Discover what grows in the Workhouse Garden

A very old russet apple which arose in Acklam, Yorkshire UK. First recorded 1768. Small flat round fruit. Pale yellow and green skin covered with a thin grey russet.

Unusual upside-down pear shaped apples.

Mildly acidic flavour with a greasy taste when cooked.

Used as a cooking apple in culinary and desert dishes.

Hunthouse is a primitive green culinary apple, with a simple acid flavour. The tree is notably small, but very productive. Hunthouse originates from the area of Whitby on the North Sea coast of England.

Also known as Red Joaneting, this is a pretty, highly coloured apple which is ideal picked and eaten straight from the tree. The flavour is slightly sharp, but juicy and refreshing.

Distinct conical-shaped apples.

Intense, sweet aromatic flavour.

Used in pies, juice and cider.

• Basil “Ocimum basilicum”
• Grow in rich, light well-drained to dry soils in sun
• Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushiness and delay flowering, though regular sowings are still needed to a summer-long supply
• Leaves are picked during the growing season and used fresh or dried
• Purple-leaved cultivars have ornamental value

• Bay “Laurus nobilis”
• Well-drained soil in sun or part shade
• Bay also lends itself well to container-growing
• Trim to shape in summer, removing suckers from standards and topiary as they appear
• Leaves can be picked in summer for drying

One of the oldest varieties of beetroot.

Carrot-shaped root with tough skin full of wrinkles, very dark red almost brown skin.

Very distinctive earthly flavour, sweet flesh and when cooked releases a chestnut-like aroma.

Good choice for roasting, use in salads or pickling, adding a visual appeal to dishes along with a sweet taste.

Globe-shaped roots with a rich maroon colour.

Its perfect for pickling, salads, baking and anything else as excellent flavour makes it very adaptable.

They are easiest to grow as there are no pests or disease that affect beetroot. Not even slugs would eat it first.

It originated from Canada in 1892.

Has globe-shaped roots that are mix of orange-yellow colours.

Has a tender and sweet taste even when picked large.

When cooked it changes colour to a golden yellow.

Most commonly used in salads grated and raw, can be boiled or roasted for a milder taste, and can even be added to baked goods.

Borage is an easily-grown herb used in informal areas such as cottage gardens, wildlife areas and vegetable patches. The usually sky blue flowers are edible and can  garnish summer drinks and salads. Borage is an annual so will need to be raised from seeds or young plants each year

A ball-headed cabbage of light green colour.

Producing an early summer crop of fast-growing, tightly-packed leaves that are particularly sweet and tender.

With its relatively compact size, it is suitable for planting in confined place.

A green pointed-shape cabbage that has loose inner leaves and matures quickly.

The cabbage has a sweet, mild flavour.

Can be used for slaw. stir-fries and salads.

Ball-shaped cabbage which has blue-green leaves with purple-tinged edges.

Exposure to cold weather and frost helps to develop the characteristics with texture and flavour.

It can be cooked in soups and stews, eaten raw in salads, steamed, or even used as wraps for fillings.

The shape has a dark red solid centre with deep purple-red coloured, densely packed leaves.

It is renowned for pickling and cooking holding its flavour.

They are great raw, cooked or pickled.

• Caraway “Carum carvi”
• Well-drained, fertile soil in full sun, tolerant of heavy soils
• Leaves and roots used fresh as vegetable, seeds, when ripe, used dried

They are short, stout carrots with orange-red coloured cores with rich orange flesh. The root surface is smooth and free from large eyes and side rootlets.

The delicious flesh flavour is described as “crisp and sweet” with a earthy taste.

The carrots can be eaten cooked or raw with taste being described as crisp and sweet.

Grown mainly in Kent and Surrey. They were also worn as a decoration in ladies’ hats in 19th century.

These carrots have long pointed roots.

They have a great sweet flavour.

Can be steamed, boiled or roasted.

A globe-shaped, golf ball size orange carrot.

Has a sweet and tender flavour.

Can be eaten raw, cooked, steamed or boiled.

As the name suggests, this variety can be sown at any time of year as it succeeds equally well in frames or in the open, but winter sown seen should be sown under glass for reliable germination. The large milky-white heads are protected by very dark green leaves that are slightly curled. Their high quality make them popular for showing.

Cauliflower is hardy with smaller heads than other kinds along with shorter leaves.

They have a mild flavour perfect for cooking but also is delicious raw.

Can be roasted, boiled, eaten raw or steamed.

• Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
• Rich, light, moisture-retentive soil in part shade
• Delicate anise flavour, leaves used fresh in salads or in French cooking; flowers and roots are also edible

• Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
• Well-drained fertile soil in full sun, although leaves may be more productive in part shade
• Leaves and roots used fresh, especially in Thai cooking
• Seeds used dried in curries and pickles

Cucurbita pepo has been cultivated for centuries, and traces have been found in Mexico dating back to 8750 BCE. It is perhaps their undemanding nature that has helped them survive for so long, as Vilmorin-Andrieux noted, “(They) will grow anywhere if supplied with plenty of manure and moisture at the root.” This variety is not for winter storing but is delicious when enjoyed fresh. It produces creamy white flat fruits with a scalloped edge from a bush habit.