Allotments 4 All

Two more parcels have arrived today including Ruud's, so great that international post has done so well.

I have some spare seeds of Green Apple aubergine. It might well be that not everyone grows aubergines or if they do would want to grow a green one. It has dome well for me over a number of years and I managed to isolate a flower to get true seed.

I'd love to pass on a few seeds to anyone who would like some so please do say and I'll include some in your parcel.

Fantastic!

Will be in the post by Monday!

I hope everyone's packeting etc is going well. Two members' contributions are with me and Ruud has despatched his, which I'm very grateful for as with luck it should arrive in good time.

There's another climbing French bean which I'd like to contribute to the seed circle. It's called Panzaredda and was amongst the varieties which were in very short supply in the Bohnen atlas collection. I was trusted with some 2018 seed and very pleased to have reasonable germination. The four plants I was able to grow were vigorous and very productive of quite large flattish pods. Although I mostly wanted to keep them for seed, one I tried raw seemed very promising as a good green snap bean.

It feels important to encourage this variety to be grown more widely so that there's less danger in future of it dying out. It is quite a late variety but actually did very well towards the end of the season and produced good quality seed, which is not always the case with late varieties

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.