Pushing up the daisies

Right, that is my seeds ordered for the year! Again, I got them from Alan Romans. And this year I have made a sheet to tell me about the sowing times etc as it is not printed on the packets (part of why they are so economical, only 50 or 80p a packet! My whole order cost me £16 or €18, bargain! Here, just a packet of bean seeds is about 3 or 4 euros so I am definitely ahead.
Here is what I decided on:

• Hollyhock 'Queeny Mixed' - Now I have never grown hollyhocks, I am not much good at flowers full stop, except zinneas and those little yellow flowers that help repel insects. But these have double flowers and I am looking for something to put in an exposed corner, to make it pretty. So giving it a go.

• Oregano & Marjoram Sweet - I want more herbs in the garden and these will complement perfectly the sage in the border bed that I created last year with old tiles!
• Aubergine 'Black Beauty' - A cool weather variety, I am optimistic as aubergine worked really well last year.
• Beetroot 'Cheltenham Greentop' - 2009 was crap for beets, so I am trying again, with a cool weather, long root variety. Apparently this variety has nice leaves you can eat in salad or cook as spinach? Waste not, want not.

• Carrot 'Flyaway' F1 - Carrots are the bane of my garden. This year I have their patch all mapped out, not manured, fertilized, and I will add sand. I will not be defeated!!!
• Cauliflower 'All The Year Round' - First go at these, but when I saw lovely caulis that my neighbour had grown, easily he told me, I thought I would have a go.
• French Climbing Bean 'Cobra' - Wonderful tasty crop last year and a pretty plant so a definite must from now on. And cheap, 80p a packet.
• Pea 'Kelvedon Wonder' - Peas were bad last year but this year is colder and wetter so I am hoping for better things. I liked their "Early onward" but they had no more in stock.
• Pepper (sweet) 'Robertina' - Peppers worked well for me last year and this is a Polish variety that likes cooler climates. Perfect! I shall sow these as soon as the parcel arrives.

• Pumpkin 'Hooligan' F1 - Sweet little baby pumpkins to go with the big green ones and the butternuts! The kids will love these. They say you can microwave them????


• Spring Onion 'North Holland Blood Red Redmate' - Spring onions - I have never been able to grow them. But I read an article that describes how to grow them so I am going to have another go. These have red bulbs, very attractive.
• Sweetcorn 'Lark' F1 - Last year's crop was badly storm damaged so hopefully this year will be more successful. I must plant more! I have plenty of manure so I can risk a large patch.
• Tomato 'Gardener's Delight' and 'Pannovy' - I have saved seed of large tomatoes and some leftovers of Totem from last year but these will complement nicely.
• Winter Squash Butternut 'Harrier' - I love butternut and last year I failed to grow any, so this is a second attempt. Love pumpkins!

Now just need a trip to the Garden centre for spuds and onion sets. Bugger those "Fontana" late potatoes, they were hopeless. This year I will go for fancies, Rattes and belle de fontenay and red varieties. And lots of onions! Still using last year's crop! Shallots, red onions, yellow onions! Delicious!

Labels: seeds, winter