We are a collective of New Zealand based hobby gardeners and horticulturalists.
Our seed is hand harvested from regionally adapted plants ideally suited to your region and climate, if unsure when to sow we recommend asking your local experienced gardeners.
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An old variety, very popular in the UK originating from Scotland in 1908. Named after the island.Ailsa Craig near the mouth of the Clyde river. A vigorous grower with good disease resistance, medium size and good flavour.
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Sow on surface of trays in spring and plant out after danger of frost have passed. Plant into manure enriched soil. This is stunning in the garden with beautiful deep red leaves. Seeds are tiny and they are delicious popped.
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A purple variety that is sweeter and less fibrous than green asparagus. Takes three years for the crowns to grow large enough before harvesting, though a small amount of light picking can be done in the second year. Seed needs 18 to 23deg for germinating, once seedling first shows itself transplant into its own 2L pot and plant out into its permanent about 12 months later, never let the first seedling spear get frosted till fully in leaf.
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Flavourful, flat podded, white-seeded bean, one of the best flavoured dwarf bean cultivar that Nev saved from oblivion in 1974 and has grown ever since.
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Black Krim Tomato is an heirloom tomato originating from Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula. "Krim" is the Russian word for Crimea. This tomato is open-pollinated, and bears large flattened globe fruits that are dark reddish-purple to black with green/brown. A very good producing plant. Propagation: Sow seeds in seed raising mix in Spring, prick out once 2 true leave appear.
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A large black skin, white flesh, winter radish, though this radish carries a recessive gene that produces a white skin as well. They can get to dinner plate size while still remaining mild tasting. Recommended not to sow before March in the South Island and April in the north as they can bolt to flower before growing its swollen stem.
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Bloody Butcher corn is a dry corn producing beautiful rich red cobs that are quite large. These plants grow very tall, can be over 3 meters, this should be kept in mind when planting - you don't want them getting blown over in strong winds or shading out your tomato crop. The corn can be eaten fresh in the "milk stage" or left to fully mature where it has a multitude of uses from milling to make flour or cornmeal to brewing and is even used as an ornamental in flower arrangements. Alice like the rest of the Sentinels growers uses only spray free organic methods.
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Hopi maize is also known as Yoeme Blue, Tarahumara Maiz Azul, and Rio Grande Blue, ground it's used to make blue tortilla chips, tortillas, corn soup and cornbread. Hopi Blue grows 1.7m tall
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A productive vigorous climber, Long vines that will grow to 6m tall if provided support, ideal as a drying bean. Borlotti are descendants from the original Cranberry beans that originated in Colombia
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Brandywine Red grows vigorous vines with large globe shaped rosy-red fruit, can get up to half a Kg in weight. This American heirloom beefsteak variety is one of the most popular grown in the US.
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This broad bean has pure white flowers. The pods enclose beans that are sweet, and which remain green once cooked and are nice eaten raw. Nev selected this cultivar from a random mutation over 35 years ago that he noticed had produced pure white flowers and so over the following years carried on selecting for that trait. he much preferred the flavour and colour. In colder parts of the South Island and Inland North Island you don't want to sow broad beans between March and and early May. Best sown in spring to early summer.
Open Source Seed Initiative Pledge: You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.
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This tall line of broad bean can withstand heavy winter frosts as low as -10deg here in the Amuri basin when plants are young, but equally handles the heat as well, will grow mostly unsupported up to 1.5m tall. In colder parts of the South Island and Inland North Island you dont want to sow broad beans between March and early May. If plants are over 10cm tall, heavy frosts will damage or kill them. Plants under this size handle frosts well.
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De Cicco Broccoli is a traditional Italian heirloom broccoli, producing medium sized delicious main heads followed by a large yield of side shoot spears. Propagation: Sow De Cicco Broccoli seeds in trays of potting soil in late summer - early winter, plant out when 2nd leaves have developed.
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This Landrace Purple Sprouting Broccoli has beautiful deep purple florets on good sized green stems. Shoots are sweet and tender. Plants can produce a very large sturdy frame. Sow from mid summer and on wards into autumn. Plants can produce over a long period. Pick the florets when they are small to golf ball sized. Prefers fertile heavy soils.
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This particular old strain of broccoli takes longer to grow than the modern types while also being a larger plant, so give seedlings a half meter spacing when planting out
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Many of the older gardeners will remember the dwarf butterbean which was very popular in the 60's and 70's. This strain has been grown for over 40 years by a long time home gardener before being given to Richard so as to preserve this heirloom, This bean produces a pale yellow/cream pod in colour that grows to about 15cm in length. The complete pod is eaten although the ends can be trimmed if desired and is wonderful added to salads when small.
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A pointed cabbage with intense reddish-purple leaves and high sugar content. Sow spring for summer and autumn harvest but preventative care is needed against white butterfly
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From the cucumber family Caigua suits most areas of New Zealand as it handles cooler weather. The small thumb sized fruit can be used as a gherkin replacement as well as cut up into salads. Can grow to 3m so best to grow up and over some sort of frame work.
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This heirloom sweet variety originates from the Balkan region, a Hungarian cheese-type. Medium-late heavy producer of yellow fruit. This is a yellow capsicum is used for paprika and stuffing, can be fully ripened to a deeper orange/red colour. The pods grow to a size of 50mm long by 60mm wide, the plant grows to a height of 60cm.
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Purple flowers, Purple fruit ripen red. Thumb-sized, they are big on flavour.Sow indoors in early Spring. I now germinate my frost-sensitive species on a purpose-built compost heap, in our glass house. (Capsicums require soil to be 15C. to germinate.) I grow the resulting plants outdoors once the frost danger has diminished. Czech Beauty is a reliable performer, in our Scargill climate, where growing-season temperatures can fluctuate widely.
