Veggie Patch Collection

Broccoli – Calabrese (Heirloom)

(Brassica oleracea var. italica)

Broccoli ‘Calabrese’ is a traditional Italian heirloom variety renowned for its rich flavour, reliable growth, and abundant harvests. Producing large, tightly packed bluish‑green heads followed by a flush of smaller side shoots, this classic broccoli offers an extended picking period and excellent value in the home garden.

Originating from the Calabria region of Italy, Calabrese has been grown for generations and remains a favourite for its authentic taste and versatility. The central head is harvested first, after which the plant continues to produce numerous smaller shoots, allowing for ongoing harvests over many weeks. 

Ideal for both beginner and experienced gardeners, this hardy cool‑season vegetable thrives in spring and autumn gardens and performs well in a range of climates. Its dense green florets have a mild, slightly sweet flavour that is perfect for steaming, stir‑frying, roasting, or enjoying fresh.

🥦 Why You’ll Love It

• Classic heirloom broccoli with excellent flavour
• Produces a large central head plus continuous side shoots
• Reliable and productive across multiple seasons
• Ideal for fresh eating, cooking, freezing, and preserving
• Strong garden performance and easy to grow 

🌱 Growing Tips

• Best grown in cool seasons—plant in spring or late summer for autumn harvest
• Requires full sun and fertile, well‑drained soil for best results
• Keep soil consistently moist to support steady growth
• Harvest central head promptly to encourage further side shoots 

🌱 Plant Details

• Botanical name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
• Plant type: Annual vegetable
• Position: Full sun
• Harvest: Approx. 60–90 days
• Height: Approx. 45–75 cm
• Approx. 100 seeds pkt 

Spinach – Baby Leaf Madrid

(Spinacia oleracea)

Spinach ‘Madrid’ is a fast‑growing, cool‑season variety valued for its smooth, dark green leaves and reliable performance in the home garden. Producing tender, flavourful foliage with excellent texture, this variety is ideal for harvesting both young baby leaves and mature plants. Spinach Madrid is well suited to fresh salads, light cooking, and everyday kitchen use.

This variety thrives in cooler conditions and grows quickly, making it perfect for succession planting in spring and autumn. Its upright growth habit allows for clean harvesting and strong regrowth when leaves are cut regularly. Spinach Madrid performs well in garden beds, raised beds, and containers, making it a versatile choice for growers of all skill levels.

🌿 Why You’ll Love It

• Fast‑growing and highly productive
• Smooth, tender leaves with excellent flavour
• Ideal for baby leaf or full‑size harvest
• Performs well in cool weather
• Suitable for garden beds and containers

🌱 Growing Tips

• Grow in full sun to part shade, especially in warmer climates
• Prefers fertile, well‑drained soil with consistent moisture
• Best planted in spring and autumn for optimal growth
• Harvest outer leaves regularly to encourage continuous production

🌱 Plant Details

• Botanical name: Spinacia oleracea
• Plant type: Leaf vegetable
• Position: Full sun to part shade
• Harvest: Approx. 30–45 days
• Use: Baby leaf or full plant
• Approx. 50 Seeds 

Pak Choi – Green

(Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)

Green Pak Choi is a fast‑growing Asian leafy vegetable prized for its crisp white stems and smooth, dark green leaves. Mild in flavour with a gentle mustard note, it is tender, juicy, and highly versatile in the kitchen. This compact variety matures quickly and is ideal for home gardens, raised beds, and container growing.

Pak choi is best harvested young for the sweetest, most delicate texture but can also be allowed to mature for larger leaves and thicker stems. It performs well in cooler weather and is an excellent choice for succession planting, providing a steady supply of fresh greens throughout the growing season.

