Plant database
A library for small spaces
Edibles, herbs, fruit and flowers that thrive in pots, patches and windowsills.
Good picks for autumn
From our library — tuned to what's worth starting in September. Set your region for picks tailored to your climate.
Nerine
Shimmering pink lily-stars in October when little else is flowering.
Michaelmas Daisy
Drifts of lavender-pink daisies in October — late nectar for bumblebees.
Radish
Ready to eat in just 4 weeks – fastest reward in gardening.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Succulent plates that turn from pink to brick — September pollinator buffet.
Herb
St John's wort
St John's wort is a hardy perennial herb with bright yellow flowers traditionally used for medicinal purposes. It thrives in sunny locations with minimal care and can spread vigorously.
Herb
Lavender
Lavender is a drought-tolerant perennial herb prized for its fragrant purple flowers and silvery foliage. It thrives in sunny, dry conditions and is ideal for small containers.
Flower
David Austin White Rose
David Austin English roses are renowned for their classic cupped blooms, fragrance, and disease resistance. White varieties like 'Claire Austin' and 'Generous Gardener' combine old-rose charm with repeat flowering.
Flower
Dutch iris
Dutch iris are spring-blooming bulbs prized for their elegant flowers in blue, purple, yellow, and white. They naturalize well and make excellent cut flowers.
Herb
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Tender annual
Fragrant culinary herb, pinch flowers to keep leaves coming.
Leafy green
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Hardy annual
Quick salad crop, cut-and-come-again in shallow pots.
Herb
Mint
Mentha spicata
Hardy perennial
Vigorous spreader – keep in its own pot or it takes over.
Root
Radish
Raphanus sativus
Hardy annual
Ready to eat in just 4 weeks – fastest reward in gardening.
Leafy green
Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
Hardy annual
Cool-weather green packed with iron. Sow successionally.
Herb
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Hardy perennial
Drought-tolerant Mediterranean herb. Hates wet feet.
Herb
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Hardy perennial
Tiny aromatic leaves – tucks into cracks and pots.
Herb
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Hardy perennial
Mild onion flavour – the lavender pompom flowers are edible too.
Leafy green
Kale
Brassica oleracea (Acephala)
Hardy biennial
Tough, frost-sweetened leaves. A winter workhorse.
Allium
Spring Onion
Allium fistulosum
Hardy annual
Regrow from kitchen scraps in water then pot up.
Herb
Coriander / Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
Half-hardy annual
Bolts in heat – sow small batches every few weeks.
Herb
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Hardy biennial
Biennial that gives leaves for two seasons.
Root
Beetroot
Beta vulgaris
Hardy biennial
Two crops in one – roots and tasty leaves.
Allium
Garlic
Allium sativum
Hardy perennial
Plant cloves in autumn, harvest in early summer.
Allium
Leek
Allium ampeloprasum (Porrum)
Hardy biennial
Sweet winter staple — earth up the stems for blanched white shanks.
Allium
Shallot
Allium cepa (Aggregatum)
Hardy biennial
Plant a single set, harvest a cluster — gourmet onion replacement.
Allium
Onion
Allium cepa
Hardy biennial
Plant sets in March, harvest fat globes in August.
Leafy green
Swiss Chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla
Hardy biennial
Rainbow stems — pick outer leaves for months on end.
Leafy green
Rocket
Eruca vesicaria
Hardy annual
Peppery salad leaves ready in 4 weeks — sow fresh every fortnight.
Leafy green
Watercress
Nasturtium officinale
Hardy perennial
Grow in a pot stood in a tray of water — peppery superfood.
Herb
Sage
Salvia officinalis
Hardy perennial
Felted Mediterranean leaves — partner to onions, butter and brown butter.
Herb
Oregano
Origanum vulgare
Hardy perennial
Pizza herb — and the pink flowers swarm with bees in July.
Herb
Lemon Balm
Melissa officinalis
Hardy perennial
Crush a leaf, get an instant lemon hit — gentle, calming tea.
Herb
Dill
Anethum graveolens
Hardy annual
Feathery anise herb — short-lived, sow little and often.
Herb
Fennel (herb)
Foeniculum vulgare
Hardy perennial
Bronze or green wisps with an aniseed punch — pollinator magnet.
Herb
Lemongrass
Cymbopogon citratus
Tender perennial
Root a supermarket stalk in water — overwinter indoors.