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An old family heirloom from Ohio USA, this variety grows red, yellow and chocolate capsicum plants produce an abundance of tiny colorful orbs that are easy to grow.
Yellow and Orange peppers tastes a little less sweet than red peppers, crunchy and juicy, grow from medium to large in size. Plant grows to approximately one meter in height, they are part of the night shade family.
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As the name suggests this carrot grows into a small root of about 8-10 cm long. Nev and Sue have selected for the sweetest tasting roots. Their garden doesn't have wild carrots growing anywhere in their district so it would be rare for any white rooted carrot to show up in the seed line.
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This original line of carrot dates back to the late 80's when a long time gardener gave Richard carrot seed that he had grown for most of his life. The name of this carrot had been long forgotten so it was named Benhorn in 2000. It is a large stumpy carrot which has been selected for its sweetness and flavour. This is done by tasting each carrot before being replanted back for flowering and later seed production. To add to Benhorn's genetics two new carrots - St.Valery and Kuroda were used in the 20016-17 season in cross pollinating.
In January 2024 the following carrots were grown and will be added to Benhorn's genetics 2024-25 - Baby Pak, Every season, Manchester Table, Touchon, Express Hybrid, Kuroda Improved and Topweight.
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Landrace southern grown Celery Elne, Originally from Kings seeds, Has been on the same spot for 2 years before going to seed and has been a strong producer - I originally planted it for rabbit food and just cut and let regrow before it finally went to seed. Has a lovely flavour and strong stems. Likes alot of moisture
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Celtuce is a cultivar of lettuce grown primarily for its thick stem or for its leaves. The stem is usually harvested at a length of around 15cm and a diameter of around 3cm. It is crisp, moist, and mildly flavored, and typically prepared by slicing and then stir frying with more strongly flavoured ingredients. Grow plants about 30cm apart
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A dark green leaf and with a lighter green stem.Feed back from a customer living near Katikati sowed this variety in Sep 2020 which is still growing March 2022 having not bolted to seed during this time, being a bi-annual it should have run to seed late 2021
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Ford Giant Hook is a Heirloom standard Silverbeet. It's crinkled leaves are mid green in colour with white veins. The stems are broad white, ideal as a steamed vegetable or in salad as a baby leaf. Propagation: Sow seeds directly where to grow or in a tray of seed raising mix in a warm sunny location, should germinate in 14-21 days.
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Between 1838 and 1839 the Cherokee people of the United States were forced to march across the Smoky Mountains to Oklahoma. This winter death march is known as the Trail of Tears as over 4,000 people died making the trip. In 1977 a member of Seed Savers Exchange named Dr. John Wyche from Hugo, Oklahoma, USA donated seeds to there collection. It is thought that his Cherokee ancestors carried this heirloom bean with them on the Trail of Tears. Beans were domesticated in the Americas thousands of years ago and serve as a protein in the diet of humans
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Chinese Red Meat Radish is a heirloom variety that hails from China. A mild radish with a slightly peppery bite, it has a white and green skin but the center is rich pink, sure to add a delightful colour to any salad.
PropagationSow seeds in the ground where you intend to grow, cover with a 2-3mm layer of soil.
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Poona Kerra is an heirloom from India. This cucumber produces creamy light-green fruits with a delicious crisp and juicy taste. Fruit are shaped like a potato with skin turning brown as they ripen.
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White flowered, white seeded bush form of the Runner bean, grows to about 40cm tall. Like all dwarf beans they are frost tender. During long periods of wet weather it can be an idea to throw a cover over to shed the rain as beans close to the ground can rot.
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Early Gem is a NZ heirloom corn that Richard continues to select for the number of cobs per plant, the size of the cobs, and the earliest plants that produce ripe seed, grows to about 1.7m tall. Regarded as a semisweet variety while being moderately starchy.
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These are hardy perennial onions that are very prolific. They do best in a well-drained, moist garden bed. Bulbils are best planted from March till Sep.
It is thought that the Egyptian Walking tree onion is a F1 clone, a cross between the Walsh and a standard brown onion, but this has proven to be not the case as is 2015 Richard carried out a breeding project by removing the bulbil and hand pollination, 13 seeds were produced in 2015, from those 13 only 5 seedlings germinated. During that summer the four remaining plants grew and divided giving me 23 new base onions. These were then replanted out separately and it is hoped they will produce more seed. After three generations it was noticed that they were 100% identical to the original clone meaning the Egyptian Walking tree onion is a mutation not a cross.
Sold out for the season, hit the watch tab to receive a notification when its back in stock in 2026
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Photo taken 14/7/2022 of the last 15 remaining beet plants out of around 500 that were chosen for being the healthiest and most productive. These went on to provide the 2022-23 seed crop. Etollbeet is a new cross between Detroit Dark Red, Bulls Blood and a unknown dark red large beetroot given to Richard by a Takaka gardener. Mixing genetics in vegetables produces wide variation in size, shape, colour range as well as tastes, This crossing is also capable of unlocking traits that can go back many generations, this grex seed is something quite different for the home gardener and should be quite interesting to anyone who's a bit experimental.
Seed packets do contain some plant material and varying size seed.
18th July 2024 seed was sown of original Etoillbeet grex as well as - Crosbys Egyptian Flat, Rainbow Blend,Action F1 hybrid, All Sseasons F1, Derwent Globe, Baby Beets, and Cylindra. By sowing in winter this tends to expose plants that want to flower in there first season. Its only those that dont and carry on growing through to the following growing season that end up being used in the next generation grex mix. First year bolters/flowering and any weak plants will be pulled out.
