The vibrant red-coloured, exquisite and delicate raspberry is a powerhouse of innumerable health benefits. The fruit which is a rich source of nutrients, minerals and vitamins, when included in your daily diet can help lower risk of cancer, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and even enhance fertility.

• Cancer Fighting Properties
  Raspberries are packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants. They have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any fruit on earth, almost 10x as much as tomatoes. Raspberries also contain ellagic acid, a natural phenol antioxidant found in fruits and veggies and is prevalent in berries. Animal studies revealed raspberry phytonutrients have an important role in lowering oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and thereby altering the development or reproduction of cancer cells.


• Maintains cardiovascular health
  The potassium content in berries helps regulates heart beat and blood pressure. Raspberries are rich in minerals like manganese, copper and iron which produce red blood cells.


• Improves fertility
  An article in Medical Daily claims that the Vitamin C and magnesium in raspberries might improve fertility in both men and women. One theory asserts that the antioxidants in raspberries protect sperm health, promote conception, and reduce the risk of miscarriage.


• Mood and Memory Boosting
  Consuming berries can prevent brain damage and memory loss associated with aging. They also stave off disease and other symptoms of old age by reducing stress through their antioxidants. One study fund that higher intake of flavonoid-rich berries can reduce cognitive decline. Interestingly enough, anthocyanin works in synergy with quercetin to prevent age-related memory loss.


• Healthy Tissues and Blood Vessels
  Raspberries are full of Vitamin C which helps repair skin tissues and aids in cell regeneration of the skin, bones, ligaments and blood vessels.


• Anti-inflammatory Properties
  Raspberry prevents damage to the cell membranes through its anti-inflammatory properties that help with heart-disease, fortify your immune system, and aid with digestion. A recent study claims that the Ellagic acid, a natural phenol antioxidant found in fruits and veggies and prevalent in raspberry juice, is responsible for the berry’s anti-inflammatory effect in the gastro-intestinal tract.


• Boosts Immunity
  Raspberries are rich in Vitamin C, which increases general immunity to everyday illnesses and rare infections. Vitamin C boosts the antioxidant levels in raspberries and helps clean blood cells so they can stave off unwanted viral incursions. The anti-oxidants like phenols and anthocyanin keep us healthy in the now and staves off some of the effects of aging so we can remain healthy for years to come.


• Maintains Eye Health
  The combination of antioxidants like Vitamin C, Vitamin A and phenols in raspberries ward off disease and safeguard the membranes of the eye that produce the watery fluid thereby cleaning and protecting the eyes from drying out. Ellagic acid is also an active component of healthy vision.


• Good for Diabetics
  The Rheosmin, Tiliroside, Fructose, high fiber and low glycemic index of Raspberries makes them a sweet treat for diabetics and anyone who has to watch their blood sugar levels.


• Aids in Weight Loss
  Raspberry is low in fat and high in fiber, so they’ll fill you up without weighing you down with extra calories. They’re also full of water and potassium which will stave off dehydration and all the unpleasant side-effects that accompany it.

• Brain Protection
  Cucumbers contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin that has been shown to play a crucial role in promoting brain health. It is known to improve memory and even protect your nerve cells from declining due to aging, and fisetin has also been found to prevent learning and memory impairments in mice with Alzheimer’s disease.


• Amazing Antioxidant Properties
  Cucumbers are loaded with antioxidants, including vitamin C and beta-carotene. They also contain antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, and kaempferol. Quercetin is an antioxidant that has been shown to prevent histamine release, making it a natural antihistamine. Kaempferol can help fight cancer and lower your risk of heart disease.


• Reduce Inflammation
  Cucumbers can literally help “cool” the inflammatory response system in your body. Some studies conducted on animals found that cucumber extract helps to reduce unwanted inflammation partially by inhibiting activity or pro-inflammatory enzymes.


• Cancer Risk Reduction
  Cucumbers contain polyphenols called lignans, which can help lower your risk of various cancers such as breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate. They also contain phytonutrients called cucurbitacins (great name) which also have anti-cancer properties!


• Digestive Assistant
  Cucumbers are loaded with fiber and water, two of the most essential elements that are needed for optimal digestive health. Cucumbers may help to raise the stomach pH, which can assist with symptoms of acid reflux. Also, the skin on cucumbers contains insoluble fiber, which can add bulk to your stool, assisting food to move through your digestive tract quickly and thereby promoting healthy elimination.


