18 MAY 2002, Page 74

Q. Can you recommend some fashionable varieties of vegetables to

impress a certain royal personage who will shortly be dining at my house?

Name and address withheld A. There is currently a revival of interest in vintage varieties of potatoes. The earthy Fortyfolds (1836) and the floury Golden Wonder (1906) can both be obtained from selected branches of Waitrose. Edible weeds are also in vogue. Gardeners can buy seed of an improved version of the wild dandelion, whose leaves can either be used green or blanched in salads, from the Terre de Semences rare-seed catalogue (Tel: 01227 731815). The catalogue also includes an edible plantain, not to be confused with the less tasty banana-lookalike plantain available in markets such as Portobello Road.