What's New for Your Garden This Year?


What's new for your garden in 2011? There's plenty that's what, as seen at my first ever garden press event at the RHS Halls in London last Thursday. This is one of the key events the Garden Media Guild organises and is the first opportunity of the year for all kinds of companies offering gardening and sundry products to show off what's new.

It's also the place for a good chinwag* and to spot a few gardening celebrities like Charlie Dimmock, Helen Yemm**, Peter Seabrook and Pippa Greenwood. Alan Titchmarsh was also present, but only in the form of a cardboard cutout on the Plant Heritage stand. However, he was very much the subject of the day's gossip as his move to ITV to present a new gardening programme had just been announced.

I was able to catch up with a couple of VP's VIPs [yet to be published - Ed] in the shape of HabitatAid's Nick Mann - who was launching his rather splendid Meadow Anywhere product on the Hillier's stand - and The Fat Gardener who was his usual shy and retiring self ;) I met up with fellow 2011 Malvern Meeters Philippa Pearson, Catherine Horwood and Nigel Colborn, plus it's always good to bump into Martyn Cox and The Constant Gardener :)

A lot of the gardening press have predicted the demise of GYO*** this year. However, I've seen no evidence of that locally (our allotment waiting list still grows apace) or from what I've seen elsewhere. Many of the exhibitors are in agreement with me (particularly Gardman): the continued economic downturn is still converting into a strong public interest in all things GYO.

Within the GYO arena I saw two clear trends for this year: 'nostalgia' and vertical gardening. As you know I've been reading a number of books on the WWII Dig for Victory campaign which is echoed by Kings Seeds joint venture with The Mirror to reintroduce Mr Digwell to us. A welcome modern development with this campaign is the introduction of a detachable recipe plus nutritional information on the seed packet.

Thompson and Morgan are introducing a heritage vegetable seed collection: these are some of the varieties dropped from their catalogue when the new EU registration rules came in which have been reinstated now these have been relaxed. I need to investigate further what is meant by the term heritage seed - does a variety from the 1970s count for instance?

There were at least 4 different vertical growing systems on display from a couple of very functional plastic versions through to a more stylish looking wall hanging from Burgon and Ball, a most robust stand alone offering from Vertigro and a whizzy wall or stand alone version from Treebox. I've yet to be convinced that a solution on how best to keep these watered has been developed yet, but the latter offering was the best thought out I've seen so far. You'd need quite a few of any of them to get a decent crop, so I expect their main use will be for growing herbs, salads, tomatoes or strawberries, even though the top of one of the systems was sporting some broad beans.

Back down to earth there were all kind of gizmos available for watering (including hydroponics); pop up cloches and even a pop up greenhouse; screening for unsightly growbags or for edging borders; and creating all kinds of shapes and sizes of raised bed using nothing more than much taller plastic lawn edging. Collapsible bucket anyone? This is where I fail as a reporter because I haven't made a note of the companies involved. Just rest assured a large selection of what's on offer will probably be hitting a magazine or supplier near you very soon ;)

Not to mention a bewildering array of tools to help you get the job done: I was amazed to find Fiskars were demonstrating their 'new' Weed Puller as I've already got one at home (you'll see mine on the right's labelled Wilkinson Sword which was consumed by the Fiskars group a few years back). It turns out there was a 'limited product launch' around 10 years ago which is when I got mine (limited might mean it was a Wilkinson Sword product originally which Fiskars are now seeking to revive?). Expect to see this gadget being heavily promoted on a TV screen near you soon.

I was really pleased with my goody bag from Vitax as it contained a nifty 'spout' to convert a plastic drinks bottle into a wasp trap. This will come in handy if I have the same kind of wasp woes as I did last year. I'm also making use of their sticky fly traps right now as we've been invaded by compost flies in the kitchen.

Back at Thompson and Morgan's, I had an interesting chat about their new Verbascum 'Blue Lagoon'. Some of you know about my scepticism about the need to introduce 'unnatural' colours not normally seen in a particular plant, but apparently there's been a lot of interest from both the garden press and plant sellers on this one. It's mainly due to the plant being truly blue (a very rare colour in the plant world apparently) and similar in hue to a Meconopsis. It's the product of Thompson and Morgan's own breeding programme and I was told it's the result of the breeder's attempts to create a red flowered plant!

Talk of Chelsea was very much in the air. Hillier's theme for this year is Feel Good About Gardening (and they confirmed they will be blogging in the run up to Chelsea), Crocus are busy growing the plants for three of the major show gardens (though I spent more time casting envious eyes at their lovely rhubarb forcers and old fashioned cloches) and Bulldog Tools will have a nostalgia exhibit based around the local blacksmith forging his own gardening tools for a self-sufficient lifestyle.

