A large flat-leaved parsley variety with excellent strong flavour ? more pungent than curled types. Parsley is probably the most well-known herb in the world. It is native to the Mediterranean region and was first grown mostly for medicinal purposes. It seems to have become more commonly used in Northern Europe since the Middle Ages and is today?s favourite for garnishing, in salads and for cooking.

This Italian variety grows an abundance of dark green leaves. It can be grown in pots as well as in the ground all year round.

Winter Vegetable Seed Collection Contains 6 Varieties in one pack

Grow a delicious Winter Vegetable this year with Viridis Hortus variety vegetable seed pack collection featuring many varieties.

Great deal 6 Economy Variety Packs of Winter Vegetable Seeds

Packet Content: Carrot, Brussels Sprouts, Leek, Parsnip, Spinach & Swede

 Variety of different seeds Ideal selection to start off your own home or allotment vegetable plot.

Sowing Instruction?s enclosed with packs

Content Worth £6.32!

Value based on items when purchased separately, excluding multi buy Promotions

* Carrot - Autumn King 2 - 300 Seeds

* Brussels Sprout - Bedford Darkmar 21 - 80 Seeds

* Leek - Musselburgh - 80 Seeds

* Parsnip - White Gem - 100 Seeds

* Spinach - F1 Viroflay - 100 Seeds

* Swede ? Gowrie - 100 Seeds

Suitable for the vegetable garden, allotments and containers.

Be prepared to water well and supplement feed with high-potash feed during season. Regular feeding is recommended.

Packet Content: 440 (2g's approx )

Bushy plant up to 50cm in height

Sow Anise from March to May, in pots or trays on the surface of barely moist seed compost and cover seeds with a sprinkling of finely sieved compost. Place in a propagator at 15-20C (59- 68F) until germination, which can be up to 21 days. When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into 7.5cm (3") pots and grow on in cooler conditions.

When all risk of frost has passed, gradually acclimatise plants to outdoor conditions over 7 - 10 days before planting outdoors. Plant at a distance of 38cm (15") apart on any fertile, free draining, non acidic soil in full sun.

Once established Anise requires little attention and copes well with dry conditions. Harvest the leaves as and when required once plants are well grown.

Suitable for the vegetable garden, allotments and containers.
Be prepared to water well and supplement feed with high-potash feed during season. Regular feeding is recommended.

Basil 'Sweet Genovese' is considered to be one of the best varieties of aromatic basil, hailed for its sweet-flavoured leaves and soft texture. Sow seed indoors in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill, and move plants outside in summer.

Sow seed indoors February to June in trays of seed compost, 6mm deep and cover with finely sieved compost or vermiculite. Cover & keep at a temperature of between 18-20C. Keep watered and germination will take place in about 5-10 days. When the seeds have germinated, water sparingly to prevent 'damping off.' Carefully transplant each seedling to a small pot and grow on for 4 weeks. Either transplant into larger pot (about 15cm) or into garden, spacing plants every 25cm apart, in rows 25cm apart. Only plant in garden when all threat of frost has passed - late May to early June. Alternatively sow direct in soil when night time temperatures are above 13C, June time, but the greenhouse method is more successful.

This herb is easy to grow and makes a good container plant for either inside or outside or in the veg plot. The leaves are aromatic and oval shaped with a pointed end, they are slightly curved inwards concave. It grows to 45cm tall and has a spread of 30cm.

The taste of fresh basil far out weighs that of shop bought as after 3-5 days basil begins to deteriorate, the leaves become floppy and more importantly basil loses it's flavour. It is at it's best when freshly picked and used that day. It is best to crush the leaves to release the aroma.

Suitable for the vegetable garden, allotments and containers.
Be prepared to water well and supplement feed with high-potash feed during season. Regular feeding is recommended.

Mint, Green (Mentha viridis) Perennial:

Similar to spearmint, this mint has dark green, roughly oval shaped leaves, with serrated margins.

