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NCG 097
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Alkekengi officinarum Syn. Physalis alkekengi
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Chinese Lanterns
Familiar to many as an ingredient in dried flower arrangements, with its rich orange lanterns, many do not know that the small red fruit contained in within the husks is edible and has a higher concentration of vitamin C than lemons! However, the rest of the plant is poisonous, so… |
NCG 007
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Allium fistulosum
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Welsh Onion, Bunching Onion
A non-bulbing 'bunching onion' that is useful when just a hint of onion is required. An attractive plant that can be grown in an ornamental bed. Bees and other beneficial insects love it! |
NCG 401
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Allium vineale
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Crow garlic
Although crow garlic is often considered a weed (the bulbils produced at the tip of the stems fall to the ground and can cause it to spread rather too eagerly!), if you don't have space to grow proper garlic but would like to add a hint of fresh garlic to… |
NCG 236
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Apium graveolens secalinum
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Leaf celery, Wild celery, 'Par-Cel', Smallage
Looking almost identical to flat leaved parsley, all parts of this plant have a strong celery scent and flavour. Add a sprig or finely chopped leaves to stocks and sauces. The insignificant flowers are white, followed by masses of seed, which can be used to make celery salt (hover over… |
NCG 400
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Asparagus officinalis
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Garden asparagus
Growing this delicious and exceedingly healthy vegetable from seed might seem a strange idea, since there is a long wait before even crowns can be harvested. Seed-grown asparagus means another year's wait, but the plants will tend to be stronger and healthier than those from bare-rooted crowns that may have… |
NCG 091
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Barbarea verna
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American land cress, Winter Cress, Wild Rocket
Perhaps the best thing about wild rocket is that (as its other common name makes clear!) it produces lush foliage at times when other salad plants are not available. Its strong, pungent flavour is not dissimilar to water cress. Finely chopped, it makes an interesting addition to sandwiches. Treat as… |
NCG 593
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Borago officinalis, Blue
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Borage, Blue
Borage is edible - the flowers, which have a flavour reminiscent of cucumber, can be added to summer drinks or as a garnish on salads and other cold dishes. The leaves can also be added, wilted, to Mediterranean recipes such as pasta sauces and to ravioli stuffing. Borage is very… |
NCG 049
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Calendula officinalis
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Pot Marigold
One of the most recognisable and popular cottage garden plants, this Calendula mixture will light up the garden for many months with an abundance of yellow and orange blooms, some double. Makes a nice addition to small flower arrangements, so cut often to encourage repeat flowering and to keep the… |
NCG 626
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Capsicum annum, Ramiro
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Sweet Horn Pepper, Ramiro
Long fruits with a rich, sweet flavour. Fully ripe, red, fruits are sweeter than those that are still green. If it is necessary to harvest green peppers at the end of the season, they can be placed on a warm, sunny window sill to ripen. |
NCG 100
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Capsicum annuum
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Sweet Pepper, Bell Pepper
A blocky-shaped fruit with a mild, sweet flavour. Fully ripe, red, fruits are sweeter than those that are still green. If it is necessary to harvest green peppers at the end of the season, they can be placed on a warm, sunny window sill to ripen. |
NCG 101
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Capsicum frutescens - Bird Eye
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Bird Eye Chilli
A small, medium-hot chilli with a thin skin which dries easily, but for fresh chillies all year round, keep a a pot indoors by a warm, sunny window during the winter. Prune the plant in spring to encourage new, bushy growth. It is possible to keep chilli plants for a… |
NCG 086
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Chaenomeles speciosa 'Geisha Girl' AGM
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Ornamental Quince
A very attractive and useful hardy, semi-evergreen shrub with masses of soft peach flowers in Spring. Easy to grow and well worth trying. Flowers are nectar-rich so attractive to bees. Also makes a good hedging plant. |
NCG 490
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Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis 'Hearts of Gold'
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Cantaloupe or Musk Melon 'Hearts of Gold'
An heirloom variety, dating back to 1895, which has stood the test of time and is very suitable for growing in the UK. The fruits are ribbed, dark-green with heavy white netting and the deep-orange flesh is very sweet and fragrant. |
NCG 102
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Cucurbita pepo 'Yellow Golden'
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Courgette, Zuccini 'Yellow Golden'
The golden-yellow fruits of this variety are particularly sweet! Pick when young, but allow some to develop to full-sized 'marrows' at the end of the season... they will keep in a cool, airy place all winter and are delicious stuffed with a Mediterranean-style filling, the base ingredients being onions, sweet… |
NCG 625
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Cynara cardunculus
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Cardoon
The cardoon, also called the artichoke thistle, is a member of the sunflower family. It is native to the western and central Mediterranean region. A robust plant, growing up to 2.4m/8 feet tall, it produces large, purplish-pink, thistle-like flower heads above divided, grey-green foliage. The immature flowers, called globe artichokes,… |
NCG 807
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Cyperus esculentus
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Tiger nut, Chufa
Although commonly referred to as nuts, the edible parts of this variety of grass are actually tubers. They are therefore suitable for individuals with nut allergies (though please research if in doubt). Highly nutritious - in fact classified as a 'super food' and a natural source of pro-biotics - with… |
NCG 058
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Foeniculum vulgare
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Common fennel (herb)
An attractive culinary herb, fennel is a large plant with feathery leaves (these seeds will probably produce a mixture of green and bronze-leaved varieties) that looks well in ornamental beds. The flat umbels of small flowers are followed by aromatic seeds with a liquorice/aniseed flavour, Both leaves and seeds are… |
NCG 592
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Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum'
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Bronze-leaved fennel
The bronze-leaved variety of this attractive culinary herb. Fennel is a large plant with feathery leaves that looks well in ornamental beds. The flat umbels of small flowers are followed by aromatic seeds with a liquorice/aniseed flavour, Both leaves and seeds are traditionally used in fish recipes. The seeds also… |
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NCG 553
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Fragaria vesca
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Wild strawberry (single form)
Description coming soon. |
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NCG 554
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Fragaria vesca 'Flore Pleno'
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Wild strawberry 'Flore Pleno' (Double form)
Description coming soon. |
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