Seed list for 2012

Time to review this year's efforts. I have to say, it's pretty difficult to make a decision as it was such a strange growing season. Some veg may have done much better given different circumstances. So...patty pan squash are possibly in (I think I still have some seeds), tomatoes suffered from blight so different kinds needed, carrots were ok, climbing beans were a pain to get started, Turk's Turban was a wash-out and the kale was so-so. Beetroot was ok, as always.

I also took the opportunity of a discount offer from Thompson & Morgan to get new seeds. Here's what I ordered for next year:

• Tomato 'Orkado' F1 Hybrid
• Carrot 'Caracas'
• Runner Bean 'Scarlet Emperor'
  
• Courgette 'Zephyr' F1 Hybrid
• Cucumber 'Crystal Apple'
• Tomato 'Red Alert'
• Salad Leaves 'Baby Leaf'

I'm sure I pick some more seeds up on the way. Already have some saved seeds from a squash I bought at the shop, which I remember did pretty well the year before (green skin, orange flesh). Not much to do now for the rest of the year, other than sorting out the compost bins.

Autumn yet?

Didn't manage to post something last weekend when I was actually doing the work in the garden. It really felt autumnal then but of course the English weather threw a googlie this weekend with pleanty of sunshine and high temperatures.



Anyway last week I ripped up the tomatoes (damn that blight) and consigned the beans to non-harvesting mode (only waiting for beans for sowing next year now). Found a patty pan squash which had sprung up unnoticed. The only things that are left now are raspberries, kale, carrots, some beetroot (mainly for the leaves) and patty pan squash (I live in hope). I have some potatoes tucked away and a the world's tiniest Turk's Turban squash is growing up the fence.

Had a good browse through the seed catalogues and I think I got some ideas for next year...October is usually ordering month.

Seed list 2011

Just had a quick look through my box of seeds, gearing up for the new season. I still have loads of seeds left from last year which should still be good enough (germination rate won't be as good but then again it's worth a try).

So here is this year's list of contenders:

(Note to self: I will not over-sow. I will NOT over-sow).

• Patty Pan Squash 'Pattison Orange'
• Patty Pan Squash Mixed
• Cucumber Crystal lemon
• Tomato 'Red Pear'
• Tomato ‘Tigerella’
• Tomato 'San Marzano'
• Tomato 'Costoluto'
• Tomato 'Orangeberry'
• Tomato 'Ildi'
• Rocket Oakley (mixed with Mixed Leaves from the BBC Dig In project)
  
• Carrot Chantenay Red (also from the BBC)
  
• Climbing Bean Panthenon
• Squash Turks Turban
• Beetroot 'White'

I also have Kale Dwarf Green Curled on order, along with peat pellets which gave me very good results last year. I may also try and steal some seeds from the green-skinned pumpkin from the Turkish supermarket down the road ;) Now I just have to find a slightly bigger garden...

Dead of winter

Lots of snow this year and cold too. At least next growing season there should be fewer snails and slugs (hopefully).

The garden is mostly shut down. I left some white beetroot leaves out there, not sure if they survive or will be any good. Raspberry canes have been cut down. Plenty of material from guinea pig cage cleaning is being dumped on the beds. The ornamentals look a bit bedraggled but that is to be expected in early January (especially as there are some where frost-hardiness is doubtful; at least I managed to bring my pelargoniums inside).

I still need to go through the seeds which I ordered and that have arrived (rhubarb will arrive for planting in March). There are some items in there which I may be able to start off early inside. I am also contemplating getting a cheap greenhouse, which means I can move things (like tomatoes) outside much earlier. This year I am going to try the individual growing medium, having not had much success with the toilet roll method and also the normal seed trays.

Still haven't had a chance to build myself a better compost bin - lack of light/time and surplus of snow has been against me. As soon as it warms up a little bit I shall try though.

Probably not much happening for the rest of January...

Seed and plant list

After much deliberation I have come up with my order for what to grow next year, going back to old favourites like rocket and marigolds, trying new things like Turks Turban squash, and yes - tomatoes from seed (I fall for them every year, maybe this is the year it'll work out).

