Purple potatoes, golden tomatoes and pink-striped beets; crops from the Education Gardens resemble an impressionist painting more than a humble bit of veg. And it’s all down to some clever seed sowing.  Dumfries House has been working with Garden Organic since 2013, a charity that takes, saves and grows seed from Heirloom varieties passed down through generations of gardeners. Heritage seeds from their library are not commercially available and often bear the name of the last in line to donate to the charity, which is why many have titles such as Joe Atkinson’s Tomato or Robinson’s pea. The garden also yields landrace varieties – seeds saved by farmers that adapt to changes in the local environment. This provides a diverse gene pool for future generations to be able to breed crops resistant to future pests, disease and climate change. All important when it comes to the Education Gardens’ pending Organic Certification. And they taste pretty good too. See overleaf for some of the garden’s most successful specimens...

Tomorrow, discover the heritage vegetables boasting an impressive range of flavour and colour

Words: Marie-Louise Von Haselberg