The Real Seed Catalogue
Heirloom vegetable seeds chosen by gardeners.
The best vegetable seeds for the Kitchen Garden

 
ORDERING

BACKGROUND

Ordering Online - P&P costs etc About us
Ordering by Post Why Real Seed?
Is your order a Gift? Read Testimonials
Paper Catalogues Seed Source Codes (OG1 etc)
Terms and Guarantee Contact Us
Help & Problems Ordering  

 

 


VEGETABLE SEEDS

Aubergines
Beans
Beetroot
Broccoli & Rapini
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celery
Chilli Peppers
Courgettes & Summer Squash
Cucumbers, Gherkins
& suchlike things
Fennel
Flowers
Grains
Herbs
Kale
Leaf Greens for Cooking
Leeks
Lettuces
Melons & Watermelons
Mustard Greens
( for cooking)
Onions
Oriental Greens for cooking & salads
Parsnips
Peas
Pumpkins & Winter Squash
Radishes
(salad, & cooking types)
Salad Vegetables
Sweet Corn
Swedes
Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes : Bush Types
Tomatoes : Vine Types
Tomatoes : New Centiflor types
Tomatilloes & Groundcherries
Turnips
Unusual Tubers: Oca & Ulluco
Mini-Collections
Useful Books
Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties

 

SEEDSAVING

Why Save Your Own Seed?
How to Save Seed
Start a Seed Circle!
Seedsaving Book
Threshing & Winnowing

Drying your seed

Isolation cage plans
Seedsaving Courses

 

INFORMATION

Read past Newsletters
Give us Feedback
Browse the Reference Section
Tips for Beginners
Guide to Summer Sowing
Guide to Autumn/Winter Sowing

 

PAYMENT



 

~ GROUNDCHERRY or POHA Seed~

plant picture plant pictureGiant Guatemalan Groundcherry
The Groundcherry or Poha is definitely a 'fruit' rather than a 'vegetable'. They have small orange fruit in papery husks that are sweet and have a good fruity flavour when ripe. Also known as 'wintercherries' as they store for ages in their husks. Collected in in Guatemala in the 1970s by Gabriel Howearth, this is a strain of Physalis peruviana.

Used just as a fruit, or in jams and pies. Kate doesn't like them raw so much but Ben & our volunteer gardener Rod think they're fantastic! Ready to eat when dry husks fall off plant. Unlike the tomatillos below, these are definitely a 'fruit' rather than a 'vegetable'. They make a very nice crumble with apple, served with custard, which we all liked a lot, even Kate. Mmmmmm . . .

Beautiful plants, 2' x 2', with purple veins, but they bear fruit quite late in the season, so we think you need a greenhouse or polytunnel to try this one, or perhaps in a pot on a sunny patio.

100 days, sprawling. Small (1/2 inch) sweet orange fruit.

Order PoGG - 30 seeds [OG1] £1.54



~ TOMATILLO Seed ~

Do try the tomatillos. These small vegetables in a papery husk are related to the tomato, are very productive and easy to grow, & are used to make salsas, chutneys and in pasta sauces etc, as well as traditional ingredients for Mexican and South American dishes.

These are very much a savoury vegetable - if you want a sweet fruit from the same family then see the Poha above.

They need insect pollination to set fruit. If you grow them in a greenhouse,
you need to leave the doors open from time to time so the insects can get in.

 

 

Feedback: " . . . Tomatillos, I think, are my favourites. Have made fantastic chutney already this year and they are great roasted with cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilli and basil. Thank you. Can you please send a copy of your catalogue to my son who is as impressed with the results on my allotment as I am. Graham Smallbones"



plant picture 'Verde Pueblo' Tomatillo
This is what we think is the best of the green tomatillos.

As background, Tomatillos fall into two categories: Those with a bitter wax on the skin which has to be wiped off before eating; and those without, for fresh use. This one - Verde Pueblo - has a very mild skin and nice crisp flesh, so you can use it in salads, salsas, or cooked.

Tomatillos will keep well for several weeks if they are picked carefully on a dry day and stored in their papery husks. This is very useful at the end of the season as with care you can be eating fresh tomatillos well into the winter.

Salsa recipe supplied.

Order TtVP - 30 seed[OG1] £1.64





Our Unique Guarantee:
We think these are the best seeds you can sow.
We will immediately refund or replace if you are in any way less than delighted with them, even including the flavour of the resulting crop!

Seeds are only supplied to members of our Seed Club. Membership costs 1p per annum. When we process your order, you will be charged for
a year's Seed Club Membership if yours is not up to date. For more details see our terms and conditions.

Gardeners Should Save their Own Seed:

Because none of these seeds are hybrids, you can save your own seed for future use: there's no need to buy new each year.
Saving your own is easy. You will get great seed, and great vegetables adapted to your local conditions.
Do have a go - read the seedsaving instructions we provide with every packet, and also on this site.

~ 22,000 seed-saving instructions sent out since 2003 ~

The Real Seed Collection Ltd is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee.
~ Company No 5924934 ~ VAT No 841181938 ~