• Freshen Your Breath
  If your breath is a little on the stinky side, you can freshen it up by placing a slice of cucumber on the roof of your mouth. This will help rid your mouth of odor-causing bacteria. According to Ayurveda, eating cucumbers can also help to release any excess heat in your stomach, which is believed to be a primary cause of bad breath.


• Stress Management
  Cucumbers contain an assortment of B vitamins including vitamin B1, B5, and B7. B vitamins are known to help ease anxiety and reduce the damaging effects of stress.


• Healthy Weight Management
  Cucumbers are extremely low in calories, but extremely high in nutrients, so they make a filling and healthy snack. When cucumbers are digesting they dissolve into a gel-like texture which helps to slow down digestion, helping you feel full for longer. This is why fiber rich foods are great for weight management.


• Heart Health
  Because cucumbers contain potassium, they can assist with lowering blood pressure. Potassium is an electrolyte, and its functions assist with interacting with sodium to help control nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and heart function.

Among the most reliable of all courgettes, producing a very heavy crop of dark green, tender fruits over a long period. The plants are vigorous growers and exceptionally healthy, with good resistance to cucumber mosaic virus. They form big neat domes of attractive leaves smothered in large, bright yellow flowers all summer, making this a fine plant in ornamental borders too.

The flowers are also edible: pick when just opened and dip in batter, then fry for a deliciously different appetiser.

There's nothing nicer than a sun-warmed tomato, freshly picked from your own back garden. Tomato ‘F1 Shirley’ is hard to beat. This early maturing tomato has been very popular for home cultivation since the 1970's and has rapidly established itself as the nation's favourite.

Tomato 'F1 Shirley' is one of the best varieties suitable for cold or slightly heated glasshouses. It is an indoor cordon type and the fruits are grown on short joints. The robust plants crop early and heavily over a long period of time and regularly produce more than 6kg (13lb) of fruits. Resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Cladosporium fuluum race A,B,C,D and E and Fusarium oxysporum race 1 & 2.

Highly recommended and easy to grow, Tomato 'F1 Shirley' produces excellent quality, medium sized red fruits with a firm skin and a lovely taste and texture.

Tomato 'F1 Shirley' has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

An indeterminate regular leaf plant producing heavy yields of 5″ long by 3″ wide, red plum-shaped, meaty tomatoes with very few seeds and a complex rich flavour.

Being easy to peel and core it is one of the best varieties for making Italian pastes, sauces, soups, and salsa dips.

An excellent choice for home gardens and allotments.

Tomato Mountain Magic is stated as a true breakthrough when it comes to disease resistance, producing a good crop of mid sized sweet tasting tomatoes weighing 55-60g.

The breeder of this Campari type tomato states it will withstand the big 3 threats to growing tomatoes - Late blight, Early Blight and fruit skin cracking. Well worth a try if you have struggled with growing tomatoes previously.

Carmen cucumber seeds are a well-known variety and great for cropping through the summer season well into the autumn. They grow to 30-40cm long and are slightly ribbed but with a smooth fruit.

Resistant to scab and leaf spot and also a high resistance to powdery mildew and partially tolerant of downy mildew. Carmen F1 has female flowers only which results in bitter-free fruits. One vigorous plant can produce up to 80 delicious fruits.

This lovely variety of female cucumber is delicious and so worth growing, usually reaching 35 cm long, you will save a fortune on buying cucumbers in the Summer and flavour is just so much better!

A high yielding variety of smooth skinned, green cucumbers which produces an early crop (and is good at coping with hot temperatures if that ever happens in the UK!)

This cucumber is also found to be 'burpless' - ie does not repeat on you or cause indigestion.

The very best for flavour, Jermor is a true French longue type, bred in the southern Rhone valley. The copper skinned bulbs have a crisp, pink flesh, tinged white. It is a very popular exhibition variety, but it is equally popular in the kitchen for its excellent sweet taste. Stores well

Sweeter and milder than onions, shallots have twice the amount of vitamin C and are also rich in vitamins A, B and E. They are invaluable in sauces, dressings, and salads, and notice how often TV chefs use them. This variety is really special and give great results when planted in the autumn.

The Red Baron AGM onion is one of the best in the red-skinned variety. It's attractive crimson-skinned bulbs when reveal contrasting red and white rings when sliced, making it most attractive on the plate. Red Baron has a lovely, robust flavour and is a remarkably good keeper.