Seed Subscription: Vegetable, Cool Climate, Summer 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:

• 

  Kale- Black Toscana

  A very attractive savoyed leaf variety with dark gray/green leaves. Grows to 60cm tall. Heirloom. Also known as Cavolo Nero. Kale is also known as Borecole.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 10mm. Germination 3-7 days @ 8-30°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 50cm, Height 60cm, Spacing 50cm. 55-65 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: JAN FEB MAR APR (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Mizuna

  Serrated green leaves with a mild, spicy flavour. Can be used fresh in salads or cooked. Ideal for stir-fries, soups, and tolerates wet, cold conditions. Also known as "Japanese mustard". Suitable for microgreens and baby leaf production.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 6mm. Germination 5-10 days @ 7-25°C.Annual. Rows 30cm, Spacing 30cm. 40-60 days.

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

• 

  Parsnip- Melbourne White Skin

  Australian heirloom parsnip grows long white roots. flavour improves in cooler weather, including frost, as sugars develop in the root. In cold climates, they can be left in the ground over winter for spring harvest.

  Sow direct, 10mm. Germination 14-28 days @ 10-21°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 40cm, Height 60cm, Spacing 15-25cm. 90-130 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: JAN FEB AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Kohlrabi- Purple Vienna

  Purple skin with crisp white flesh; tender and sweet. Excellent 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 Cool Climates: JAN FEB MAR AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

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  Beetroot- White

  White skin with white flesh. Sweet flavour. Will not change the colour of other vegetables when cooked together like red beets. Good for boiling, pickling and baking.

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

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

• 

  Malabar Spinach- Green

  Malabar spinach, a frost-tender perennial vine, is grown as an annual in cooler climates. It has soft stems, succulent leaves, and is a vigorous climber. The leaves resemble true spinach and are used as a substitute in salads and as a leaf vegetable.

  Sow direct, 10mm. Germination 10-21 days @ 24-30°C.Perennial (grown as an annual in cool climates). Spacing 20cm. 60-70 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: JAN SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Chinese Celery- Light Green

  Upright, thin light green stalks with aromatic foliage. More tender than common celery; suitable for raw or cooked use. Leaves add flavour, fresh or dried. Ideal for salads, soups, stir-fries. Easier to grow, great for microgreen production.

  Raise seedlings, 3mm. Germination 14-21 days @ 21-25°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 60cm, Spacing 20cm . 60-90 days (microgreens: 30 days).

  Best months in Cool Climates: SEP OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

• 

  Leek- Elephant

  Large leeks that can grow up to 10cm in diameter. Good flavour. Perfect for salads, stews, soups, stir-fries and steamed.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 5mm. Germination 10-14 days @ 18-23°C.Biennial (usually grown as an annual). Rows 45cm, Spacing 12cm. 100 days.

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

• 

  Silverbeet- Orange Fantasia

  A biennial often grown annually, reaching 60cm. Bright orange stalks, veins, midribs, and shiny green leaves. Retains colour when cooked. Thick, tender stalks. Highly productive, good for baby leaves. Can be ornamental in mixed borders or beds.

  Sow direct or raise seedlings, 15mm. Germination 5-10 days @ 10-30°C.Biennial. Rows 50cm, Spacing 30cm. 60 days (30 days for baby leaves).

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

• 

  Bush Bean- Strike

  Dwarf (bush) bean. Round green pods to 14cm. Stringless. Excellent sweet flavour. Very high yielding.

  Sow direct, 20mm. Germination 7-10 days @ 20-26°C.Annual. Rows 50cm, Spacing 10cm. 55-65 days.

  Best months in Cool Climates: JAN OCT NOV DEC (Click for full sowing chart, grow guide and more)

Tips for gardening in summer:

• Watering: Learn when to water by using your index finger to check soil moisture. Scratch back a little of the surface soil and use your finger to see if soil is moist about 5cm below the surface; if it’s on the dry side, it’s time to water.
• Crop protection: As fruit and veggies develop they may need protection from burrowing insects, fruit fly, birds, possums or bats. Berries, fruit trees and soft fruit like tomatoes are especially at risk. Use insect exclusion netting, bird netting or fruit protection bags to protect crops. Ensure your netting is pegged or tied securely at the bottom to stop pests getting in.
• Pinch for More Flowers: Pinch the main stems of flowering plants to encourage strong growth, a bushier habit and more flowers. Once plants are 20-40cm tall and have several sets of leaves, use sharp, clean snips or secateurs to cut off the top 10cm or so of the main stem of the plant, making the cut just above a set of leaves. Flowers including aster, zinnia, chrysanthemum, calendula, marigold and dahlia will all benefit from pinching.
• Provide shade for sensitive plants: Use shade cloth or even old sheets to protect delicate seedlings and leafy greens from the harsh summer sun, especially during the hottest part of the day.

Pests and diseases to look out for in summer:

• Aphids: Small, sap-sucking insects that congregate on the new shoots or the underside of leaves. They can cause leaves to wilt or become discoloured, and also excrete honeydew which can attract ants and other insect pests. To manage aphids, remove them by spraying with a garden hose, apply a soap or alcohol spray, or encourage predatory insects to your garden.
• Whitefly: A sap-sucking insect related to aphids, whitefly are found in large numbers on the underside of leaves, and will swarm in clouds when disturbed. Plants may have yellowing leaves or may wilt, and growth will be slowed. Whitefly can be removed with a garden hose or sprayed with soap spray. Badly affected plants should be destroyed.
• Slugs and snails: These slimy pests love the humidity of summer nights and can decimate seedlings and tender young plants. They leave tell-tale silvery trails and irregular holes in leaves. To control them, try hand-picking them at night (with a torch) and disposing of them, creating barriers crushed eggshells around vulnerable plants, or using beer traps.
• Fungal diseases: The combination of warm temperatures and summer humidity can form the perfect conditions for fungal diseases to spread. Water plants in the morning at ground level, avoiding wetting foliage wherever possible. Prune off affected foliage, space plants to allow more airflow, and treat fungal outbreaks with homemade or purchased sprays.

Product code: SS_VEG_COOL_SUM_2025