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This is not a building fennel, the green/brown leaves are useful in soups,pickles,roasts,salads and many more culinary dishes. Easy to grow, great for the bees as well and looks pretty intermixed into a veggie garden or cottage garden setting
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Florence fennel is a cool-weather perennial grown as an annual for its swollen leaf bases and edible leaves. When using in salads, the flavour can be improved by slicing the bulb and putting it in a bowl of water and ice cubes in the fridge for an hour.
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Sweet or common fennel is part of the Apiaceae (umbellifers) family, along with carrot, dill, anise, parsley, parsnip, celery and angelica. These plants have umbrella shaped flowers and aromatic flavours and hollow stems. Many are medicinal herbs and attractors of predator insects to the garden. Most of the fennel plant can be used. Fennel has traditionally been used for digestive, endocrine, reproductive, lactation and respiratory systems.
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New Zealand Variegated Green Flax, Phormium Tenax has soft light green tips with cream stripes through the center, they can grow 3.5mt x 2mt wide with dark red flower spikes, that the Tui's love. Sometimes, this will grow bigger in the right conditions but being variegated, expect it to be smaller than the green non-variegated flax. Propagation: Plant NZ Variegated Green Flax seeds in spring undercover in seed raising mix for later outside transplanting.
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This variety was gifted to Nev which he has now grown for over 20 years. A black hilum forage pea was at the time being exported to India. They have found it to be an ideal pea for making into hummus. Grows about 30-45 cm tall and is quite productive.
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The immature flower is eaten as a vegetable. The medicinal properties of Globe Artichoke have been known for many years. The leaves were very popular between the 16th and 19th centuries when they were used to stimulate bile flow and for a variety of digestive disorders.
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Golden Light tomatoes have been tested as having one of the highest levels of Tetra-cis-lycopene, a highly beneficial bioavailable form of lycopene. An orange teardrop fruit this variety is very similar to 'Orange Roma' which is a good producer of tasty Roma style tomatoes. Propagation: Sow Golden Light Tomato seeds directly onto a firm bed of seed raising mix and press in well. Cover with a light layer of mix. Seedlings usually appear in two to three months depending on temperature.
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Goldenrod are tall and slim with fluffy golden flower spikes in various shades of yellow. They're attractive when in bloom in the late summer to autumn and are a valuable food source for pollinators, particularly the Monarch butterfly.
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Dates back to the 1870's England.
Needs support to grow up, has large pods. Plant autumn for northern areas, South Island sow spring and summer. Grows up to 2 metres
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This French heirloom is a very vigorous white runner bean that grows up to 3-4m Broad pods containing only 2-4 large seeds (15 by 30mm). Good eaten as a green bean as well as a dried bean. Similar bean to Greek Gigante in bean size
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Hopi Yellow Beans are a high-yeilding tasty, early maturing, pole green bean that can be eaten as a fresh green bean or a dried light yellow/beige bean. From Hopi Indian, also called "grease beans'
Propagate: Plant Hopi yellow bean seeds in spring either inside in trays for later outside transplanting or outside where you wish to grow, watch for slugs and snails.
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Known in South America where is originates as Camote, it is also known here in NZ as as Kumara or Sweet Potato in North America. This widely grown tuber crop is normally grown each year from cuttings.
Camote grown from seed rather than a clone is globally rare. The government funded DSIR back in the 70's or 80's carried out a short trial but for some reason was stopped, this may have been the only Ipomoea batatas seed had grown till 2017 when Richard Paul was gifted some seed from a passionate home gardener/breeder in the US, he then set about starting a long term breeding program with the idea crossing it with a local Kumara.
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A great tomato with history. This tomato is a large fleshy one (up to 600 grams ), low in acid with very few seeds. Rick says that out of the 50 plus tomatoes he grows, this is his number one.
Was given to Duncan by an Italian sailor sometime in the 50's and grown by him for many years and eventually was forgotten. Rick attained just a few old seeds of which only two grew and have a good inventory of seeds
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Italian Valena Beans are a duel-purpose bean variety that can be used as a young green bean or dried bean. The pods are flat and green when young then turn tan with maroon streaks as they mature. The seeds are large, egg-shaped and tan with dark purple/brown streaks.
Propagation: Italian Valena Bean seeds can either be placed in a seed raising tray for subsequent transplanting or plant in the garden where to grow.Take 7-14 days to germinate.
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Pear-shaped fruit that are a strange red/orange/purple colour with very good taste. Strong, vigourous plants, that should be allowed to carry 3 or 4 leaders. So put in several stakes for each plant. Excellent yields.
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A red on green hues kale with oak leaf ruffled shapes.Very winter hardy and will handle temps as low as -20 deg, does best in soil pH of between 6.1 and 6.5
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Red Russian kale leaves are tender, sweet and mild when picked young. The red tinged leaves are a bluish blush making them quite attractive. The leaves are flat with toothed edges. Usually grows to about half a metre tall but can reach up to 1m tall with a long stalk if left in the ground with enough time to grow.
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Combines the broadleaf frills of Siberian kale with the colour of Red Russian. Great raw flavour for salads. Bolting purple stems of over wintered plants are very sweet, perfect for stir frying.
Open Source Seed Initiative Pledge: You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives. https://osseeds.org/
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A Siberian type highly productive hardy kale. Tolerates weather and water logged soil better than most other kales. Plants are vigorous and large.
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Kanuka is similar to Manuka but is different plant with its smaller leaves and seed pods, it can grow into a tree up to 30 m tall. It grows well on all soil types except water-logged soils, and is tolerant of wind, drought and frost.
