I’ve recently been to a press preview of new varieties from the Ipswich seed company and have whittled down the many to the few that I found most interesting. Top of my list is the Wasabi Rocket with leaves that really do have the tang of wasabi. I will be making the first sowing this weekend. I also got a top tip from Colin Randall, their vegetable guru, who really does know his onions, potatoes, tomatoes – in fact any vegetable. If flea beetle is a problem, sow vulnerable plants in containers at least 30cm tall – this is higher than fleabeetles can jump.
Pea Terrain and Mange Tout Sweet Horizon are also interesting new late varieties – they are very mildew resistant and I was told that if I sow them this weekend I could be picking peas and mangetout in autumn right up to November.
When it comes to flowers and foliage plants, there was no shortage of colour, but my tastes are usually for subtle shades. There’s a lovely new soft yellow cosmos called Xanthos and a delicate colour-changing Argyranthemum Honey-Bees Light Pink with flowers that slowly fade to pink and a striking hardy begonia called Garden Angels.
I have mixed feelings about petunias – I love their fragrance and some of the soft-hued varieties, but I find them quite hard work to keep looking good over a long period – this probably says more about me than the petunias – but whatever the reason I generally don’t grow them. For those who do though I thought Indian Summer and mustardy-coloured Dijon were both really attractive and I’ve included a photo of Night Sky because it is so weird – it looks like a careless decorator has splattered it with paint.