Allium cepa 'White Lisbon' is a Hardy Annual and the most widely grown salad onion variety in the United Kingdom. Unlike bulbing onions, spring onions are harvested young — before a significant bulb develops — making them a rapid, high-turnover crop that slots easily into any kitchen garden plan, however small the available space.

Mild by Design: The flavour of 'White Lisbon' is notably milder than most bulbing onion varieties, making it genuinely versatile across a range of culinary uses. The white base has a gentle, sweet onion flavour with none of the sharpness of a mature bulb, while the green tops carry a fresh, grassy note. Both parts are fully usable — the tops can be used as a substitute for chives, making this a genuinely two-in-one crop.

Winter Hardy Strain: 'White Lisbon' includes a winter-hardy strain specifically selected for autumn sowing. Seeds sown in August and September will establish before the cold sets in, overwinter as small plants, and then race into growth in late February and March — providing fresh spring onions at a time of year when the kitchen garden is otherwise largely bare. This is one of the most valuable and underused tricks in the British vegetable grower's calendar.

Potager Value: In a cottage potager — the ornamental kitchen garden that blends edibles with flowers — spring onions earn their place beyond their culinary value. The neat, upright, fine-leaved foliage has a quiet elegance that contrasts beautifully with the broader leaves of squash, salad, and herbs. A freshly sown row with its geometric precision adds a satisfying structure to the productive garden that no flower quite replicates.

'White Lisbon' is one of the most forgiving and beginner-friendly crops in the kitchen garden — it germinates reliably, grows rapidly, and asks very little of the soil or the gardener.

How to Sow:
Sow directly outdoors from late February to July for a continuous summer and autumn harvest. Sow into shallow drills approximately 1cm deep and 15cm apart, scattering seeds thinly along the drill — spring onions are grown as a dense stand rather than thinned to individual plants, so there is no need to space seeds precisely. Cover lightly and water in gently. Germination is fast and reliable, typically within 7–14 days in mild conditions. For winter harvesting, sow the winter-hardy strain in August to September.

Where to Grow:
'White Lisbon' is highly adaptable and will grow well in full sun or partial shade. It thrives in most well-drained soils and is one of the best crops for containers, window boxes, and raised beds — a standard window box will yield enough spring onions for several salads from a single sowing. Avoid waterlogged or very heavy clay soils, which can cause the stems to rot at the base.

Ongoing Care:
Keep the bed weed-free, as the fine foliage of young spring onion seedlings cannot compete with established weeds. Water during dry spells to maintain steady, even growth — irregular watering can cause the stems to become tough or hollow. No feeding is generally required for such a fast-maturing crop grown in reasonably fertile soil.

Harvesting:
Begin pulling when stems reach approximately 15–20cm in height and the white base is clearly formed — typically 8–12 weeks after sowing. Pull every other plant to give the remaining ones room to develop further, effectively thinning and harvesting simultaneously. Spring onions are best used fresh but will keep in the fridge for up to a week. For the freshest possible flavour, harvest directly before use — the difference between a spring onion pulled ten minutes ago and one that has spent three days in a plastic bag is remarkable.

Spring onions are natural companions in the kitchen garden — their allium chemistry actively benefits many neighbouring crops, and these plants from our range make excellent partners both in the ground and on the plate:

• 🧡 Calendula 'Art Shades Mixed': The Potager Classic. Calendula and spring onions are one of the great kitchen garden pairings — the warm apricot and cream flowers of Art Shades planted along the edge of the onion bed attract hoverflies and lacewings whose larvae prey on the thrips and aphids that can damage onion foliage, while the Calendula's resin-coated roots deter soil pests below ground. Visually, the warm amber blooms against the cool upright green of the spring onion foliage is a quietly beautiful potager combination that looks as deliberate as any cottage border planting.
• 🌼 Borage: The Biodiversity Builder. Borage is a superb general companion in the kitchen garden and pairs well with alliums in particular — its deep taproot draws up soil nutrients that benefit shallow-rooted crops like spring onions, and its continuous blue flowers provide a sustained nectar source for beneficial insects throughout the summer. Planted at the ends of spring onion rows or in a nearby pot, Borage creates a lively, pollinator-rich atmosphere that benefits the entire bed. The edible blue flowers also make a beautiful garnish alongside fresh spring onion salads.
• 🌼 Nasturtium 'Tom Thumb': The Compact Edible Border. Nasturtiums and spring onions make an excellent low-maintenance edible pairing for raised beds and containers. The compact mounds of Tom Thumb fill the spaces between onion rows beautifully, their pungent foliage deters aphids and onion fly, and the whole combination is fully edible — peppery nasturtium leaves and flowers alongside mild spring onion tops make one of the most vibrant and flavoursome summer salads you can harvest directly from the garden.
• 🌿 Basil Classic Italian: The Italian Kitchen Garden. Spring onions and basil are natural culinary companions — both mild enough to use raw, both at their peak in summer, and both essential ingredients in the same dishes. Growing them side by side in a pot or raised bed is deeply practical: the basil's aromatic oils deter the aphids and thrips that target onion foliage, while the result at harvest time is an instant summer bruschetta, pasta sauce, or salad topping ready to pick in a single trip to the garden.

Sow a short row every three to four weeks from late winter through to late summer — and add an August sowing of the winter-hardy strain for fresh spring onions all the way through to early spring.