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This line of Celery started of as Nutty but was crossed with Utah Giant back in 2012, now a stable line thats less stringy than that of Nutty. Grow year round in warm areas and from Sep till Feb in cooler areas.
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The original kascade korn plants commenced life in Scargill, in the early 80s.They grow well in our climate and under our organic regime. They are open pollinated, offering the advantage of you being able to reproduce your own seed for subsequent seasons. They are not as sweet as the super sweet types that people have got used to, but are delicious and very sustaining.
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Kawakawa is a shrub with knobbly joints and glossy large heart shaped leaves that are a dark green. Kawakawa leaves are traditionally used to brew herbal remedies, balms, ointments or turned into a poultice and applied to treat skin abrasions and ailments. It is an incredibly medicinal and healing plant in New Zealand. Kawakawa is a coastal and lowland forest tree that prefers moist rich, free-draining soil in a semi-shade to shady position. It will tolerate an open windy situation but is frost tender. Kawakawa will often be found growing beneath the canopy of larger plantings such as pine trees, as the kawakawa plant does not require much light to flourish. Kawakawa produce a berry that turns from green to orange in February/March.
Propagation: Plant Kawakawa seeds in Summer and Autumn in moist seed raising mix, cover lightly and keep moist but not waterlogged in a warm partially shaded place. Seeds may take some time to appear, 6mths.
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Purple Vienna Kohlrabi is an heirloom, open-pollinated variety that is an ideal staple crop for cool-weather gardening. It is one of the easiest and most productive continuous harvests throughout autumn and winter months. Plants grow to 30cm tall and produce edible greens (leaves) in addition to the beautiful purple bulbs. The leaves taste similar to kale greens. Bulbs grow above the soil and have a purple exterior with a white flesh. The texture is crunchy and is excellent prepared raw as a slaw or an addition to salads, these should be harvested at about 7.5cm in diameter. Propagation: Sow Purple Vienna Kohlrabi seeds directly onto a firm bed of seed raising mix and press in well. Cover with a light layer of mix. Seedlings usually appear in 7-14 days.
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Lamb's Quarters grows very quickly especially in protected areas or in green houses. Said to be very high in calcium and vitamin K and is eaten much you do with spinac.
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The seeds need to go through a cold period before they'll be able to germinate so place in the fridge for 6 weeks before being sown. Larksur likes a free draining soil but don’t do well in dry and hot conditions, Can be prone to root rot in wet ground.
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Forms large clumps of thumb size stems which have a stronger leek flavour than standard leek though they are a bit more finicky when harvesting. Best sown in spring forming clumps by late summer/autumn, if left in the ground through the following winter the clumps will form a mass of corns meaning the perennial leek will become permanent and difficult to eradicate. Some gardeners may prefer its feature while others prefer it as a annual vegetable by insuring its harvested before winter.
Germination testing has shown that this strain of leek to have very poor seed germination because of 200+ years of reproducing from clones, over time the cultivar loses its ability to produce seed much like garlic has become. Richard in 2024 imported a strain of perennial leek which has a high germination strike rate, The US and NZ cultivars will be cross pollinated and this should reinvigorate the local strain meaning larger plants and hopefully better. Breeding work will take until 2026, in the mean time hit the watch tap for email updates
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A young and still evolving grex/landrace variety been bred by Richard Watson and another Canadian gardener who have been mixing the seed over the last few years, so its really a collection of 15 standard leeks varieties, some grow wide large stems while others can be very tall, this is because of the strong genetic diversity. Suggested growing method is to aim for a long length white stem of up to 40cm, sow seed late winter/ early spring close enough together aiming for a spacing of 2cm apart, by mid summer the plants should be up to 30cm tall, dig them up trying not to damage the roots too much and place in a bucket with enough water in it to cover the roots. The soil these plants go into needs to be deeply dug over then using a rake or shovel handle poke it down into the soil as deep as 40cm, wriggle it around to make a shaft to which a leek plant is dropped down, then pour a small amount of water down, its just then a matter of insuring that the growth tip can grow up and out of the shaft.
The following cultivars were sown late winter 2024 and the best will be used in crossing with the original Portage line.
King Richard, King Sieg, Autumn Giant, Lincoln, Bulgarian Giant, Blue De Solaize, Carantan, Lancelot, American Flag, and Mechelen Blue Green Winter,
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Bred at Purau Gardens for many years and had adapted well to the coastal climate, this strain of leek may well suit warmer areas of NZ. Its a cross between three well known NZ varieties including Musselburgh. Suggested growing method is to aim for a long length white stem of up to 40cm, sow seed late winter/ early spring close enough together aiming for a spacing of 2cm apart, by mid summer the plants should be up to 30cm tall, dig them up trying not to damage the roots too much and place in a bucket with enough water in it to cover the roots. The soil these plants go into needs to be deeply dug over then using a rake or shovel handle poke it down into the soil as deep as 40cm, wriggle it around to make a shaft to which a leek plant is dropped down, then pour a small amount of water down, its just then a matter of insuring that the growth tip can grow up and out of the shaft
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A heritage variety that was brought into NZ by a returning WW2 soldier and has been grown in and around Cooptown, Banks Peninsula since. A great tasty green leafy lettuce.
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Drunken Woman is an Italian heirloom lettuce that produces bright green leaves with ruffled edges in a deep bronze color. It is a popular lettuce to grow for beginner gardeners because it is very easy to grow and slow to bolt. Propagation: Best sown directly where to grow, in rows or scattered sections, should germinate in 7-14 days.
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A semi-cos heirloom variety with attractive light green leaves covered in red freckles. Lettuces are normally a cool weather crop that is easy to grow and grows quickly. Best sown directly where to grow, in rows or scattered sections, should germinate in 7-14 days.