I tried to only order from one place but some varieties seemed a lot cheaper or more interesting "on the other side". So here it is, my list, including some flowers as well.

Thompson & Morgan

• Pantheon Bean (supposed to be really good on bad soil and in crappy weather)
  
• Mixed Patty Pan squash
  
• Turks Turban Squash (pretty if they work out)
  
• Patula Nana Single Legion of Honour marigolds (old variety, prolific)
  
• Purple Moldovan Wight Garlic (hardneck variety)
  
• Jack Flash Silene (not sure about it, may come off the list at the last minute)
  

Marshalls

• Crystal Lemon Cucumber (liked them when I grew them in Portland)
  
• Super Marmande Tomatoes (grew Marmande one year in London and they turned out well as I remember so super should be even better, right?)
  
• Chantenay Red Core 2 carrots (growing carrots on clay...hmmm)
  
• Oakleaf Oakley Rocket (can't grow enough of the stuff...)
  
• Rhubarb Duo Pack Stockbridge Arrow and Victoria (crumble! yay! eventually...)

I'll probably also grow the white beetroot again (still have some seeds left I think) but wasn't too impressed with the rest of the stuff. Order is going in soon as the garlic should be planted by the end of November.

my spider sense

Life is hard this time of year for an arachnophobe like me...lots of webs built exactly where I want to wander and water. I am gingerly picking off the tomatoes, avoiding the giant spider that lurks there. A careful sideways approach to the waterhose reel because another spider has used it as an anchor for a thread. I am trying to ignore the one dangling over my head as I step out the kitchen door. I don't even think about dashing out to get some herbs after dark anymore, instead I plan a minor expedition involving a stick to knock down the webs and a torch. I guess they are very useful...but I just don't like 'em.


A few rays of sun are still about. Raspberries doing very well and I am even getting a little Serrano pepper. My bean experiment is nearing the end, there is a substantial amount of dark purple pods which, I hope, will contain black beans.

The Thompson and Morgan catalogue has arrived and I have leaved through it a bit. Disappointing selection of cucumbers but interesting beans. Need to sit down soon and make a list.

Step 2 completed and planting list

Before the glorious morning turned rather surprisingly into a soggy afternoon I managed to complete the second part of the edging for my new borders/vegetable patch (excuse the blurry pic, I was rushing to not get soaked). Unfortunately I wasn't able to move the irises and some of the bigger things like I hoped to. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next weekend; I am running far behind schedule and some things actually have to go in soon.


In the meantime, my potatoes are chitting on the windowsill in the kitchen and I added some garlic cloves in the hope that they sprout. I also had a seed swap with Karesansui-san where I steadfastly refused brassicas (I remember trying to grow them before in this garden, absolute failure, probably clubroot) and tomato seed (vowed to get plants to avoid leggy windowsill-babies). Suffice to say that a quick dip into the local garden center ruined the second promise - spotted a delightful tomato seed collection out of the corner of my eye which I wasn't able to resist. Along with my other seeds from realseeds.co.uk my planting list is starting to look impressive (and marginally unachievable in the space I have):

• Serrano Peppers
• Potato 'Mimi'
• Potato 'Harlequin'
• Mange Tout 'Golden Sweet'
• White Beetroot
• Aubergine 'Fairy Tale F1'
• Tomato 'Orange Berry'
• Tomato 'San Marzano 2'
• Tomato 'Costuluto Fiorentino'
• Tomato 'Red Pear'
• Tomato 'Ildi'
• Tomato 'Tigerella'
• Onion 'Helens Welsh Siberian'
• Radish
• Cucumber 'Wautoma'
• Endive 'Bianca Riccia da Taglio'
• Climbing French Beans 'Cherokee Trail of Tears'
• Courgette Dwarf 'Verde di Milano'
• Patty-Pan Squash 'Pattison Orange'
• Winter Squash 'Butternut'

Not to mention that I am still waiting for the delivery of some raspberry canes and I snaffled some very cheap blueberry and gooseberry bushes from Lidl. It's going to be a tight squeeze...

