Celosia plumosa (Bag) – Franchi Sementi

Carrot Pariser Market 4. Small, round specialty type carrot. Tender and crunchy. Really pretty carrot and very popular in French markets. Children love these little round carrots as well. Does well anywhere, but really good and quick with heavy clay soil. Fairly early. 6 gram pack. Approximately 400-1200 seeds per gram.

This variety is on the Slow Food Ark of Taste which means it is endangered. By using Franchi seeds you are supporting BioDiversity. https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/paris-round-carrot/

V18 - Featured on BBC Gardeners World 20/04/07. Round French Parisian carrots with good flavour. It's a classic case of the carrot changing to suit it's environment, and is basically a clay carrot. Easy to grow in containers and not as prone to carrot root fly. Sow in the Spring as you can get quite a late sowing. Also great to use in Indoor Farming systems and for Urban gardening in containers.The carrot (Daucus carota) is also called “Pastenade”, probably arrived on French tables in the 14th century, but at the outset it had little in common with the carrot we know today, since it was white, tenderer and mostly more fibrous. It took until the 18th and the middle of the 19th century for the orange varieties – coming from Afghanistan – to be more and more appreciated, probably for its tenderness. In the beginning it was known as a “lower class” vegetable, reserved for the common people, historically a very consumed vegetable, and still the second most eaten vegetable in France today. The Paris market carrot is a small round one (2-4cm in diameter) of the Grelot type that is sought after for its tenderness and sweetness. It is a very early carrot, fast-growing and preserves well; it can be sown all year round, and especially in spring and end of summer. This variety grows on the surface of the soil, and it also prefers sandy to clayey but not compact soil. Some people attribute a honey flavour to it; when used in the kitchen, it is often prized in part for what sets it apart: its unconventional shape. Carrots are inseparable from the popular stew, beef-carrots and also Vichy carrots, created in the 16th and 17th centuries and cooked in Vichy thermal water. Like all ancient vegetable varieties, the Paris round carrot has a low yield, a surprising aspect that can make it difficult to use. Thus it has been replaced by more productive hybrids that often have no heart (or at least a very thin one) like the Nantes or Touchon varieties. There are not many market farmers who grow it. One of them, Laurent Berrurier, tells us he grows on average 500 bunches per year (about 450 kilos).

Approximate seeds quantity:@7000
Sow: from February - July

Cabbage San Michelle (ex. Verza di Verona). Regional savoy type cabbage from Northern Italy. Green crinkly tender leaves with some red in the center. Very striking plant. Large firm heads. For spring or fall, but best for fall. Good storage and will hold well in the ground during cold weather. Taste actually improves with cold weather. 80-90 days. 6 gram packet, approximately 1200 seeds. Approximately 190-300 seeds per gram.

*Heritage Variety*
V58 - A late variety from Verona, Northern Italy which produces tightly wrapped head with erect blistered leaves, green with pink flush. Ideal for winter cultivation.

Approximate seeds quantity:@1800
Sow: from May - end July


Partnership plant: Chard, Cucumber, Bean, Lettuce, Pepper, Pea,
Tomato, Leek, Spinach.

What to sow after: Chicory, Bean, Endive, Lettuce, Pea, Leek,
Spinach, Lamb's lettuce.

Very flat red beet shaped like a cipolla onion. Excellent taste. Very sweet beet; no earthy taste to these. Nice red tops. Beautiful tops become dark bronze/red in cool weather. Ready in 55-60 or so days. 7 gram pack. Approximately 40-60 seeds per gram.

V10 - 'Dark Flat Egyption'. Early round variety. Semi flat of medium dimensions with purple red flesh. Dates to around 1850.


Approximate seeds quantity:@450
Sow: from March - June

Yard Long Bean. This bean is very popular in Italy. Sets a long, slim and crisp bean with good taste. It needs warm weather, so do not seed until soil has warmed up well, around the same time you would set out tomatoes or a week or so after the last frost date. A vigorous grower, it needs support so use tripods, poles or trellis. Plant 3-4 seeds around the base of each pole and thin to one. For a trellis, plant 2 seeds every six inches and thin to one. Keep picking to encourage production. 80 days to maturity on average. Pole beans have approximately 1 seed per gram. 18 Gram Package

Asparagus bean or yard long bean, can be eaten raw or cooked. Best eaten younger, but can reach 50cms in length. Grow protected as needs some heat. Try is in a stir fry or sautéed and have a mild asparagus flavour.

Approximate seeds quantity:@60
Weight: 20g
Sow: from April - June.
Plant height: 160-180cms
Pods: 50cms
UK ONLY

Partnership plant: Chard, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Cucumber,
Chicory and Radicchio, Lettuce, Aubergine, Radish, Corn.

What to sow after: Chard, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cabbage,
Cucumber, Chicory and Radicchio, Fennel, Endive,
Lettuce, Aubergine,Melon, Pepper, Tomato, Leek,
Parsley, Radish, Spinach, Lamb's lettuce, Courgette.