• Quick‑growing and productive
• Sweet, crisp stems with tender green leaves
• Ideal for stir‑fries, steaming, soups, and salads
• Perfect for small gardens and containers
• Harvest baby leaves or full heads

• Grow in full sun to part shade, especially in warmer conditions
• Keep soil consistently moist for tender growth
• Harvest outer leaves regularly or cut entire plants when ready
• Best grown in cooler seasons to prevent bolting

🌱 Plant Details

• Botanical name: Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis
• Plant type: Leaf vegetable
• Position: Full sun to part shade
• Harvest: 30–45 days
• Use: Baby leaf or full plant
• Approx. 100 Seeds pkt 

Carrot – Baby Amsterdam

(Daucus carota)

Carrot ‘Baby Amsterdam’ is a classic heirloom variety grown for its slender, sweet, and tender baby carrots. One of the earliest maturing carrot types, it produces smooth, cylindrical roots with vibrant deep‑orange flesh and almost no core, making it especially prized for fresh eating and gourmet use. 

This fast‑growing variety is ideal for harvesting young as baby carrots, but roots can also be left to mature slightly for longer, finger‑sized carrots. With minimal foliage and a compact growth habit, Baby Amsterdam performs beautifully in garden beds, raised beds, and containers, and is perfect for succession sowing to ensure repeat harvests throughout the season. 

🥕 Why You’ll Love It

• Early‑maturing heirloom baby carrot
• Smooth, slender roots with a sweet, juicy flavour
• Virtually coreless with excellent eating quality
• Perfect for containers and small spaces
• Ideal for frequent, staggered sowings and quick harvests

🌱 Growing Tips

• Direct sow only: Carrots dislike transplanting—sow seeds directly where they are to grow and keep soil consistently moist until germination. 
• Light, loose soil: Best results come from fine, stone‑free soil to allow straight, uniform roots to form.
• Harvest young: Lift roots early for the sweetest flavour and tender texture typical of baby carrots. 
• Succession sow: Plant every few weeks for a steady supply of fresh carrots throughout the season. 

🌱 Plant Details

• Botanical name: Daucus carota
• Type: Root vegetable
• Sun: Full sun
• Harvest: Approx. 50–65 days
• Seed type: Heirloom / open‑pollinated
• Approx. 400 Seeds pkt 

Silver beet perpetual 

(Beta vulgaris var. cicla)

Silver beet—also known as Swiss chard—is a reliable, fast‑growing leafy green valued for its broad, glossy leaves and thick, crisp stems. A staple in home gardens, it produces continuously over many months and thrives in a wide range of conditions, making it one of the easiest greens to grow.

Both the leaves and stems are edible and highly versatile in the kitchen. Young leaves can be harvested small and used fresh in salads, while mature leaves and stalks are best lightly cooked—perfect for stir‑fries, sautés, soups, pies, quiches, and pasta dishes. Silverbeet is closely related to beetroot but is grown solely for its lush foliage rather than its root. 

🌿 Why You’ll Love It

• Extremely productive and long‑lasting harvest
• Leaves regrow quickly after cutting
• Performs well in garden beds or containers
• Heat and light‑frost tolerant
• Mild flavour similar to spinach, with added crunch from the stems 

🌱 Growing & Harvesting Tips

• Easy to grow: Silverbeet thrives in full sun but tolerates partial shade, especially in warmer climates.
• Direct sow: Sow seeds directly into the garden in spring, or autumn in mild climates.
• Cut‑and‑come‑again: Harvest outer leaves regularly to encourage continual new growth. Plants can be picked for months.
• Soil & water: Prefers well‑drained soil enriched with organic matter and steady moisture for tender leaves.

🌱 Plant Details

• Botanical name: Beta vulgaris var. cicla
• Plant type: Annual vegetable (often grown as a long‑term crop)
• Position: Full sun to part shade
• Harvest: Baby leaf or mature leaf & stem

Approx. 50 seeds pkt 

Borage 

(Borago officinalis)

Borage is a fast‑growing, hardy annual herb prized for its striking blue, star‑shaped flowers and refreshing cucumber‑like flavour. Loved by gardeners and pollinators alike, it is one of the best plants you can grow to attract bees and beneficial insects into the garden while adding beauty and function to your space. 