Further reports of the day can be found on The Garden Network, Garden Forum, The Fat Gardener and The Constant Gardener.

* = so much chinwagging ensued that I didn't get round all of the 70 odd stands!
** = who is coming to talk at Bath University Gardening Club in April :)
*** = Grow Your Own

Comments

  1. Helen7 February 2011 at 13:49

    VP, Thanks for this review of your visit. I'm surprised to learn that the garden press are predicting the end of GYO -- on this side of the ocean it's still a growing (forgive me) trend.

    Ah, Wilkinson Sword. I have a swoe so branded. I don't know if you're familiar with a swoe, but it looks sort of like a 5-foot-long shepherd's crook, if the shepherd had a switchblade rather than a hook at the end. It's great for weeding. If you can imagine, I brought this implement -- purchased at my one Chelsea visit -- home to Canada in the cabin of the plane. I'd never be able to do that today.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Donna7 February 2011 at 15:25

    Here in the States GYO is still going strong. I am personally enlarging my veggie patch by growing more in containers and throughout the rest of the garden...like peas and beans up along the picket fence instead of in raised beds...of course more areas to patrol for rabbits...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Esther Montgomery7 February 2011 at 18:50

    Oh, never mind collapsible buckets, I'd like an expandable garden, please.

    Without the allotment I'd sort of like to grow things tall-wards but one thing casts shade on another and one is soon back to where one started.

    I'm not sure I need to catch wasps - I'd rather they went away but . . . I saw on a blog . . . whose? can't think . . . a spork (a spork, is that right?) - a cross between a spade and a fork. It looked like the kind of thing the devil would use if he (he?) were to take up gardening. Did they have any of them?

    Esther

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tom8 February 2011 at 14:28

    Great write up! I can't see GYO dying out just yet either. As far as I can tell it's still going strong even in the inner city where I garden.

    I immediately want several of those lovely cloches. Using big plastic bottles just isn't the same.

    ReplyDelete
  5. VP8 February 2011 at 14:51

    Helen - swoes are still very much available on this side of the pond!

    Donna - welcome. Peas and beans up the fence - that gives me an idea...

    Esther - they had an 'expandable' garden - on a roll. The Constant Gardener has more on this topic. Ithink I know what you mean re the spade/fork thingy, but a spork I believe is that spoon/fork dining combo.

    Tom - hello! Sadly I'll have to stick to plastic bottles on my allotment too :( I saw the real thing in action at West Dean Gardens at the weekend. Well worth a visit if you haven't been already. I'm in love with the place.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gwenfar's Lottie8 February 2011 at 21:54

    I cannot see the demise of GYO at all. Apart from the length of allotments waiting lists (also very long in Oxford), with the ongoing cuts and job losses, I think it's going to become even more popular, maybe even necesary...

    I find it funny that vertical growing is now trendy - permaculturists have been doing this for years!

    As usual, great report VP.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Janet/Plantaliscious9 February 2011 at 09:35

    The spork thing was me - not the camping accessory, but as described, a cross between a spade and a fork, and I love it, best tool I ever bought. (<a href="http://www.sporkgardentools.com/>Sprok website</a>). Not sure what is happening with GYO, our allotments have a waiting list but 8 people gave up plots at the end of last year - there are only 27 in total - and many of the remaining plots are very neglected.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Janet/Plantaliscious9 February 2011 at 10:04

    Whoops, sorry, that should have been Spork website). That's what happens when hurriedly trying to catch up with about a week's worth of blog posts...

    ReplyDelete
  9. VP9 February 2011 at 10:10

    Gwenfar - hello! Permaculturalists have a very different approach and would probably not think that much of some of the offerings on display. But then I'm sure the companies were trying to appeal to a completely different market sector!

    Janet - thanks for clearing that up and providing the link :) Lots of people gave up on our site too (ours are roughly the same), but with over a 100 people on the waiting list, the vacant sites ahve been snapped up. Our allotment committee are very vigilant on neglected plots these days as a result of the ever lengthening waiting list.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nicola9 February 2011 at 10:56

    The 'cardboard cutout' of Alan Titchmarsh was quite disconcertingly realistic! Jo and I, manning the Plant Heritage charity stand, felt our President was with us in more than spirit!

