herb Archives - BloomySeeds

Basil Vintage from Genova Seeds Italian Genovese Basil

Darione — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:45:14 +0000

If you have ever made pesto with supermarket basil and thought “this is fine but not quite right”, this is why. Genovese basil has a depth of aroma that the generic stuff cannot touch.

The leaves are large, tender, and intensely fragrant. Pinch off the growing tips regularly and the plant bushes out and keeps producing. One pot on a warm windowsill will give you fresh basil from May to October.

🌱 Sowing information
Sow indoors February to July, surface sow or barely cover. Seeds need light to germinate. Keep warm (18 to 25°C) and moist. Germination takes 7 to 14 days. Can be sown in succession every 3 to 4 weeks for a continuous supply.

☀️ Light exposure
Full sun and shelter from wind. Basil hates cold draughts. A warm windowsill, conservatory or polytunnel is ideal. In Ireland, outdoor growing works from June in a sheltered spot.

💧 Water needs
Water regularly but do not let the soil get waterlogged. Morning watering is best. Avoid wetting the leaves, which can encourage fungal problems. Well drained compost in pots is ideal.

🌡️ Germination temperature and time
Seeds germinate in 7 to 14 days at 18 to 25°C. They need warmth and light. A heated propagator or warm windowsill speeds things up. Do not sow outdoors until soil is reliably warm.

📏 Plant spacing and final size
Grows to 30 to 50cm tall. Space 25 to 30cm apart if planting in a bed, or grow one plant per 15cm pot. Pinch out the growing tip when the plant has 6 to 8 leaves to encourage bushy growth.

🌼 Harvesting notes
Harvest continuously from spring to autumn. Pick or pinch leaves regularly to prevent flowering. Once basil flowers, the leaves lose some of their flavour, so keep pinching.

🍽️ In the kitchen
Pesto alla genovese, caprese, torn over pizza margherita, stirred into pasta at the last second. Never cook it. Always add it fresh, right before serving.

📖 Want to make the most of your herbs? Our recipe guide “Welly to Belly: Italian Herbs at Home” has simple, real Italian recipes for every herb you grow. Get your copy and start cooking with what you grow.

Technical Data
🌱 Sowing depth: surface sow (needs light)
📅 Sow: February to July (indoors or warm spot)
☀️ Light: Full sun, sheltered from wind
🌡️ Germination: 7 to 14 days at 18 to 25°C
📏 Height: 30 to 50cm. Space: 25 to 30cm
🪴 Container friendly: yes, 15cm pot minimum
⏳ Harvest: continuously, spring to autumn
🧪 Approx. seed quantity: 8g per packet

Vintage 1928 variety from Franchi Sementi, est. 1783. Open pollinated, OGM free.

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Fennel ‘Mantovano’ Seeds Heritage Bulbing Fennel

Darione — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:28:05 +0000

Fennel Mantovano is a heritage bulbing fennel from Mantova with large, crisp, aromatic white bulbs and a clean aniseed flavour. Slice it raw into salads, roast it with olive oil and parmesan, or braise it slowly until it caramelises. One of the most underrated vegetables you can grow in Ireland.

This mid-early variety is reliable and vigorous. Sow direct where it is to grow because fennel does not like being transplanted. Harvest when the bulbs are tennis-ball sized for the sweetest flavour.

Fennel ‘Mantovano’ (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) is a prized mid-early heritage variety, valued for its vigorous growth and exceptional quality. It produces large, crisp, and aromatic white bulbs (pods) with a hollow stem (“empty cane”), perfect for salads, roasting, or grilling. Its strong aniseed flavour is a cornerstone of Italian cuisine. This variety is known for its reliability and deliciously perfumed bulbs.

🌱 Sow directly Mar-May. Prefers well drained, fertile soil.
☀️ Requires full sun. Essential for good bulb development.
💧 Water consistently and deeply. Crucial to prevent bolting and ensure juicy, swollen bulbs.
📏 Forms large, plump bulbs. Harvest from the base when bulb is tennis-ball sized.

Bullet Technical Data
🌱 Depth: 1 cm
📅 Sow: March to May
☀️ Light: Full sun
🌡️ Germ: 10-20 days
📏 Height: Up to 60 cm
🪴 Space: 25-30 cm apart
⏳ Harvest: June to August (from spring sowing)
🪙 Seeds: Information not provided

The post Fennel ‘Mantovano’ Seeds Heritage Bulbing Fennel appeared first on BloomySeeds.

Parsley Vintage Common Flat Leaf Seeds Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

Darione — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:35:24 +0000

Flat leaf parsley is the most used herb in Italian cooking. Not basil. Not oregano. Parsley. It goes into soffritto, onto grilled fish, through pasta, over beans, into salsa verde. You will use it every single day once you have it growing.

This Vintage variety has a strong aroma and rich flavour with generous dark green leaves. It is cold resistant and can be harvested well into winter, which makes it one of the longest producing herbs you can grow.

Cut it and it grows back. Cut it again and it grows back again. One sowing keeps you going for months.

🌱 Sowing information
Sow February to October, about 1cm deep. Parsley is slow to germinate (14 to 28 days), so be patient. Soaking seeds overnight before sowing helps speed things up. Sow a pinch every few weeks for a continuous supply.

☀️ Light exposure
Full sun to partial shade. Parsley is one of the more shade tolerant herbs, which makes it useful for less sunny spots. It also grows well on a windowsill or in a pot by the kitchen door.

💧 Water needs
Keep soil consistently moist, especially during germination. Once established, parsley is fairly tough. Water regularly in dry weather. In pots, check daily as they dry out faster.

🌡️ Germination temperature and time
Germination takes 14 to 28 days at 10 to 25°C. Parsley is notoriously slow to germinate. Soaking seeds for 12 to 24 hours before sowing helps. Do not give up too early.

📏 Plant spacing and final size
Plants grow to 30 to 50cm tall. Space 20 to 25cm apart, or grow in pots on a windowsill. A 20cm pot will comfortably hold 3 to 4 plants and give you a steady supply.

🌼 Harvesting notes
Harvest from 10 to 12 weeks after sowing, then continuously. Cut outer stems first, leaving the centre to keep growing. The plant is biennial, meaning it produces leaves in year one and flowers in year two.

🍽️ In the kitchen
Chopped into everything. Salsa verde, gremolata, risotto, pasta aglio olio e peperoncino, scattered over roasted vegetables. Unlike dried parsley, fresh flat leaf actually tastes of something.

Technical Data
🌱 Sowing depth: 1cm
📅 Sow: February to October
☀️ Light: Full sun to partial shade
🌡️ Germination: 14 to 28 days at 10 to 25°C
📏 Height: 30 to 50cm. Space: 20 to 25cm
🪴 Container friendly: yes, windowsill or pot
⏳ First harvest: 10 to 12 weeks from sowing, then continuous
🧪 Approx. seed quantity: 15g per packet

Vintage 1928 variety from Franchi Sementi, est. 1783. Open pollinated, OGM free.

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