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Rocket is a lettuce native to the Mediterranean region, Rocket is used as a leaf vegetable in salads, it is known for its fresh and peppery flavor. Propagation: Sow seeds directly where to grow or in a tray of seed raising mix in a warm sunny location, should germinate in 7-14 days.
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Lobella, is yellow and hollow very like a capsicum to look at. It is a delicious cooking tomato, which can be stuffed and baked or baked only. It is a low acid tomato and a good cropper. It was bought from a NZ seed company originally but they no longer stock it.
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As the name suggests this tomato has a slow ripening fruit that keeps well into winter, a close relative to Burpee Long keeper. This is a tomato that i like to start mid summer and pick green late autumn so they slowly ripen through the winter. A mid size, dark red skinned tomato that is red inside during summer but has darker red during the cooler months.
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Also known as velvet flower, foxtail amaranth tassel flower and pendant amaranth. it is a short-lived frost-tender plant, popular in summer bedding displays. It's easy to grow and bears showy, tassel-like crimson flowers, contrasting with fresh, green leaves.
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Lychnis coronaria has striking white flowers. Prefers a well-drained soil in full sun. It self-seeds readily. Rich nectar and pollen and a good bee attractor. Also comes in cerise pink, dark pink and white with pink centre.
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Gifted to Richard from a long time gardener who wanted his strain of maize to carry on. It produces kennels larger than other varieties of maize so can be too large for some hand grinders. Plants grow to about 2m tall and generally produce one cob per plant, some plants can produce two but these cobs tend to be smaller.
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The maize Sola is the name given to it by Nev, is was derived from an old maize that was commercially available back in the early 1970s when he first began growing it. Both Sue and Nev have a long history together, as plant and grower. It has changed during that lengthy association and now looks as if the sun is shining out of it. They use it principally in ground form for making what we regard as a very sustaining porridge (cooked with milk); rich and filling. Customers have also used it to create polenta and it seems to perform well used this way. Although the seed from which the original crop was grown from was possibly a hybrid (even back then) it is no longer so, and reliably produces consistent crops.
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Best eaten when small, while still sweet. Larger roots can be used as animal feed. Sow in early spring in colder areas, year round in northern NZ. They can bolt to seed if sown too early.
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A French Heirloom very popular in Northern Italy with great pest and disease resistance. Fast growing producing early season fruit . Harvest 12-14 weeks from sow
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Foxtail Millet is the second-most widely planted species of millet, It is mild and slightly sweet in flavour and can be both light and fluffy or crunchy when fried. millet is propagated from seeds, they can be started inside in trays 45 days before frost and hardened to the cooler weather. It is fast-growing and will take only 60 days for the plant to go from seed to flower.
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You won't have met many people who have propagated potatoes by any other than vegetative means; in other words from tubers from the previous crop. You may have noticed though, that some potato plants produce flowers. Still fewer of these plants go on to develop and mature small greenish fruits. They look tomato-like and contain a stiff "pulp" holding many small white seeds. These seeds can be encouraged to germinate and with some care will grow into small plants that are easily recognized as miniature potato plants. Even from a relatively early stage when they may only be 100mms tall, differences will be discernible between these individuals. They truly are individuals. They may not all prosper. They will each possess their own degree of disease resistance and vigour. As a propagator you will be rewarded, by those that flourish, with crops of distinctly unique potato tubers; diverse in both form, colour, flavour, texture, maturity and keeping qualities. This is a pursuit I have been involved in for at least 20 years. It is an exciting enterprise (if you are a potato Nerd!), and can result in the coming into being of very worthwhile, totally new, delicious cultivars that you can then continue into the future via the usual system of growing from tubers. But don't forget to keep seed from the best of them and continue the exploration of potatoes from true seed.
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Nigella are hardy annuals that grow from 15 to 60 cm in height.
It is best to sow Nigalla sativa seeds once a month from just before the last frost of spring until early summer, and then once again towards the end of autumn. This will result in a prolonged blooming period
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A hyper tendril shell out dwarf pea ,selected over the last 20 years to produce pods over a longer period, tendrils cling together holding the plant upright but some staking is needed .
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This is a cross between Pukekoke Long Keeper and Mammoth Improved onion carried out in 2023-24. Second stage of this breeding project will see sowing of this first cross along side original Pukekoke Long Keeper and Mammoth Improved seed to insure good genetic mixing. The idea of this cross was to mix the keep ability of the Pukekoke Long Keeper and the production of the Mammoth Improved.
When growing seed from this early cross expect diversity in type.
The following cultivars were sown late winter for the 2024/25 growing season, these will be added to this genetic mass pollination
New York Early, Fehmel Steig, Franzisco, Maria Nagy's Transylvanian Yellow, Newburg, Sweet Spanish Golorade, Texas Early Grano, Australian Brown, Yellow of Purma, Cipollini, Walla Walla, Utah Yellow Sweet Spanish, Ailsa Craig.
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A super sized onion which is still sweet considering its size. This variety is one grown in the UK for competitions and can grow as heavy as 5 kgs. Seed was imported from the UK 2019 and one generation has been grown by Richard. It is a tasty onion but not a great keeper.
Sow seed early spring in the South Island, North Islanders may be able to sow autumn through winter as well, feedback from customers would be appreciated https://www.mammothonion.co.uk/product/seeds-plants/onion-family/onion/mammoth-improved-onion/
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History knowledge of this onion is limited, was originally given to koanga by a ex-breeder from Yates, unsure it came with a name. The selection work carried out by Richard on this large red onion strain involves, 1, aiming to achieve the longest growing season possible by sowing seed late winter and harvesting when tops start to fall over late summer early autumn. 2, the best of that seasons onions are stored in autumn, some of these onion will grow shoots through winter meaning they are discarded, its the last to start growing a green shoot in early spring are then planted out for flowering/seed. 3, selecting on the shape of onion - Richard is trying to move away from flatter type shape to more of a round or even taller upward torpedo shape. the idea is that less of the onion is sitting on the soil surface.
