Autumn 07: New strawberries, apples, mushrooms and more to order from the seed companies' latest catalogues
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| New strawberry 'Delia'
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'Included in the World Kitchen range are pumpkin 'New England Pie' and climbing bean 'Kentucky Wonder Wax' from North America...'
Early season strawberry
DT Brown is offering six plants of a new strawberry called 'Delia' free to all gardeners who place an order from the
Kitchen Gardener's Catalogue 2008. 'Delia' is an early season variety with large, bright, glossy, orange-red conical berries.
Frost-resistant apple
The heavy cropping apple 'Fiesta' is also new, its 'Cox' parentage being responsible for the rich, aromatic, sweet flavour. Its frost resistance makes 'Fiesta' a good choice for northern gardens. One tree costs £13.45, but is completely free when ordering five or more trees or vines from the new catalogue. Order only three trees or vines, and 'Fiesta' costs just half price at £6.65.
For a free copy of the Kitchen Gardener's Catalogue 2008 call 0845 1662 275 or visit DT Brown.
World Kitchen vegetable seeds
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| World Kitchen range
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To reflect the great interest in growing vegetables at home, Johnsons Seeds is introducing a new range of vegetable seeds to Britain's gardeners for the 2008 season. The World Kitchen range comprises 44 varieties, bringing together vegetables that have inspired distinctive regional cuisines around the world and allowing gardeners to create authentic dishes from the Mediterranean, Asia, the Americas and Northern and Eastern Europe.
Included in the World Kitchen range are pumpkin 'New England Pie' and climbing bean 'Kentucky Wonder Wax' from North America; fennel 'Florence Finale' and courgette 'Striato d'Italia' from the Mediterranean; and mizuna 'Kyoto' and spinach 'Oriental Mikado F1' from Asia. Prices range from £1.49 to £2.29 per packet.
Other ranges include Patio Vegetables and Compact Flowers and Vegetables – perfect for those who only have limited space.
Johnsons seeds are widely available from garden centres and online from Johnsons Seeds.
Marvellous mushrooms
Mr Fothergill's has added two new species to its Marvellous Mushrooms range, thanks to the popularity of the five which were launched last year.
The two newcomers are 'Lion's Mane' (Hericium erinaceum) and 'Richmond Trumpet' (Pleurotus cornucopiae). 'Lion's Mane' is an unusual-looking British native, traditionally favoured by woodsmen who have picked and appreciated it for centuries. Its luxurious taste and texture have been likened to those of lobster.
'Richmond Trumpet' is highly prized in France, where it is cultivated commercially, although it too grows wild in British woods. It appears in clusters of butter-coloured, trumpet-shaped cups, the colour of which deepens with age. This variety is said to have a deliciously nutty flavour.
The range also includes 'Shiitake', 'Pearl Oyster' and 'Winter Enoki' mushrooms. Each species is very easy to grow and is carried on either wooden dowels, for implanting into logs outdoors, or on cereal grains for implanting into straw (or even old books) indoors. The packs retail at £5.95. Mushrooms are cholesterol-free, very low in carbohydrates, virtually fat-free and high in easily absorbed vegetable proteins.
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| Lion's Mane mushroom
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Salad, herbs and veg on tape
Mr Fothergill's has launched a range of seed tapes and seed mats for those who are a little nervous about growing things from seed. Seeds are encapsulated and spaced out between sheets of biodegradable paper in long strips or 'cut to size' mats. Choose from 6m (20ft) tapes, 8cm (3in) mats for small pots, or 20cm (8in) mats for large patio pots.
The range includes winter stew vegetables, salad leaves and herbs. Prices are £2.05 for both sizes of mat, and seed tapes cost £2.05 or £3.45 for a collection.
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| Seed tapes for easy veg sowing
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