Summer’s over. Winter stirs. Time then to take stock of the growing season. As always there’s much joy to be found. Our second year of rampant cosmos suphureus, originally from a friend in Vancouver. Maybe the easiest of all seed to save. Howard also grew them at home.
Our flower palette pretty much sticks to sweet peas, yellows, oranges and reds. Constant sunflowers, nasturtiums and calendula, and scarlet tagetes Ildkongen.
This was the year, though, I fell for African marigolds (tagetes erecta), in lemon and classic orange. We will grow them again. Our second year too of glorious Grandpa Ott morning glory. A new addiction for me.
As always, we asked Jane Scotter from Fern Verrow to sow sweet peas for us in her propagating greenhouse. Transplanted to the plot in May. My favourite flower scent of all.
We grew a stunning red Thai corn from Kala’s travels, more pumpkins and cougettes than before, mostly from Franchi (Seeds of Italy), bought off a rack in Camisa, a favourite Soho Italian deli. Highly recommended for bold beautiful packets with generous amounts of seed.
A few other of the smaller suppliers we rate: Brown Envelope Seed, Vital Seeds, Real Seeds, Plants of Distinction, Tamar Organics, Suffolk Herbs, Chiltern Seeds, and Higgledy Garden, of course. I was, though, saddened to see the Seed Co-operative fail.
We had a mixed time with French beans (climbing, in numerous colours), due to my absence and rampant tiny snails. Perhaps the same story with the tear peas. Many of the edible leaves grew well and we have hopes of Japanese mustards and various chards lasting late into the year, maybe more. The constant self-seeding orache and crimson amaranth thrived as always.
But now winter is knocking. Much of our early planting is composting and our horse manure order’s in. So please tell me, what worked well (and less well) where you grow?
Allan Jenkins’s Plot 29 (4th Estate, £9.99) is out now. Order it for £8.49 from guardianbookshop.com
