Very popular last season we are pleased to offer this superb quality onion again, thick necked and globe shaped. When sliced the flesh is white with red bands. It looks and tastes great. We will be growing this again ourselves. Price for 60 seeds

Red Creole is very special heirloom beauty, a red onion happy in warm dry summer weather: in fact it is recognised as tolerant to heat and drought (an example where heirloom can win over modern varieties).   With a clear spicy & pungent bite fresh or mellowing to sweetness when caramelized and it stores really well – not to be missed    Price for 60 seeds

The history behind this variety

There has been a general move towards sweeter onions, it is said that that is a change in our tastes or perhaps our palettes are affected by the hidden increase in sugar in our diets which then drives the urge for more sweetness: a vicious circle if you like.  Red Creole only sweetens on cooking otherwise it is spicily pungent and its drop in popularity has caused it to drop out of mainstream production and, since the 1980’s it has been under increasing pressure as a home garden choice.

Climate resistance is becoming part of the conversation about food… the hunt is on for varieties that can cope with climate extremes.  Areas reporting heat and drought conditions are particularly vulnerable (economic, social & humanitarian) to the disruption of food production and provision.  Modern varieties are being researched through breeding programs… and behind these are traditional heirloom varieties.  These old varieties have been pushed aside in recent times and yet these varieties have remained in cultivation for a reason… sometimes they specifically suit the climate in a particular area.

Red Creole has been the onion of choice is parts of East Africa since 1918 when an American missionary introduced the variety, recognising that an onion that could cope with heat and drought in the deep south might also grow well in places such as Tanzania and Kenya.  This variety can be traced back to the 1850’s in Louisianna, and a first mention in seed catalogues, and became the standard right up to the early 20^th century. The rise of large scale growing and mechanical harvesting led the development of varieties that would flourish uniformly, that could be manipulated by regimes of irrigation and enrichment, and that could be grown speedily for faster returns.

Now there are different concerns and varieties such as Red Creole are, once again, being recognised as having their place.  With the increasing number of warm dry summers in the UK that place could be your garden.

Red Tide F1 is a lovely onion, the best red we have trialled for a long time.  Bright bold colour, hits all the right notes for flavour, use in salads or for cooking.  And this variety stores really well too

SOW: in February and March you will need to be able to keep the temperature at 14°C, using pots or seed trays sow seed on the surface and lightly cover with a sprinkling or vermiculite or compost.  Use cloches to warm the soil & in late March/April you can sow directly in shallow drills (seed depth now 15mm) with rows spaced 30cm apart

GROW: early seedlings are pricked out into individual pots and moved to a cold frame in April to harden off before planting outside 15cm apart. Your later sowings need thinning until 15cm apart. 

EAT: just lift at the size you want to use fresh.  For storage wait until the tops bend over naturally, gently ease the bulbs up and let dry for about 10 days before storing

Overwintering Onion.This is a super variety to give you a lovely crop of classic straw coloured onions in late June and July of next year. Sow direct in August or start in seed trays to plant out in October. Hardy and reliable, this has proved to be an ideal choice for a Japanese overwintering onion, we highly recommend this variety. Price for 60 seeds £0.50

Sweet Spanish White – mild and sweet, perfect for onion rings in a salad or cooking with chard stems.  For a naughty treat fry them for onion rings, perfect caramelized for soups and pickles or roasted (think side dish or for casseroles)… has quickly made itself a favourite culinary variety here!  With care these can store through the winter in to the new year.   Price for 60 seeds

Something new to know

White Sweet Spanish is mild enough to eat raw: you don’t need to munch it like an apple just add it to salads and let the flavour sing.  Now to grow the sweetest bulbs just give them a bit of shade (dappled or part shade in the day…not deep dry shade) and plenty of water.

So, if you also want an onion variety to pack even more of a punch you basically do the opposite - grow that variety in full sunshine and be more sparing with the water – your onions will be under stress and more pungent: less water will also give you smaller bulbs and if you try growing with far too little water your poor onions will shrivel so don’t go full Sahara desert mode!

And another thing… onions are said to ward off many insect pests around lettuce, cabbage and carrots

This long golden-brown skinned onion is simply brilliant: it will keep you in onions right through the winter until your next crop is due; it is fabulous in the kitchen (the shape means lots of onion rings close to the same size and it is easy to cut them!); the flavour is great too. Try and make sure you have space for this one. Price for 60 seeds.

Could this be the world’s best tasting onion? A delicious, mild, sweet onion: some say this is sweet enough to eat like an apple! Walla Walla can reach about 12-15cm across with a flattish rather than globe shape. We say it is sweet and mild and yet still has an onion "zing" that adds zest to any dish: it is simply perfect in salads and sandwiches. At its best when freshly pulled. Price for 60 seeds

This French delicacy is the best shallot from seed.  These will reward you with a high yield of mild flavoured, superb, rich red-brown coloured bulbs.  The flavour is more subtle than onions and will give you shallots in just over six months.  We love the taste of these and they really will earn their place in your kitchen garden.                                                                                         

Price for 60 seeds. 

SHALLOT ZEBRUNE ~ long brown bulbs with a blush of pink to the skins; delicious mild & sweet flavour 60 seeds SOW: either in March & April, sparingly 1cm deep in rows about 30cm apart, but warm the soil first under cloches as cold soil can upset germination, thin when large enough to handle. Or, for an earlier start use trays or modules and sow in February, prick out when large enough to handle. Harden off and plant out in April. GROW: Their final space needs to be at 10-15cm apart. Keep well watered as the bulb grows. Your harvest should be ready in August and September. EAT: lovely flavour that will complement your dishes.