Looking rosy!

What do you do when you like roses and it's not rose season? You go and find yourself a British-grown 'cabbage rose'! These showy ornamental kales look like a giant bloom and have the added advantage of being frost-hardy with a long vase-life. You can find short-stemmed versions to add instant colour to winter flower beds. They are happy in the cold and won't get munched by caterpillars at this time of year. A frost will actually suppress chlorophyll production and intensify the rosette's colour.

The brassica family includes many edible superfoods such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, rocket and sprouts. They contain high levels of vitamin C, A, E, K plus foliate, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and dietary fibre. They also contain glucosinolates, which is the mustardy-tasting component that has been found to help protect us against some common cancers and cardiovascular disease. So, what are you waiting for... go grab yourself an early bag of brussel sprouts!