Mashua is a rare plant related to garden Nasturtium that can be grown as a decorative climbing ornamental or a food crop for its tubers. It is sometimes referred to as one of the "lost" Inca crops. P...

Mashua is a rare plant related to garden Nasturtium that can be grown as a decorative climbing ornamental or a food crop for its tubers. It is sometimes referred to as one of the "lost" Inca crops. Probably because it is listed in the book "Lost Crops of the Incas - Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation" (available as PDF here). However, Mashua was never lost. It is still grown in the Andes region as a "minor" but quite nutritious food source. Native to the high altitudes of the Andes, it grows well in cooler climates as well as in wet and even poorer soils. The plant also has an excellent reputation for resistance to many pests and diseases. Its hardiness and vigour makes it a quite interesting and useful crop, particularly if our climate continues to change with more storms etc. Here in West Cork we grow it in a sunny position in our polytunnel. It is very easy to grow. Plant the tubers in April and harvest when the frost has killed the vines. You store tubers for the next planting in a pot or box with damp sand in a cool frost free environment. We found that so far it grows best for us when we let it climb on a support like a pole or runner bean. It loves to climb so be aware that it can shade other plants. The leaves and flowers are sometimes used in salads. They have an interesting mild tangy flavour that is spicy like mustard greens or radishes with a pleasant undertone of something similar to almond. The raw tubers have a much more pronounced tangy spiciness and they are often cooked which makes them milder. We prefer them oven roasted as a side dish, but allegedly they are also delicious in stews or as croquettes. You will receive a package containing 3 medium to large size tubers and 2 small to medium sized ones. This should be plenty for multiplying the crop. Some sources says a single plant can grow clusters of tubers of up to 4 kg. However, so far we have had normal yields of 1.5-2.5kg per plant in West Cork. In 2025 we have a limited amount of tubers for sale as we also keep some for ourselves and some for replanting. However, if there is interest in the crop we can multiply more for sale going forward. In 2025 we are also planting black skinned Mashua which will be available for 2026. Let us know what you think by sending us an email.

We are delighted to announce the publication of the  3rd edition of  “Identification Guide to Ireland’s Regulated Invasive Alien Plant Species” which is now

The new rules will make the EU food system more secure and sustainable, with climate- and pest-resistant plants that give higher yields and require fewer fertilisers and pesticides.

Japanese Giant Mustard, AKA Takana (高菜) or Giant Red Mustard is a beautiful large-leafed Asian salad green that ads colour and flavour to any dish. It is a very vigorous plant with large (40-70cm long and 30-40 wide) colourful leaves shifting from green to red/puple. Baby leaves have a peppery flavour, similar to a gentle mustard or a mild rocket, combined with a slight sweetness and green flavour. Very good in a salad mix. Mature leaves develop more flavour and are spicier with a bit of bitterness. Good for cooking. When cooked they loose heat and have a nutty, earthy and sweet flavour. Kind of like a spicy spinach. It is a cold-hardy plant that keeps growing slowly through Irish winters if protected by fleece or polytunnel.   Additional Information Asian mustard greens have a long history in South-East Asia, particularly in the regions of Japan, China and Korea where many localised landraces exists. Takana means large leaf in Japanese and is a descriptive term used for several varieties similar to Japanese Giant Mustard.  

The Lebanese White Bush Courgette is an excellent heirloom prized for its delicate flavours, good yield and general versatility. It's a compact bush type making it ideal for small gardens or containers. It is an early maturing vigorous plant with a good resistance to powdery mildew and bacterial wilt. It handles cooler and damp climates well and we found it to be an excellent variety when trialing it in West Cork. The fruits are a bit stubby, cylindrical and shaped similar to an eggplant. They are 10–20 cm long and 5–8 cm wide. The skin is pale green to creamy white. The texture is firm, crisp and creamy. The flavour is sweet, a bit nutty and mild. Some say it is less watery than green courgettes. It is excellent used fresh in salads and holds shape and flavours well when cooked. Additional information The White Bush Courgette type is spread across the ancient Levant area of the Middle East with localised variants like the Lebanese White Bush. They are often stuffed and baked in a dish called "koussa mahshi" or in stews, fresh eating etc. Other common names that can be found are: Coosa Squash, Cousa Squash, White Lebanese Zucchini, Vegetable Marrow White Bush prized in Middle Eastern cuisine for its delicate flavour and versatility. It's a compact bush type (not vining), making it ideal for small gardens or containers.  White Bush Courgettes are an ancient heirloom landraces typical for the Middle East, with roots tracing back centuries in Levantine agriculture. Widely grown across the region for stuffing (koussa mahshi) and fresh dishes; preserved as an open-pollinated variety.

