Do you want to play an important part in preserving the genetic diversity of plants and consume healthy vegetables and fruits that are better in taste and nutrition that is grown in your garden? Dedicated to helping people grow food, the Little Veggie Patch Co. (LVPC) is a business that will have you growing your produce in no time regardless of your skill-set or space at your disposal.

Starting as a little company that installed raised garden beds and larger edible gardens in people’s homes, LVPC began expanding into smaller space gardening by taking on the ideas of permaculture and combining them with the constraints of space and time.

The idea of planting heirlooms

Known to produce better taste and flavour, heirloom fruits and vegetables are also considered to be more nutritious. Moreover, in most cases, heirloom plants are organic because they are generally only used by small-scale gardeners who do not use pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

The difference between heirloom, hybrid and GMO plants is that the characteristics of heirloom are passed on from generation to generation where there is increased productivity in the plants with a gradual supply of fresh produce to home gardeners. What’s more, heirlooms are easier to find and produce, making it cheaper and also easier to grow because they do not need strict growing conditions. Hybrid plants on the other hand, however, are produced when different varieties of plants are cross-pollinated, with or without human intervention. Due to the presence of different plants, the progeny of hybrid plants cannot be guaranteed to produce the same characteristics as the parent plant. In complete contrast to both, GMO plants can only be produced using unnatural methods such as gene splicing where scientists modify a seed’s DNA to ensure the resulting plant produces the desired traits and characteristics.

Released in 2009, LVPC’s heirloom seeds range has now over 50 varieties and continues to grow. The specially sourced heritage plants chosen for great taste, yield, pest resistance, and ease of growth consists largely of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers.

As stated on LVPC’s official website, LVPC’s “Our collection is always growing, as we strive to find wonderful old varieties that represent the incredible natural diversity of edible plants. For example, there are literally thousands of different types of tomatoes in the world, yet most supermarkets only sell one, maybe two. Veggies come in every colour, shape, size, texture, and taste- yet we only get to experience a very standardised few. With every heirloom variety, we are trying to not only infuse the garden with fresh excitement but also bring that spirit to the kitchen.”

So if are thinking about having that green patch in your backyard or balcony big or small, start planting these high-quality heirloom seeds that bring you the ultimate satisfaction of growing your crop.

Some of Pookipoiga’s LVPC’s interesting and rare vegetable and herbs heirloom seeds collection includes, the heavy yielding, hardy with large glossy, thick dark green leaves, Spinach ‘Bloomsdale’ , the almost purple skinned Tomato ‘Black Russian’ , the hardy and shade tolerant Swiss Chard, the spiral patterned and nutrient-packed Broccoli Romanesco, the very sweet with minimum foliage Carrot ‘Baby Amsterdam’, the frilled Russian variety of kale, Kale ‘Dwarf Blue’ , the highly aromatic Coriander ‘Eureka’ and sweet and peppery quintessential Italian pesto basil, Basil ‘Large Sweet Genova’. 

LVPC’s beautiful edible flowers range that also makes your garden visually attractive includes, the gold and orange double bloom Calendula ‘Princess Mix’, the multi-coloured that blooms earlier than many other varieties, Cornflower ‘Polka Dot’, the naturally sweet herb for tea Hyssop ‘Anise’ and the vibrantly colored that presents a tempting offering of delights, Viola ‘Johnny Jump Up.’

LVPC also offers seed kits that are designed for people of any skill containing all the materials you need to get your seed started. Containing 5 varieties of heirloom seed that are locally sourced with a comprehensive planting guide with planting times and instructions, these kits made using recyclable cardboard and are printed with aqueous inks, meaning they can be safely fed to your compost and worm-farm.

The Beneficial Bug Seed Kit contains seed varieties that are chosen to attract the right sort of bugs such as ladybirds, lacewings and other predatory insects. These friendly bugs will be lured by the colours and scents of these plants, ensuring there is biodiversity in the veggie patch making growing food organically simpler. The Leafy Greens Seed Kit and Culinary Herb Seed Kit consist of rich herbs and nutritious green vegetables, while the Kids Seed Kit is packed with plant varieties that have a quick germination process and grows fast for the little people with short attention spans!

Books to get started

If you are just not ready to start digging and want deeper knowledge and guide on plants and gardening these LVPC books on the same are just what you might need.

The book Root to Bloom equips with the knowledge and tools to grow, eat and make use of every edible part of the plant. It includes a comprehensive rundown of 35 edible plants (from coriander to onion to sweet potato), covering extra components of edibility, including flowers, roots, and weeds. Grow.Food.Anywhere is a book that redefines what it means to grow food in small spaces. It talks about what plants need, how to get fruits and vegetables to grow and coping with pest and disease, treating and eradicating them. The book How to Grow Food in Small Spaces as the title suggests offers an all-round perspective on growing food in small spaces. It contains detailed information about fundamentals including soil, climate, watering, composting, worm farms, saving and sowing seeds, and raised garden beds and crates together with in-depth information on various edible plants and vegetables.

So don’t waste time in getting your hands dirty and begin to enjoy cultivating your garden in any space. As English philosopher Francis Bacon quotes, “God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.”