The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:

Michael is quite right, the biggest and best show leeks are often
grown from
pips. I've tried it myself and yes you will get good leeks next year
but you
need to pot them up as they grow and look after them over winter, cosset
them even.
These pips are so sought after I had one head covered in superb pips stolen
from my allotment a couple of years ago, neatly cut off it was.

Wish I hadn't told usenet now :-)

The blue heads are also good for flower arranging btw. The smell can be got
rid of in the normal florists way by standing them in a weak solution of
bleach for a couple of hours.

Thanks for that great tip, I shall try it tomorrow...they are lovely
apart from the smell

Janet