Sow in August

Spinach 'Matador' – Seeds

(Spinacia oleracea) – Fast-Growing, Productive Variety

Spinach 'Matador' is a vigorous and reliable variety producing large, dark green, smooth leaves with a tender texture and rich flavor. It is well-suited for both spring and autumn sowings, offering multiple harvests of vitamin-rich leaves. This cold-hardy variety is slow to bolt, making it a favorite for home gardeners and kitchen use.

Key Features

• Type: Leafy annual vegetable

• Height: 20–30 cm

• Leaves: Large, smooth, dark green, tender

• Flavor: Mild, rich, and slightly sweet

• Harvest: 40–50 days after sowing

• Special: Good resistance to bolting

Ideal For

• Fresh salads, smoothies, and juicing

• Steaming, sautéing, and soups

• Continuous cut-and-come-again harvest

• Home gardens, allotments, and pots

Sowing & Growing

• Sow outdoors: March–May and August–September

• Spacing: 20–30 cm between rows; thin to 10 cm between plants

• Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil

• Sunlight: Full sun or partial shade

• Watering: Keep soil consistently moist to avoid bolting

Care Tips

• Harvest young leaves regularly for best taste.

• Provide light shade in hot summers.

• Mulch to keep soil cool and retain moisture.

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.

🧽 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

French Mixed Salad – 1000 Seeds (Lactuca sativa)

French Mixed Salad is a versatile, easy-to-grow lettuce mix ideal for fresh, homegrown salads. This collection offers a variety of leaf shapes, colors, and textures, creating a visually appealing and flavorful mix for everyday meals. Fast-growing and tender, it is perfect for cutting and continual harvests throughout the season.

Key Features

• Variety: Mixed leaf types and colors

• Growth Habit: Loose-leaf, fast-growing

• Maturity: 40–60 days

• Flavor: Mild, tender, and crisp

• Use: Fresh salads, garnishes, and sandwiches

• Harvest: Cut-and-come-again for continuous picking

Ideal For

• Home vegetable gardens

• Container and balcony growing

• Continuous harvest for fresh salads

• Mixed salad bowls and culinary use

Sowing & Growing

• Sow outdoors: March–August

• Depth: 0.5–1 cm

• Spacing: 15–20 cm

• Position: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil

• Care: Keep soil consistently moist for tender leaves

Herb Corn Salad Seeds (Valerianella locusta)

Also known as Lamb’s Lettuce or Mâche, Corn Salad is a fast-growing leafy green with soft, nutty-flavored leaves. Popular in European cuisine, it’s perfect for salads, sandwiches, and as a tender garnish. Hardy and cold-tolerant, it thrives in cooler months, making it an excellent choice for autumn and winter harvests. Easy to grow and highly nutritious, it’s a must-have for year-round salads.

How to Grow

• Sow directly outdoors from March to May, and again from August to October.

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

• Sow thinly, 1 cm deep, in rows 20 cm apart.

• Thin seedlings to 10 cm spacing for healthy plants.

• Harvest young leaves as needed for cut-and-come-again cropping.

Key Features

• Tender, nutty-flavored leaves

• Hardy and cold-tolerant, ideal for winter salads

• Quick and easy to grow

• Perfect for cut-and-come-again harvesting

• Highly nutritious and versatile in the kitchen

Ideal For

• Autumn and winter vegetable gardens

• Fresh salads and sandwich fillings

• Containers, raised beds, and small gardens

• Gardeners seeking a reliable cool-season green

Sowing

• Best time: March–May, August–October

• Depth: 1 cm

• Spacing: 10 cm between plants, 20 cm between rows

• Position: Full sun or partial shade

• Harvest: October to March

Quick Tip

• Succession sow every few weeks for a continuous supply of fresh leaves throughout the cooler seasons.

🥬 Brassica rapa Turnip ‘Milanese’ – Early, Flat White Turnip with Mild, Sweet Flesh

‘Milanese’ is a classic early-maturing turnip variety producing smooth, flat-round roots with creamy white flesh and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. Bred for quick growth and tenderness, it is ideal for spring and summer harvests, either as baby turnips or fully grown roots. The young tops are also edible and delicious when lightly cooked. Reliable and easy to grow, this variety is perfect for kitchen gardens, allotments, and successional sowing.

Key Features

● Early, fast-growing turnip variety

● Flat, smooth roots with mild, sweet flavour

● Excellent eaten young as baby turnips

● Tender white flesh, not woody

● Suitable for spring and summer cropping

How to Sow & Grow Turnip ‘Milanese’ (UK)

Direct outdoors: III–VIII (March–August)

Harvest: V–X (May–October)

Life cycle: Annual

Germination temperature: 8–20 °C (46–68 °F)

Average germ time: 5–10 days

Depth: 1–1.5 cm (½ in)

Light required: Yes

Moisture: Keep soil evenly moist

Environment: Full sun to partial shade

Soil type: Light, fertile, well-drained soil

Plant spacing: 10–15 cm (4–6 in)

Height: 30–40 cm (12–16 in)

Sowing & Growing Tips (variety-specific)

● Sow little and often for continuous harvests.

● Harvest young for the sweetest flavour and best texture.

● Avoid drought to prevent strong or woody roots.

● Ideal for cooler parts of the growing season.

● Leaves can be harvested young as nutritious greens.

Special Features

● Traditional Italian turnip variety

● Very quick from sowing to harvest

● Excellent for fresh kitchen use

🥬 Cichorium intybus ‘Zuccherina di Trieste’ – Sweet, Tender Leaf Chicory for Salads and Cooking

‘Zuccherina di Trieste’ is a traditional Italian leaf chicory variety prized for its smooth, elongated green leaves and exceptionally mild, slightly sweet flavour. Unlike many chicories, it has very low bitterness, making it ideal for fresh salads, as well as for light cooking, sautéing and braising. Fast-growing and reliable, this variety is well suited to kitchen gardens, raised beds and containers, and can be harvested young as baby leaves or grown on for full-sized heads.

Life cycle: Annual (grown for leaves)

Key Features

● Mild, sweet-flavoured leaf chicory with minimal bitterness

● Smooth, elongated green leaves

● Excellent for salads, sautéing and cooking

● Fast-growing and easy to grow

● Suitable for beds, raised beds and containers

How to Sow & Grow Chicory ‘Zuccherina di Trieste’ (UK)

Direct outdoors: III–VIII (March–August)

Sow indoors: II–III (February–March)

Transplant outdoors: III–IV (March–April) once seedlings are strong

Harvest: IV–X (April–October)

Germination temperature: 10–20 °C (50–68 °F)

Average germ time: 7–14 days

Depth: 1 cm (½ in)

Light required: Yes

Moisture: Keep soil evenly moist

Environment: Full sun to partial shade

Soil type: Fertile, well-drained soil

Plant spacing: 20–25 cm (8–10 in)

Height: 25–35 cm (10–14 in)

Sowing & Growing Tips (variety-specific)

● Harvest young leaves regularly for the best flavour.

● Suitable for cut-and-come-again harvesting.

● Tolerates cooler temperatures well.

● Can be grown throughout the season with successional sowing.

● Ideal for Mediterranean-style and kitchen gardens.

Special Features

● Traditional Italian salad chicory

● Very mild taste compared to most chicories

● Excellent versatility in the kitchen