Vegetable Growing List 2013                                                                Availability

Artichoke ( Jerusalem) Pink                                                                    late sept onwards
Beetroot ( Choggia, Pablo, Golden)                                                        late may to october
Borecole ( Redbor, Winterbor)                                                                sept to dec                                                           
Broad Bean ( Sutton, Witkiem Manita )                                                 may to august
Brocoli ( Red Spear, White Eye)                                                             nov /dec
Brussel Sprout ( Helemus, Igor)                                                              nov /dec
Dwarf French Bean ( Safari, Belotto Supremo, Hildora)                        july/ august
Basil ( Crimson King)                                                                               july onwards
Cabbage ( Serve, Stonehead, Ruby King)                                              july to december
Calabrese ( Volta, Penta)                                                                        july to december
Carrot ( Chantenay, Resistafly)                                                              june to october
Cauliflower ( Graffiti, Trevi, Navona)                                                     sept/october
Courgette ( Bambino, Siesta)                                                                   july/august
Coriander ( Calypso)                                                                                 july onwards
Chicory ( Puntarelle of Brindisi)                                                               july to november
Celery ( Solid White)                                                                                 october/november
Hamburg Parsley Root Berliner                                                               july to november
Cucumber ( Burpless Tasty Green)                                                         august
Fennel ( Zephyr Fino)                                                                               july/august
Garlic ( Vallelado, Sabadrome,Chesnok,Lautrec)                                 june to december
Leeks ( Alcazar, Mammoth 2 Hannibal)                                                 october to december
Lettuce ( Leny, Mohican)                                                                        june to august
Onion ( Red Baron)                                                                                  august onwards
Parsley ( Italian Giant)                                                                             july onwards
Potato ( Charlotte, Pink Fir, Marfona)                                                    july onwards
Parsnip ( Gladiator)                                                                                  october onwards
Radish ( Pink Beauty)                                                                              may to september
Raperonozolo Rampion                                                                           august to october
Agretti Roscano                                                                                       june to august
Rocket ( Discovery, Wild)                                                                      may onwards
Salsify ( Scorzanera Black)                                                                     september
Spinach  ( F1 Reddy )                                                                              june to september
Sweetcorn ( Headstart, Incredible)                                                        august to september
Squash ( Rolet, Crown Prince, Butternut, Sunset, Onion)                    late sept onwards
Tomato ( Nepal, Black Cherry, Zapotech, Shirley`s Pixie, Gardeners Delight, Cuostralee)
                                                                                                                   july to sept
Mangetout                                                                                                july to september
Runner Bean ( Scarlet Emperor)                                                            july to september
Rosemary                                                                                                 year round                                                                                       
Thyme                                                                                                       year round
Lovage
Celeriac( Giant Prague)                                                                           sept onwards
Oriental Mixed Leaf Salad                                                                      year round

 Flower Growing List 2013
                                                      Flowers mainly available june to september Ammi Majus ( Graceland )
Achillea ( Ptarmica Pearl, Summer Pastels, Cassis)
Celosia ( Flamingo Feather )
Calendula ( Balls improved orange )
Cornflower ( Black Ball)
Clarkia ( Crown Double Mixed )
Agastachi ( Liquorice Blue )
Blupeurum ( Graffiti )
Didiscus ( Madonna)
Eryngium ( Planum ) 
Knautia ( Melton Pastels)
Larkspur ( mixed colours )
Molucella
Nigella ( Hispanica, African Bride, Orientalis Transformer, Moody Blues)
Scabious (Fama Caucasia , Black Night, Ace of Spades)
Pinks ( Devon Scented)
Sweet Peas
Sidalcea ( Party Girl)
Rudbekia ( Green Wizard, Cherry Brandy )
Cosmos ( Psyche white)
Cirsium ( Pink, Rose Beauty)
Orlaya ( Grandiflora)
Statice ( mixed colours)
Sunflower ( Sunrich Orange)
Stocks ( Gold Cut Mixed )
Phytostegia( Crown of Snow)
Sweet William ( Hollandia Mixed)
Zinnia ( Benarys Giant, Queen Lime, Purple Prince)
Schitzostylus
Gladioli 

Penny`s flower wall chart 2013

 

Penny`s Wall Chart ...   Flowers

 

What do you when you`re holed up in the snow ? Planning for the year ahead. Look at this wonderful wall chart with all the different varieties of flowers to be grown along with cultural details. Makes it so much easier to see than something on your computer !

How to pluck a pheasant in 30 seconds

 

 

 

RED CHARD

 

 

                                                                    


This Red Chard was sown at the end of August, after the Charlotte potatoes were harvested  and should keep producing right through the winter. A very attractive cut and come again crop which we think is seriously under rated. To cook, cut up reasonably small, quickly stir fry in a little butter and olive oil, season and serve. Delicious!

Amazing automated garlic planter.  The Keith.

 

Here we have the amazing automated garlic planter......The Keith.
The left arm moves over the green bucket activating the five fingered grab. It lowers in and auto selects ten cloves immediately turning the first clove so that it is root end down in the fingertips. Simultaneously the right arm moves across the ridge complete with attached dibber and drops into the ridge top making a 3 inch deep hole. As it does so the left arm moves across and presses the clove, right way up,  into the hole with extended fifth digit. The right arm has already moved and the dibber is on its downwards path towards the ridge top to make the next hole. Meanwhile the left hand has already auto selected the next clove and deftly turned it root end down. The  two legs move forward in a steady rhythm and the two computerised ` eyes ` in the head of the machine are able to correct any misalignments in an instant.
 `The Keith ` runs on biofuels, and is very environmentally friendly, the best mix being 2 parts hops to one part oats She can get a bit heavy on the hops after a hard day and struggles up some inclines when ground conditions are soft but otherwise 100% reliable.

The last of the Vallelado going in on a lovely warm, sunny afternoon in November.

Its hard to believe the summer and now the autumn has gone ! What have we been doing since June ? Yes it has been dreadful with yields down by over 50% in most cases, plenty of unwanted fungal diseases, not enough sunshine and mud on everything ! We have had to work so hard for less,  which could be depressing but surprisingly, when you realise that everyone is in the same boat and that some of your produce is better than some others,, you actually feel quite pleased that you have survived at all. Lots of encouragement from customers has also helped bolster our spirits.

We now have everything safely gathered in apart from the pink Jerusalem artichokes which are dug to order and are currently being sold through French Garden at Bristol Market.

Here are a few highlights from 2012

Frome Cheese Show

 

 

Bunching up Statice and Larkspur for market

 

Garlic drying

 

Larkspur

 

The flower girls !

 

 

Buckets of Statice coming in from the field.

Phacelia. Wonderful for attracting polinating insects and as a green manure.