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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. |
NCG 583
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Nasturtium microphyllum
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One-rowed Watercress
Description coming soon. |
NCG 479
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Ocimum basilicum 'Dark Opal' (Organic)
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Basil 'Dark Opal'
A dark-purple variety of basil, with smaller, more toothed leaves than the more commonly-grown Sweet Genovese. Great for adding contrasting colour to salads and tomato dishes. For companion planting enthusiasts, basil is said to encourage the growth of tomatoes, peppers and chillies! NOTE: These are externally sourced, organic seeds. |
NCG 209
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Ocimum basilicum 'Sweet Genovese' (Organic)
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Basil 'Sweet Genovese'
Almost everyone must be familiar with this very aromatic basil variety, with its large, green cushion-leaved foliage. For companion planting enthusiasts, basil is said to encourage the growth of tomatoes, peppers and chillies (and of course it is also a perfect companion in the kitchen for these and many other… |
NCG 153
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Petroselinum crispum var. crispum
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Curly Leaved Parsley
This variety of parsley forms bright green clumps of tightly crinkled leaves. No doubt everyone will be familiar with its use as a garnish in diverse situations (including, traditionally, the butcher's shop window - although often as plastic replicas!) and as a vital ingredient in stocks, soups and stews. Parsley… |
NCG 041
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Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum AGM
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Flat-leaved parsley
Sow wherever you have spare ground that retains moisture and provides some shade and you will have an almost continual supply of this verstile, vitamin C-packed herb throughout most of the year. A ridiculously simple, refreshing and healthy salad idea: finely chop a large handful of parsley and mix with… |
NCG 493
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Phaseolus vulgaris 'Lingua di Fuoco Nano' (dwarf)
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Borlotto (Borlotti) Bean 'Lingua di Fuoco Nano'
Both strikingly attractive and delicious, Borlotto beans, with their soft-red and creamy-white markings, sweet flavour and creamy texture, can be used both in casseroles or as an addition to salads. (There is no need to soak fresh beans before cooking, but if you intend to dry and store your crop,… |
NCG 097
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Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii
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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 566
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Punica granatum
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Pomegranate
Although usually associated with warmer climes, the pomegranate can withstand temperatures as low as -15C. Best sited in a sheltered, sunny position. In particularly cold areas of the UK, it might be advisable to grow in a container, to be overwintered in an unheated greenhouse. |
NCG 436
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Rumex acetosa
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Common sorrel
Description coming soon |
NCG 542
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Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus
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Bloody dock, Red-veined dock, Red-veined sorrel
This most unusual and attractive foliage plant produces dense clumps of deep-green leaves with striking, beetroot-red veins. The colouring is usually more pronounced at cooler times of the year. The flower spikes have insignificant blooms and are best removed to encourage more foliage and to prevent self-seeding. |
NCG 487
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Solanum lycopersicum 'Black Cherry'
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Tomato 'Black Cherry'
This tomato variety produces masses of small, deep, purplish-red to mahoganiy-brown, sweet and juicy fruits. Perfect for the simplest of tomato salads - just slice or quarter and sprinkle on balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt, plenty of freshly ground pepper and perhaps a little finely sliced red onion scattered… |
NCG 486
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Solanum lycopersicum 'Brandywine Black' (Organic)
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Tomato 'Brandywine Black' (Heirloom)
Like other beefsteak tomatoes, this heirloom variety produces large, frequently irregular-shaped fruits, but is unusual in that it has potato-leaved foliage. The tomatoes can vary somewhat in colour, usually a rosy hue, sometimes green-shouldered, but they are renowned for their exceptional flavour. NOTE: These are externally sourced, organic… |
NCG 103
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Solanum lycopersicum 'Marmande'
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Tomato 'Marmande'
Medium-sized beefsteak-type tomatoes growing on sturdy vines. A wonderful, full flavour... an essential ingredient for authentic Mediterranean-style recipes and salads! |
NCG 106
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Solanum lycopersicum 'Sun Gold'
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Tomato 'Sun Gold'
The small, golden yellow fruits are sweet and juicy. It's just as well that they fruit prolifically, because it is difficult to pass by the greeenhouse in summer without snacking! |
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