Georgina Yates garden supervisor at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens near Doncaster, with Madeira maroon bean seeds. Picture: Tony Johnson
The gardens at Brodsworth, restored to their Victorian splendour, are home to a collection of grand gardens in miniature, with seasonal plantings and displays.
English Heritage, which took on the country estate in 1990, has teamed up with horticultural charity Garden Organic to help grow rare seed varieties in some of its historic gardens.
The charity, which over 40 years has ‘saved’ hundreds of rare vegetables from extinction, has donated a number of heirloom varieties to selected properties, with some gardeners signing up to become ‘guardians’, championing local varieties to return them to the library for future generations to enjoy.