Must have GYO for 2012.

Sally_A

So who's growing what, how much, where and which variety? These dark nights get me down and I love to have a fumble through gardening catalogues and books.

Outdoors
Garlic - Music (270 in)
Broad beans - Aquadulce Claudia (200 in)
Mangetout - Carouby something or other, prefer - Oregon sugar pod, but bought a mega pack or Carouby last year - (80ish)
Runner bean - Enorma - 24
Runner bean - moonlight - 12
French Bean - Cosse violette - 12
All purpose climbing bean - Mrs Fortune - 24
Sweetcorn - Swift - 64
Leeks - Musselburgh - 80 ish.
Courgettes - Defender/Zucchini/whatever I have - 10 (can't believe 2011 was the year of NO courgettes, and I gave the soil extra manure and everything )
Potatoes - Charlotte, Sante and an early - undecided at the mo, around 100 in total.
Shallots - Pessandor if I can find them, I prefer the long ones. Would like to get my hands on around 80.
Onions - unsure if I will do, they were a bit rubbish in 2011 and didn't store well, if I succumb it will probably be Sturon and Red Baron, approx 50 of each.
Butternut Squash - probably Hunter or Harrier - 5
Purple Sprouting Broccoli - 4 plants
Sprouts - 6 plants

New for 2012 - Globe Artichokes

Salad stuff - not really fussed, but I have loads of free seeds knocking around, so may try radish which I quite like, but have had no luck with beetroot, and lettuce I can take it or leave it.

Cucumbers - Marketmore - 8 plants

Greenhouse
Tomatoes - will probably do about 22 for 4 greenhouses (don't panic, I'm doing them for next doors too), probably, Gardeners Delight, Moneymaker, Beams Yellow Pear, and a Plum variety.
Chillies -love them about 15 plants, Indian PC-1 is my new favourite, but will also do Pretty in Purple, Pequins, and Jamaican Hot.
Aubergine - my bete noire - but I will persist, think I have some Black Beauty seeds somewhere, will go for 4 - 6 plants.

Herbs
Basil
Thyme
Parsley
Coriander (still don't know if i like this)

Rosemary and mint are growing outside as perennials.

I bet I've forgotten something, sorry for the long post.

avantra

Got myself a 8x12 Poly a week ago, a new world of opportunities has open up.

Melon - Ogen, probably the best I ever tasted
Cucumbers - Beth Alpha, oh those little sweet crunchy cues
Aubergine - moneymakers of course
Toms - Black cherry and Sungold
Corn salad and loads of Rocket

In the allotment:

Garlic of four varieties
Elephant garlic
Spring onion Lilia
Kale (Cavolo)
and anything that cost a lot in the shop (don't do taties and onions as they cheap as chips at the greengrocer).

Sally_A

Ooh, lucky you Avantra.

I've never tried melons, are these the ones you allow to climb? If so I've seen people hooking up old big bras around the framework to support them.

Sambucus_Nigra

Where to start!

I grow all sorts of different veg, mainly swapped or from the HSL.

White Serpent Squash - the vine split into 3 and each vine provided me with fantastic long white courgettes which, if left to get big, did not turn into marrows, just bigger courgettes. Not fluffy at all. And lasted well into October. Got more of these seeds recently from HSL so am happy as a sandboy.

Frenchi Red Pear Tomato; a beautiful shape and a fabulous taste.

Purple Russian tomato - cor, lummox, what a tomato. Purple, plum shape and marvelous taste and texture.

Piglet Willie's French Black tomato - again, a winner that I usually save seeds from and grow year in year out. Still picking from this years, outside, in December. Still got green foliage.

If you grow moneymaker; please please stop and grow something tasty from a heritage variety. You wlll never grow them again if you do. They are tasteless compared to some heritage ones. I can send some if you like.

I am also growing bush toms and have amassed a largeish collection for this year - they are better for schools as they don't need armpitting.

Muncher Cucumber; small, tasty and enough for 2 without any to spare.

Golden beetroot - so much better than boltardy.

Dobbie's Purple beetroot - have saved a few of these to save the seeds from, but got hold of another packet of these this month so will grow them again.

Choggia beetroot - of course!

Golden Sweet Mangetout - will be netting these this year due to pea moth and they are so delightful that I want the full crop myself.

Parsley Pea - again will be netted, but these will be grown as much for the lovely foliage as greens as for the peas themselves.

Broad beans, as many as I can for an early harvest.

Overwintering onions, Radar as per usual - netted against Allium Leaf Miner [grrrr]

Garlics - will be putting them in this weekend - as long as they go in before the Winter Solstice you stand a good chance of a decent sized bulb. Usually grow about 50 of these. Nom.

Parsley, was given a European variety that I am told is absolutely fantastic in salads.

Talking of salads - Lau's Lettuce - a long toothed no header variety - saved the seed from this so will have my own stash this year

Claytonia - miner's lettuce - growing well at the moment, will leave to self seed again.

A winter lettuce that I don't know the variety of - survived all through the winter before last, with no protection so I let it go to seed, collected them and they are now growing happily in the garden. Will see if any survive again and do the same to get a variety suited to my region.

Sugar Pie Pumpkin - best for pumpkin pie - didn't save from these this year so will grow and save from them next year. GORGEOUS flavour.

Gelbe Kirschen Cherry Chillis - flavour and heat - little yellow cherry chillis that look absolutely fantastic as well.

Black Hungarian Chillis - pack a punch and look wonderful once they turn black.

All sorts of beans, Jacob's Cattle, Madeira Maroon, Borlotti, Zuni bush, Black Valentine, Flavert - to name but a few - I grow about 100 different varieties so those are just some of the better looking ones.

That's off the top of my head. Might come back later to refresh the list.

avantra

Sally_A wrote: »

Ooh, lucky you Avantra.

I've never tried melons, are these the ones you allow to climb? If so I've seen people hooking up old big bras around the framework to support them.

Yep, if not supported they tend to break the stem and take the entire plant with it. I was given two well used 34DD to help with the support effort but I think I will have more than four melons in total, I will get some old pea netting for the rest.

Sally_A

I don't dislike Moneymaker tomatoes, especially freshly picked from a warm greenhouse - besides I need to grow some for Mrs Next Door.

I found Purple Russian (I grew Purple Ukraine, but guess they are similar) far too sweet.

I would love to be able to grow tasty beefsteaks, but as these prefer to be outdoors, despite having a few sheltered sunny spots for them, and regardless of how early I start them off (usually 14th Feb) it just seems the season isn't quite long enough to get the crop I crave.

Having tried various varieties, heritage and bog standard, good old Gardener's Delight always does the do for me.

yorkieorchid

There's some great ideas here, thankyou! I want to try some of the old heritage varieties next year and i feel really inspired now. Thankyou for that.

Sambucus_Nigra

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/index.php
Fill yer boots....