    For those of you feeling nostalgic about flowers as well as veggies, don't forget to have a look at our website www.plantheritage.com for details of where you can visit magical collections of almost forgotten cultivars and the spoils of centuries of plant hunters. And if you feel tempted, there are lots of our plant sales round the country which raise valuable funds for our charity, where you can buy these rare treasures for your own garden and talk to the experts. Nicola

    ReplyDelete
  11. VP10 February 2011 at 14:31

    Good to meet you Nicola! AT's cutout in our local B&Q is a bit disconcerting too as it feels like his eyes are following you around the store!

    Have linked to Plant Heritage directly from the blog already, so I hope that brings some people your way...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nick Mann26 April 2011 at 22:20

    A very belated thanks for the mention - those Meadow Anywhere seed packets have been a huge success and have so far raised £8,000 for Butterfly Conservation and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Hurray!

    ReplyDelete
  13. VP31 May 2011 at 10:11

    Nick - you're welcome and what a fantastic achievement! Good to see you at Chelsea last week :)

    ReplyDelete

New comments are not allowed.

Your essential reads

That blue flower: A spring spotter's guide

Image
Spring is a prime time for blue flowers and my daily walks currently have several from the same plant family* lining the local footpaths. As I walked past the Donkey Field the other day, I overheard some children ask their parents** what the pictured blue flower was. It reminded me it's often mistaken for those other familial blues and this time was no different, as they said it was forget-me-not, instead of the green alkanet it actually is. As well as similar flowers, most of these plants are hairy in their nature, flower around the same time, and favour damp, shady places. Many of them are great for pollinators too, especially bees and this week's warm weather has certainly drawn them to these flowers. This makes it even more likely for these plants to be mistaken for each other and it's a great opportunity for me to put together a spotter's guide in case you find the same flowers on your outings. Staying with green alkanet, the key features which set it ...
Read more

Jack Go To Bed At Noon

Image
Last year this rather exotic looking flower appeared on mine and several other allotments for the first time. Having been stumped (again) by Mr Allotment Warden as to its identity, I rushed home to find out what it was. It's salsify, aka the marvellous Jack Go To Bed At Noon - named as such because its flowers always close by midday. Here you can see both open and closed flowers - making it seem even more exotic and alien than in the first picture. I think this must be the cultivated version because the flower in my Francis Rose Wild Flower Key looks exactly the same in form, but is bright yellow in colour and called meadow salsify . Its other common name is Goatsbeard, which must be a nod to the fantastic dandelion-like clock which forms the seed head. With 'parachutes' like those shown above, who knows how far our plotted plants came from. I rather like the photographic dissection of the seedhead found in this link . Salsify is edible: its lateral shoots and fl...
Read more

Red Nose Day - Gardening Jokes Anyone?

Image
The nation goes ever so slightly bonkers on Red Nose Day - hurrah! Previously, it's been very easy to join in - usually via a dress down day at work plus lots of people up to mad things at the station and in the office. Everyone smiling for once - it's a real feel good day and all in a good cause. This year's different - every day's a dress down day for me now - my friend L suggested yesterday that perhaps I could have a dress up day instead and whilst that's a good idea, I confess that ballgowns and tiaras don't really feature in my wardrobe: scruffy student's always been my favourite look. So my Red Nose Day contribution for this year is to compile a list of gardening related jokes. For each one (clean ones only please) you leave in the comments below, I'll make a donation of 50p to the cause. Here's a few for starters just to get you warmed up: Q Why do potatoes make good detectives? A Because they keep their eyes peeled. Q What did the grape...
Read more

Salad Days: Mastering Lettuce

Image
I've decided one of my salad challenges for this year is to grow as many lettuce varieties as I can, ready for the publication of my planned Factsheet* later on. The idea is to grow as many of the Tried and Trusted lettuce varieties last year's Salad Challengers helped compile, then provide a visual guide and as many lettuce facts as I can muster. So far I've found around half of those listed**. Then naturally whilst I was out searching - because such is the way with seeds - a number of other varieties found their way home too ;) A couple of weeks ago I sowed 22 varieties***. Just the simple act of sowing them has me intrigued. Why are some lettuce seeds black and others white****? They split into about half white to half black in my sample and as far as I can tell it's nothing to do with whether they're a type of cos, iceberg, or whatever. I sowed them indoors and popped them into a propagator on the windowsill. The soil's too cold outside for sowing ...
Read more

VPs VIPs: Derry Watkins of Special Plants

Image
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Derry Watkins at her home, garden and nursery - the acclaimed Special Plants - just a few miles along the road from me. I first met Derry at one of her open garden days last year and was keen to find out more about her wonderful garden and running an independent nursery. She specialises in tender perennials and regularly goes on plant hunting trips to find new treasures, particularly in South Africa. As well as running Special Plants and opening her garden under the NGS scheme , Derry holds day courses at her nursery, hosts Special Tuesdays from April until September, lectures and has written a couple of books. How did you find your way from Connecticut to the UK? I'd started a biodynamic vegetable garden in Connecticut and we used to have people come along at weekends to help out. A particular young man turned up: he returned many times and at the end of the summer I married him. So it was all down to love? Isn't that the...
Read more

