It’s been a strange year in the garden and the weather has definitely had an effect on my Gardening Trials 2022. Germination early on was patchy – I ended up resowing a few things – and many plants struggled in the summer heatwave.
Even so I’ve discovered a few new favourites – the annual seed list is getting ever longer!
Seeds and products were gifted in return for a fair review.
The Vegetables
If one thing filled me with joy in the Gardening Trials 2022 it was this. I grew melons many years ago and tried last year – with a spectacular lack of success. So, getting this to an edible stage was a real triumph. It’s ‘Mangomel’ from Suttons and it tasted as good as it sounds.
They make big plants, which was a challenge in my tiny greenhouse. I’m hoping that now I have a larger greenhouse (read more about it in my last Gardening View) I will be able to give it more space with even better results.
Cucumbers were another success this year. I grew two – ‘Hopeline’ from Dobies and ‘Honey Plus’ from Burpee. Both were prolific – it’s just as well we like cucumber! – and were well flavoured. Of the two, I preferred ‘Hopeline’ as I found the ‘Honey Plus’ tended to get a coarser skin if you didn’t pick them in time.
It’s been a good year for squash and pumpkins, providing you kept watering, and I grew two new varieties this year. ‘Sweet Lightning’ from Marshalls is a rather cute small squash with lovely markings on the skin.
I also grew the large ‘Triple Treat from Dobies, named because you can carve it, eat the flesh and the seeds.
Both grew well, despite the drought, and produced several fruits. Neither have been taste tested yet as they both store well if kept in a cool spot so I’m saving them for brightening up a winter day. I will report back at a future date.
Chard and kale have to be two of my favourite veggies and there were a couple in the Gardening Trials 2022. ‘Fordhook Giant’ from Burpee is a handsome, white-stemmed variety with a good flavour and large leaves. White chard is reputed to withstand winter weather better than the many coloured varieties – something I can judge if we ever get any cold this winter!
Kale ‘Frost Byte’ from Suttons is another beautiful veg and tastes as good as it looks. Definitely one to add a bit of interest to the veg plot and it keeps its two tone colour when cooked.
It was a challenging year for beans. The heat meant many struggled to set fruit and the blackfly were prolific – I’ve still got some in the garden in mid-November!
Runner bean ‘Black Knight’ from Suttons never really recovered from an early infestation and the crop was small, although tasty. I have more seed and will try this again next year.
I also trialled ‘Statissa’ from Suttons, a broad bean that can be eaten whole without podding – just make sure you pick them small. You can also grow it on and eat as the usual broad bean. An interesting variety with a good flavour.
Suttons also sent me seed for ‘Summer Purple’ broccoli. It was good but I’m not convinced it’s worth the space over summer when there are so many other things. Personally, I prefer early purple sprouting for that ‘hungry gap’.
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As the name suggets, ‘Avalanche’ is a white beetroot, sent to me by Chiltern Seeds. It grew well and tasted great even though the colour just seems wrong. Although I’ve grown many different coloured beetroot, I still think of them as purple/red.
Flower Gardening Trials 2022
I didn’t grow as many flowers this year, which was probably just as well given the strange weather. Here are what I sowed and that survived.
This rather lovely cosmos (from Chiltern Seeds) was the standout flower. I love the mix of colours and it kept flowering right into November when the relentless rain finally saw it off. Definitely one to grow again.
The tithonia was also from Chilterns, something I’d grown a few years ago – I’d forgotten how wonderful it is and adored by the bees.
I grew the two together and loved the contrast with the old brick retaining wall.
Agrostemma githago was something I’d seen a while ago in a cut flower grower’s garden. I trialled ‘Queen Mixed’ from Chilterns. Lovely elegant flowers with long stems that make them ideal for cutting.
Also good for cutting were the Callistephus chinensis from Chilterns.
I’ve already got some seeds in for the 2023 Gardening Trials and I’ll be repeating some from this year. Just as well I’ve got a new greenhouse!
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I admire anybody who can grow edibles! My biggest problem is with slugs and snails. I don’t think I have lived anywhere with so many of the little blighters. If I plant any seedlings out they are immediately munched to the ground. To the extent that I now choose plants based on whether the S&S don’t like them!
I once planted out a courgette plant and all that was left the next morning was the label! Have you tried growing in plugs/modules and letting things get quite big before planting out? It’s how I defeat the slugs and snails – well, most of them.
Yes, I think that is the way to go. I did once manage to grow lettuce from plugs, and spinach over the winter from seed. Also using containers seems to keep the little blighters away from the young plants until they are big enough to defend themselves. At the moment I stick to herbs as the S&S don’t seem to like smelly things!
I did once have curry plant eaten by snails! They also love basil. I grow all my dahlias in pots until they’re big enough to frighten the slimy creatures and then I plant them out – the only way they’ll survive.