spacing: 50–60 cm

• Position: Full sun, fertile well-drained soil

• Care: Provide trellis support; water consistently

Cucumber 'Marketmore' – Seeds (Cucumis sativus)

Cucumber 'Marketmore' is a classic, reliable outdoor cucumber variety producing dark green, smooth-skinned fruits with crisp texture and excellent flavor. Highly productive and resistant to common diseases, it is perfect for slicing, salads, and fresh eating. Vigorous and easy to grow, ‘Marketmore’ is a favorite among both beginners and experienced gardeners.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors: April – May in pots or trays.

• Transplant outdoors: After last frost into a sunny, sheltered spot.

• Sow direct outdoors: May – June, once soil is warm.

• Spacing: 45–60 cm apart in rows or beds.

• Provide regular watering and mulch to keep soil moist.

Key Features

• Classic slicing cucumber variety

• Smooth, dark green, uniform fruits

• Crisp, refreshing flavor

• Heavy cropping and reliable yields

• Resistant to common cucumber diseases

Ideal For

• Outdoor vegetable plots and raised beds

• Fresh summer salads and sandwiches

• Gardeners seeking a tried-and-true cucumber variety

Sowing & Harvest

• Sow: April – June

• Harvest: July – September

Quick Tip

Pick fruits regularly to encourage continuous production. Avoid letting cucumbers grow too large for the best taste and texture.

Lettuce Cos ‘Paris White’ – Seeds

(Lactuca sativa)

Lettuce Cos ‘Paris White’ is a classic Romaine-type lettuce known for its crisp texture, tender hearts, and mild, sweet flavor. This reliable heirloom produces upright, compact heads with pale green leaves that blanch naturally to creamy white centers. Perfect for Caesar salads, sandwiches, and fresh garden dishes, it’s a favorite among home gardeners and chefs alike.

Key Features

• Type: Romaine (Cos) lettuce

• Growth Habit: Upright, compact heads

• Leaf Color: Pale green outer leaves with creamy white hearts

• Flavor: Mild, crisp, and sweet

• Days to Maturity: 70–80 days

• Resistance: Tolerates cooler temperatures and light frost

• Harvest: Mid-summer to autumn

Ideal For

• Crisp salads and Caesar-style dishes

• Home gardens, raised beds, and containers

• Continuous harvest or cut-and-come-again use

Sowing & Growing

• Sow outdoors: March – July

• Harvest: May – September

• Spacing: 25 × 30 cm

• Position: Full sun or partial shade

• Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil

Care Tips

• Keep soil consistently moist for best texture.

• Harvest in the morning for the freshest leaves.

• For a steady supply, sow every 2–3 weeks.

🎃 Cucurbita pepo ‘Baby Bear’ – Compact Pumpkin with Perfect Small Fruits for Autumn Displays

‘Baby Bear’ is a popular mini pumpkin variety bred for producing uniform, small-sized fruits with a classic pumpkin shape. The bright orange pumpkins are smooth, well-rounded and typically weigh 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lb), making them ideal for decorative use, children’s growing projects and autumn displays.

Plants are compact and bush-type, requiring much less space than traditional trailing pumpkins, which makes ‘Baby Bear’ especially suitable for small gardens, raised beds and containers. The fruits also have edible flesh and can be used for simple cooking or baking, though they are mainly grown for ornamental purposes.

Key Features

● Small, uniform pumpkins ideal for decoration

● Compact bush plants – space-saving variety

● Bright orange fruits with classic pumpkin shape

● Suitable for gardens, raised beds and containers

● Easy to grow and reliable performer

How to Sow & Grow Pumpkin ‘Baby Bear’ (UK)

Sow indoors: IV (April)

Transplant outdoors: V–VI (May–June) after last frost

Direct outdoors: V–VI (May–June) in warm soil

Harvest: IX–X (September–October)

Life cycle: Annual

Germination temperature: 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)

Average germ time: 7–10 days

Depth: 2–3 cm (1 in)

Light required: Yes

Moisture: Regular watering

Environment: Full sun

Soil type: Fertile, well-drained soil

Plant spacing: 60–80 cm (2–2.5 ft)

Fruit size: approx. 0.5–1 kg (1–2 lb)

Sowing & Growing Tips (variety-specific)

● Bush habit makes this variety easy to manage.

● Feed regularly to support steady fruit production.

● Harvest when fruits are fully coloured and rind is hard.

● Lift fruits off damp soil to prevent rot.

● Excellent choice for decorative autumn harvests.

🧽 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

Squash 'Uchiki Kuri' Seeds (Cucurbita maxima)

Discover the gourmet favorite Squash 'Uchiki Kuri', also known as the Red Kuri or Onion Squash. This reliable Japanese variety produces small, tear-drop shaped fruits with vibrant orange skin and rich, nutty-sweet golden flesh. Perfect for roasting, soups, curries, and baking, it’s a versatile squash that stores well for winter use.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors in late spring or directly outdoors after frost.