Sow seed early spring in the South Island, North Islanders may be able to sow autumn through winter as well, feedback from customers would be appreciated
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Red Bunching Onion is an Evergreen red-skinned bunching Onion, grown and used in the same way as white Welsh Onions. Plants grow 70-75cm high, and 1.5-2cm in diameter, and have a mild sweet taste. This variety makes a welcome addition to any salad or culinary display with its bright red attractive stalks. Plant from early spring through to early autumn. Maturity 120 days from direct sowing.
Propagation: Sow seeds directly where to grow in a line or in a tray of seed raising mix in a warm sunny location, should germinate in 7-14days.
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The true bunching onion is a perennial that does not form a bulb. Bunching onions are strong and enduring once established, they can supply a sharp and delicious punch of flavour to your cooking, year after year.
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Another name is Marrowfat pea (if dried also used for mushy or wasabi peas) that produces thick blunt pods filled with 6-8 peas. Matures in around 75 days. Needs some staking to add some support.
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The Oregon Sugar Pod Snow Pea produces a large crop of sweet sno peas on 1/2 - 1m tall vines. Like other sno peas they are generally resistant to powdery mildew. Can take up to 68 days to mature and likes to be sown somewhere with full sun. Can be sown during winter in northern areas of NZ, but generally a spring/ summer sown crop in the south.
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Pok Choy is a Chinese cabbage native to Hong Kong and Southern China. Ideal in stir-fries, soups or salads. Pok Choi is a cool weather crop that is easy to grow. It grows quickly and can be grown during winter in areas that see little or no frosts, doesn't do so well in summer as it tends to bolt.
Propagation: Pok Choi Seeds are best sown directly where to grow, in rows or scattered sections, should germinate in 7-14 days.
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The Hollow Crown dates back to the early 1820s. A long tapered white root that has been grown and selected by Rick for over twenty years. If you wish to grow this long rooted parsnip, you will need deep soil that is stone free. If parsnips hit a stone while growing they tend to fork. They grow best in a light, deep rich soil. A generous amount of compost or humus in some other form helps develop a long edible root. Parsnip is notoriously difficult to grow for many gardeners because of parsnip seeds short lifespan, so to help with good germination all our parsnip seed is grown each year meaning seed is no more than 12 months when sold.
Kraslcrown is the result of a cross pollination carried out by Richard in 2010 between Hollow crown and Kral, hence the name Kralcrown.
The key to growing parsnips is using fresh seed. Many gardeners say they have no luck growing parsnips which is normally because of using old seed. Parsnip seed only remains viable for two years at room temperature. Sentinels parsnip seed is regrown every year meaning it should give great germination results.
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Peans are a great all rounder with many uses. The plants climb just like a runner bean or climbing french bean and produce flat pods similar to a large mangetout pea. The pods can be picked young and used whole as a french bean or left on the plants to mature and shelled like peas, or they can be left to mature fully and dry and then used as any other dried beans. New seasons seed will be available again as soon a possible
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Trinidad Moruga Scorpion is regarded as the third hottest pepper in the world at 1.2 million Scoville heat units. A small fruit that comes in red and yellow.
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Wild Fire Chili is a hot chili that is a very heavy producer, the chilies have a medium thick, dark green flesh that ripens to a bright red. A bushy upright plant that loves warm sunny positions. Can be planted in patio tubs or into the garden/greenhouse, wildfire Chilies are hot, rated 80,000 on the Scoville scale.
Propagation: Sow Wild Fire Chili seeds from September to October in seed raising mix, transplant out (undercover) in October to November, seeds should germinate in 14-21 days.
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Originally native to Southern Europe, this perennial long-lived plant is best where it can remain. Perennial Sweet Peas are not noticeably fragrant. Comes in two shades of colours.
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Grow in full sun or part shade in well drained soil or in a large pot. Occasionally prune to keep it a nice shape, produces beautiful flowers that last a long time, has attractive pastel grey leaves which are a nice contrast with the flowers. Attractive in courtyard and patio’s or near the house, does well in coastal conditions. Can handle light frosts, grows to approximately 1 x 1 m preferred well drained soils
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Black mini popping corn is Hulless so no getting them stuck in your teeth, they pop white, they are low growing cobs grow to 6 cm in length. plant in blocks for better pollination, avoid growing near other corn to avoid cross pollination. The drier the kernel the better they pop. Heirloom
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Glass Gem can be grounded into oatmeal, popped or used as a ornament. It is a tall growing plant so choose a sheltered sight, grow in blocks for better pollination, away from other corn to avoid cross pollination. Each plant will grow 3/5 cobs. Give the kernels a chance to dry before popping the less moisture the better they will pop
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Heirloom variety, this variety is a shorter plant producing small rich red popcorn cobs that resemble the shape of a strawberry, for better germination grow on blocks instead of rows, I plant in pairs to reduce the amount of space needed approximately 40/50cm apart either directly into soil or in seed trays plant when weather has warmed up, protect from snails and birds when the shoots first appear. * allow kernels to dry properly before popping the less moisture the better they pop
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This mini popping corn is often confused as strawberry pop corn is a shorter strawberry shape. Kernels are about half the size of traditional popcorn while the plants grow only 120-150 cm tall and produce mahogany-colored cobs.
