Seed List
Yings Lablab
A Chinese lablab with lovely scented mauve flowers and pretty pods – lime green, often with a reddish-purple edge. Flowering should start by July from an April sowing. This is the type called liva in Gujerati which produces broad flat pods and mild-flavoured beans.
Sim Seger
Named after our donor's neighbour, Sim Seger, who grew this variety for many years because they did particularly well in his locality of Malton, North Yorkshire. A hardy leek, which appears to be disease resistant too. Guardian Jenny Rogers says, “Large plants with good firm, white stems. Lovely flavour, excellent!”
Amish Deer Tongue
This semi-open, cos type lettuce is very hardy and slow to bolt. It has distinctively shaped triangular leaves, perfect for use as baby salad greens. Mild flavoured with a buttery taste and soft leaves.
Bath Cos
Listed in James Carter's Catalogue of a Choice Collection of Floricultural, Vegetable and Agricultural Seeds of 1842, this variety was described by a contributor to The Gardener (1867); “This sort ought to be in every garden. No other variety can surpass it.” Thought to be synonymous with Brighton Cos; the large, dark green leaves have a rust-coloured tinge and are flavourful, crisp and juicy.
Black Seeded Samara
A light green, loose-leafed, summer butterhead lettuce that stands up well to drought. The soft leaves have a mild flavour and fine texture. So named because it produces black seeds. Seed Guardian Mike Wicken says, “An excellent variety with good flavour when young.”
Bloody Warrior
An ex-commercial variety of cos-type lettuce that has crisp, green leaves speckled with red. Our donor suggests planting out in autumn and overwintering with protection; the lettuces will heart up for early summer harvesting. Lovely, slightly bitter flavour, perfect in a mixed leaf salad.
Bronze Arrow
A beautiful, productive California heirloom, popular in the USA but was almost unknown here. A large, non-hearting lettuce; the attractive, arrowhead-shaped leaves have a distinctive bronze tinge and mild flavour. Drought and cold hardy, so ideal for autumn sowing and overwintering; it's also less popular with slugs. The merits of this variety have been recognised by commercial seed companies and it is to be included on the National List under its synonym Bronze Beauty. Although now it can be considered safe, we will continue to make it available to members for as long as our stocks last.
Brown Bath Cos
This is one of the oldest of the cos lettuces and considered one of the hardiest of its type, suitable for summer or autumn sowing. It is exceedingly crisp and well flavoured. The leaves are large, broad and scooped around the margins. When exposed to sunlight these become a brownish-bronze, hence the name.
Bunyard's Matchless
Donated to HSL during the 1980s, this unusual, open-hearted cos-type lettuce can be grown all year round; robust enough for autumn or spring sowing. The thick, juicy, dark green leaves have a distinctive, nutty flavour, a real lettuce-lover’s lettuce.
Burpee's Iceberg
Originally bred by W Atlee Burpee Company, USA, and introduced in 1884. Our donor found seeds in an allotment shed in the 1990s, left behind by a previous tenant who had grown them for 30 years. Described by Burpee as having “medium-sized compact heads with heavily ruffled leaves and crisp, tender hearts.” A classic, crisphead lettuce, thinnings make delicious extra-early salads. 85 days from seed to harvest (approx.)