• Prefers fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.

• Sow 2–3 seeds 2 cm deep in small pots or stations.

• Transplant or thin to one strong plant per station, 90–120 cm apart.

• Water regularly and feed for strong growth.

Key Features

• Traditional Japanese squash with bright orange fruits

• Nutty, sweet flavor with smooth golden flesh

• Compact, manageable fruits (1–2 kg each)

• Stores well for winter use

• High-yielding and easy to grow

Ideal For

• Roasting, soups, curries, and baking

• Winter storage and long-lasting kitchen use

• Home gardeners seeking gourmet squash varieties

• Allotments, vegetable beds, or spacious gardens

Sowing

• Best time: April to June

• Depth: 2 cm

• Spacing: 90–120 cm between plants

• Position: Full sun, fertile soil

• Harvest: September to October

Quick Tip

• Cure fruits in the sun after harvest for longer storage life and enhanced sweetness.

Asparagus ‘Mary Washington’ – 60 Seeds (Asparagus officinalis)

Description:
Grow a classic, long-lived perennial vegetable with Asparagus ‘Mary Washington’ (Asparagus officinalis). This heirloom variety is renowned for its high yields of tender, flavorful green spears with slightly purple tips. Ideal for home gardens and allotments, it produces abundant harvests year after year once established. Easy to grow from seed, ‘Mary Washington’ is disease-resistant and perfect for gardeners seeking a reliable, low-maintenance perennial crop.

Key Features

• Heirloom variety producing tender green spears

• Long-lived perennial with high yields

• Excellent flavor and texture

• Disease-resistant and reliable

• Easy to grow from seed

Ideal For

• Home and kitchen gardens

• Allotments and perennial vegetable beds

• Sustainable, long-term food production

• Gardeners seeking low-maintenance crops

Sowing & Growing

• Sow Indoors: February–April

• Transplant Outdoors: May–June

• Germination: 14–21 days at 20–25°C

• Spacing: 30–45 cm apart in rows 1 m apart

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Deep, fertile, well-drained

Care Tips

• Do not harvest in the first year to allow plants to establish

• Keep soil moist but not waterlogged

• Mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds

• Harvest spears in spring from the second or third year

Pink Thai Egg Tomato – Seeds

(Solanum lycopersicum)

Pink Thai Egg Tomato is a rare heirloom variety from Thailand known for its egg-shaped, rose-pink fruits and exceptional productivity. The smooth, glossy tomatoes grow in clusters and have a sweet, mild flavor with low acidity, making them perfect for fresh salads, salsas, and light cooking. Compact and hardy, this variety thrives in both warm and temperate climates.

Key Features

• Fruit Shape: Small, egg-shaped

• Color: Pink to rose-red

• Flavor: Mild, sweet, and low-acid

• Growth Habit: Indeterminate

• Days to Maturity: 70–80 days

• Yield: Heavy cropper with clusters of uniform fruits

Ideal For

• Greenhouses, gardens, and containers

• Fresh eating and gourmet dishes

• Heirloom and specialty tomato collections

Sowing & Growing

• Sow indoors: February – April

• Transplant outdoors: After last frost

• Harvest: July – October

• Spacing: 45–60 cm apart

• Position: Full sun, sheltered

• Soil: Rich, well-drained compost

Care Tips

• Support with stakes or cages for best yield.

• Water regularly and feed with tomato fertilizer once flowering begins.

Onion 'Spanish Sun' Seeds (Allium cepa)

Bring sunshine to your garden with Onion 'Spanish Sun', a reliable, early-maturing variety that produces large, globe-shaped golden bulbs. Known for its mild, sweet flavor and crisp texture, it’s perfect for fresh salads, cooking, or storing. Easy to grow and versatile in the kitchen, this onion is a must-have for every vegetable garden.

How to Grow

• Sow indoors from January to March or directly outdoors from March to April.

• Prefers fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.

• Sow seeds 1 cm deep in rows 30 cm apart.

• Thin seedlings to 10 cm spacing for full-sized bulbs.

• Keep soil moist but not waterlogged.

Key Features

• Early-maturing, large golden bulbs

• Mild, sweet flavor with crisp texture

• Suitable for fresh use, cooking, or storing

• Reliable variety for consistent yields

• Easy to grow in most garden soils

Ideal For

• Home gardeners and allotments

• Fresh salads, soups, and everyday cooking

• Long-term storage after harvest

• Gardeners seeking early, high-quality onions

Sowing

• Best time: Indoors January–March, outdoors March–April

• Depth: 1 cm

• Spacing: 10 cm between plants, 30 cm between rows

• Position: Full sun, well-drained fertile soil

• Harvest: August to September

Quick Tip

• Allow bulbs to fully dry in the sun before storing to extend their shelf life.