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A cross between Whangaparoa Crown, Green Chestnut and an unknown very large crown-like pumpkin. This current generation of seed is 6 years into selection and stabilization. It is starting to become quite uniform in both colour, size and taste, though do expect some variation. The idea behind using these three varieties was, green Chestnut had wonderful flavour but thin flesh, Whangaparoa Crown had thick flesh but average to good flavour while the unknown had size. Richard thought combining all three could produce an outstanding new variety. Between 50 -60 plants are grown each year and about 140 fruit harvested. Seed from only the best flavoured, large and thick fleshed fruit are used for breeding over the successive growing seasons.
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Originates from France, can grow from 5 - 15 kg and stores well, thin skinned so can be peeled as well. Are green when younger mature to a rich brown colour, (can be different shades of colour depending on how much light they are exposed to). A very nice pumpkin to grow
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This pumpkin is an old French heirloom, moderately sweet, easy to grow. Plant in the spring, maturity is 95 - 105 days. Also known as the Cinderella pumpkin.
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Known also as Green Luobo . This is a unique radish that is sweet, crispy and slightly hot. It has green flesh. The skin is green with a white tip. Sow in spring, for summer, as it won't winter over where there are hard frosts.
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Large strain of perennial celery producing red stalks and pinkish yellow blanched hearts, looks good in raw salads. Stronger tasting than green celery, good for soups and stews. Handles winter frosts better than standard celery varieties, though in heavy frost areas the stems are not eatable during these periods .
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Rhubarb is is a rhizomatous perennial, really easy to grow from seed and is quite vigorous growing. The plants that this seed came from were themselves seed grown. Plants love well-rotted organic matter mulched around them. Sow seed in a seed raising in small pots and plant out once seedling are 10cm tall
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In this mix of seed are cultivars that mostly throw to the purple and purple/white fleshed, some white and red can be expected also. Seed can be sown in autumn then transfer the tiny seedlings to pots and grow through winter in a frost free area, Springtime is the best time for those who get frosts. Allow each seedling to grow till as late as possible in the season, then its a matter of digging up each plant and assessing which plant has produced the best yield and for desirable shape and colours. The first year tubers are not always the largest its when they are replanted in the second season that they will produce greater yield. It's worth remembering that new TPS cultivars are virus free.
Red Rascal and Rua seed is the latest to be added to Richards potato gene pool
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Smaller in size so doesn’t require as long a summer to grow unlike the bigger ones, plant in rich soil in direct sunlight once frost’s have passed. fruit grows to 20 cm across 3 kg in weight, flesh is orange. Heirloom Disease resistant
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The Roma tomato is known for its egg shape fruit. Its also named plum Roma in some countries, this firm small tomato is often used in producing tomato paste Indeterminate
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Evergreen perennial. Tall and sturdy, multi tiered flower stems with whirls of butter yellow flowers in summer. Flower heads dry to brown to add much needed structure and interest to the winter garden. Plant has large heart shaped leaves. Makes an excellent ground cover, is hardy and can tolerate most soil types and dryness.
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It's fast growing perennial climbing up to 3 metres in a season. Plants will produce a profusion of pretty red and white flowers, amidst a heavy cover of leaves, in colder climates it pays to cover root crown with mulch so as to stop frost penetrating the soil killing the crown .
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Skirret is a perennial vegetable which dates back to Roman times. Related to carrots, it is the bunches of skinny white roots that is the edible portion. Doesn't like to be grown anywhere too dry and are slightly vulnerable to carrot fly. Roasted its a very tasty vegetable. Sow in spring time and treat the seedling like carrot seedlings by keeping them weed free and at a spacing of 20cm apart. Roots develop their full flavour during winter. Best grown as a annual.
Skirret seed is a difficult seed to germinate, the best method appears to be surface sowing in early winter outdoors in a area where the surface stays damp, by spring the small seedlings can be transferred to there garden bed, space out by 20cm x 20cm.
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This line of snake bean seed is a mix of three different cultivars that are considered as string less, they can grow to 70-80 cm long but best harvested at around 45cm long unless saving the seeds. can be eaten raw while young or steamed, stir fried or used in stews when more mature. slightly sweet flavour plant after frosts have passed, beans like the warmer weather so if still a bit chilly wont do as well. Needs a support to grow up
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Heirloom pea originating from Southland. This pea grows a multi coloured flower and grows to about a meter tall. It does need support to grow up. Pick the whole seed pod before the seeds form and use in salads and stir fries.
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Best sown when soil temps are over 10deg. A handy vegetable to grow during spring when few other vegetable grew at that time of the year. This gorgeous green veg is delicious, a good source of folic acid, manganese and vitamins A and C,
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A new breeding project by Richard that involved gathering seed from many different summer radishes as possible, this mass cross grex was sown Jan 2024 which consisted of the following - French Breakfast, Scarlet Finger, Sparkler, Cherry Belle, Mila and Pink Beauty.
Photo shows the results of this first cross pollination
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Spring onions are also known as green onions, scallions or sibies. They tend to have a milder taste than most other onions, they can be eaten either raw in salads or cooked. Sow in Spring through to early Autumn in the South Island or year around in Northern areas. Propagation - Sow seeds directly where to grow in a line or in a tray of seed raising mix in a warm sunny location, should germinate in 7-14 days.
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This variety of pumpkin is mainly grown for its seeds to be eaten as is or pressed for oil, seeing they’re Hulless you can eat them straight from the pumpkin or soak in water for a few days before drying to store in your pantry or freezer. Sew when the weathers warmed up with no chance of a late frost.