Mint has been characterised as refreshing, cooling and flavourful. Well rounded with no bitter aftertaste, it has a stronger flavour similar to Apple Mint but, this is a much more robust plant with sturdy upright stems.

Do not cover seed for germination. Used for cooking.

Should be multi-seeded when used in modules or pots. around 30 seeds per 9cm pot.

Sowing: Sow from March to May.

Sow seed on the surface of lightly firmed, moist seed compost in pots or trays.

Press the seeds lightly into the compost. Seed is slow to germinate. Cultivation: When large enough to handle, transplant seedlings into single 6” pots. For best results, provide any ordinary, well-drained soil.

Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting out after all risk of frost.

Place in full sun Mint is very invasive spreading by vigorous rhizomes and are best grown in containers.

One plant can replicate itself several times using offshoots, so one plant per 15cm (6in) container should suffice.

Harvesting: The aromatic leaves are at their best just before flowering in June and July.

Commercial mint growers wait until 20 percent of their mint is in flower then cut the whole crop.

Storage: Freeze spearmint for winter use.

Dry leaves picked in June – July. Make mint vinegars and store fresh leaves in oil.

Fennel, Green (Common Fennel) (Foeniculum vulgare) Perennial:

Fennel has a sweet aroma and an aniseed flavour. Use leaves in fish stock, sauces and stuffing’s and in mayonnaise, flavoured butters and salad dressings. The dried stalks can be placed under grilled or barbecued fish. At the two-leafed stage, the seedlings make a pungent addition to salads, reminiscent of mustard.

Sow direct from March to May.

Fennel will grow in most any soil, but the richer the soil, the more tender the foliage and the less aromatic the seed. It likes a well-drained, sheltered but sunny position. It is easily propagated by seeds. Seedlings do not transplant well, so it is better to sow directly in the garden in the late spring. Plant them 25 to 30cm (10 to 12") apart and then thin them out as necessary. It grows a very deep taproot which is difficult to pull up, so remove unwanted seedlings while young.

Sow thinly 1cm deep April to July, germinates at 10-30°C spacing plants 20-30cm apart with 60cm between rows.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)

Cumin is a herb and is used as a spice, in many foods from different cultures around the world. The plant itself is an annual.

Nothing beats fresh seasonings, so make sure you grow your own! Cumin (Cuminum Cyminum) is grown for its seeds, which are ground into a spice for curry, stews and other dishes from Mexico and the Middle East.

Grows to only 6 inches tall; ready to harvest when heads turn brown. Self-seeding annual.

Planting and Harvesting Tips:

Sow indoors — 1/4 inch deep — several weeks prior to the last frost date in spring. Transplant seedlings outsides when temperatures are warm and all danger of frost has passed. May also be direct sown in prepared beds when soil is warm. Space 3-4 inches apart and water regularly. Plants grow to about 12-inches in height and take 100-150 days to harvest.

Watch closely for heads to turn brown — the time to harvest — they’ll split and spill to the ground.

Gather up the pods before that happens and put them in a paper bag. Hang upside down until pods are completely dry and remove the contents. Crush or grind just before use and store the remainder in an air-tight container.

Chives, (Allium schoenoprasum) - Herb Seeds

As the name suggests, this new variety has much finer leaves than standard chives. It forms grass-like clusters which have a very delicate flavour. Chives for the customer with a more delicate palate!

Sowing: Sow indoors at any time, Sow directly outdoors from May

Sow the seeds indoors using normal potting compost in March time or directly outside from May once the ground has warmed.

To sow seeds directly broadcast the seeds, or sow in rows 20 to 25cm (8 to 10in) apart.

The optimum germination temperature is around 16 to 21°C (60 to 70°F).

Make sure the compost remains moist. The seedlings will appear 7 to 18 days later.

Transfer outside a month after sowing, Thin the chives to 4 to 6 shoots per clump and space 20cm (8in) apart.

Herb - Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Long established popular herb. Height 30-50cm. Used chiefly in soups and confectionery.

