Arriving in the post this week some allium ampeloprasum var babingtonii seeds or rather I should say little bulbils. I read about 'Babington's Leeks' earlier this year and have since been on a mission to get some to plant at the lottie. This is a perennial leek which not only produces bulbs but also produces leaves which can apparently be picked when young to eat as salad leaves, apparently as early as January. The bulbils develop on the flower heads - it could take a couple of years for them to flower from sowing.
I must admit that after reading the instructions on the packet I was slightly bemused as to when to sow them so this led to some late night research. My books threw no light on the matter so I then had a play on the web. I was delighted to come across this most informative new to me site, where I am sure that I am going to spend much more time in the future :
'Plants For A Future' holds a database of some 7000 plants with edible, medicinal and other uses. Here I found all the information I was looking for - not only germination details but cultivation and use too. Ideally I should have sown the seed as soon as it ripe but there you go. I plan to sow some as soon as the compost in my greenhouse thaws out and my fingers too but will also hedge my bets by sowing some in spring. There is a lot of information on the site about lesser well known edible plants as well as the more familiar. I have only skimmed the surface but think that I will be using this resource regularly. Do have a peek.
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