Eight Italian heirloom varieties from Franchi Sementi, chosen for Irish beginners and calibrated for Irish growing conditions. One box, one growing season: courgette and beans through summer, fennel and radicchio in autumn, cavolo nero through winter, parsley year round.
What Is in the Box
- Courgette Striato d’Italia — the most slug resistant and productive courgette for Irish conditions. One plant gives fifteen to twenty courgettes through July and August.
- Tomato Red Cherry — quick ripening cherry tomatoes that produce outdoors in a good Irish summer. The most accessible tomato for growing without a polytunnel.
- S. Anna Climbing French Bean — stringless pods from August through September. Climbs to two metres on a simple cane frame with a minimal ground footprint.
- Basil Vintage from Genova — the Italian kitchen standard. Harvest continuously from June through September in a warm sheltered position or polytunnel.
- Radicchio Tonda di Verona — bitter Italian salad leaf harvested October through December. Flavour deepens after the first autumn frost.
- Fennel Mantovano — heritage bulbing fennel, sown direct in June, harvested September and October. Crisp, anise scented, extraordinary roasted.
- Cavolo Nero Tuscan Kale — the winter workhorse of the Italian kitchen garden. Produces continuously from October through March when nothing else is growing outdoors.
- Flat Leaf Parsley Vintage Common Flat Leaf — one plant, year round supply. Cut regularly from a pot or raised bed through every month of the year.
Sowing Calendar for Ireland
| Variety | Sow Indoors | Plant Out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato Red Cherry | March | Late May (sheltered) | August to October |
| Courgette Striato d’Italia | Early April | Late May | July to October |
| Basil Vintage from Genova | Late April | June (sheltered only) | July to September |
| S. Anna Climbing French Bean | April or direct May | Late May | August to September |
| Fennel Mantovano | June direct | No transplant needed | September to October |
| Radicchio Tonda di Verona | July | August | October to December |
| Cavolo Nero Tuscan Kale | May to June | July | October to March |
| Flat Leaf Parsley | March or September | April or October | Year round |
From Franchi Sementi, Bergamo, Est. 1783
Every variety in this bundle comes from Franchi Sementi, seven generations of one Italian family selecting and preserving vegetable varieties since 1783. These seeds were developed for cool mountain conditions in northern Italy, which is why they perform so reliably in Ireland. BloomySeeds is the official Franchi Sementi partner for Ireland.
Free shipping to Ireland and Northern Ireland. Seeds remain viable for multiple seasons if stored cool and dry.
