The rich orange fruits are mild (500-2000 SHU) with an outstanding complex flavour.  Enjoy them fresh but so keep some of the thin fleshed fruits for drying as they make a superb golden chilli powder that releases a lovely aroma when added to hot food.  Plants are open growing and prolific.  Price for 10 seeds.

SOW: from mid-April to end of May, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate.

GROW: when they reach the 2/3 leaf stage they can be planted into a greenhouse or hardened off and put outside in a warm sheltered spot.  You can grow them in the soil, in a container or in a grow bag.   Havanna Gold is early to produce fruit then continues to be prolific until the first frosts

EAT: perfect for fresh use.  These are thin fleshed and dry well, you can make a bright orange chilli powder from these which will release a lovely aroma when added to hot food.  You can also freeze your chilli crop.

Midas is a lovely munchable variety.  The compact plants fruit early and carry a huge crop of medium sized delights that are crisp and juicy with a warm spicy flavour. Mild heat up to 500SHU  Price for 10 seeds

SOW: from February to April, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate (can take 10-21 days, warmth at 21C can help).  Water the soil, not the foliage, too much moisture will rot the seed & seedlings.  When they reach the 2/3 leaf stage (at around 10cm tall) they can be potted up. Wait until June before moving plants outside (harden off first) where they will flourish in a sunny, sheltered position on a south facing wall, in fertile, well-drained soil or grow bag or grow them in the greenhouse 

GROW: chilli plants are self-fertile and generally pollinate themselves you can help them particularly if they are inside (use a paintbrush to gently sweep the inside of the flowers, going from one flower to the next, transferring the pollen).  Water well and allow the surface to dry between times. They can grow tall so pinch out the growing tip to create a smaller bushier plant that will only need a small stake and produce earlier fruit.

After the first flowers appear, feed every weekly alternating between liquid seaweed & a weak tomato feed

ENJOY: fruits will take a few weeks to develop and a further couple weeks to ripen. Don’t leave them on the plants as this will slow down the production of more fruits.  Crisp and juicy with a warm spicy flavour that you can add to salads and more!

Onza is a thin skinned rarity from Oaxaca Mexico, quite warm with a mildly sweet taste and fruity fragrance.  Traditionally used in soups and salsa but really an all-purpose chilli for seasoning, drying, pickling and for fresh consumption.  Plant height up to 90cm & bushy, chillies ripen to bright red & reach 5000-15000 SHU

Price for 10 seeds

SOW: from February to April, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate (can take 10-21 days, warmth at 21C can help).  Water the soil, not the foliage, too much moisture is as bad as none – remember three words: waterlogging, cold, dead!  When they reach the 2/3 leaf stage they can be potted up. Wait until June before moving plants outside (harden off first) to a sunny, sheltered position or grow them in the greenhouse 

GROW: water well and allow the surface to dry between times, after the first flowers appear, feed weekly alternating between liquid seaweed & a weak tomato feed.  Pinching out the growing tip will encourage a bushier plant that may only need a small stake and can produce earlier fruit.

ENJOY: chillies ripen to a bright red, don’t leave them on the plants as this can slow down the production of more fruits.  An all-purpose chilli is perfect when you can only grow one variety

Heirloom Orozco has stunning almost black stems and foliage that is purple tinged through to variegated crimson, white and dark green.   With a heat range from hot to very hot (up to 150,000SHU) each little fruit has a spicy kick – mouth-watering and possibly eye-watering too.  The upright fruit mature through a myriad of colours - deep purple, florescent green, yellow and orange and finally bold red when ripe.  The medium height plants like a warm position.  Price for 10 seeds

SOW: from February to April, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate (can take 10-21 days, warmth at 21C can help).  Water the soil, not the foliageand not too much – remember three words: waterlogging, cold, dead!.  When they reach the 2/3 leaf stage they can be potted up. Wait until June before moving plants outside (harden off first) where they will flourish in a sunny, sheltered position on a south facing wall or grow them in the greenhouse 

GROW: continue to water well and allow the surface to dry between times. Pinch out the growing tip to create a smaller bushier plant that will only need a small stake and produce slightly earlier fruit.  After the first flowers appear, feed weekly alternating between liquid seaweed & a weak tomato feed

ENJOY: grill or bake, add a kick to casseroles & curries, pizza, salsa or be brave and add to a salad… the heat level is very dependant on the growing conditions and the ripeness when picked.   Pick all ripe red chillies to void slowing down the production of more fruits. 

Padron is an unassuming small green pepper which is a Spanish culinary delight.  Traditionally they are pan fried in olive oil with a little sea salt and served with beer, alternatively add them to a stir fry and play Spanish roulette as every so often Padron will produce amongst its mild chillies a hot one that is indistinguishable until eaten! "Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non" (Galician for "Padrón peppers, some are hot and some are not").   Price for 10 seeds.

SOW: from mid-April to end of May, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate.

