The 'golden' onion of Parma, Italy. A late maturing onion with golden upright top-shaped large bulbs. Excellent storage quality. Compares to any of the top yellow varieties for taste. The shape makes for great slicing. Long Day. Untreated seed.

Golden onions of Parma stand out for their refined simplicity, enclosed in a skin with a sophisticated colour. On the inside, however, it is extremely simple and genuine, so much so that it is appreciated worldwide. It is, in fact, an antique variety famous throughout Europe.

Golden onions of Parma are particularly resistant and easy to preserve. They are large and pyramid in shape and range from straw yellow to intense gold.

This variety takes a long time to develop. It is sown in mid-winter between December and February, but is not harvested until the summer, between mid-July and the end of August. One of the reasons that makes it so successful lies in its storage properties: golden onions of Parma can be perfectly preserved until well after the winter, especially if stored in a cellar or pantry, inside a basket covered with a sheet of newspaper, in a paper bag or cardboard box, where any chance of humidity that might cause the growth of micro-organisms is kept under control.

Which cooking methods bring the best out of the golden onion of Parma? Thanks to its intense taste, it is not very suitable to be consumed raw. On the contrary, its sweet taste can be best savoured in dishes that are cooked slowly, such as soups or braised meats. These qualities have earned it a place of honour on any table in Emilia, but also the Marche region – where it is popular in onion and tomato omelette – and in Umbria, the home of the “cipollata”, or onion stew. Even in simpler preparations, the golden onion of Parma will bowl you over with its sweet taste: try it baked, cut into slices and fried with breadcrumbs, served with anchovy fillets or a few slivers of hard cheese.

From a nutritional viewpoint, the golden onion of Parma is rich in vitamin C and calcium. It also has vermifuge, antiseptic and diuretic properties, being very close to the true rustic onion that are so popular with Emilian farmers.

Produces cucumbers that are typically dark green with white spines and 9 inches in length. A great cucumber for pickling and salads, having a mild flavor with a hint of sweetness. A great choice for market growers and home gardeners. Start in doors a month before the last frost, or direct sow a couple of weeks after the last frost. Plant in hills 5 feet apart. Sow 5 or 6 seeds per hill half an inch deep and at least an inch apart. 

Typical salad variety. Cylindrical fruits, 18-20 cm long, with rounded tip. Dark green skin, firm flesh with few seeds. Central sprouts should be pinched out above first four leaves, repeating operation after side-sprouts have grown. Abundant production from first fruits onwards. SOWING: plant outdoors from March to June, sowing 2-3 seeds per hole, with intervals of 30/40 cm between holes  and 1 metre between rows. Thin out seedlings after germination.

Dark green, smooth, slender fruits grow eight to nine inches long on vigorous vines and are ready to pick after 55 days.

‘Marketer’ is an open-pollinated variety with a sweet, mild flavor. A winner of the All-America Selections award in the edibles category in 1943, it’s ideal for hot, humid Southern climates.

The red radish of northern Chinese cuisine is both hot and sweet in flavour. It has bright red skin over tender, crisp, white flesh. The tops are delicious and spicy. This daikon is fast growing and slow to bolt, so it can be planted for spring or fall production. So and grow as you would turnips, thinning them to 15-20cm (6-8") apart. For home gardeners on the coast, plan on sowing short rows three or four times in March and April, and again in September and October. This will result in a steady harvest, and they won't all be ready to pick at once.

Plant is a second early variety with a deep large oblate shape. Fruit is a dark red colour. Fruits are suitable for tomato sauces and salads. A beef tomato or beefsteak tomato is one of the largest varieties of cultivated tomatoes, some weighing 450 grams or more. Most are pink or red with numerous small seed compartments distributed throughout the fruit, sometimes displaying pronounced ribbing similar to ancient pre-Columbian tomato cultivars

Vigorous tomato with exceptional disease resistance, succulent flavor, and enormous fruit size. 

This huge red beefsteak tomato is meaty and tastes both mild and sweet. Great for sandwiches. Our summertime favorite is the BLT with one thick slice of this tomato. This indeterminate plant can grow very tall and needs a cage or tie to a stake for support. A dependable big tomato with intense flavor.

Organic, Open-pollinated heirloom (90 days) 

Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Plant Size: 6-8’. Fruit Color: Red Shape: Flattened globe. Size:12-16 oz.  

Packet: 9-10 grams of seed

Soil

Average garden soil with excellent drainage.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

Good. Where winters are mild, seedlings sprout in fall and survive until spring.

Feeding

Fast growth is encouraged by mixing a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil before planting.

Companions

Echinacea, Oats and Monarda. Upright larkspur makes an ideal flower to grow behind shorter mound-forming bloomers.

Spacing

Single Plants: 11" (30cm) each way (minimum)

Rows: 11" (30cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Sow larkspur seeds where you want the plants to grow in fall, or first thing in spring. Larkspur can be transplanted with care, but plants grow best from direct-sown seeds.

Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Well-pleased plants can grow quite tall and may need staking. In many climates, larkspur will reseed with a little encouragement. Colors include pink, purple, lavender, white and many bicolors.

Harvesting

Larkspurs make wonderful cut flowers. As flowers fade, snip them off with scissors to keep the plants looking neat. Pull up plants when blooms become scarce.

Troubleshooting

The biggest challenge to growing larkspur is getting the seedlings up and growing. Larkspur is poisonous to pets and horses, but is seldom nibbled due to its bitter taste

A vegetable garden stalwart for decades, the Dark Green Zucchini – or Summer Squash – is a must. This variety is a very reliable producer of easy-to-grow and delicious zucchini. Harvest at around 6 to 8 inches long.

Open, erect plants are nearly spineless resulting in less damage to fruit during harvest. Dark-skinned zucchinis are popular in the western regions.

The largest-leaved spinach we’ve ever grown! A semi-savoyed variety with great cold-hardiness and bunch-ability. Best in early spring or fall, but can also be overwintered with protection. Giant Winter is not quite as cold-hardy as Winter Bloomsdale, but faster growing and more vigorous.

Giant Winter Spinach is a high yielding semi-savoy variety with dark green, glossy leaves and a great taste.

A really hardy spinach which will shrug off frost, gales and even snow to keep you picking right through the coldest months of the year.

The large, elegantly pointed leaves have a strong, rich flavour that's perfect in winter casseroles or lightly steamed as a delicious side vegetable.

To ensure a continuous supply of leaves try sowing in small lots each month.

The largest-leaved spinach we’ve ever grown! A semi-savoyed variety with great cold-hardiness and bunch-ability. Best in early spring or fall, but can also be overwintered with protection. Giant Winter is not quite as cold-hardy as Winter Bloomsdale, but faster growing and more vigorous

Packet: 9-10 grams of seed

Packet: 9-10 grams of seed