This is where I think I am at for 2017 – and is reliant on a second greenhouse going up as well as 4 new beds being created and properly dug in time to plant out into. Some of the quantities will require some inventive growing combinations – I don’t think I have enough structures for all the tall peas at the moment and some of those might end up in the fruit cage. Numbers of squash plants might tumble a bit when it gets to the realistic end of April.

THE EVER-GROWING GROWING LIST:

Potatoes: Lady Christl & Charlotte 1 kg of each, Alouette (6), Ambo (3), British Queen (3), PFA (4), Ratte (3), Yucon Gold (1)

Garlic: Red Duke, Elephant Garlic – both already in the ground.

Aubergines:  Antigua, Ophelia F1, Rosa Bianca* (self saved seed) – 2 of each and all in large, well-fed pots. It’s open-pollinated aubergine’s last chance to impress. Rosa Bianca on balcony once it’s flowering.

Beans: Stereo broad beans, Crimson flowered broad beans (50) Climbing: Blue Lake (12), Cherokee Trail of Tears (16 – 2 sides of one arch), Snowcap* (20 – Munty on #92), Inca F2 to see if stable (12), Veitchs* (12)  Scarlet Emporer runnners (10) Bush – grow in saffron beds or under redcurrants: Montcalm Red Kidney*, Zuni Gold, Nun’s Belly Button, Hutterite Soup, Purple Teepee (20), Red Swan*.

Brassicas: Choy Sum (x8), Kale – Nero (x 6) Red Devil (x 6) Red Russian (x 6) Spis Bladene (x4), Kohlrabi –  Azure (x16), PSB (x 8),  Sprouts (x 4), Swede Kelper Gigantic (20 – and make sure to water when growing this year to stop bitterness), Turnips (12 x 2 – Purple Top Milan, Veitch’s Red Globe)

Courgettes: Atena F1, Genovese* (x5), Italian striped, Lunga Bianca, Wanda, white patty pans.

Cucumbers: Diva, Marketmore, Boothby’s Blond (2 of each – climbing through the pea wall or on a separate piece of netting)

Herbs: Alexanders, basil (g/h), caraway, chervil, coriander, dill, hyssop, lovage, parsley, pink-flowered rosemary, russian tarragon, sweet cicely, thyme.

Leeks: Zermatt

Melons: Kajari* and some form of watermelon

Oca: pink & white x 3, ‘black’ x 2

Onions: Ailsa Craig (24), Potato onion (all), Rijnsburger (24), Senshyu Yellow (30) (overwintering 2017), Long Red Florence shallot (24), Zebrune (24).  Remember to ‘clump’ the shallots a bit to keep them a bit smaller and grow more.

Peas: Bijou mangetout (along saffron beds?), Magnolia Blossom Tendril Pea* (gets to 7ft),  Sugar Magnolia*, Sugar Lord* – remember to sow & save these this year!, Douce Provence, Parsley*, Robinson*.

Peppers: Chilli: Aji Omnicolour*, Black Czech*, Black Hungarian*, Black Naga, Bishop’s Hat*, Bulgarian Carrot*, Burkina Yellow*, Fish (o/w), Nigel’s Outdoor, Nosferatu, Padron* (8), Pasilla Bajio, Pinocchio’s Nose,  Purple Jalapeno, Rocoto/Manzano, Serrano Tampiqueño, Zimbabwe Black.

Roots: Beetroot (Chioggia, Devoy, Egyptian, Crapaudine*), Carrots (Red Samurai and yellow ones), Parsnips (35 Guernsey half-long), Salsify (35), Skirret (whoop!!).

Salads & leaves: Cicoria Spadona (12), Fennel, Little Gem or Balloon Cos lettuce

Squashes: Baby Blue Hubbard, Black Futsu*, Chirimen, Cornell’s Delicata, Flat White Boer*, Japanese Pie*, Potimarron*, Shishigatani, Sibleys, Sucrette* (grown for HSL seed guardian scheme), Tonda Padana, Upper Ground Sweet Potato*, Whangaparoa Crown*, Waltham Butternut, Yokohama. PLUS first ever attempt at a Giant Pumpkin for entry into the site’s biggest pumpkin compy. Watch out Ruth…(mwah hahahahaha)

Sweetcorn: Peaches & Cream if Katie finds me seeds, otherwise Swift or Lark (20), plus Strawberry popcorn (9) grown in the Sucrette squashes & hopefully not interfering with nextdoors’ normal corn.

Tomatoes: Outside: Crimson Crush F1 (3) Magic Mountain (3) Inside: Aranyalma (yellow, salad), Belhomme’s Fortuna potato leaf* (large red cherry – bag trusses for saving), Berkeley Tie-Dye (striped salad), Black Cherry (cherry), Black Icicle (large plum), Bloody Butcher (early salad, dark), Blush (striped yellow, cherry plum), Caspian Pink (beef), Cherokee Purple (beef), Cream Sausage (white-yellow icicle type), Kenilworth King George (salad), Orange Banana, Petit Moineau (currant – grown because it means little sparrow), Red Zebra (striped red salad), Speckled Roman (lg, red w gold stripe), Vesennij Mieurinsky (red cherry) If I can fit them in, I also want to grow Stripes of Yore (another fantastic Tom Wagner tomato) and Plum Tiger from last year’s twitter seed circle.

Other things to dot about: Achocha (x4 – growing up the shed wall), Giant tomatillo (x 4), Huauzontle (x 4 – get to 3ft wide so give them space), cape gooseberry (giant), kiwano – 3rd year running for these, tiger nuts, which WILL work this year (grow in tub), yacon x 3 in large tubs/potato bags. Black quinoa seeds which are reportedly easier to clean the saponins from. And possibly some chia seeds, though these also grow very, very large.

Flowers: primula vialii, gazania, cosmos – sulphureus and bipinnatus, cerinthe, dahlias, gazania, hollyhocks, larkspur, lillies (bulbs delivered in Feb), marigolds, sunflowers, sweetpeas – more to be added.

Green manures: red clover, phacelia – already sown autumn 2016.

Permanent crops: apple (Christmas Pippin), bay, blackcurrants, chilean guava, chives, comfrey, crab apple (Harry Baker new this year), damson (Farleigh new this year),  fig (Luigi Fig cuttings in their 3rd and 2nd years), globe artichokes, grapevine, gooseberries (green, cooking), gooseberries (red, dessert), mint, mistletoe (3rd year – 1 more year till harvest allegedly), mulberry (Charlotte Russe new this year), pears, pomegranate (still too small to fruit), quince, raspberries (Joan J), redcurrants, rhubarb x 4, saffron, sage, strawberries, strawberry tree, Szechuan peppercorn (2nd year), tayberries, wild garlic (3rd year & planted in the hedge).

*aim to save seed from these varieties