New kind of product at The Devil’s Garden!

Yes, of course what we meant when naming our online business “The Devil’s Garden” was to indicate the spicy nature as well as the wide range of our products. But as we go along we find ourselves wanting to branch out and provide other elements that, just as with chillies, are there to enhance the flavour of your food.

This is why we decided at The Devil’s Garden to launch a section of “Herb Seeds” (in the Grow Your Own category). We have been providing chilli seeds to quite a few customers for the past months (NuMex Big Jim, Scotch Bonnets and Satan’s Kiss chilli seeds being the bestsellers so far) and were asked several times to look into selling herb seeds as garden or cooking herbs are widely used in many form of cuisine from European to American and of course Eastern.

Our first impulse was to get several types of basil herb seeds as this is a garden herb that is found in many a recipe and goes incredibly well as we all know with Italian food. We also got some Oregano, Common Thyme and Sage herb seeds as these are staples of beloved roasts and stews. Dill, Peppermint and Tarragon work wonderfully well in salads and with fish, as well as parsley. We of course got some coriander herb seeds as this is a very popular herb that is of course at its best in curries. We also decided to stock some Chamomile herb seeds as not only is the plant really ornamental with daisy-like flowers but the medicinal virtues and soothing sensation of chamomile are notorious, really relevant when you have been over-doing it with chillies!

There is still plenty of time to grow your own kitchen herbs so why not have a look at what the Devil’s Garden has got to offer and if you feel that you need a bit of help, you can browse our “Growing Equipment” section where Root Riot Cubes and plant food such as Chilli Focus (works just as well with herb seeds) can be found.

Rare Chilli Seeds – Part 1

Most people have heard of chilli peppers such as Habaneros, Jalapenos or Cayenne. But how about growing rarer but equally fantastic chilli peppers? At the Devil’s Garden we have a great selection of chilli seeds for you to choose from:

The spicy and sweet Hungarian Yellow Wax is famous for its amazing yields. The smooth and waxy yellow chilli peppers are 5 to 8 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide with a sweet flesh which tapers to a blunt tip. Delightful to the eye, these prolific chillies are great for stuffing and pickling but we just love them as they are in a nice salad or with chicken.

The fresno plant with attractive white flowers produces heavy crops of 2-3 inches long conical fruits which can be used green or when ripening to red. Fresno Chilli Peppers are similar to jalapenos but a tad less meaty and with a thinner skin and a medium heat that makes them ideal for various types of salsas. Drying or reducing to powder is not recommended though.

The Anaheim chilli pepper plant grows up to 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. Anaheim peppers are very popular in Mexican cuisine and are at their best harvested during summer when still green although they are also lovely when fully ripe and red. It’s a great chilli to have for making a fresh salsa but is also commonly used roasted in the oven stuffed with cheese or fried.

The NuMex Joe E Parker chilli pepper is similar to its Anaheim cousin, with thicker walls, more flesh and generally longer bodied. The Joe E Parker turns from green to red quickly and is so prolific that Mexicans use it to make decorative wreaths. In terms of flavour, the NuMex Joe E Parker chilli pepper is deeply satisfying, with a thick, crisp and fresh texture and is great used in salads or sprinkled on your meal just after serving.

The Red Cherry chilli pepper as you can imagine is called as such due to their striking resemblance to the actual fruit. But don’t go thinking that they are above suspicion! Although quite sweet these chilli peppers really pack a punch! They are not great dried because of their thick flesh but are absolutely fantastic pickled or chopped up and served with sandwiches and salads. The plant itself produces numerous pods over a season with a harvest roughly 80 days after potting on.

The Devil’s Garden Chilli Seeds are here!

January is the best time to dust ourselves off and get back into the thick of things, especially after the overindulging of the festive season.

And what better to do than to start preparing your own crop of fresh chillies? Have a look at the hydroponics in our “grow your own” section where you can see what’s best to suit your needs even if you live in a top floor flat.

We have added lots of new chilli seeds that range from mild to wild and can’t wait to hear how your crop is going. Each year we usually grow a combination of indoor plants such as the Bulgarian Carrot or Serrano Tampiqueno and outdoor or greenhouse plants such as Habanero (red, orange or white), Jalapeno (Tam, Early or Purple) or the much loved Scotch Bonnet (Red or Orange).

We have lots of various rarer species such as Anaheim, Bishop’s Crown, Fatalii, Red Cherry, Satan’s Kiss and many more that can be used in everyday cooking or simply eaten on their own. The Georgia Flame or NuMex Big Jim are ideal for those who like stuffed peppers while the Pasilla Bajio and Ancho Grande are great to flavour sauces.

Whatever you go for, you can be sure of getting quality chilli seeds from The Devil’s Garden as all our seeds come from a DEFRA registered source.

You will also definitely get your money’s worth as all chilli seeds are delivered for free in the UK! So trowels at the ready and let’s get planting!