GROW: when they reach the 2/3 leaf stage they can be planted into a greenhouse or hardened off and put outside in a warm sheltered spot.  You can grow them in the soil, in a container or in a grow bag.      

Roxi straddles the mild to medium heat range (2500-8000SHU) making it a snackable choice (sandwiches, salads or on its own).  Windowsill friendly size plants (height 20-25cm) produce lots of little cone shaped chillies.      Price for 10 seeds

SOW: from February to May, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate (can take 10-21 days, warmth at 21C can help).  Water the soil, not the foliage, too much moisture will rot the seed & seedlings.  When they reach the 2/3 leaf stage (at around 10cm tall) they can be potted up. Wait until June before moving plants outside (harden off first) where they will flourish in a sunny, sheltered position on a south facing wall, in fertile, well-drained soil or grow bag or grow them in the greenhouse 

GROW: chilli plants are self-fertile and generally pollinate themselves you can help them particularly if they are inside (use a paintbrush to gently sweep the inside of the flowers, going from one flower to the next, transferring the pollen).  Water well and allow the surface to dry between times. After the first flowers appear, feed every week alternating between liquid seaweed & a weak tomato feed

ENJOY: your plants will have fruit at all different stages of ripeness, hence all the different colours, the mildest being green through to the hottest red ones.  You can pick them at any stage but once red don’t leave them on the plants as this will slow down the production of more fruits.  

Rokita is perfect for those who love some drama on their window sill - these chillies can be 12-15cm in length! You will enjoy a bit of oomph with flavour: heat level 1000SHU or pick them while green for an even milder experience You can eat them fresh from the plant, why not add some chilli to your salads and sandwiches, and they are a good choice for drying too.

SOW: from February to May, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate (can take 10-21 days, warmth at 21C can help).  Water the soil, not the foliage, too much moisture will rot the seed & seedlings.  When they reach the 2/3 leaf stage (at around 10cm tall) they can be potted up.

GROW: on a windowsill keep the plants trimmed so that they don’t outgrow their space, in a greenhouse they can be up to 50cm tall.  After the first flowers appear, feed every weekly alternating between liquid seaweed & a weak tomato feed.  Chilli plants are self-fertile and generally pollinate themselves you can help them particularly if they are inside (use a paintbrush to gently sweep the inside of the flowers, going from one flower to the next, transferring the pollen).  Water well and allow the surface to dry between times.  If you grow Rokita outside they will be later and produce smaller fruits

ENJOY: fruits will take a few weeks to develop and a further couple weeks to ripen to glowing red. Don’t leave them on the plants beyond this as it will slow down the production of more fruits

Native to the Caribbean all Scotch Bonnets are very hot & pungent with a distinctive flavour, this one ripens to red. The name comes from the shape: it resembles a Tam O’Shanter hat. Reaching 100,000-325,000 on the Scoville heat scale these are one of the hottest varieties available.Price for 10 seeds

SOW & GROW: from Feb to April, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate.  When they reach the 2/3 leaf stage you can plant into a greenhouse or harden off and grow outside in a warm sheltered spot.  They are happy in a container or you can fit 3 or 4 into a grow bag.  This variety has smallish fruits (2-3cm long and wide) that ripen to a bright red, the heat increases as they ripen.

EAT: can be used fresh (will keep up to 3 weeks in a fridge) or dried, or ground into powder.  Chillies freeze well.

Serrano Hildalgo start off dark green before turning red, they get significantly hotter as they are left to mature (: from 6,000 to 23,000 as measured on the Scoville scale) but can be picked at any stage. The fruits vary between 2½cm and 5cm long. Often used in Mexican sauces and relishes, they are a good choice for salsa as they are thin walled and do not need peeling. Price for 10 seeds.

SOW: from mid-April to end of May, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate.

GROW: when they reach the 2/3 leaf stage they can be planted into a greenhouse or hardened off and put outside in a warm sheltered spot.  You can grow them in the soil in a container or in a grow bag.  Serrano matures from dark green to red with heat intensifying as they do so.

EAT: this variety is often used in salsa and sauces as the fruit is thin skinned and does not need peeling.  Chillies freeze well.

Show-stopping, stunning, unusual are all adjectives that spring to mind: Zimbabwe Black has foliage that is tinged purple, the flowers are deep purple, and the chillies ripen from dark purple to rich red.  These chillies are on the hot side at 20000-30000 SHU and the well branched plants produce masses of them to enjoy. Price for 10 seeds.

SOW: hot chillies do best from earlier protected sowing from February to April, indoors in a warm soil in trays or modules barely covering the seeds as they need light to germinate.

GROW: when they reach the 2/3 leaf stage they can be planted into a greenhouse or hardened off and put outside in pots in a warm sheltered spot.  Well branched plants produce masses of fruit until  frost strikes.

EAT: pick young when still purple to enjoy a milder heat with the striking coloured flesh or allow the heat to develop as they turn to rich red ripeness.