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Kumi Kumi fruit can grow to around 1kg and grow up to 30cm long. Needs plenty of space to grow as its a very rampant creeper. Immature fruit can be eaten as a courgette and tastes great. Once fruit is mature it stores well over winter but has a very hard skin.
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Butternut has tan-yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp with a compartment of seeds in the blossom end. When ripe, it turns increasingly deep orange, and becomes sweeter and richer. It is a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C Magnesium Potassium and Vitamin A
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Early-cropping bush tomato, these are the earliest-fruiting tomatoes that I've ever had the pleasure of growing. No pruning, no staking; ultra easy care.
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The swan plant is the food source for monarch butterfly as well as other species. Seedlings take about four months to grow to size may need protection to get them that size before butterflies find them to have a bigger food source, they can smell them up to 2 kms away, trees can grow up to two meters in height
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Also known as Bearded pink or London pride. Sweet william is a strong scented
biennial or short lived perennial with densely packed clusters of small flowers coming through in late spring/early summer. Coming in a wide range of colours, this selection includes, light and dark pink, red, white, pink/white, red/white and various other
shades. Likes full sun and rich soil, great in containers or beds and borders. Propagate by seed, cutting or division. Seeds will not breed true but you’ll still get a nice mix of colours. An old fashioned favourite, has flowers with shades of pinks all summer. Great as a vege companion.
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Bold Gold Tamarillo is a fast growing bush that can produce up to 20kgs when fully grown. The fruit is medium size and yellow/gold in colour. Tamarillo bushes are frost tender and need good shelter from winds, they are susceptible to aphids and whitefly, so consider companion planting with herbs such as basil or coriander to deter pests.
Propagation - Place Bold Gold Tamarillo seeds in seed raising mix cover with a fine layer of mix, water well and place tray in a warm sunny spot, spring is the best time, germination can take 2-3 weeks.
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Tarahumara Climbing Beans are a very unusual deep purple bean, with a few grey and dark red types mixed in. A Climbing bean with dark lilac flowers and colourful pods, this bean hails from Mexico.
Propagate: Plant Tarahumara Climbing Bean seeds in spring either inside in trays for later outside transplanting or outside where you wish to grow, watch for slugs and snails.
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This mass crossing carried out Richard Watson used Early Gem, Golden, Bantam and as many F1 hybrids as possible, also added was another corn mix first grown back in 2001 by Peter Clarke, he had done likewise in mixing up many cultivars. Named Toconjoin as of 14/2/2023, this new landrace cultivar will continue to evolve similar to pre-1700's seed saving through the introduction of other cultivars once every 3-4 years. Over 200 plants are first used to achieve as much cross pollination as possible. The photo shows a selection of the best cobs from that 2020/21 crop. During the growing season of 2020/21, one singe plant produced slightly purple kennels, those seeds were separated and grown 2021/22, this crop went on to produce around 10 plants with white kennels.
2025 update - This line of sweet corn is now starting to mostly stabilize into producing white cobs as seen in the second photo, this seed will be available towards the end of winter once its dried. The sweetcorn flavour has been retained through each of the grow out years, and remains with the white corn also.
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These bulbils have come from seven generations grown from true seed grown, this gives them a huge advantage over clove grown because when clones are replanted seasonally viruses can be transferred down reducing the new plants vigour and size. Growing from seed on the other hand breaks this virus cycle meaning much better quality bulb. Bulbs displayed in the photo are from the same true seed. It takes two growing seasons to reach this size but the wait is worth it. Best place to store garlic is in the ground, it doesn't matter when garlic is sown, garlic will emerge from the ground when garlic wants to emerge. Also the time frame when garlic emerges in one area of NZ may not be the same as other areas. Dry soil can very much slow down bulbil emergence, so water well after sowing. To date it is unknown if anyone has intentionally managed to grow their own TSG in NZ, though it would be unlikely, there have been two cases of seed grown in NZ in the 1990's but in both cases the growers of the seed had no understanding of just how unique and rare those tiny black seeds that fell out on their storing table were. Only one of these gardeners grew that seed, thus likely to have been the very first TSG sown in NZ. Thankfully this gardener did and has subsequently shared out bulbils widely. The growing of your own TSG takes about two months longer than if only growing for bulb production. Keeping garlic plants alive two extra months has been the problem as to why its been so difficult for a number of kiwi gardeners to archive there own TSG. The key is controlling allium rust which seems to be getting worse by the year More bulbils should be available Jan 2025 Info on TGS- https://www.rasacreekfarm.com/true-garlic-seed
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Purple-top vervain, cluster-top vervain or tall verbena is a purple herbaceous perennial. It has very tall, slender stems, irresistible to butterflies. The flowers are an airy lavender to rose-purple in tight clusters on long stems up to 1m high, which bloom from mid-summer until autumn. Self seeds readily and is easy to grow from semi-hardwood cuttings.
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White carrots are not only delicious but also packed with numerous health benefits. One of the key advantages of consuming white carrots is their high antioxidant content. Another significant health benefit of white carrots is their high dietary fiber content. White carrots are also known to boost the immune system. These vibrant vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and beta-carotene. Vitamin C is essential for a robust immune system, while beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A,
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A small yellow currant tomato with a pleasant fruity flavour that is not overly sweet, this heirloom came from Indiana, USA and dates back to the 1900s. It was discovered by John Hartman of Indianapolis, who found it growing in cracks in the street, and it was named for the creek that runs through the area
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This variety dates back to the 1800s and is a vigorous indeterminate tomato producing generously with an abundance of small yellow pear-shaped tomatoes that are sweet and mild in flavour.
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Zucchini Striped is a very productive summer squash, has dark green skin with light strips running thru the length. Plant late spring to early summer. Heirloom
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