Swiss Chard

Description

A fantastic looking ornamental chard that's ideal for adding a splash of colour to your vegetable plot or patio containers. With dark green and bronze leaves and rainbow stems ranging from white and orange-yellow through to pinky red and purple, it is a real stunner, as well as being delicious to eat and packed full of vitamins, minerals and healthy fibre.
Cropping prolifically over a long season, it is a true 'cut and come again' variety; the leaves will regenerate 1-2 weeks after harvesting the whole plant (leaving 2.5-5cm base), or remove just the outer leaves and allow the heart to grow on. The plants are robust enough to withstand light frosts and will continue to give good quality leaves until the colder winter weather sets in. Harvest from July to November and if protected over winter will produce an early spring crop.
This versatile veg has a lovely mild, sweet flavour when picked as baby leaves for salads and garnishes, becoming slightly bitter when left to mature and delicious when lightly steamed or stir-fried to retain colour, flavour and nutrients. There will be plenty to pick all through the season, so any excess can be blanched and packed in an airtight bag for the freezer, where it will store well for up to a year.
Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, enjoying an excellent harvest of tasty chard.
Supplied as 12 plug plants, ready to plant out once the risk of frost has passed, growing to 50cm in height and 40cm spread.