Allotments 4 All

Why can't I post pictures? 🤯
I've done it once but now message says
sorry you're out of attachment space??

Can anyone help?

Deb 🙈

Progress

A few photos of my first growing season since taking on my allotment in February 2025...

BEFORE

Great selection, Garrett. And lovely to have your information, personal experiences of growing the varieties and photos to illustrate. Lots to look froward to

Heritage Seed Library also offer Coco Bicolor but they don't seem to have any useful information about its origins either. I've grown it once many years ago and agree that it's rewardingly prolific. I look forward to growing it again.

It's interesting that you're contributing Sgt. Pepper's which is bred from OSU Blue as I'm sending OSU Blue so we'll have parent and child! Good to have another Brad Gates variety too in Black and Brown Boar.

I'm fascinated by Canary Creeper too. Amazing flower shape.

Lovely selection Garrett. These morning glories look like they have a tiny lamp in their centre. So pretty!

Flowers

"Canary creeper, Tropaeolum peregrinum, is a pretty climber with deeply divided palm-shaped leaves and masses of yellow flowers in summer".

This is such an easy climber to grow. I direct sow seeds outside at the base of my tomato plants and let them scramble up and around. Very attractive to bees.

Morning Glory - "Ipomoea purpurea 'Grandpa Ott' is an heirloom variety hailing from Bavaria. Its flowers are an intense violet-blue, with a pinkish throat and star-shaped veining, up to 7cm across".

I start seeds off in pots indoors in early May, around 4 seeds to a 9cm pot, planting outside in early June. This variety is known for doing particularly well in the UK and continues to flower throughout the afternoon.

Cerinthe - "Cerinthe major, called honeywort along with other members of its genus, is an annual species of flowering plant in the genus Cerinthe, native to the Mediterranean region".

I sow seeds indoors in winter to get an early start. They're surprisingly hardy and ready to be planted out by early April.

Black and Brown Boar tomato:

"The Black and Brown Boar tomato is a productive, indeterminate tomato variety developed by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms, based on a mutation of the Green Zebra tomato. It produces medium-sized (3-4 oz) fruits with a unique striped appearance of reddish-brown, bronze, and green. The flavor is rich, sweet, and earthy, with a mild acidity that makes it versatile for cooking".


Very nice. It's sweet like the Green Zebra tomato and grew well for me outside. No disease issues.

Tiny Tim dwarf tomato:

"The Tiny Tim tomato originated in the USA after being developed at the University of New Hampshire in 1945. It was created by crossing the 'Red Currant' and 'Window Box' tomato varieties and was first offered to the public in 1945".

Bushy plant which grows to approx 30cms.

Malachite Box tomato description:

"Named after the lovely green boxes that are made from this mineral that comes from the Ural mountains and other areas. This early, light-to-olive green, medium-sized tomato has succulent bright green flesh that is very flavorful and tasty. Plants are productive even in the north, as this variety was developed at Svetlana Farm in Russia, and it has been tested in Siberia! Our grower likes to make a unique green ketchup from this variety. 70-85 days".

It was impressive to have such an early beefsteak tomato ripen so early outside, but I found the texture better for cooking than eating fresh.

Sgt Pepper's tomato description:

"Mid season, Regular leaf, Indeterminate with Antho/Pink heart shaped fruit between 6oz and 12oz (170g and 340g)

Sgt. Pepper's' is a very beautiful creation made by Jason Haynes from a cross made between 'German Red Strawberry' and 'OSU Blue' tomato. Tall growing with wispy leaves and an excellent yield of beautiful pink heart-shaped fruit with dark, antho splash on the smooth shoulder. Delicious, sweet tomato flavour, very meaty and dense flesh".