Chives

The most useful herb in the kitchen garden — and one of the most beautiful. Chives produce slender, hollow stems with a mild, fresh onion flavour that is outstanding in salads, soups, and egg dishes, topped in early summer with edible purple pom-pom flowers that are as decorative as they are delicious. Hardy perennial that returns reliably year after year.

• Allium schoenoprasum — Hardy Perennial (H6)
• Height: 30–40cm | Harvest: March–November
• Approximately 200 seeds per packet
• Sow indoors March–May or direct September; full sun to partial shade
• Well-drained soil — cut back after flowering for a second flush
• Edible purple pom-pom flowers — outstanding for salads and garnishes
• Outstanding companion plant for carrots and roses