New T&M seed catalogue

[Multiveg]

Derek - for cheaper seeds and if you are an HDRA member, is to buy from the organic gardening catalogue - same company that supplies HDRA and gives some profits to HDRA.

As for VidaVerde - I was not impressed with everything I ordered for 2004 - didn't get a crop of sweetcorn (that is if you don't count 3 kernels), also, tomatoes - think I went for a super early variety didn't ripen until September sometime, nor did I get a melon. Was happy with the rocoto locoto chilli though.

[Multiveg]

[hemajo]

Hi Hemajo, I grew up in Northumberland and my mum grew ENORMOUS yellow toms :P in her unheated greenhouse every year ... if you go to http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/index.htm and enter your postcode, you can find your planting dates, date of first frost etc. Handy! ;)
Good luck, what a lovely place to grow things! ;D

Thanks for this link supersprout.  I have personalised it and will spend some time having a look at the advice.  It is a lovely place to grow things - I have been a keen gardener for some time, but my experience is with shrubs and perennials etc.  Unfortunately I don't have a greenhouse (yet! - I have to work on the OH some more!).  I suppose with the climate changes, frost patterns etc might change over the next few years anyway.

[Crash]

Sorry if I'm out of order but if you people don't support T&M then you wont be getting their fancy catalogue to gaze over the pictures. Are they really that much more expensive?

[adam04]

anybody get the little note about not buying anything for a while??

they put it in mine and all because i havnt bought anything from them since May!!!!!!

PS: at the lottie we have a seed catalogue by Kings that is passed round and we then uy in bulk getting discounts for the bulk etc, whihc then go into the lottie fund etc and the seeds are already cheap as it is!

[Hex]

Top tip!

Order T&M catalogue then do not buy for a couple of years!  They sent me a £5 off any order (however small) voucher as long as i pay 99p p&p plus two free packets of seeds of my choice with any order.  Also half price hyacinth basket for Christmas for Grandma - which I send most years so genuine saving.

Sadly it is a voucher, not an offer code so can't share.

Alison

[terrace max]

I like the look of the farmhouse for sale at Vide verde!

http://www.vidaverde.co.uk/Farm.html

Anyone got £92K spare?

[terrace max]

Yeah...and, anyway, Almeria is a bit of a desert...and water is probably going to get even scarcer and...

(did look great though)

[jennym]

....As for VidaVerde - I was not impressed with everything I ordered for 2004 - didn't get a crop of sweetcorn (that is if you don't count 3 kernels),

For sweetcorn, try Marshall 'Xtra sweet improved' - I always get excellent results.

[Squashmad]

Hi Hemajo,

I think it is a short season here - and tend to grow sweetcorn, tomatoes, aubergine and the pick of squash plants (this year Buttercup) in the polytunnel. I would have been harvesting my aubergines and peppers last month but I was late ordering seed this year - due to being distracted by work on our house. What are you growing this year?

[hemajo]

Hi Hemajo,

I think it is a short season here - and tend to grow sweetcorn, tomatoes, aubergine and the pick of squash plants (this year Buttercup) in the polytunnel. I would have been harvesting my aubergines and peppers last month but I was late ordering seed this year - due to being distracted by work on our house. What are you growing this year?

Well, I have 4 small raised beds which my OH built for me, but they weren't finished until quite late, so we started the seeds quite late - runner beans, peas, swiss chard, 2 courgettes (given to me as small plants) and I tried some radishes (very woody), a few carrots, pak choi, CCA salad mixed and mizuna  and chinese mustard and I have some leek seedlings in pots still.  Just put in onion sets.  Have just sown some turnip and chicory.  It's all very hit and miss, but I have a huge tin full of seeds now which I keep buying!  oh and I had two tomato plants in pots which were given to me as well.  These ok.  The courgettes have done very well, the chard is growing well.  Runner beans are just getting beans on them now - still have flowers on too.  Peas all eaten by my son and friends off the plants - none made it in the house!  I was planning to do sweetcorn next year in a sheltered sunny corner of the garden, i suppose it is worth a try.  Can you recommend anything?  Any help and advice really appreciated.  I have facilities to make a low polytunnel cloche, but don't have greenhouse or polytunnel (but would like either!!).

[Squashmad]

For Sweetcorn I would recommend Golden Bantam - although I've not grown it outdoors, the flavour is great.
I came across a great idea for planning the kithen garden in a series of articles by Sarah Raven - she suggests keeping a record of all the veg you eat over the course of a few weeks - and devoting most space to what you eat every day, then what you eat every 2-3 days, etc - I will dig out more info if it sounds useful. I am going to try this seriously next year, as I find I'm tempted by things that look interesting in the catalogue (like purple podded peas) but turn out not to produce much, or that I dont use much (like florence fennel)! I really want to grow as much of our own food as possible from now on, and in particular make the most of our polytunnel - which is 20ft by 30ft - my OH went a bit wild when ordering it!!!!!!

[philcooper]

Look out for potato harlequin (T & M) looks really interesting.

I've just got back from a tip to Holland and saw a great potato there - Leoni - the company claimit prodcues tubers 60 days after an April planting and 70 days in a polytunnel planting in Feb - we've ordered some for our Potato Day

Phil

On the Ryton shop, they sell orgainc catalaogue and kings seeds - T&M seem to be the most expensive around!

[Multiveg]

T&M have to fund their lovely picture filled catalogue somehow.

[terrace max]

Good to see you back Phil!

[Multiveg]

Phil - what is the date of your spud day?

[hemajo]

SquashMad - I like the sound of sarah ravens idea!  However, I can't help being tempted by more unusual sounding things.  I suppose I should try a bit of both!  I will write down the sweetcorn Golden Bantam on my ever-growing list of things to try!!
Would you recommend polytunnel or greenhouse?   our garden is like the north face of the Eiger - barely a flat area in it, hence the 'raised' veggie beds, and so would be hard work creating flat base area for either of them  (I think this is why the OH needs a fair bit of convincing!).

Sweetcorn is something we like in this house!  I'm planning to sow broad beans this autumn, and we eat a lot of those too!  Funny, I'm growing runner beans, but wouldn't really think of buying them!  Eat  a lot of carrots and broccoli - and salad items.  Love butternut squash and courgettes.  So, am not doing too badly on my choice of what to grow, I suppose.  Oh, and love parsnips, so must give them a go, but not sure if the soil is cultivated enough - must research!

[hemajo]

Wardy, how far north are you then?

[Squashmad]

Hemajo, I would suggest going for a polytunnel - then you wont need a solid base - just a fairly level plot you can put the supports into. We got ours from Citadel and went for straight sides which will allow you more height when working in there - the other main thing to remember is that you will need a group of helpers to get the plastic on! We had help from about half a dozen fellow allotment holders.

[hemajo]

Thanks for that Squash Mad - I'll have to talk to the OH about it.   I might have to work on him to let me have polytunnel for my big birthday which will be coming up next year!!
We'd need a year to level off an area for it!  Could muster up plenty of hands to help though. :)

[hemajo]

Well, I sowed some butternut (much too late), and although two plants have grown, am never going to get any fruit off them before the frosts!!  I am going to think hard about this for next year - even if I rig up a 'temporary' protection for them until I can talk my OH into the polytunnel!  We nearly had frost up here in August (well, the car windscreens looked like they had been close to it!), but nothing died off, so must not have been a real frost!