Coriander Coriandrum sativum) is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It is also known as Chinese parsley, dhania or cilantro. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds (as a spice) are the parts most traditionally used in cooking.

The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, fresh coriander, Chinese parsley, or (in the US and commercially in Canada) cilantro.

Coriander potentially may be confused with culantro (Eryngium foetidum L.), in the same family (Apiaceae) as coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), but from a different genus. Culantro has a distinctly different spiny appearance, a more potent volatile leaf oil and a stronger aroma.

The leaves have a different taste from the seeds, with citrus overtones.

The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many foods, such as chutneys and salads, salsa, guacamole, and as a widely used garnish for soup, fish and meat. As heat diminishes their flavour, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before serving. In Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavour diminishes. The leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.

How to grow Coriander:

Coriander, Coriander needs a frost free period to grow but it doesn't like extreme heat. So in milder climates you grow Coriander during summer, in tropical climates you grow it during the cooler dry season. To grow Coriander you need reasonable soil and you need to keep the plants well watered.

Always grow Coriander from seed, directly where you want it. Coriander HATES being transplanted. The stress will likely cause it to go straight to seed and then it dies. And you never get any leaves at all!

Also, Coriander grows a big taproot, and those little seedling pots are not deep enough to accommodate it. Growing Coriander in a pot isn't doing it any good.

Growing Coriander from seed:

The standard directions are to sow Coriander about 1 cm deep, but there is no need to get scientific about it. Just cover the seeds and keep them moist.

You can plant Coriander in rows for easy harvesting or you can spread the seed over a wider area and rake it in. It depends how much seed you have available.

Don't go overboard with the amount of seed. Healthy Coriander plants grow fairly big, about 50 cm or 2 feet tall.

You want about 5 cm between plants if you grow Coriander for the leaf. They need more space if you grow them for seed, but you can always eat the extra plants and just leave a few to go to seed.

Coriander seeds take about two to three weeks to germinate. If they come up too thickly, just pull up and eat the extras...

Yes, the best way to harvest surplus plants is to pull them up. (Provided you can do so without damaging the plants next to it.) Coriander grows a taproot that is packed with flavour. You will often see Asian soup stock recipes call for Coriander or coriander root, just like Europeans use parsley root in stock.

Harvesting Coriander:

After you have eaten all your thinnings, harvest individual Coriander leaves of the base of the remaining plants. Just make sure the plant is big enough to cope and leave some leaves on it so it can continue to grow.

Sooner or later your Coriander plants will flower. Once they start developing that flower stalk they stop making more leaves. Therefore it is a good idea to re-sow Coriander every few weeks during the growing season. That way you never run out.

Some people also chop out the flower stalk as soon as it shows and manage to keep the plants going a bit longer. Or they harvest the whole Coriander plant once it shows signs of wanting to flower.

Problems when growing Coriander:

The biggest problem when growing Coriander is that the plants are so sensitive to heat - and also to other stresses. Anything that stresses them will cause them to bolt (meaning they will grow a flower prematurely and set seed).

Select your site well. During the colder times of the year (Or in cooler climates) choose a spot in full sun. If you expect hot weather, give your Coriander plants some shade.

Make sure your Coriander plants never dry out. (As always, mulch helps.)

Many people underestimate the amount of water Coriander needs, because most herbs we know are so hardy. So water it well, but of course, make sure the soil drains well. Few plants like growing in a bog hole...

Apart from that Coriander has no special soil requirements. Rich, dark soil always produces the biggest, healthiest plants, but any reasonable soil with average nutrient levels should be fine. If you want to feed your plants extra, some dilute liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion never goes astray.

One more thing: Coriander plants do not like humidity. In my climate they will bolt to seed from the heat before humidity becomes a problem, but your climate may be different. Always grow Coriander where the air can circulate freely.

Herb Caraway - Ocimum basilicum

Seeds used for flavouring in cakes, bread and soups. Young leaves can be added to salads. A range of annuals, biennials and perennials grown for culinary and medicinal purposes.