It's one of our favourite times of the year, the launch of our 'Second Spring' seed collection!

We launch this collection at this time every year and it's always hugely popular so grab yours while they're hot!

We call this time of the year the 'second spring' as it's the next big moment in the growing season where you can sow lots of seeds to keep your harvests going through autumn and winter.

Inside you'll find ten of our favourite varieties - some classics that we can't do without and some new additions to tantilise your tastebuds.

To grab yours now click the button below or read on to find out more...

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What's inside the collection?

​Asian Greens - Baby Choi​

An heirloom pak choi variety with juicy fat white stalks and dark green spoon shaped leaves. Also known as 'Boo Toy', 'Horse's Ear' or 'Japanese Celery', you can eat the whole of the plant as it grows above ground. It's delicious paired with sesame oil, chilli and steamed rice.

How to grow:

For an autumn/winter crop sow July to October. Direct sow in rows 15 cm apart, then thin seedlings to the final spacing. Generally, baby leaves are ready in around 30 days, mature plants in 45-75 days.

​Asian Greens - Mizuna 'Beni Houshi'​

A striking variety of mizuna with lime green leaves and purple stems. This beautiful new mizuna variety is apparently taking the Japanese foody-scene by storm! It's similar in taste to green mizuna and is delicious raw in salads or cooked in stir-fries.

How to grow:

For an autumn/winter crop sow July to October. Direct sow in rows 15 cm apart, then thin seedlings to the final spacing. Generally, baby leaves are ready in around 30 days, mature plants in 45-75 days.

​Claytonia - 'Winter Purslane'​

A must-have excellent winter leaf of mild flavour and incredibly succulent, soft and juicy texture. Winter Purslane, also known as Miner's Lettuce or Claytonia, has heart-shaped elegant leaves which are small, abundant and make a great cut-and-come-again salad green. You will get a productive harvest all winter and early spring.

How to grow:

For an autumn/winter crop sow July to October. Direct sow in rows 25 cm apart, then thin seedlings to the final spacing. Leaves are generally ready about six weeks after sowing.

​Spring Onion - White Lisbon​

The classic spring onion. Long white stems with bright green tops, suitable for both spring/summer cultivation as well as over-wintering.

This is traditionally the most popular variety of spring onion and an essential addition to the veg patch. It's quick, hardy and easy to grow.

Its speed of growth makes it ideal for catch-cropping and year-round cultivation, with its small size meaning it can be easily squeezed into unused corners of the garden

How to grow:

For an autumn / winter harvest sow in early August. Sow in drills as close as 10cm apart in well prepared, weed-free soil. Seeds can be 2-3cm apart in the row with no need to thin. Can also be multi-sown into modules, up to 10 seeds in each module.

​Grenoble Red winter lettuce​

Our best-selling winter lettuce variety, Grenoble Red (or Rouge Grenobloise) is a Batavian heirloom lettuce with waffled leaves that are tinged with a maroon colour. It’s very tolerant to the cold and has an ability to grow for longer than most varieties when its outer leaves are repeatedly picked off.

How to grow:

For an autumn/winter crop sow in early August, for late winter/early spring crop sow in September/October. Shallow sow in drills 30cm apart, or sow in modules and transplant to final position.

​Turnip - Purple Top Milan​

A flat white turnip with purple shoulders, easy to grow, quick to mature and well suited for a late crop sown in July or August. A classic Italian heritage variety from Milan with creamy white, firm, crunchy, mildly sweet flesh. Pickled, cooked, raw - a very versatile variety. The leaves are also tasty and nutritious and can be cooked jut like other greens, so you can get two crops for the price of one!

How to grow:

Maincrop turnips can be sown from mid-July to late August. Plant seeds in drills around 30 cm apart, sow seeds every 15 cm. Seeds should germinate fast in warm weather. Sow into well-draining soil that isn’t too compacted.

​Coriander - Filtro​

A refreshing herb typically used in South Asian and South American cooking. This high-yielding variety is excellent for flavouring curries, stews, rice dishes, as a garnish for soup and in salsa. All parts of the soft, light stems and leaves can be used. The flowers grow in pretty umbels, and if left to seed, the small seed heads can be used fresh or dried in cooking for added flavour and texture.

How to grow:

For an autumn/winter crop direct sow in September in shallow rows, 20 cm apart, and later thinned to around 7 cm apart. Germination time is 7-21 days.

​Corn Salad / Lamb's Lettuce​

An invaluable hardy winter salad for growing outdoors and under cover with a superb nutty flavour. Corn salad or lamb’s lettuce is a small annual plant that forms rosettes of dark green leaves which have a gentle nutty flavour and soft texture, and are extremely popular as salad greens.

It provides a valuable source of fresh greens during the autumn and winter months as it's suitable for growing outdoors with little protection or under cover in the cold.

How to grow:

Sow between July and October for autumn, winter and early spring harvests. Seeds germinate best in cool, moist soil (5-15°C), but be patient – they can take up to 12 days to sprout. Sow in shallow drills or broadcast and cover lightly with soil.

​Salad rocket​

The nutritious dark green serrated leaves add their fine spice to salads, pasta, pizza, pesto and other sauces, or as garnish. It's quick to crop and easy to grow and definitely one of our favourite leaves. The advantage of growing rocket over the winter is that you get a much longer harvest season, as it should not bolt until spring if kept watered.

How to grow:

Sow direct into drills 15cm apart, or sow into modules in August and September before transplanting to final spacing.

​Giant Winter spinach​

A winter variety with large, savoyed, pointy leaves especially selected for winter hardiness. This productive spinach is particularly recommended for autumn and winter cultivation. The dark green characteristically pointy leaves are very aromatic and perfect eaten raw in salads, or delicious cooked.

How to grow:

Sow in August either in drills 30cm apart and thinned to 15cm in the row, or sow in modules and transplant to final spacing.

Happy Second Spring! :)

Chloe and the rest of the team

P.S. Don't forget that now is also the optimal time to sow your chicory and radicchio seeds!

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