A delicious alternative to spinach,Swiss chardis easy to grow. In the UK it's usually referred to as chard, but it's also known as leaf beet. With its ornamental leaves and often colourful stems, it looks just as good in containers and borders as the vegetable plot. Swiss chard is hardy and can be overwintered for early pickings in spring. 

Swiss Chard comes in a stunning combination of vivid red, yellow and white stems supporting a lush dark green canopy. Some varieties of seed will offer single colours, whereas others give the full rainbow effect. Swiss Chard is easy to grow and has a broad tolerance of soils and seasons. Water plants often during dry spells in the summer.

Direct sow seed outdoors from March to August, in a well prepared, moist, fertile seedbed in full sun or partial shade.

Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 1cm in drills 30cm apart. Thin seedlings to 7cm apart for 'baby leaves' which will be ready to harvest approximately 50 days from sowing. For larger leaves thin to 15cm apart, or 25cm for mature plants.