Astrantia Major Venice

Silver to rose cushions of flowers, surrounded by a stiff ruff of ray-like bracts of a similar hue. Excellent colour foil. Very long lasting when cut. Height: 60-90cm (24-36in)

A major improvement on the old spaghetti squash, Squash Hasta La Pasta offers appealing, deep orange flesh with a sweeter flavour. Extract the 'spaghettiflesh from each boiled fruit to experience a very unusual vegetable. Squash Hasta La Pasta produces generous yields of pale orange-skinned fruits…

A major new variety of early/mid season maturity, in that not only is it a corn of super sweetness, but Sweetcorn Butterscotch has also been modified by the 'sugar enchancegene. This ensures a much tenderer, easy to eat, melt-in-the-mouth quality to the grain and a retained sweetness…

Thin upright stems, large flowers of ruby, tinged in apple green. True from seed and wonderful in the damp border

A highly versatile, aristocratic border plant. The fleshy blue-green leaves with white mottling, spiral up the stem, transforming themselves into tighter packed, sea blue bracts - and then the finale - small clusters of rich purple/blue tubular, nodding flowers, which are cream…

Spring plantingThis is a major advance on the traditional variety 'Giant Yellow'. RHS AGM variety Shallot 'Golden Gourmet' produces larger and better quality bulbs with reduced bolting incidence. The lovely golden brown skinned bulbs store well throughout the winter. Pack size: Approx…

…pink blooms with intricate markings, as if painted individually. Flowers all summer, transforming your garden with all the dazzling colours of the Venice Carnival. Twining climber to 2m (6ft)

THE ESSENTIAL guide for gardeners on raising plants from seedThe great majority of flower and vegetable seeds will emerge from their big sleep quite readily if a few common sense guidelines are followed, and that's the purpose of The Seed Sowing Guide. It has been compiled by Thompson & Morgan…

Perfect plants for damp corners where anything else would struggle! Tough, robust and throwing up loads of flowers through the summer, each bloom looking like a pincushion and in the brightest, cheerful pink shade!

This unusual little plant is one of my garden favourites; and you can always track it down in the garden by listening for the sound of buzzing bees. It's easy to grow too; at home in most soils and producing sprays of electric-blue, metallic blooms, which 'drip' with purple florets.…

This spectacular architectural feature plant looks stunning planted in large ornamental or exotic borders and containers with its blue-green spiky foliage, which has a sweet peanut butter fragrance when crushed. Known as the Honeybush because its tall bronzered flower spikes project a beautiful…

The original species, native of S. Europe with sea green bracts often tinged in purple. The tubular flowers are a wonderful bicoloured contrast of yellow and maroon. May also be sown in situ

A major improvement on traditional varieties, Broad Bean Jubilee Hysor produces a tremendous yield of broad, well filled pods, each containing 6 to 8 beans of superb flavour

…breeding! Dwarf Runner Bean 'Jackpot Mixed' produces stringless, tender pods of an outstanding quality on short compact plants - a major advance in habit and bean quality on previous dwarf varieties. The attractive flowers, which include pink, white, red, and red-and-white bicolour…

A major breakthrough in British runner bean breeding, offering predominantly self setting plants for a guaranteed crop. This profusely white-flowering variety combines the valuable characteristics of French beans with those of runner beans, resulting in extra smooth, very fleshy, stringless pods…

Extend the sowing season with this major development in pea breeding. In our UK trials, seed was sown in late July and pods were starting to swell by mid October. Good downy and powdery mildew resistance also helps to maximise cropping and prolong the season. This semi-leafless variety is virtually…

…crunchy, quality hearts. The hearts are slower growing to give a wider harvesting window. Resistant to nasonovia (green aphid) and to the major races of downy mildew. Black seeded

This garden classic was produced by Charles Sharpe of Sleaford. He was a major miller, merchant and seedsman in the town and may not have been personally responsible for his company's varieties. 'Express' has high dry matter, very good flavour and cooks well although boiling requires care…

…varieties, producing a bumper crop of double pods each 10cm (4in) long, packed with up to 10, occasionally 11 sweet and juicy peas. The majority of the pods are produced on the top of the plant, so reducing backache when harvesting