A very attractive plant that has pink or white flowers in late summer and early autumn. This hardy perennial is an important food plant for Painted Lady caterpillars. In many parts of the world it is still used as a vegetable (steam the leaves and fry the flowers) and of course it is the origin of marshmallow confectionary. Our seeds come with a recipe for you to make your own marshmallow sweets! Price for 25 seeds.

With spikes of beautiful blue flowers you would be forgiven for only using it as a cut flower if you can deprive the bees and butterflies that also love it!  However this is a perfect salad herb whilst larger leaves are perfect flavouring, seasoning meats and sauces and for tea.  A short lived perennial that can be semi-evergreen in milder areas it will grow between 60-80cm and should also treat you to flowers in its first year. Price for 100 seeds

SOW: perhaps best started indoor between February and April.  Sow onto moist well-drained seed compost. Press seeds lightly into the soil but do not cover.  They seeds germinate best with high humidity, so cover the planting tray with a piece of clear plastic, and at 18-20°C. Germination can be irregular 14-90 days but once it begins admit air to prevent damping off. Water only from the base.  When large enough to handle transplant to 8cm pots. Harden off and plant out after danger of frost has passed with 30cm spacing.

GROW: likes full sun in any soil type that is free draining (dig in some gravel if necessary). Water every week or two. May require staking on windy plots. Cut back spent flowers to encourage a longer flowering window. This is a short lived perennial. This can self-seed but not freely so collect some seed for future sowings

ENJOY: use leaves as flavouring and, when young, chop & add to salad.  More mature leaves are seasoning meats and sauces, try them in spicy dishes and fish stews, and for tea.  The spikes of flowers will delight you, the bees and butterflies from July onwards.

Very attractive to bees and butterflies a wonderfully aromatic plant for your garden:"Pycnanthemum" comes from Latin words meaning "many clustered flowers," while the species name "pilosum" means "softly hairy" in reference to the texture of the foliage.  You can add some to your dryer to freshen laundry naturally. Thrown in a drawer or hung is a cupboard it will not freshen clothing and keep moths away. Sprinkle on carpets to freshen the whole house and is said to be a good natural insecticide so plant by a path or play area. Rub a handful of this herb on your clothes a natural insect deterrent and a fresh wad of short-toothed mountain mint’s bruised stems, stuck into your pocket or hat, might even help keep gnats from buzzing your face when you’re outdoors (cannot promise they will work on voracious Scottish midges).  Deer are said to dislike this plant so dot it between the plants that they do like!  The flower buds and leaves are edible raw or cooked, and have a hot, spicy, mint-like flavour that makes a great spice or seasoning CAUTION: you should not consume Mountain Mint when pregnant Price for 100 seeds

 

SOW: in spring or autumn into a seed tray in a cold frame or sow in a seed bed in April. Surface sow onto moist, well-drained seed compost & lightly cover. Aim for 20°C. Germination is erratic from 2-12 weeks Transplant seedlings when large enough.

 

GROW: prefers a rich, loamy, moist soil in full or partial sun. Will tolerate any soil. Easy to care for

 

ENJOY: the flower buds and leaves are edible raw or cooked, and have a hot, spicy, mint-like flavour that makes a great spice or seasoning CAUTION: you should not consume Mountain Mint when pregnant It is safe to use as a freshener or insect repellent. 

Growing to 25cm in height, this spreading perennial has a strong minty flavour. The lovely clusters of lilac flowers are particularly attractive to bees and hoverflies: it is reported to deter ants. Usefully it likes damper soil and does not mind disturbance.  Please Note: not to be used in pregnancy. Price for approximately 100 seeds.

Strong growing with dark green leaves, it is one of the most popular culinary mints. We would advise you to grow mint in its own pot as all mints like to spread! A perennial Price for 100 seeds

Dark green, oval, toothed foliage, and arrow-shaped lilac flowers, also known as garden mint this spreads prodigiously – grow in a pot! We think this is the best variety to use for mint sauce and mint jelly. Price for approximately 100 seeds.

With a history dating back to the Pharaohs Molokia will give you a tasty crop of leaves starting from 8 weeks from planting and then right through to the first frosts.  For cooking or salad use. 100 seeds

SOW: from MID-SPRING to MID-SUMMER, Molokia likes warm weather. Before sowing, the Molokia seeds need waking up! To do this, soak the seeds in hand-hot water for a few seconds. Then, soak them in room temperature water overnight. Once the soaking is complete, you can sow the seeds: sow a few seeds in each module or compostable pot and put on a sunny windowsill, in a cold frame or greenhouse. The seeds germinate very quickly, usually within 2 or 3 days. Thin to one plant per pot after 2 weeks.

GROW: once they have 5-7 leaves transplant carefully and space at 35-40cm apart (or 3 plants per container) and grow them in a sunny place. These are fast growing, and you can trim leaves after 6-8 weeks or so. They like a rich soil, and steady watering – not too much but they also dislike drought!   Plants will grow in a shrubby way and in warm climates can reach well over 1.5m so trim to keep small.  Prune the top couple of inches off each stem once the plant reaches 30cm in height. The leaves and stems that are removed can be enjoyed either raw or cooked. The more you cut the stems, the bushier it will grow. In autumn plants can produce small, yellow flowers. Followed by thin elongated seed pods. These pods are also edible

EAT & ENJOY: We think cooking them is the best way to enjoy them. Cooked leaves have a pleasant savory taste, with a distinctive aroma similar to coriander and even garlic. Try using them in the traditional Egyptian molokhia stew, paired with some lamb or fish. For a spicy twist, use the leaves in a Levantine-style soup, along with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and chili peppers.  Don’t forget to try the seed pods: harvest and use in the same way as okra. Molokia leaves can be eaten raw, although they tend to have a sharper almost bitter taste – mix them with a range of other salad leaves to add piquancy. Molokia leaves can also be dried and used to make tea or turned into a powder and used in cooking. Molokia greens are a staple ingredient in several African cuisines. They are full of nutrients & antioxidants, a great source of calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, and the vitamin B complex. With thousands of years of history behind them some bright spark has now called them a “new” superfood!

Growing to 45cm, this variety has grey-green hairy leaves that are highly scented and flavoured, excellent to cook with and a favourite in Mediterranean dishes. Lovely white flowers in summer. Perennial Price for 50 seeds

Showy deep red-purple serrated leaves with a mild curry like taste. Use for seasoning, colouring, pickling and garnishing. The leaves can be used whole or cut into strips. Price for 50 seeds

A fantastic evergreen perennial plant – we have a Rosemary hedge by our own veg plot that gives off such a wonderful smell as we brush by. We even cut sprigs to put on the fire for a lovely aroma. Essential with lamb and many other seasonings. Price for 25 seeds