It's here! We're super-excited to officially launch our famous "Second Spring" seed collection today :).

We sell this collection every year in July and August and it's always a massive hit!

We call the second half of the summer the Second Spring as there are loads of seeds which can be sown at this time, to keep you fed with tasty and nutritious veg throughout autumn and winter.

Inside the Second Spring seed collection you'll find ten of our favourite varieties for sowing later in the year. Each year we mix it up a bit as well as keeping some of the classics which you just can't do without.

Our most exciting addition this year is our diverse breeding population 'Kizuna', a cross between a mizuna and a kale variety (more on this further down).

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

​

What's inside Second Spring?

​"Kizuna" greens diverse mix​

This is a diverse breeding population derived from a cross between two of our favourite varieties: Dazzling Blue Kale and Beni Houshi Mizuna. We found the first individual of this cross between where the two parents had been flowering. These seeds are from the F2 generation which means the second generation after the original cross happened. There is a beautifully diverse mix of quite round leaves, and very feathery and frilly leaves and everything in between.

The texture is somewhere in between Red Russian kale and Pak Choy so the leaves have a bit of body to them but are also very soft and are delicious both raw and cooked like spinach/kale.

Grow

For autumn/winter leaves sow from mid July till October. Direct sow in drills 15cm apart or sow in modules and transplant to final spacing. The leaves can be picked individually or treated as cut-and-come-again.

​

​Daikon Radish – Minowase​

A traditional variety of Daikon radish producing long bright white roots which are crunchy and delicious. This is a great variety of Daikon radish for sowing after July. Its roots can grow huge – up to 3 inches in diameter! It is not too hot and stays very sweet and crunchy. It’s best left in the ground until needed.

Grow

Direct: Sow seeds in 2cm deep drills 30cm apart. Seeds should germinate fast in warm weather. Alternatively sow in module trays one seed per cell and transplant to final spacing after 3-4 weeks.

​Cima di Rapa - San Marzano​

A really easy to grow broccoli alternative producing tender flowering shoots around 60 days from sowing. Cima Di Rapa (also known as broccoli raab), is actually botanically a type of turnip rather than a broccoli. As such it is very quick to grow and unfussy in terms of its water and nutrient requirements.

The flowering shoots are harvested like sprouting broccoli and if you take care not to remove the lower two leaves you can get a few cuts off them.

Grow

Sow in shallow drills 30cm apart and thin to 10-15cm within the row. Avoid sowing in midsummer as will bolt more easily. Sow July to early September for a late crop (or late winter/spring for a summer harvest).

​

​Beni Houshi mizuna​

A striking and unique variety of mizuna with lime green leaves and purple stems. It’s similar in taste to green mizuna and is delicious raw in salads or cooked in stir-fries. With its contrasting colour scheme it’s a real head-turner and is certain to impress.

Grow

For autumn/winter leaves sow from mid August till October. Direct sow in drills 15cm apart or sow in modules and transplant to final spacing. The leaves can be picked individually or treated as cut-and-come-again; spacing can be tighter for the latter option.

​

​White Lisbon bunching onion​

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. 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

Grow

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.

For an autumn / winter harvest sow in early August, for a spring harvest sow in September.

​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.

Grow

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

​Claytonia / Winter Purslane​

Claytonia has heart-shaped elegant-looking 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 and, if left to self seed, it will just keep coming back year after year.

It's one of those greens that come up at just the right moment when we're most in need of something fresh, and it self-manages very well which is another reason why we like it.

Grow

Sow seeds from August in well-watered shallow drills or broadcast sparsely; seeds and seedlings should be kept moist. Can also be sown in a seed tray and pricked out into modules. Leave to flower and seed if you want plants to grow again the next season.

.

​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.

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.

Grow

Sow direct into drills 15cm apart, or sow into modules in August and September transplant 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.

Grow

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

​

Happy Second Spring! :)

Fred, Ronja, and the rest of the team

​

P.S. As mentioned last time now is also the optimal time to sow your chicory and radicchio seeds​

​