#mygardenrightnow: heading into summer with the Chelsea Fringe

Image
Ahhhhhh, that's better! I love walking through dewy grass in bare feet, not that there's much in the way of grass on my back lawn this weekend. My wild and woolly lawn has morphed into meadow of sorts this month, which even NAH admits looks attractive*. It's also proved a great source for my Flowers for mum project so far, yielding self-sown perennial cornflowers, lamb's ears, and lemon balm in addition to the blooms you can see. These originated from elsewhere in the garden, the ox-eye daisies must have blown in from the A350 nearby. * = he got very stroppy about the weeds aka self-sown foxgloves in the lawn one year, so he's come along a bit since then. Skimble's demanding to say hello to you too. He does enjoy the patio when it warms up. If the embedded video doesn't work try this link instead. The Nectaroscordum are a revelation. I planted the bulbs around 2 years ago, but it's only this year they've bloomed properly. The bee...
Read more

Make Use of Mildew

Image
On my garden patrol this morning I spotted some powdery mildew on a couple of my new Verbena bonariensis plants. I suppose it was almost inevitable as I prefer to grow my plants hard - this means no water for them unless they look absolutely desperate. This approach means plants root themselves more deeply and have a better chance of survival during spells of dry weather like we've had lately. However, it also means I run the risk of problems like today's, especially with any garden newbies planted late in the season. We've had a good drop of rain overnight, so this should help my plants survive. I'll mulch them later today to help lock in the moisture as it's water stress which encourages the mildew to take hold. I've also removed the infected leaves and sprayed the rest with a milky drink.* I'm also pleased to find there's a use for my infected leaves. Oliver Ellingham at Reading University has started a PhD - sponsored by the RHS - researchi...
Read more

The Resilient Garden

Image
  Part of Tom Massey's Resilient Garden at RHS Hampton Court I've been pondering VP Gardens a lot lately. Last year's drought conditions set me off initially, then our harsher than usual winter combined with this summer's flip and flop weather means the thinking continues. It's a huge topic which I freely admit I'm struggling to get my head around. Tom Massey's Resilient Garden  at Hampton Court recently  tackled this topic brilliantly and was a timely interlude which gave me much food for thought. There he encapsulated the detailed research he'd found which informed both his show garden and book of the same name. I think it's one of the most important show gardens I've ever seen. It's clear the way I garden needs to change so that I have my own resilient garden. I haven't worked out the exact details yet, but Tom's book plus a couple of others (see below), alongside the rainwater management handout from the show garden's  sponso...
Read more

Chelsea Fringe 2014: Shows of Hands - Episode I

Image
The gloves NAH used to build the raised bed . The effects are L to R, top to bottom:  Original photo, Warhol, HDR, Green tint, B&W, Posterize, Boost, Cross process and Sepia Welcome to Shows of Hands - my Chelsea Fringe project for 2014! As you can see I've been having a bit of a play around in Pic Monkey for my first contribution. You're welcome to join in between now and 8th June 2014. The idea behind this year's project is to highlight the tool most precious to a gardener: their hands. How do I take part? It's simple. All you need to do is take a photo of hand(s) in a gardening context and then share it via your blog or other social media (such as Twitter or Facebook), then make sure I know you've done so. I've set up Mr Linky below for your blog contributions. The Chelsea Fringe photo on the right sidebar links to this post, so you can easily find it again when you're ready to add your contribution. If you share your photo on Twitter, ...
Read more

Testing Times: Tomatoes

Image
  I've run a couple of tomato trials this year. The first is a revisit of the biochar trial with Oxford University I attempted some years ago (with a different organisation this time), and the second is a trial of a water gadget called Plantsurge which I was given to try at Malvern Spring Show earlier this year. Most of you have probably heard of biochar already and the claim that this inert, carbon-rich material can help soil fertility and plant health. The RHS information in the above link says results can be mixed, with reduced effects found in alkaline soils. This may help to explain the lack of difference I found in my previous trial as VP Gardens is on a lime-rich soil. Plantsurge is a different beast altogether. It's a strong magnet which is attached to a hosepipe as shown in the photo above. It's claimed that it softens water, with the result more like watering with rainwater. The higher nitrogen found in rainwater is thought to be beneficial to plants. Gardener...
Read more