The edible flowers and young leaves are commonly used fresh as a garnish, in salads, drinks, and summer dishes, where they add a mild, cooling flavour. Borage grows vigorously with minimal care and often self‑seeds, returning year after year once established. 

🌿 Why You’ll Love It

• Brilliant blue edible flowers with strong ornamental appeal
• Excellent pollinator plant, loved by bees
• Easy‑to‑grow, fast‑establishing annual
• Mild cucumber flavour in leaves and flowers
• Useful companion plant for vegetables like tomatoes and squash 

🌱 Growing Tips

• Direct sow for best results: Borage does not like transplanting; sow seeds directly where they are to grow once frost risk has passed.
• Sun & soil: Thrives in full sun and well‑drained soil, and tolerates poor soils better than most herbs.
• Watering: Water regularly while young; once established, borage is relatively drought tolerant.
• Allow space: Plants can grow large and branch widely—give them room, or grow one per container. 
• Self‑seeding: Let flowers go to seed for natural re‑sowing, or deadhead to control spread.

🌸 Plant Details

• Botanical name: Borago officinalis
• Plant type: Annual herb
• Height: Approx. 60–90 cm
• Position: Full sun
• Use: Edible flowers & leaves, companion planting, pollinators

Approx. 20 seeds pkt 

Basil – Italian

(Ocimum basilicum)

Italian Basil is the classic sweet basil of Mediterranean cooking, treasured for its lush green leaves and unmistakable aroma. This traditional variety produces tender, broad foliage with a rich, warm flavour combining gentle clove, pepper, and anise notes, making it the essential basil for authentic Italian dishes.

A warm‑season annual, Italian Basil grows quickly and generously, rewarding regular harvesting with fresh new growth throughout summer. Its fragrant leaves are best used fresh, bringing vibrant flavour to pesto, tomato sauces, salads, bruschetta, pizzas, and basil oils. Pinching out flowers helps maintain leaf quality and prolong harvest.

Ideal for garden beds, raised planters, and pots, Italian Basil thrives in sunny, sheltered positions and is perfectly suited to home cooks who value fresh, aromatic herbs picked straight from the garden.

🌿 Why You’ll Love It

• Classic Italian sweet basil flavour
• Essential herb for pesto, sauces & salads
• Fast‑growing and highly productive
• Excellent for containers or garden beds
• Best used fresh for peak aroma and taste

🌱 Growing Notes

• Position: Full sun
• Soil: Well‑drained, fertile soil
• Height: Approx. 30–60 cm
• Harvest: Pick leaves regularly; pinch flowers to extend production

Italian Basil is frost‑sensitive and performs best in warm weather. Regular harvesting keeps plants compact, leafy, and productive

Oregano heracleoticum

Greek Oregano • Perennial culinary classic

Oregano heracleoticum, commonly known as Greek Oregano, is the most prized oregano for cooking, valued for its intense aroma and robust, peppery flavour. Native to the Mediterranean, this hardy perennial produces compact, silver‑green foliage and small white flowers in summer, thriving in warm, sunny garden positions.

Renowned as the traditional oregano used in Greek and Italian cuisine, this variety offers a stronger, more authentic flavour than common oregano. The leaves can be used fresh or dried, and many cooks find the flavour deepens even further once dried.

In the garden, Greek Oregano is easy to grow, drought tolerant once established, and well suited to herb beds, borders, and containers. Regular harvesting encourages bushy growth and prolonged productivity, making it a dependable and long‑lived addition to any kitchen garden.

🌿 Why You’ll Love It

• Authentic Greek oregano flavour
• Strongly aromatic, ideal for Mediterranean cooking
• Hardy perennial – returns year after year
• Drought tolerant and low maintenance
• Excellent for pots, borders, and herb gardens

🌱 Growing Notes

• Position: Full sun
• Soil: Free‑draining, light soil
• Height: Approx. 30–60 cm
• Harvest: Pick leaves regularly; prune to keep compact
• Approx 500seeds pkt 

Oregano heracleoticum prefers lean soil and dry conditions – rich soil produces softer growth and milder flavour.