WITH capitalism no longer capable even of putting eggs on supermarket shelves, gardening seed catalogues begin to move from the hobby category to that of survival equipment.

Real Seeds ( www.realseeds.co.uk) have got the idea. Their Low-Waged/Unwaged Seed Pack contains 10 packets of seed, costing £10 including postage. It’s designed for people who are struggling, or involved in growing food for those who are, and is subsidised by sales of the same pack at its full price of £21.

A vegetable which sustained many of our cottage-gardening ancestors, Cottager’s Kale, is unsurprisingly back in fashion, with Dobies ( www.dobies.co.uk; tel 0844 7364209), among others, adding it to their lists this year. 

It produces kale leaves through the winter, followed by broccoli-like shoots in spring, so it gives a lot of food for the space it occupies. Best of all, each plant should live for about four years, and can very easily be propagated from cuttings.

If too much unbroken green on the plate is lowering your spirits, though, you might try Cauliflower Depurple, from Thompson & Morgan ( www.thompson-morgan.com; tel 0844 573 1818). Steamed rather than boiled, the florets of this cauli are said to retain their lavender colouring.

We’re in the same area of the palette with Squash Jumbo Pink Banana, at Suttons ( www.suttons.co.uk; tel 0844 7364208). The catalogue description claims that each plant will produce around seven fruit, each weighing around 7kg. They’re also supposed to be good storers, their firm orange flesh lasting well into the winter.

Marshalls (https://marshallsgarden.com; tel 01480 774555) are offering organic seed of one of the most adaptable and reliable carrots, Nantes 2. Suitable for early and late sowings, it’s a robust, fast-growing, medium-sized root that has very little core.

I don’t know why DT Brown’s ( www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk; tel 0333 0030869) new melon is named Budgie, but it looks interesting. Said to have good resistance to mildews, which often ruin melon crops, and to be capable of growing in a warm, sheltered spot outdoors as well in a greenhouse, its flavour is described as “tangy-sweet”.

Sarah Raven ( www.sarahraven.com; tel 0345 0920283) has several new seed collections, trialled to fit particular needs. These include Best For Pots, for those growing their veg in containers, Fuss Free Easy Veg, in which all the seeds are pre-sown on tape, so you don’t need to worry about the correct spacings or bother with thinning the seedlings, and the Family Veg Collection, chosen to get children interested in growing their own.

Soya beans of any kind can be tricky to grow in this country, but Edamame Green Shell, at Chiltern Seeds ( www.chilternseeds.co.uk; tel 01491 824675), is said to produce “on a regular basis under normal UK conditions”. It’s also a compact plant, so it doesn’t need staking.

One final word of advice: it might be worth getting your seed and potato orders in early this winter. As the General Collapse of Everything progresses systemically, many varieties are already showing as “unavailable” on the companies’ websites.