NEW INTRODUCTIONS TO THE JOHNSONS SEED RANGE

Johnsons is strengthening its vegetable seed range with the introduction of three exclusive varieties for the 2017/18 season, all of which promise excellent yield, flavour and vigour for ease of growing.

Kale Sympatic (RRP £1.79 for 250 seeds) offers home growers and allotment gardeners a 10 month harvest when grown as both a mature plant and baby leaf variety. Nutritious baby leaves can be picked through June to December, while mature plants can be left for harvest through September to March. Excellent hardiness down to -18˚C ensures a crop of tasty greens through winter when little else is available for picking. Vigorous roots also provide resistance to wind rock, making it ideal for exposed sites. Sowings can be made from March to September for a near constant supply. The attractive tightly curled leaves also add visual interest to the garden - looking particularly stunning when dusted with winter snow, making it an ideal variety for gardens where looks count. As with other kale varieties, Sympatic is low in calories and high in nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but the purple colouring means it is also packed with health-boosting anthocyanins - ideal for nourishing smoothies and juices. Kale Sympatic can be sown this September for baby leaf harvesting through to December.

Pea Valido (RRP £2.99 for 300 seeds) is a new high-yielding maincrop introduction selected for its outstanding resistance to powdery mildew, meaning pods can be picked late into the season when most other varieties are finished. Large, pointed pods, each containing 9-11 peas, can be picked well into September from healthy, disease-free plants. Two or three sowings made between March and June will provide successional harvests from late May into September. If powdery mildew has stopped your pea crops in the past, Valido should be your pea of choice for the 2018 season.

Pepper (Hot) Biquino Red (RRP £2.29 for 10 seeds) is a small fruiting Brazilian variety selected for its mild, smoky flavour, prolific cropping and ornamental beauty. Each plant produces hundreds of small teardrop-shaped fruits, sometimes known as ‘little beaks' because of their tapering shape. The versatile peppers can be used whole as a garnish, to give a little spice and a lot of aroma to salads, pizzas, pasta, meats... or any dish that needs pepping up. Ideal for the greenhouse and pretty enough for windowsills, this appealing pepper will also perform on a sunny patio, with enough presence to compete with summer flower displays.