Allotments 4 All

Thanks for your comments and suggestions, and sorry to read of your poor experiences. I'm following this up again, will let you know the outcome!

I grew them as fodder for goats forty years ago. I didn't taste them, by smell they were like a very strong swede. Tough as old boots to cut up, too. I think it's a trend I would pass on!

The word Mangelwurzel comes from Mangold Wurzel, a German term meaning chard root.  A form of chard, especially bred for supersized roots.  Seeds are still widely available in Germany as a fodder crop. I believe that it also makes a half decent wine, but not something I have ever tried.  I have eaten chard roots, but they tend to be quite fibrous, although the taste is fine. 

It seems like the Slow Food movement are reclaiming these too.  https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/mangelwurzel/#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20this%20beet,if%20intended%20for%20human%20consumption.

Great video! I know mangleworzels were grown a lot in Victorian times, and probably earlier but, as she says, have fallen out of fashion.

She certainly makes a convincing case for them and sells seed herself. It's very tempting to have a go .........

hi

https://youtube.com/shorts/leMdWpWStxs?si=VvO9i9WbOrKpVUmb

Right seen video above and do quite like the sound of these has anyone grown them or eaten them?

cam

Great to hear from you markfield rover and garrett, and look forward to your participation.

I have a personal reason for specially welcoming your bean offerings, Garrett, as I grew Coco Bicolor many years ago and was looking through my seeds to grow it again. They were nowhere to be found and I was frustrated to think I'd lost them somehow. And I've never grown Deb's Creek though I've read about it, so another one to look forward to.

Tomatoes and flowers great too. Tithonia is a stunner

I'm hoping to join in again this year too. My provisional list:

Tomatoes -
Sergeant Pepper's (red/blue medium heart)
Malachite Box (green medium)
Tiny Tim - bush red cherry

Climbing french beans for drying -
Coco Bicolour
Deb's Creek

Dwarf french beans:
Merveille de Piemonte, yellow pods with purple markings
Purple Queen, purple pods
Jacob's Cattle Gold, golden yellow version for drying

Flowers:
Tithonia (Mexican sunflower)
Nicotiana mutabilis Marshmallow
Sunflower Yellow Pygmy

If your plants have double flowers and are a magenta pink it's clearly not the plants you ordered. Even if they were, you are disappointed with the promised flavour of the fruit, so the are incorrectly described. I would ask for replacement plants of the variety you ordered submitting your evidence, if they cannot supply those a refund. If you are not satisfied with their reply I would be tempted to post something on their public Facebook page or Trustpilot, these are monitored and they are usually keen to respond to negative feedback and might prompt a quicker response!
I've had two experiences with incorrect items supplied recently. First J Parkers where I received the wrong variety of irises, which if course I didn't discover until they flowered. I emailed photos and received an immediate apology and had replacements sent which are fine. I also received the wrong colour moss rose from David Austin, they also sent a replacement the following season...which was the same wrong colour! I gave up at that point!

If all goes well, I hope to be joining the circle, fingers crossed.

Daughter had a birthday present voucher and also ended up with inferior substitutions and had to complain to finally get what she ordered much later.  The substitute plants were tiny, but at least the right type.   Do complain again, as this isn't good enough!