Seed Subscription: Vegetable, Arid Climate, Winter 2025

Subscriptions are an excellent way to explore new seed varieties without having to spend time choosing the seeds yourself, and are perfect for busy gardeners, delivering seeds and all the information you need to plant them directly to your letterbox. 

Each season we’ll choose a selection of seed varieties tailored to your climate, and send you the seeds plus a colour information sheet with photos, tips and sowing information - all you need to do is plant!

You are currently viewing a single season of seeds which can be purchased individually. To subscribe to a years worth of seeds click here.

Seeds included in this subscription:

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  Kale- Dwarf Blue Curled

  Dwarf Blue Curled' is a dwarf kale variety with curled blueish green leaves. It grows to 35cm tall, 75cm wide, and has a great flavour raw or cooked. It's a hardy, nutritious variety. Also known as Borecole or 'Scotch Kale'.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 3-7 days @ 8-30°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 100cm, Height 35cm, Spacing 80cm. 55-90 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Garden Cress- Wrinkled Crinkled

  "Garden Cress" grows to 15cm. It has green crinkled leaves with a sweet, hot peppery taste. Perfect for salads, sandwiches, or garnish. Loved by chefs. Resistant to bolting. Also known as Pepper Cress/Grass.

  Sow direct, 4mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 7-15°C.Annual. Height 15cm, Spacing 4cm. 25 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Bunching Onion- Straight Leaf

  Salad onion with no bulb. Stem and leaf grow upright. Tasty variety used in garnishes, dips, stews, soups, salads, stir fry's. Also known as "Welsh onions", often used as "Spring onions", sometimes wrongly called "Shallots".

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 7-10 days @ 15-25°C.Perennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 30cm, Spacing 3cm. 60-90 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Kohlrabi- White Vienna

  Pale green skin with crisp white flesh; tender and sweet. Excellent sweet turnip-like flavour; can be eaten raw or cooked. Good in salads, soups and stews.

  Sow direct, 5mm. Germination 3-10 days @ 16-27°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 40cm, Spacing 20cm. 55-75 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Beetroot- Golden Globe

  Orange spherical roots with golden flesh. Harvest early for sweet baby beets or mature for earthier taste. Doesn't 'bleed' like red beets. Green leaves and yellow stems add colour and flavour to salads or can be cooked.

  Sow direct, 15mm. Germination 5-10 days @ 10-30°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 50cm, Spacing 10cm. 40-60 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Chinese Mustard- Swollen Stem

  A mustard plant known for stem swellings in cold weather. Stems are used fresh in stir fries for a strong mustard taste and crisp texture. More commonly, they're used to make salty pickles called Zhacai. Also known as Pressed Stem Mustard or Zha Cai.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 4-21 days @ 20-24°C.Annual. Rows 50cm, Height 30cm, Spacing 50cm. 100-130 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Radish- Black Spanish Round

  1500's heirloom variety. Round roots, 9 cm diameter, black skin, white interior. Moderately pungent flavour, intensifies with size. Can be raw or cooked, often added to salads. Stores well, easy to grow.

  Sow direct, 10mm. Germination 3-14 days @ 8-30°C.Annual. Rows 30cm, Spacing 10cm. 60 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Spinach- Matador

  High-yielding English spinach variety. Fast-growing annual plants with dark green, oval leaves. Harvest as baby spinach or let grow larger. Edible raw or cooked. Young leaves for salads, older ones cooked. Best in cooler climates.

  Sow direct , 10mm. Germination 5-10 days @ 4-25°C.Annual. Rows 40cm, Spacing 30cm. 45 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Sugarsnap Pea- Cascadia

  Climbing sugar snap grows to 100cm. Best on a trellis or as a ground bush. Sweet, thick green edible pods up to 8cm. Great raw, steamed, or fried. High yield. Ideal for home gardens.

  Sow direct, 20mm. Germination 7-21 days @ 5-25°C.Annual. Rows 50cm, Height 100cm, Spacing 10cm. 67 days.

  Best months in Arid Climates: MAR APR MAY JUN JUL (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Sprouting Seeds- Broccoli 25g

  How to Grow Sprouts: (1) Place seed in a sieve and wash to remove any dust and damaged or discoloured seeds. (2) Add seed to a large flat-sided jar and cover with lukewarm water. A 500ml jar needs around 15ml of seed. (3) Cover jar with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. (4) Let soak for 12hrs then tip the jar upside down and let excess water drain through the cheesecloth. Rinse and drain again. (5) Place jar on its side in a dark warm location. (6) Rinse and drain the seeds every 8-12 hours until the shoots are approx. 3.5-5cm long. (7) Your sprouts are now ready to eat!

Tips for gardening in winter:

Weeding and tidying: Rain helps weed seeds germinate and it is easier to remove them when the soil is damp. Be sure to remove weeds before they get a chance to mature and set seed, and ensure you get the weeds out roots and all. Hand tools are useful for small areas and hoes or tillers make the job go faster in larger gardens. Rake up fallen leaves so they don’t form a compact layer which can stop water reaching the soil. Add these extra leaves to your compost heap. Clear out any dead or diseased plants and to prevent the spread of disease, place this plant material in the bin rather than the compost bin.

Pruning: Check your tools. Cleaning and sharpening your secateurs and pruning saws makes the job much easier, and a clean cut means there is less chance for disease to enter ragged wounds. It is easier to prune deciduous trees and shrubs in winter because you can see the structure of the plant more clearly. Remove any dead wood, and take out crossing branches or stems that might rub against each other. 

Watering: You may not need to water your plants as frequently in winter, but make sure your plants are still getting enough. If required, give them a deep soak once a week early in the day so that excess moisture can evaporate before nightfall and avoid the risk of fungal diseases.

Plot and plan: Use some of the down time in winter to review your garden and think about what you’d like to plant in the coming seasons. If you’re growing annuals, do you want to plant the same again, or try some new varieties or colour schemes? If you’re growing veggies, remember that crop rotation is a good idea to break the cycle or build-up of any pests and diseases that may be in the soil. This has the added benefit of reducing, or even eliminating, the need to spray with chemicals.

Pests and diseases to look out for in winter:

Slugs and snails: These pests can damage a wide range of plants, especially flower and vegetable seedlings. They are most active in the cooler wetter months, or when thunderstorms activate them in summer, and come out at night to feed. Controlling weeds and removing places that can harbour slugs and snails can be an effective way to control and reduce the number of these pests. If you choose to use bait, it is best applied in Autumn before snails get a chance to lay eggs. Most baits can be toxic to pets and other wildlife, so use any bait with caution.

Fungal diseases: A range of fungal diseases can occur in winter. You can prevent these from taking hold by practising good hygiene. Pick up any fallen and rotting fruit and put it into the rubbish, as it can cause disease which carries over into the following year’s crop.

Product code: SS_VEG_ARID_WIN_2025