Producing excellent crops for decades, in some case centuries, heirloom, or heritage, varieties of vegetables and fruit deserve their place among the edibles that you grow. Passed down over the years, from generation to generation, these are the direct, unadulterated descendants of old varieties, many with international origins, often now rare.
‘Experiment with growing your own and decide on your own favourites. There are many seed companies that have specific heritage and heirloom lines, and some that specialise, such as Real Seeds,’ says Simone Bratt-Low, kitchen garden horticulturist at RHS Bridgewater.
While there is no official definition of what is classed as an heirloom, or heritage variety, they must be open-pollinated – meaning they breed true from seed, growing offspring with the same characteristics.
‘The variety is often more than 100 years old, although some believe over 40 years can be classed as heirloom, while others state post 1945 as a standard, and in many cases