I always think it is a privilege to be invited to Mr Fothergill's Press Day, an event I always look forward and hope I am on the list for. I could not go last year as I had Covid so I had some anxiety as the date neared in case this happened again.
The weather was kind to us by not being too hot or too cloudy, just right as Goldilocks would say. The trial grounds are grown hard, grown as we would at home; this year they have had the challenging weather we have all been struggling with - a wet Winter and a cold wet Spring has made it a strange gardening year so far.
This means that not everything in the trial gardens are looking perfect. Which is turn means if my nasturtiums at home are flowering better I get that little moment to feel a bit pleased with mine for growing well.
Of course, most are growing exceptionally well.
and because they are trials, they try out different things. This year they have been trialling the same plants grown in peat and peat-free compost. These two tomato plants look almost identical in growth and health.
The pot with the sprinkling of white vermiculate is the one with peat-free compost. The real key to growing with peat-free is to not think that it is the same as peat compost, you do have to water differently and feed the plants more. In my opinion the holy-grail of peat-free compost is to have a good seed compost. Mr Fothergill's now sell a coir-based seed compost and we were given some to trial, so I will let you know how that goes when it is seed sowing time.
I spent a lot of time admiring the dahlias, isn't this one a doozy? It's called Gitt's Perfection which might just be the best name ever. I hope that this makes it through to be sold next year as I will definitly buy one if it is.
There were so many fabulous plants - look at these Marigolds - Buff Pygmy - such a wonderful range of colours in each flower.
As you might expect I got distracted by this beautiful white poppy.
and these wonderful cornflowers were very special. I really must try harder to grow cornflowers, they rarely do well for me and yet I love them so much.
These colourful helichrysum also stole my heart, they are stunning.
Whilst this is a trial field and makes no attempt to be a 'garden'; I look at the mass planting of zinnias and think how much I want to replicate this. It would be amazing.
It was a really lovely day, they always look after us very well and so it feels like a real treat to be there and it is always a good opportunity to catch up with gardening media friends and colleagues. I have to say a huge thank you to the team at Mr Fothergill's, it was a triumph of a day.
Take care and be kind.
