Heirloom vegetables are a gardener’s treasure: full of flavour, steeped in history, and perfect for saving seeds from year to year. In Ireland’s cool, maritime climate, open‑pollinated heirloom varieties often thrive where some modern hybrids struggle, giving gardeners delicious, resilient crops and a direct connection to our gardening heritage.
Here are ten heirloom vegetables worth growing in Irish gardens, along with a few favourite varieties that are well-suited to our climate.
1. Tomatoes — Boulette de Touraine & White Wonder
Heirloom tomatoes are worth the patience. Boulette de Touraine is a small, rich-flavoured fruit, while White Wonder offers a sweet, creamy contrast. Both are great for salads, roasting, and preserving. Irish gardeners often source these from local heirloom-friendly seed suppliers to ensure varieties adapted to our weather.
2. Scarlet Runner Beans
Scarlet Runner Beans are classic Irish garden climbers. Not only do they produce tasty pods, but the striking red flowers attract pollinators. These beans grow well in our summers and can be harvested fresh or dried for winter use.
3. Peppers — Vezena Piperka (Sweet Pepper)
For sweet, crunchy peppers that thrive in cooler summers, varieties like Vezena Piperka perform well. They’re perfect for stir-fries, salads, or roasting, and add a splash of colour to your garden.
4. Cucumber — Shintokiwa Cucumber
Heirloom cucumbers, such as Shintokiwa, offer crisp texture and refreshing flavour. Ideal for salads or pickling, they grow well in Irish greenhouses or sheltered beds.
5. Kale
Winter-hardy greens like kale are a staple of Irish gardens. A mix of traditional heirlooms will produce tender, flavoursome leaves throughout the cool months, perfect for soups, sautés, or fresh salads.
6. Parsnip — Tender and True
Nothing beats the sweet, nutty flavour of a parsnip after a frost. Tender and True is an heirloom variety that stores well and is excellent roasted, mashed, or in hearty stews. Deep, loose soil will help roots grow straight and uniform.
7. Lettuce — Val D’Orge & Merveille d’Hiver
Leafy greens are ideal for succession planting. Val D’Orge grows fast for spring salads, while Merveille d’Hiver thrives in cooler weather. Planting a mix keeps a continuous harvest from early spring through late autumn.
8. Spaghetti Squash — Heirloom Varieties
Spaghetti squash offers both visual interest and a tasty autumn harvest. Heirloom varieties are well-suited to Ireland’s climate when grown in sunny, sheltered spots and can provide colourful, productive plants for the veg patch.
9. Radish — Rouge Flamboyant
Quick-growing and strikingly coloured, Rouge Flamboyant radishes are perfect for adding a splash of colour to salads and beds. They thrive in cool weather and can be sown multiple times in spring and autumn.
10. Swiss Chard — Bieta da Coste Barese
Swiss chard produces vibrant stems and versatile leaves. Bieta da Coste Barese is an heirloom that grows well in Irish gardens, providing harvests from summer through autumn.
Why Heirlooms Seeds Matter in Ireland
Heirloom varieties bring rich flavour, genetic diversity, and the joy of seed saving. Many have been grown locally for generations or adapted to our cool, wet climate, making them reliable, tasty, and resilient in Irish gardens. By choosing heirlooms, gardeners help preserve these historic varieties for future generations while enjoying exceptional produce.