Herb
French Tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus
Hardy perennial
Buy a French variety plant — true tarragon doesn't come from seed.
Herb
Bay
Laurus nobilis
Hardy perennial
Evergreen shrub that takes happily to a pot — clip for shape.
Herb
Lovage
Levisticum officinale
Hardy perennial
Tastes like supercharged celery — one big plant lasts years.
Herb
Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
Hardy annual
Delicate aniseed parsley cousin — happy in shadier spots.
Sprouts
Microgreens
Various species
Indoor annual
Ten-day salad upgrade — flavour-packed first-leaf seedlings on a windowsill.
Sprouts
Pea Shoots
Pisum sativum
Indoor annual
Use dried marrowfat peas — cut-and-come-again sweet pea-pod flavour.
Sprouts
Mustard & Cress
Sinapis alba & Lepidium sativum
Indoor annual
The egg-shell sandwich classic — peppery in 7 days flat.
Sprouts
Broccoli Sprouts
Brassica oleracea (Italica)
Indoor annual
Sulforaphane superfood in 5 days — jar sprout, no soil needed.
Sprouts
Baby Leaf Salad Mix
Various species
Indoor annual
Bag a £2 seed mix for £30 of salad over a season.
Sprouts
Alfalfa Sprouts
Medicago sativa
Indoor annual
Nutty-sweet protein-packed sprouts ready in 4-5 days.
Leafy green
Cos Lettuce
Lactuca sativa (Longifolia)
Hardy annual
Upright romaine — sweet crunchy ribs, the Caesar-salad classic.
Leafy green
Butterhead Lettuce
Lactuca sativa (Capitata)
Hardy annual
Soft buttery rosettes — the gentlest, most child-friendly lettuce.
Leafy green
Oakleaf Lettuce
Lactuca sativa (Crispa)
Hardy annual
Frilly lobed leaves — cut-and-come-again for weeks of salads.
Leafy green
Iceberg Lettuce
Lactuca sativa (Capitata, Crisphead)
Hardy annual
Dense crunchy globes — needs space and steady water to firm up.
Leafy green
Little Gem
Lactuca sativa 'Little Gem'
Hardy annual
Mini-cos lettuce — fits in a window box and matures in 8 weeks.
Leafy green
Mizuna
Brassica rapa var. nipposinica
Hardy annual
Feathery peppery Japanese green — cut and it grows back fast.
Leafy green
Mibuna
Brassica rapa var. japonica
Hardy annual
Mizuna's narrower cousin — milder, slightly mustardy, prolific.
Herb
Thai Basil
Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora
Tender annual
Aniseed-edged basil — the herb behind pho and pad krapow.
Herb
Purple Basil
Ocimum basilicum 'Purpurascens'
Tender annual
Deep aubergine-purple leaves — striking in pots, makes rosy vinegar.
Herb
Greek Basil
Ocimum basilicum var. minimum
Tender annual
Tiny-leaved bushy basil — sweeter and tougher than Genovese.
Herb
Flat-leaf Parsley
Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum
Hardy biennial
Bolder-flavoured Italian parsley — the cook's-choice over curly.
Herb
Curly Parsley
Petroselinum crispum var. crispum
Hardy biennial
Frilly classic British parsley — best for garnish and tabbouleh.
Herb
Spearmint
Mentha spicata
Hardy perennial
The mint for mojitos, lamb and Sunday peas — keep in its own pot.
Herb
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita
Hardy perennial
Stronger menthol punch — the better tea mint and digestive soother.
Herb
Chocolate Mint
Mentha × piperita 'Chocolate'
Hardy perennial
After-dinner cocoa-scented mint — sublime in chocolate puds and tea.
Allium
Welsh Onion
Allium fistulosum
Hardy perennial
Clumping perennial spring onion — never need to sow again.
Allium
Elephant Garlic
Allium ampeloprasum
Hardy perennial
Tennis-ball-size mild garlic — actually a leek relative, not true garlic.
Allium
Garlic Chives
Allium tuberosum
Hardy perennial
Flat blades with mild garlic flavour — white pollinator flowers in late summer.
Herb
St John's wort
Hardy annual
St John's wort is a hardy perennial herb with bright yellow flowers traditionally used for medicinal purposes. It thrives in sunny locations with minimal care and can spread vigorously.