compact Archives - Italian vegetable flower herb seeds Ireland

Courgette Seeds Gold Rush F1 | Bright Yellow Zucchini

Darione — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:23:43 +0000

Gold Rush F1 is a bright yellow courgette that stops people in their tracks. Compact bush plants that fit into small gardens, raised beds or polytunnels. The fruits are straight, waxy golden-yellow with tender flesh and a slightly sweeter flavour than green varieties.

Pick them at 15 to 20cm for the best taste and texture. The more you pick, the more they produce. Two plants will keep a family of four in courgettes from July to October.

🌱 Sowing depth: 2–3 cm

📅 Sow (Ireland): indoors April–May; plant out or sow direct late May–June after frost risk has passed

☀️ Light: full sun

🌡️ Germination: 7–10 days in warm conditions

📏 Habit: compact, non‑vining bush; plants around 60–80 cm across

🪴 Spacing: 60–80 cm between plants

⏳ Harvest: from about 50–60 days after sowing; best picked at 15–20 cm long for top quality and continuous cropping

When to sow

April to May. Sow individually in small pots indoors from late April. Transplant outside in May after frost risk passes. In Ireland, courgettes grow well without any protection from June onwards.

How to grow

Give each plant a square metre of space. Feed with a general liquid feed every two weeks once flowering starts. Pick courgettes when they reach 15 to 20cm. If you leave them longer they become marrows, which are less useful in the kitchen.

Recipe idea

Courgette and lemon pasta. Slice two courgettes into thin rounds, fry in olive oil for five minutes. Add the zest of one lemon, a handful of Parmesan, salt and cooked pasta. Toss together off the heat. Ready in fifteen minutes.

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Desiree PurplePodded Pea Seeds | Early HalfTall Variety

Darione — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:32:26 +0000

Desiree is a purple-podded pea that tastes as good as it looks. Compact plants around 70 to 80cm tall, easy to support with a low net or pea sticks. The dark purple pods are straight and plump, each about 8 to 9cm long with 7 to 8 sweet peas inside.

The purple colour makes them easy to spot at harvest time. Children love finding them among the foliage. Early variety, so you can sow from March for a June harvest.

🌱 Sowing depth: about 3–4 cm

📅 Sow: from March to June in open ground, with the main sowing period in spring; in mild, sheltered gardens you can try an extra early sowing from late February, and a late sowing in July for a small autumn crop

☀️ Light: full sun, with some tolerance of light shade

🌡️ Germination: in cool, moist soil at typical pea‑growing temperatures

📏 Height: approx. 70–80 cm, half‑tall habit

🪴 Spacing: 3–5 cm in the row; 50–60 cm between rows

⏳ Harvest: early variety; pods usually ready from around 60–70 days after sowing, depending on sowing date and conditions

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Marrow Vintage Dwarf of Italy Seeds Compact Italian Bush Marrow

Darione — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 09:39:55 +0000

Vintage Dwarf of Italy is a traditional Italian bush marrow that stays compact instead of sprawling across the garden. Smooth dark green fruits with firm, mild flesh. The bush habit means it fits in a raised bed or large container.

Harvest young for courgette-sized fruits, or leave to grow into full marrows for stuffing. Part of the Vintage 1928 range with the original Franchi catalogue artwork on the packet.

🌱 Growing at a glance
🌱 Sowing: February–July (start under cover early)
☀️ Light: Full sun, warm and sheltered
💧 Water: Regular, deep watering
🌡️ Germination: 7–14 days at 18–21°C
📏 Growth: Compact bush, 60–90 cm spread
🪴 Spacing: 80–100 cm
⏳ Harvest: From 10–12 weeks

🌿 Growing tips
Harvest fruits young (20–25 cm) to encourage continuous production. Feed regularly once flowering begins and avoid wetting foliage to reduce the risk of mildew.

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Timo di Provenza Seeds Perennial Aromatic Herb Franchi Seeds

Darione — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:21:51 +0000

Thyme is one of those herbs that every kitchen garden needs. This Provencal variety is the real thing: intensely aromatic grey-green leaves with a concentrated flavour that dried supermarket thyme cannot come close to. Plant it once and it comes back year after year, needing almost nothing from you in return.

Drought tolerant once established, it thrives in a sunny spot and actually prefers poor, well-drained soil. Perfect in a pot by the back door where you can grab a sprig on the way to the kitchen. Goes with roast chicken, potatoes, soups, stews, and just about everything else.

🌱 Sowing: February to June (indoors from Feb, outdoors from April)

☀️ Light: Full sun

🌡️ Germination: 14 to 28 days (slow, be patient)

📏 Height: 20 to 30 cm, compact evergreen

🪴 Spacing: 20 to 30 cm between plants

⏳ Harvest: Spring to autumn, perennial regrowth each year

🌿 Growing tips for Ireland Surface sow onto moist compost and press gently. Do not cover the seeds as thyme needs light to germinate. This is a slow germinator, 14 to 28 days is normal and sometimes longer. Do not give up on the tray too early. Keep moist but not wet, and place somewhere warm.

Transplant outdoors from May into the sunniest, most well drained spot you have. Thyme hates wet feet, so if your Irish garden has heavy clay soil, grow it in a pot, a raised bed, or mix plenty of grit into the planting hole. Once established, thyme is remarkably tough. It handles drought, poor soil, frost and neglect without complaint. Trim lightly after flowering to keep plants bushy and prevent them going woody. Replace plants every three to four years when they start to thin out.

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