The Lazy Housewife is one of the first stringless pole bean that became commercially available. It first crops up around 1885 in W. Atlee Burpee's North American seed catalogues making it a hardy heirloom with lots of attitude and old world flavours. It produces a good yield classic round green pods that are 10–15 cm long and slightly curved. It has a good flavour that is sweet, tender and juicy even when pods get big. Holds flavour and tenderness longer than many varieties.  Some additional information The odd "funny" name seems to be a marketing strategy hinting at how low in maintenance the variety is and that it remains stringless even when pods are more mature. So it was arguably a smart thing to grow the variety. There is another old use of the word lazy that springs to our mind which is the famous  Irish"lazy beds" used  to grow potatoes etc. Anyone that has dug a lazy bed would know it isn't lazy work but it is a smart way to start a new raised bed. Some sources claim that Burpee got the original seed from German Imigrants and that the variety actually is older. However, that seems hard to verify and being from at least 1885 we think its definitely an old world verity.  

Shintokiwa is a Japanese heirloom cucumber variety known for its long, slender fruits with exceptional flavor. This cucumber is renowned for its excellent crunch and sweetness, often described as having a vibrant, flowery, and buttery profile. It is crisp, juicy and free of bitterness, offering a pleasant texture that's ideal for fresh eating, snacking, or slicing. The fruits are long and slender, typically 23-30 cm in length, with smooth, thin, dark-green skins.  The plants can have a vigorous growth habit and benefits from trellising to promote straight fruits and better airflow. Pick fruits often for a better harvest. The variety performs well in full sun and shows good resistance to bacterial wilt and cucumber mosaic virus. It should be noted that with its thin skin it is said to be susceptible to wind damage in exposed conditions. We think it might best be grown under cover, but it probably can do reasonable well in a sheltered outside spot. We found it to be an excellent slicer that was perfect for salads or fresh eating as well as quick pickling making it a tasty condiment. Some additional information about cucumbers in Japan Cucumbers are called kyuri in Japan and they are grown in all regions. Japanese cucumbers are valued for their crisp texture, mild sweetness, and cooling properties in cuisine. Some example of how they traditionally are used (sourced from the internet) are: Sushi and rolls (makizushi): Sliced or julienned in kappa maki (cucumber rolls) or as a filling in other sushi varieties. Bento boxes and onigirazu: Added for crunch in packed lunches or rice sandwiches. Donburi or rice bowls: Incorporated into seafood-topped bowls for texture contrast. Sunomono: A vinegared salad where thinly sliced cucumbers are marinated with rice vinegar, seaweed, and sometimes seafood for a refreshing side dish. Asazuke or light pickles: Quick-pickled cucumbers seasoned with salt, often eaten as a simple tsukemono (pickled vegetable) to accompany meals. Snacks: Eaten raw with miso dip or as a simple side.

Black from Tula is a rare beefsteak tomato that is highly praised among tomato enthusiasts for its rich flavours and great quality. It often ranks in the top 3-5 places in taste tests. Black from Tula is ideal for cottage gardens or direct sales at farmers markets. But be warned, picked dead-ripe from the vine and eaten directly the flavours may put you off store bought tomatoes forever. It has large fruits weighing on average 200-500g. The fruits have an attractive somewhat dusky red-brown skin with dark green shoulders. It has brick-red flesh with rich, somewhat smokey and complex savoury umami flavours. When we grew Black from Tula next to our favourite tomato Paul Robeson we did note that they are very similar but not identical in both appearance and flavour. Some seem to slightly prefer one over the other, but everyone agreed that both are among the best tomatoes they have tried.

Butterfley is a modern, well performing spinach created by a Dutch breeding company called Nunhems around 1968. It was created for commercial field production in northern Europe and is both cold hardy and has good disease resistance. It is described as an open-pollinated type with semi-savoyed (blistered) attractive dark green leaves that have a great mild and buttery flavour. It grows with an upright rosette of 18–25 cm long leaves when mature. It was particularly selected for vigor, bolt resistance, cold-hardiness and resistance to diseases like downey mildew. Suitable for overwintering in mild climates (zone 7–8 with light cover)

Arvidsjaur is a heritage variety from Swedish Lapland that is well adapted to cool climates and short summers.  This could hardy variety can be direct sown in soils as cold as 4-5c and, if allowed to be hardened of, it tolerates mild spring frosts. Adapted to cool climates it also has developed good general disease resistance, particularly against powdery mildew. This variety can be used in challenging cool locations or used as an early first sown pea followed by later successions of other peas, e.g. the Train Drivers Giant Pea. The young pods are flat, sweet, crunchy and can be eaten whole as a mange tout. Leftover pods can be frozen for later use. A good early everyday pea that is great for fresh eating, stir fries, salads or simply blanched with melted butter. For best snow-pea quality (crisp, sweet, stringless): pick when pods are 7–8 cm long and still flat. If you let them grow to 9–10 cm the pods become slightly tougher and may develop a faint string. You can also dry the peas for use in sups etc. However, it may be more efficient to grow e.g. The Bishops Red pea or the Preen as soup peas.

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