Description:

A selection of eight varieties of vegetable and flower seeds. From left to right and top to bottom in photograph one: Beetroot, broad bean, sweetcorn, scarlet runner bean, pea, nasturtium, sunflower and marigold.

Beetroot: a rich purple coloured salad vegetable, also grown in white. They have a high sugar content and can be eaten cooked, pickled or raw. The leaves are a good source of vitamin A&C plus iron and calcium.

Broad Bean: A vegetable know as a fava bean; they are part of the legume family. Rich in vitamins A, B1 and B2 as well as protein and carbohydrates.

Sweetcorn: This seed is called a kernel and many of these pack tightly onto a cob. When the vegetable is ripe, they turn a golden yellow colour and are sweet in flavour.

Scarlet runner bean: These vegetables grow into long green pods. Easy to grow and produce a good crop of beans over the summer months. The beans need to be top, tailed, stringed and cut horizontally to cook in boiling water.

Pea: Peas grow inside long pods. The pod needs to be opened and the peas removed prior to cooking. Ideally peas should be eaten soon after picking for a fresher flavour.

Nasturtium: A brightly coloured flower of mainly red, orange and yellow in over 50 varieties. The flowers are edible and can be eaten in salads. They are a useful plant in the garden as they attract aphids away from other plants and vegetables. A plant that is very easy to grow.

Sunflower: Once the seeds start shooting a tall plant with a colourful head of yellow flowers emerges. When flowering has finished the seeds can be harvested to replant next year, pressed to extract the oil or the nutty seeds can be eaten as a healthy snack. They have a lot of healthy benefits including: protein, fibre, vitamin E and magnesium.

Marigold: Sow seeds in the spring for a good crop of orange and yellow flowers in the summer. These plants love the sun and attract aphids, bees and other insects into the garden away from more delicate plants and vegetables. The leaves of these plants are edible and can be eaten in salads.

Key theme(s):

Home & Garden

More information:

Material(s) Plant
Item number MBPO257

Questions to help you remember using this item

  • Have you ever grown anything in the garden from seed?
  • Do you have a favourite vegetable to eat?
  • What flowers do you like to see being grown in a garden?

User Stories

This year I have grown runner, dwarf, and broad beans plus carrots for the first time.  Not having a vegetable patch, I planted them in pots on the patio.  We had a good crop of each & I even gave some to my neighbours.  I also planted some sunflowers and some of them were over 8 feet tall!  I’ve saved the seeds from all & will do all over again next year – Helen

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