Ordered seeds and tubers and other stuff

Finally did my order tonight, following my original list. I more or less stuck to it - very proud of myself - with only the occasional diversion. In addition to what I set out to buy, I also got some white beetroot, salad onions, salad endive and raspberry canes. I also changed my mind on the patty pan and ordered them from realseeds instead of Thompson & Morgan. I at first was not too keen but then I found a good picture of 'Pattison Orange' on a blog - the image on realseeds doesn't do them justice. I also briefly toyed with the idea of getting a gooseberry bush - when was the last time you had a gooseberry, eh? I know I haven't had them for ages - last time was when I was a kid from my grandma's garden (it was stuffed full of soft fruit and also had a greengage, a sour cherry, apple and pear trees). I think they were still one of the old varieties with lots of spines (although it does keep children away).

So now I have to only figure out where I am going to put all this stuff, especially as a seed swap with Karesansui is in the offing.

Seed wish list for 2009

I have been planning what to grow over the last few days. As always, my wish list may be a bit over-ambitious, especially this year when I have reduced growing space. I will probably also deviate from this list, if I get given seeds or find something amazing in a garden centre.

First off, I will not grow tomatoes from seed. Last year this worked out well, giving me the choice between interesting varieties and, especially in the English climate which makes for a short growing season, probably the best approach to get them going quickly. However, this also means that I have to look out for tomato plants in the garden centre - and I am not blessed with a good garden centre nearby.

I will also not grow carrots. They annoyed me so much last year. This year I will have deal with stonier soil. No, no, no.

I looked for seed suppliers online. Suttons is the biggest, or most well-known one but I think their selection is a bit rubbish. There are various seed suppliers that cater to the allotment and prize grower communities but they didn't have everything I wanted. I also wanted to stick to just one or two places, rather than splitting any orders between multiple suppliers (saves on delivery charges).

The two that I liked most are Thompson-Morgan and Realseeds. Realseeds is particularly interesting as they only carry open-pollinated vegetables and encourage seed saving.

So here is my list (using (T) for Thompson-Morgan and (R) for Readseeds, to indicate where I intend to order them from):

1. Cucumber
Either Marketmore (T) or Wautoma (R). Tending slightly more towards the Wautoma since I haven't seen or grown it before.

2. Patty pan
Growing patty pan squash was great last year. Unfortunately, over here in the UK they seem to be a bit of a rarity so haven't been able to find the colourful range of different types. The best one seems to be a Mixed assortment (T).

3. Zucchini
No garden is complete without at least one bush of them. I will hopefully restrain myself this year and only plant a couple (ha, famous last words...). I am looking for somewhat compact plants and I liked the sound of Verde di Milano Dark Green Dwarf Bush Courgette (R).

4. Potato
There are so many to choose from that I still haven't made up my mind. I may also try and grow them in growing bags, instead of the soil. There are a variety of crosses with Rose Finn Apple which has a delicious flavour - Anya and Harlequin - and a few small potato types ideal for container growing - Mimi and Lady Cristl. All of these come from Thompson-Morgan which offer 5-tuber bags and so I may try out a few.

5. Beans
Usually I grow runner beans in England, as they cope well with cool summers. However, I quite fancy a change and this time I think I will try Cherokee Trail of Tears Pole Beans (R).

6. Chard
Love them as a replacement to spinach. I prefer rainbow chard but I only found it in the Marshalls catalogue (breaking my rule of no more than 2 suppliers). Therefore I think I may be stuck with the ordinary Leaf Beet (R).

7. Mange Tout
I had a request from Toxicfingers to grow some peas. I am a firm believer that peas and carrots can be bought much more easily than actually growing them yourself. Hence, I am going for Golden Sweet Mange Tout instead (R).

I may have to give some thought again as to where I am growing all these vegetables. At the moment it is too cold to do anything much outside (it hit -4C last night, warming up to freezing during the day). Maybe next weekend...