Heirloom plants are vegetables, flowers and fruits that are grown from seeds that are passed down through generations. They rely on natural pollination from the wind and insects, known as open-pollinated.

They offer brighter colours, more flavour, rich nutrition, and are often cheaper than hybrid seeds and vegetables.

There are so many reasons to use heirloom vegetables. You can reuse the seeds year after year, no need to go out and buy a new packet; just harvest a bag or two of the plants you wish to plant again next season. Their taste is far superior to that of hybrid and store bought produce. Vine ripened crops have had a chance to reach their fullness in colour, flavour and health benefits, as opposed to store bought stock that has been harvested long before being ready. Sometimes they don't look as 'perfect' as we have been brought up to expect, but they are more true to what they once looked like before hybridisation come into effect. Once you've tasted perfectly ripe, home grown, heirloom fruit and vegetables, you'll have a whole new respect for them!

The history behind heirloom fruits and vegetables in fascinating, and rich. There is plenty to learn about these colourful, juicy, generational plants, they are just teeming with character.