Finally I'm getting round to ordering for next season. On a damp, chill Saturday morning yesterday it was a comforting thing to do, especially with that leisurely weekend mug of tea at hand.
From Suttons, I've ordered onion and shallot sets. Sturon and Hercules in onions, Jermor and Delvad, both French varieties, in shallots. Although I grew overwintering onions last year and they came up well, I ended up harvesting them at the same time as the spring-sown ones. With no advantage in terms of early cropping, at least up here, I didn't want to take up ground over the winter when we plan to make headway on the central path and general structure of the plot.
And I gave in at the last minute and ordered a small bag of second early salad potatoes - Anya. We'll see how they do. I hope they'll be the waxy, nutty-tasting salad potato that they claim to be.
Since my garlic this year was a miserable failure, I've gone for Scottish-bred varieties from The Really Garlicky Company near Nairn. Various people have recommended 'Music' as doing well in Scottish conditions, so we'll give it a go.
If you're noticing the castles and thistles on my mug, it's a commemorative Emma Bridgewater design celebrating 200 years of Johnston's of Elgin woollen mill. I'll post some photos of the mill on Occasional Scotland soon.
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8 comments:
I can't think of a nicer way of spending a Saturday morning than pouring over gardening catalogues and websites choosing things to grow next year.
Oh that's funny ... I ordered "music" garlic from that very same place! I like the idea of supporting local economy too. Not planted them yet though ... have got a load of 9 inch flower buckets from Morrisons but need to find out how many cloves per pot first.
I'm also trying "Troy" onions in pots as "Which" said they did well in their Central Scotland test site, planted in autumn.
Our climate IS very different from the south of England and many of the books/magazines I read are really written with those kinds of growing conditions in mind. I love to come across other Scottish veg growers and read what they have to say! I guess that would be a distinct advantage of having an allotment plot over a back garden, you would learn from your plot neighbours ...
Oh my. Here I am forcing myself to take down plants that are still blooming so I can clean up the beds and mulch them for winter, while you have gone ahead already looking toward next spring. Still...as I clean up I think perhaps such-n-such here next year or I'll have to WS this-n-that to fill this area. Gardeners obviously work with longer time lines than non-gardeners. Hope your onions and 'taters work out for you. :-D
You're a long way ahead of me on this ordering for next year thing! I normally reserve the task for the Christmas holiday... Which I suppose is really too late for some things (like garlic).
My partner and I love really garlicky company garlic and didn't know they sold 'seed' garlic! I had been humming and hawing over trying to grow garlic this year but it seems I now have no choice! ;)
Best wishes for the bicentennial of Elgin mill, the cup that you remember is very nice
Hi Linda, You are way ahead of us in ordering for next year!! I have not even bought garlic yet but may not bother with it as we have had problems each year with garlic rust.
What's not to love about a garlic named 'Music'?
Your kitchen looks to be the perfect place to spend a cool, wet Saturday morning.
We finished our outside yard work just a couple of days ago and already I'm dreaming about the growing season come spring.
donna
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